Document Code: SG-H-CS-43 Full Title: Hedwig Elizabeth Anuar (née Aroozoo) — First Singaporean Director of the National Library, AWARE Co-Founder Coverage Period: 1928–present Level Designation: Level 3 Profile Primary Sources Consulted:
- Loke Hoe Yeong, Speaking Truth to Power: Singapore's Pioneer Public Servants (Singapore: World Scientific, 2019) — dedicated chapter
- National Library Board, Singapore Infopedia, "Hedwig Anuar"
- Singapore Women's Hall of Fame, "Hedwig Anuar" profile
- The Straits Times, various articles
- National Archives of Singapore, oral history interviews
Related Documents:
- SG-H-CS-41 | Chan Chin Bock — fellow Speaking Truth to Power civil servant
- SG-H-CS-42 | Alan Choe — fellow Speaking Truth to Power civil servant
- SG-H-CS-40 | Winston Choo — fellow Speaking Truth to Power civil servant
Version Date: 2026-03-20
Section 1: Key Takeaways
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Hedwig Elizabeth Anuar (née Aroozoo; b. 19 November 1928) was the first Singaporean Director of the National Library, appointed in 1965 and serving until 1988. During her 23 years as Director, she transformed the library from a single branch with 43,000 members into a nine-branch system with approximately 330,000 members — laying the foundation for Singapore's world-class library infrastructure.
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A seventh-generation Eurasian of Portuguese descent, she was the first local woman to obtain the highest librarianship qualification — Fellowship of the Library Association (London, 1958). She studied librarianship at Northwestern Polytechnic School of Librarianship in London (1955–1957) after graduating with First-Class Honours in English Literature from the University of Malaya (1951).
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She concurrently served as Director of the National Archives and Records Centre from 1969 to 1978, making her responsible for both Singapore's library system and its archival heritage during a critical period of nation-building.
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She pioneered public outreach through innovative means: introducing a mobile library service to bring books to students in rural areas, producing mini documentaries screened in cinemas to promote the service, creating "Our Library" — a weekly radio programme she wrote and produced herself — and establishing the Young People's Service (1966) for library members aged 15–19.
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Beyond libraries, she was a founding member of the Association of Women for Action and Research (AWARE) and served as its president, receiving the Woman of the Year award from Her World magazine in 1993. She was also instrumental in establishing the National Book Development Council of Singapore.
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She was a founding member of the Malayan Library Group (1954) and served as President of the Library Association of Singapore (1963–1965). She received the Public Administration Medal (Gold) in 1969, Honorary Life Membership from Persatuan Perpustakaan Malaysia (1973), and the Lifetime Contribution Award from the Library Association of Singapore (2007).
Section 2: The Record in Brief
Hedwig Aroozoo was born on 19 November 1928, the second of seven children of Eurasian parents — former school principal Percival Frank Aroozoo and housewife Agnes Danker. She began her education at the Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus, but her studies were interrupted by the Japanese Occupation. After the war, she completed her secondary education in 1946 and enrolled at Raffles College (later part of the University of Malaya), graduating with First-Class Honours in English Literature in 1951.
She began her career as a librarian in 1952. On an Inter-University Council fellowship, she studied librarianship at Northwestern Polytechnic School of Librarianship in London from 1955 to 1957, becoming the first local woman to achieve Fellowship of the Library Association in 1958 — the highest professional qualification in the field.
She was appointed Director of the National Library in 1965 — the first Singaporean to hold the position. Her tenure (1965–1988) spanned the entire period from shortly after independence through rapid modernisation. She built the library system from scratch, expanding it from one branch to nine and growing membership nearly eightfold.
Her concurrent role as Director of the National Archives and Records Centre (1969–1978) placed her at the intersection of two critical knowledge institutions. She was responsible not only for providing public access to books and information but for preserving Singapore's documentary heritage during the very decades when that heritage was being created.
She was also a founding member of AWARE (1985), Singapore's leading women's rights advocacy group, and served as its president — reflecting a commitment to civic engagement that extended well beyond her professional library career.
Section 3: Timeline of Key Events
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 19 November 1928 | Born in Singapore; second of seven children |
| 1940s | Education interrupted by Japanese Occupation |
| 1951 | Graduated First-Class Honours in English Literature, University of Malaya |
| 1952 | Began career as a librarian |
| 1954 | Founding member, Malayan Library Group |
| 1955–1957 | Studied librarianship at Northwestern Polytechnic, London |
| 1958 | Became first local woman to obtain Fellowship of the Library Association |
| 1965 | Appointed Director of the National Library (first Singaporean in the role) |
| 1963–1965 | President, Library Association of Singapore |
| 1966 | Established the Young People's Service |
| 1969 | Awarded Public Administration Medal (Gold) |
| 1969–1978 | Concurrent Director of National Archives and Records Centre |
| 1973 | Honorary Life Membership, Persatuan Perpustakaan Malaysia |
| 1985 | Founding member of AWARE |
| 1988 | Retired as Director of the National Library after 23 years |
| 1993 | Woman of the Year, Her World magazine |
| 2007 | Lifetime Contribution Award, Library Association of Singapore |
| 2011 | Hedwig Anuar Children's Book Award established by Singapore Book Council |
Section 4: Significance
The National Library is one of those institutions whose importance is easy to overlook precisely because it works so well. Hedwig Anuar built the system from its colonial-era origins into a modern, accessible public institution that served as the intellectual infrastructure for a newly independent nation. In a country that staked its survival on education and human capital, the library system was not a luxury — it was essential.
Her career also illustrates the contribution of Singapore's Eurasian community to the nation's public service — a contribution that, given the community's small size, is disproportionately significant and often under-acknowledged.
Sources and References
- Loke Hoe Yeong, Speaking Truth to Power: Singapore's Pioneer Public Servants (Singapore: World Scientific, 2019).
- National Library Board, Singapore Infopedia, "Hedwig Anuar."
- Singapore Women's Hall of Fame, "Hedwig Anuar."
This document is part of the Singapore Governance Knowledge Corpus.