More People Went to Public Libraries in 2022 & Borrowed More Books

Last Updated on 2023-05-05 , 2:33 pm

Think libraries are just comfortable spaces for taking naps? Think again.

While lazy bums like some of us are busy getting awoken by the friendly staff for sleeping…ahem…studying in the library, other people were using the library for its primary purpose – borrowing books.

The National Library Board (NLB) saw a significant increase in book loans in 2022, with a total of 38.6 million loans, up 0.7 million from 2021. Of these loans, 13 million were digital, while physical loans grew to 25.6 million.

Furthermore, NLB’s collections, programmes and exhibitions have continued to grow towards pre-pandemic levels, with a notable surge in visitorship to its libraries and archives in 2022 compared to 2021.

Overall, NLB’s network of 29 libraries, including the National Library, the National Archives of Singapore, and the Former Ford Factory, welcomed a total of 16.5 million visitors in 2022, an increase of 5 million from 2021.

This positive trend could be attributed to their successful implementation of initiatives under LAB25 (Libraries and Archives Blueprint 2025), which include the Nodes located in offices, parks, and malls and increased digital content available through various channels since 2022.

More People Visiting Libraries & Borrowing Books

NLB’s data showed a 26% increase in visitor numbers from 2020, with a total of 11.5 million visitors to its network of libraries, the National Archives of Singapore, and the Former Ford Factory. 

Additionally, more than 2 million participants attended over 16 exhibitions from NLB’s range of 18,000 programmes.

Mr Ng Cher Pong, NLB’s Chief Executive Officer, shared that despite the easing of COVID-19 measures and more options for learning and leisure, NLB’s programmes and resources remain highly sought by its patrons.

NLB’s 2021 National Reading Habits Study revealed that a possible cause was increased reading habits among Singapore adults and teenagers. 

In 2021, 95% of adults consumed reading materials such as news, online articles, and books in their spare time more than once a week, up from 88% in 2018. Among older teenagers, 86% reported reading more than once a week, slightly higher than the 83% figure in 2018.

NLB’s digital resources were also popular, with half of Singaporeans using them in 2021. More than 75% of users adopted a hybrid approach, reading physical books alongside e-books, e-magazines, or e-newspapers. 

Meanwhile, the sole use of NLB’s digital resources has continued growing, increasing to 82.7 million in 2022.

British author J.K. Rowling continued to keep its place in the top ranks of the audiobooks category in 2022, with Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets coming in first and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire coming in third.

Coming in first in the Adults section for physical books in 2022 was the first book in The Almost Complete Collection of True Singapore Ghost Stories by local author Russell Lee.

This was followed by The Celestial Zone X.II by Huang Zhanming and When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi.

NLB’s LAB25 Initiatives

NLB’s LAB25 initiatives could be the reason behind these numbers. Several programmes have been launched under their LAB25 plan since November 2021, aiming to encourage the community to reimagine how they view Singapore’s libraries and resources.

One of these programmes is NLB’s Nodes, an omnichannel approach to building sustainability as a national habit. In 2022, NLB welcomed 1.62 million visitors to Nodes across more than 20 locations in Singapore.

NLB launched Nodes at Parks in October of the same year, where roving installations across parks and gardens served as a gateway to NLB’s e-resources on sustainability. These brought NLB’s resources closer to the community as people outside libraries could access their resources by scanning the QR code on the installations.

In addition, NLB expanded Nodes through a partnership with BreadTalk, bringing their food-related resources and content to eateries around Singapore in 2022.

NLB’s efforts to provide enriching resources to its patrons continued in 2022 with the launch of two new dedicated collections. In April 2022, the Tamil Cholai was launched at Woodlands Regional Library, which boasts the largest Tamil literary collection in Singapore.

Later in October 2022, NLB launched the Bioethics Corner at the Lee Kong Chian Reference Library, providing patrons with even more learning resources on a diverse range of subjects.

NLB’s book subscription service, “The Little Book Box”, became mainstream in January 2022. Following a successful pilot, the service that delivers curated books to children at home became popular, with over 100,000 books loaned in 2022. 

Fostering Community Learning

NLB has since established over 100 LearnX Communities as part of their initiative to connect individuals with similar interests and create a modern kampong of communal learning in libraries across Singapore. 

Over 5,000 people have joined these communities, participating in 200 activities such as book clubs, ukulele jamming, chatbot creation, and digital arts. 

Additionally, NLB piloted the Great Makeover Project. This community co-solutions initiative allowed participants to propose sustainable ways to transform community spaces, with certain solutions reaching nearly 100,000 library visitors through their exhibitions.

Furthermore, NLB was the first public library in the Asia Pacific region to provide Udemy Business, an online learning resource repository, to its members. 

Through this platform, NLB members can access online courses on various topics to improve their skills and knowledge, resulting in 36,000 active users and 3.5 million lectures completed in 2022.

Helping to Build an Informed Citizenship

In addition to cultivating thriving communities in Singapore, NLB has implemented programs to educate citizens on specialised subjects that may be unfamiliar to the general public.

In November 2021, NLB launched the Read to be SURE (RTBS) initiative, encouraging readers and participants to delve into various viewpoints on issues like gender equality and cryptocurrency. 

The goal is for individuals to gain a well-rounded and reliable understanding of the topics by exploring multiple perspectives. The initiative has garnered approximately 306,000 engagements, including website pageviews, program attendance, and social media interactions.

Encouraging Interest Towards Singapore’s History

NLB also introduced several programs aimed at promoting Singapore’s identity and heritage. One such initiative is Curiocity, which launched in January 2022 and featured light installations, showcases, and interactive virtual treasure hunts.

Curiocity Encounters: Singapore Night Festival 2022 was the latest edition of the program, held in collaboration with the National Heritage Board as part of the Singapore Night Festival. From 19 to 27 August 2022, the event engaged more than 180,000 visitors and participants.

In addition, NLB has expanded its content formats to include original videos, such as “From Book to Cook”, which features heritage recipes and wartime food, among other things. These videos have been very popular, attracting about 790,000 views.

Furthermore, NLB’s multi-format e-resources are also available on KrisWorld, Singapore International Airline’s in-flight entertainment system, thanks to a partnership between NLB and the national carrier. 

New Singaporean stories are added every few months, providing a wealth of content for travellers to watch or listen to.

Aims to Champion an Enriching and Vibrant Community

NLB has since demonstrated its commitment to creating a dynamic and inclusive learning community through multiple initiatives.

In 2022, the National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre awarded NLB the Champions of Good Award for outstanding corporate giving and partnership initiatives.

Furthermore, NLB launched MakeIT Time of Your Life workshops in April 2022 to enable seniors to experiment with emerging fabrication technologies such as 3D printing, digital cutting, and micro: bit coding. 

Over 300 seniors participated, with positive feedback on the workshops helping them acquire new tech skills.

NLB also organised their Tech Bazaar, where seniors could learn about new and emerging technologies through hands-on talks, workshops, and tech showcases. 

Over two runs in 2022, more than 4,000 seniors learned about Artificial Intelligence, the Internet of Things, robotics, and virtual and augmented reality.

While NLB already launched several programs in 2022, Mr Ng shared that NLB will continue to improve accessibility to its materials across various channels to cater to the evolving needs of its readers. 

He states that NLB plans to introduce more new initiatives and pilots under LAB25 in 2023 and welcomes feedback from the public to enhance the libraries and archives in Singapore.