You would believe that public libraries are dying in this age of smartphones and e-books. In Singapore, however, this is not the case. Aside from wonderful bookstores and comic book treasures, our little city has 26 public libraries, each with its own set of amenities and inviting locations to make your reading experience more enjoyable. Here are 5 of the best libraries which comes fully packed with all sorts of books and amenities.
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This one is a visual treat, with stunning views of Sentosa (from reading area 1) and over 200,000 books to choose from. They have a Learning Zone, with an integrated area for physical and digital collections, which is a delightful location for exciting programs like Tech Showcase and group discussions. You can also access digital materials and other resources, through any single one of their six learning pods. Aside from all these seemingly advanced level stuff, they have the Tinker Truck, which includes word puzzles and programs relating to STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics). It’s a great place to allow your child to play while learning.
Location: 1 HarbourFront Walk, #03-05 VivoCity, Singapore 098585
Opening Hours: 11.00am-9.00pm
Woodlands Regional Library
The Woodlands Regional Library, Singapore’s first and biggest regional library, is conveniently located near Woodlands MRT Station. With its own features-galore Reading Park, the interactive library is nature-themed and has a big emphasis on making youngsters book worms. Its Asian Children’s Literature Collection contains children’s literature and unique titles from all around Asia. Some of which date back to the early 1900s. In the basement, there’s also a 250-seat theater, a performance stage, and a 20-seat AV appreciation for public TV screenings.
Location: 900 South Woodlands Drive #01-03 Woodlands Civic Centre, 730900
Opening Hours: 10.00am-9.00pm
Tampines Regional Library
Tampines Regional Library offers a refreshing change of pace, with an abundance of glass walls allowing natural light to stream in. Since its relocation to Our Tampines Hub in 2017, the five-story complex has included a cooking studio, a Pixel Lab makerspace, a Tampines historical display, a 200-seat theatre, an indoor playground, and a 700-meter-long jogging track. That’s really a whole lot of things for a library to have. It’s been said that going around the library may get you up to 3000 steps! Which means that not only will you be working on your brain power, you’ll also be working on your muscles as well.
Location: 1 Tampines Walk, #02-01 Our Tampines Hub, Singapore 528523
Opening Hours: 10.00am-9.00pm
Yishun Public Library
We like it when libraries are located within a shopping mall. It’s easy, accessible, and a great place to stretch your legs while reading. One of these is places is the Yishun Public Library. This library embraces the digital age by offering a Digital Learning Zone where customers may browse a wide range of digital resources. Check out the Early Literacy area if you have children under the age of six. It houses a plethora of resources to aid your child’s growth, with themes including “Sense & Sensation,” “Poetry & Rhymes,” and “Concepts.”
Location: 930 Yishun Ave 2, #04-01 North Wing, Northpoint City, Singapore 769098
Opening Hours: 11.00am-9.00pm
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The [email protected], located on the third floor of the Esplanade, Theatres on the Bay, is a rich resource centre for the performing arts. The 2,300-square-metre room is filled with music scores, compact CDs, and a variety of literary papers, books, and magazines. You don’t have to worry about finding a seat as well as there are plenty of lounge seats and chairs to offer a pleasant reading experience. Tiffany’s Cafe, a pleasant refuge with a view of Marina Bay, is located within the library as well. An exhibition area, performing stage, jamming studio, piano practice room, screening rooms, and a dancing alley are some of the library’s highlights people can look forward to.
Location: 8 Raffles Ave, #03-01, Singapore 039802
Opening Hours: 11.00am-9.00pm
With this list we hope that you will make the right choice and drop that phone so that you can do yourself a favour and experience the wonderful world of libraries we have in Singapore. That being said, do take note that The National Library Board (NLB) is lowering working capacity in libraries and archives from 65 percent to 50 percent in order to comply with new criteria aimed at limiting the spread of Covid-19 in the community.
So step away from the digital world for a little while and hit up some books! Better yet, enjoy a cooling blast or air conditioning to escape the heat.
