SINGAPORE: A new public library will open at VivoCity shopping mall next year, announced the National Library Board (NLB) on Thursday (Nov 1).
The library, which was relocated from Bukit Merah Central, will open on Jan 12, said NLB in a media release. The Bukit Merah library will close on Dec 1.
Library@harbourfront will have an e-newspaper reading area with 16 stations. (Image: National Library Board)
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Located on the third floor of the mall, the new library@harbourfront will have an e-newspaper reading area with 16 stations, a children’s area with seating spaces for families to read together and a reading lounge with 120 seats.
The intention is to “offer conducive reading spaces for patrons of all ages”, said NLB.
The move from Bukit Merah Central, which was announced last year, is part of efforts to make public libraries more accessible, according to NLB.
“We want our libraries to be as accessible as possible, so that more patrons of all ages can make use of the library to read and learn,” said CEO Elaine Ng.
A multi-purpose Programme Zone will host storytelling sessions, talks and workshops. (Image: National Library Board)
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After the closure of the Bukit Merah library, the site will be used by grassroots leaders and social service organisations to provide a variety of services and programmes, NLB said. This includes a mini-library and a reading corner.
Twelve reading corners with 5,000 books and 250 seats have also been set up for residents at areas such as community centres at Leng Kee, Bukit Merah and Tiong Bahru.
Reading corners in the Bukit Merah area. The red dot indicates the location of the present library. (Image: NLB)
“The corners offer residents in the Bukit Merah area convenient access to reading resources at familiar locations,” said Mrs Ng.
“We worked with grassroots and community leaders of Bukit Merah to find suitable spots to host our books, so that residents can easily access a wide range of reading materials,” she added.
NLB said it is also considering bringing one of its mobile libraries to the area fortnightly to provide residents with additional books and programmes.
The Children’s Area will be specially designed with young readers in mind, with an extensive Early Literacy collection for children aged six and below. (Photo: National Library Board)
Preview tours of the new library@harbourfront will be held a week before its official opening, added NLB.
