3 interesting Libraries to visit this June Holiday!
What comes to mind when we think of a library? A building or room filled with shelves of books? A place where people go to when they want to read? Over the years, new libraries have been built across Singapore, alongside others that were revamped to provide better quality books and environments for library users (Ho, 2020). Libraries in Singapore house more than just reading materials and are now places that draw the community together. We recommend the following three libraries (in no particular order) for children and teenagers.
Photograph of Library@Harbourfront’s Tinker Truck (National Library Board, n.d.).
Located in VivoCity Mall, Library@Harbourfront offers more than 200,000 books and other educational materials (HoneyKids Asia, 2023). This is a coastal-themed library that spans 3000 square meters – making it the largest shopping mall library in the country! Library@Harbourfront has a remarkable Children’s Zone with novel activities for children to explore – Augmented Reality books covering topics such as Space and Animals are also available here and can create an interesting immersive reading experience for young children (Cheekiemonkies, 2019). Aside from reading, children can head to Tinker Truck children’s maker space and engage in DIY crafting activities or play word puzzles (HoneyKids Asia, 2023). Finally, the library’s main attraction is the serene view of Sentosa and the sea which library users can admire while reading.
Photograph of the view of Sentosa and the sea that Library@Harbourfront offers (Cheekiemonkies, 2019).
Photograph of Jurong Regional Library’s Early Literacy Library (National Library Board, n.d.).
Located in the West of Singapore, Jurong Regional Library is a spot worth visiting for many. This library offers Singapore’s first library service dedicated to teenagers–Verging All Teens, which was founded by teenagers to inspire their peers (HoneyKids Asia, 2023). It offers a vast selection of comics and graphic novels and provides opportunities for teenagers to participate in drama performances and more. For younger children, they can explore the Early Literacy Library which has many amazing child-friendly books available in Singapore’s four official languages.
Photograph of Punggol Regional Library’s Spark!LabTM (National Library Board, n.d.).
Punggol Regional Library is Singapore’s newest library that fully opened in April 2023. It is a well-equipped, child-friendly reading venue designed for the young ones to explore and satisfy their curiosity. This library has a unique section known as the “World and Us Zone”, which hosts a collection of books from around the world, including ones that were donated by foreign embassies (National Library Board, 2023). Children aged 7 to 12 can also visit Spark!LabTM, which was set up in collaboration with Smithsonian Institution from the United States of America (National Library Board, 2023). Here, children can work with their parents, or independently, to formulate creative solutions addressing hands-on problems. Another valuable feature of Punggol Regional Library is TinkerTots, which caters for children aged 6 years and below. In this section, children can play with educational toys, such as puppets and costumes while discovering more about the world through simple activities (National Library Board, 2023; Teo, 2023).
Libraries provide a good variety of reading resources that are free to borrow and read at your child’s own pace either in the library or at home. If you are not able to visit the library, the National Library Board (NLB) Singapore allows users to access over two million eBooks that are free to download (HoneyKids Asia, 2023). Check out the eBooks here. Alternatively, you can also check out the NLB Mobile application. While these online platforms provide a good amount of resources conveniently, a greater variety of reading materials and activities await you and your child at the libraries! Visit the NLB website to find your nearest library and their upcoming events for the June Holidays.
References
Cheekiemonkies. (2019, January 6). Kids will love the Interactive Room while Parents will look the sea views at library@harbourfront! CheekieMonkies. https://www.cheekiemonkie.net/2019/01/library-at-harbourfront-vivocity-review.html
HoneyKids Asia. (2023, February 1). The best libraries for kids in Singapore: our favourite public libraries for all ages. HoneyKids Asia. https://honeykidsasia.com/the-best-libraries-for-kids-in-singapore/
Olivia, H. (2020, March 3). Parliament: NLB to revamp 8 libraries, including Central, and open new Punggol Regional Library. The Straits Times. https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/nlb-to-revamp-8-libraries-including-central-and-open-new-punggol-regional-library
[Photograph of Jurong Regional Library’s Early Literacy Library]. (n.d.). https://www.nlb.gov.sg/main/visit-us/our-libraries-and-locations/libraries/jurong-regional-library
[Photograph of Library@Harboufront’s Tinker Truck]. (n.d.). https://www.nlb.gov.sg/main/visit-us/our-libraries-and-locations/libraries/library-harbourfront
[Photograph of Punggol Regional Library’s Spark!LabTM]. (n.d.). https://www.nlb.gov.sg/main/visit-us/our-libraries-and-locations/libraries/punggol-regional-library/library-services
[Photograph of the view of Sentosa and the sea that Library@Harboufront offers]. (n.d.). https://www.cheekiemonkie.net/2019/01/library-at-harbourfront-vivocity-review.html
Punggol Regional Library Opens First Two Floors for Children to Read and Learn in New and Fun Ways. (2023, January 30). National Library Board. https://www.nlb.gov.sg/main/about-us/press-room-and-publications/media-releases/2023/Punggol-Regional-Library-Opens-First-Two-Floors-for-Children-to-Read-and-Learn-in-New-and-Fun-Ways
Teo, J. (2023, January 31). New Punggol library encourages tinkering and storytelling, including for children with disabilities. The Straits Times. https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/new-punggol-library-encourages-tinkering-and-storytelling-including-for-children-with-disabilities
Drafted by: Kah Xuan
Edited by: Michelle, Phoebe
Reviewed by: Joyce