The Singapore National Library Board’s (NLB) Central Public Library reopened on Friday, transformed with an array of new features.
Various new sections and elements at the Central Public Library “incorporate Singapore stories on culture, heritage, and literature, as well as curated resources on sustainability, marine biodiversity and conservation”, according to a media release from NLB.
Themed ‘Singapore: Kaleidoscope’, the Central Public Library “welcomes patrons of all ages to learn and discover in two key areas: All Things Singapore and Sustainability and Biodiversity”.
Singapore Minister for Communications and Information Josephine Teo officially reopened the library on Friday.
It is the Central Public Library’s first full-fledged revamp since it opened its doors in 2005. Located in the National Library Building in Singapore’s Civic District, the transformed Central Public Library is the heart and hub of Singapore stories, providing access to brand new facilities, services and offerings
NLB media release
Giving details of the new features, the release said: “Its design incorporates heritage architectural elements of Singapore’s traditional shophouses and government buildings, instilling a sense of nostalgia for patrons. The transformed Central Public Library has brand new offerings, including:
● Singapore Alcove: An immersive space which integrates the Singapore collection and an exhibition that tells Singapore Stories. The inaugural exhibition is titled ‘Lepak Landscapes: Life and Leisure in Singapore’, which focuses on the country’s leisure culture.
At the Singapore Alcove, patrons can generate a personalised QR code, which they can scan to interact with the content in various zones. This includes exploring stories on recreational practices in Singapore over time, as told through digital storybooks, artefact displays and interactive elements.
The Singapore Alcove allows patrons to borrow titles from the Singapore Collection, and see Singapore through the eyes of literature at the exhibition.
● Singapore-themed Murals: Aligned with the library’s theme ‘Singapore: Kaleidoscope’, the Central Public Library showcases various Singapore-focused murals and artwork, in collaboration with renowned local artists, and students from the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts.
The murals boast unique and personal perspectives of Singapore’s culture and heritage through the eyes of creative individuals. These murals provide patrons an immersive experience to explore more about Singapore through their interactive touchpoints.
● Children’s Biodiversity Library by S.E.A. Aquarium: The Children’s Biodiversity Library by S.E.A. Aquarium is the first marine biodiversity-themed learning space for children at a public library in Singapore.
The library, developed in partnership with Resorts World Sentosa, includes features such as a floor-to-ceiling column with coral-like features, a collection of marine specimens including shark egg cases and coral skeletons, digital content from the aquarium, an outdoor mangrove showcase, and ‘The Submarine’, a room for educational programmes.
The library will also feature gamification kiosks, with features such as an interactive digital installation where patrons can colour an avatar from NLB’s well-loved Book Bugs series and see them appear on the projection screen.
● Immersive Room: The Immersive Room showcases a curved wall projection that displays immersive content through technology tools such as kinetic sensors for interactivity. In the first few months, it will showcase StoryGen, part of NLB’s ExperienceIT service to make emerging technologies such as Generative AI accessible to all.
Through StoryGen, patrons can add a unique twist to well-loved stories including Singapore folktales, and visualise them through a multimedia experience. StoryGen is produced by NLB and Amazon Web Services (AWS), and is the first-of-its-kind Generative AI application with an immersive projection that AWS has launched for libraries.
For example, StoryGen can bring a scene of the boy and the garfish (in Sejarah Melayu) to life through AI-generated images, and take it further by presenting it in another genre like sci-fi or fantasy.
There are also plans for more programmes in the Immersive Room, such as an extension of the Singapore Alcove that allows users to step into a scene of old Singapore, and regular programmes like immersive storytelling.
StoryGen is NLB’s second Generative AI-enabled prototype after ChatBook, an interactive platform for patrons to engage with the contents of books that recently opened for testing with a small group of users. ChatBook is also developed with AWS.
● Courtyard and Memories Corner: Both the Courtyard and Memories Corner are spaces that merge the lines between the indoors and outdoors.
Adjacent to the new Children’s Biodiversity Library, the Courtyard will grow mangrove saplings to be transplanted to Singapore’s mangrove forests with opportunities for children to take part in this process.
The Memories Corner will display a multimedia showcase by award-winning artist Brian Gothong Tan, titled ‘The Library of Memory’, screened on the 5,000 red bricks retained from the old National Library at Stamford Road.
● Upgraded Programming Spaces: More and bigger programming spaces are made available to accommodate larger seating capacities that can be used for workshops and talks.
New space for Launch on Level 7 of NLB
Patrons can also look forward to a new space for Launch on Level 7 of the National Library Building.
Piloted in Punggol Regional Library, the space named Launch provides business training and advisory services for aspiring entrepreneurs, small business owners and working adults.
The new Launch space will feature conducive spaces for collaboration, discussion and focused work, while new event spaces will host an exciting slate of Launch programmes, including Pitch Nights, coaching sessions and business info-literacy workshops.
Through the Business Kickstarter service, users can also set up consultations with a Launch specialist for guidance on how to maximise NLB’s business databases and resources for market research.
NLB aims to support business users as well as freelancers and the self-employed, by opening doors to resources, communities, networks, and spaces.
On the occasion of the reopening on Friday, NLB’s Chief Executive Officer Ng Cher Pong said, “We’re opening an exciting new chapter for NLB with the transformed Central Public Library. Its location at the heart of the Civic District makes it a popular destination for many, who will now find new and immersive ways to discover Singapore content and learn more about the world, including the biodiversity, around us.
“We are happy to have been able to do so with the support of the community, volunteers and partners, and we welcome more to join us in reimagining and transforming our libraries and archives.”
NLB’s LAB25 vision to create a Learning Marketplace
The transformation of the Central Public Library is part of NLB’s LAB25 vision to create a Learning Marketplace, nurture an Informed Citizenry, inspire Singapore Storytellers and be an Equaliser in the community.
NLB nurtures Readers for Life, Learning Communities, and a Knowledgeable Nation by promoting reading, learning and history through its network of 28 libraries, the National Library and the National Archives of Singapore.