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8 Libraries To Be Revamped By 2026 To Become As IG-Worthy As HarbourFront National Library

2020-03-04 , 12:37 pm

Most of us have spent a lot of time in libraries because we needed a place to study for free without having to pay for expensive drinks at Starbucks.

I honestly still don’t get how some students are so rich to be able to spend $8 on a drink at Starbucks almost every single day.

For those of us who studied mostly in libraries, you probably would know that these neighbourhood libraries have been around for a long time and they look very basic, unlike library@orchard and the newly revamped library@harbourfront.

But here’s some good news for those of you who prefer to study in IG-worthy places for the good mood and vibes for free.

8 Libraries Undergoing Revamp From Now Till 2026

The Senior Minister of State for Communications and Information, Ms Sim Ann, announced that the National Library Board (NLB) will be revamping eight more libraries from now until 2026.

That, and also to build a new Punggol Regional Library.

Libraries, she said, can help to connect people in this digital age and build a sense of community.

In other words, people nowadays don’t come out and play catching already so must have new ways to get people to interact with each other offline.

So far, four libraries have been confirmed to be undergoing the revamp:

Central Public Library in the Bras Basah area

This library will be closed early next year and will become bigger, growing from 3,900 sqm to 4,600 sqm.

Choa Chu Kang Public Library

The library has closed since June 2019 but when it reopens next year, it will have an additional level at Lot One Shopping Mall.

Queenstown Public Library
Marine Parade Library.

The remaining four libraries have not been revealed yet.

Can it be Jurong Public Library, please?

So what are the new libraries going to look like?

Nothing has been said clearly yet, but I’m pretty sure it’s going to look similar to six libraries that were revamped between 2017 and 2019.

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Library@Harbourfront

In case you want to have a clearer idea of what I’m talking about, take a look at library@harbourfront, which opened in January last year.

Image: Facebook (National Library Board, Singapore)

This reading lounge area allows patrons to read as they look out onto Sentosa.

I’m pretty sure many people have taken photos here too other than reading because #igworthy.

With a seating capacity of 460, there are separate zones for adults and children so that noise can be reduced and crowds can be managed.

Children can sit in this area and have the chance to develop their problem-solving and literacy skills.

And look at how cute that minivan is! #igworthy

For adults, there are learning pods to access digital content and resources to upgrade their skills. Through these pods, they can access LyndaLibrary, an eLearning courseware that offers many instructional videos about business, creative design, technology, and more.

There is also an area for adults to read e-newspapers, so say goodbye to the noisy newspaper flips in the library!

And we all know Singaporeans love IG-worthy stuff because revamped libraries saw a 73% increase in total visitors and a 49% increase in loans during the first year.

The New Punggol Regional Library

The new Punggol Regional Library will be opening late next year at Punggol Town Hub and will offer people with disabilities and children with special needs customised services and calming zones, allowing them to also use the services of a library just like everyone else.

It will hold a specially curated collection of children’s literature so that “younger Singaporeans can appreciate cultural diversity from an early age”.

In order to ensure that the place would be suited to those with disabilities, NLB actually consulted Punggol residents and an advisory panel for persons with disabilities, before designing the library.

It’s About Coming Together

When asked for his comment, Minister for Communications and Information S. Iswaran said, “Our libraries epitomise the spirit of the SG Together movement, bringing our people, volunteers and partners together in a supportive learning environment.”

These partnerships play a role in forming the model for NLB’s plan for 2021 to 2025, which is also known as the Libraries and Archives Plan (LAP25).

NLB will be discussing their future plans with all the different communities, partners and stakeholders and hopes to conduct a LAP25 public consultation this coming June.

They believe the full plan will be released in September just in time for NLB’s 25th anniversary.

Well, I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty excited about the revamp of all the new libraries, and I definitely can’t wait for the announcement of which other four libraries will be undergoing revamp.

It sucks that 2026 is still years away, but hey, good things come to those who wait, right?