The Future of Library

ADJOURNMENT MOTION

The Leader of the House (Ms Indranee Rajah): Mr Speaker, I move, "That Parliament do now adjourn."

Question proposed.

The Future of Library

Mr Speaker: Ms Tin Pei Ling.

7.26 pm

Ms Tin Pei Ling (Marine Parade-Braddell Heights): Mr Speaker, Sir, libraries have been an integral part of civilisation throughout history and most definitely an integral part of our lives. Libraries are not mere buildings with shelves of books. From the Library of Alexandria in antiquity to Singapore’s National Library today, libraries have served as enduring institutions for the preservation of knowledge and the advancement of society.

Civilisations rise when they record, preserve and share knowledge. The act of collecting stories, ideas and discoveries, and making them accessible, has been at the core of humanity’s advancement. Libraries have carried wisdom across centuries and borders. They embody the conviction that knowledge should be shared with the many.

For a nation, libraries are more than cultural symbols. In Singapore, where our greatest resource is our people, libraries play a role in nurturing our human capital. Our libraries have supported lifelong learning, from children discovering their first storybook to adults picking up new knowledge and skills. They have anchored national literacy campaigns, strengthened education and provided safe and open spaces for learning.

In an era where information can be overwhelming and sometimes misleading, libraries equip citizens with the ability to discern, to think critically, and to engage responsibly in civic life.

Libraries in our community, beyond civilisation and progress, libraries are also about community. In Singapore, our libraries are not silent monuments. They are vibrant living spaces, where neighbours and friends meet, where students study, where seniors gather for talks and where families come together. Libraries provide not just access to information, but access to one another. They embody inclusiveness, anyone can step in freely. In a world of growing divisions, libraries remain one of the most welcoming spaces in society.

Libraries are also a safe and nurturing space for children within the community.

A friend of mine, Ervin Yeo, shared with me that he grew up in the Geylang East Library, which is situated in MacPherson. When he was a little boy, his grandmother, who was also his caregiver, would leave him there while she went about her daily chores and he would roam the library, freely access the wide range of books available and soak in the wisdom that the books offered. Growing up in such an environment must have shaped his affable personality and sharp intellect. He later became a scholar and, today, he is a highly successful senior corporate leader.

More recently, a few of my residents, who are young parents of children with special needs, shared with me that the Geylang East Library have been a safe haven for their children. When they are busy at work, they find it most reassuring when they know that their children are in the safe bounds of the library with their caregivers. They know that it is a safe space that can help their children learn and grow, that does not judge but embraces all their uniqueness.

Libraries are also a social space for seniors to stay connected with friends and new knowledge. Again, at the Geylang East Library, we have many seniors who enjoy the access to a wide range of newspapers, publications and an environment where they feel familiar and comfortable. Apart from meeting like-minded friends from the neighbourhood, they could also participate in the talks, workshops and experience sessions that the library offers. The library and what it offers give them a reason to look forward to each new day.

Our libraries have never stood still, from card catalogues to digital search, from physical shelves to e-books and online databases, from quiet reading rooms to hubs of creativity, where makerspaces, storytelling corners, and digital labs now flourish. I still remember the days when I had to buy a cashcard to photocopy many, many pages of books so that I can go home and do my project work or paper. Today, we can easily access the material needed digitally.

So, our libraries have evolved with the times. And in the future, libraries can evolve even further. Changing lifestyles, evolving reading patterns and ongoing digitalisation are some of the key drivers of how we access and consume knowledge.

As such, I understand that our libraries, from its form, location, to service delivery, will have to adapt as well. Already, the National Library Board (NLB) has put in tremendous effort to go digital over the years, preserving precious data and publications using digital means, introducing apps and more.

That being said, it is with a heavy heart that we learn of the Geylang East Library ceasing operations at its current premise in 2030. The plan, as announced by NLB is to relocate the library to the new Tanjong Katong Complex.

Residents from MacPherson, and nearby constituencies, such as Jalan Besar and Geylang Serai, had voiced concerns about this decision. These residents have deep emotional attachments to the library, many of whom grew up with the library. They have similar stories like Ervin's.

Some enjoy bringing their children to the library as it is a safe space for their young ones to hang out and stay engaged meaningfully. Some have senior parents who see it as a daily routine to go the library to read, socialise and stay active. To them, the building is more than a physical icon in MacPherson, but a huge part of their memories, our collective memories. To learn of the relocation, we all feel a deep sense of loss.

Having learnt of the relocation, I reached out to NLB to appeal. According to NLB, there are some reasons that they have considered to make this decision.

Firstly, Geylang East Public Library, which occupies a building of more than 30 years old, has experienced a steady decline in its visitorship and loans. According to NLB, both its visitorship and loans are consistently lower when compared to other public libraries over the last few years. Therefore, moving it to the revamped Tanjong Katong Complex will enable NLB, which is publicly funded and with a public mission, to reach out to a larger catchment, while still being able to serve the residents in MacPherson.

Secondly, from NLB's past experiences, a library being co-located in a shopping mall brings much higher visitorship than being a standalone facility. This is because of the synergy with other activities in a shopping mall. Therefore, under the Library of the Future Masterplan, NLB's strategy is to move standalone libraries to shopping malls when opportunities come about.

Thirdly, NLB considered the alternative approach of retaining the library at its current location and revamping it in-situ. But it is not cost effective to do so given the ageing infrastructure and it will cost much more than co-locating it in a shopping mall.

So, the above three reasons were what I have learnt from NLB.

I understand these reasons and the need for NLB to consider different factors and trade-offs. Ultimately, the NLB has a national mission, but they also need to ensure public dollars are well-spent. Still, I would like to ask the following questions,

One, can more data or statistics be shared about how visitorship has trended over the past years for Geylang East Library and indeed, other libraries in Singapore? Two, how has overall readership, whether it is via physical loans or digital access, been trending? Three, in terms of lifetime cost, how much does it cost to maintain a standalone building like the Geylang East one versus co-locating it in a shopping mall? Four, if Geylang East Library has to really must be relocated, what will the NLB do to ensure that our residents continue to have easy access to not just the publications but also a space where they can feel safe, to learn, grow and stay meaningfully engaged? Will the community library be possible? How will the NLB work with our community to achieve this?

Even as our libraries adopt new models and go digital, let us not lose what once brought us joy, the feel of a real book in our hands, the wonder through crowded shelves that sparks imagination and the shared pleasure of coming together to do something meaningful as a community.

In conclusion, libraries continue to be a key foundation for our society and the future. They remind us that civilisation is built not just on technology or trade, but on ideas shared, stories told, and communities formed.

In Singapore, libraries remain vital to our national progress, nurturing our minds, connecting our people and helping us navigate an uncertain world. We must treasure them, invest in them and ensure that even as they evolve, our people can continue to access our libraries meaningfully and freely.

Mr Speaker: Minister of State Rahayu Mahzam.

7.36 pm

The Minister of State for Digital Development and Information (Ms Rahayu Mahzam): Mr Speaker, I thank the Member for the opportunity to speak on the future of libraries. The Member has raised several queries which I will address in my response to this Motion.

Digital disruption has impacted libraries worldwide as reading habits shift amidst a rise in digital content consumption.

NLB's latest National Reading Habits Survey confirms this trend. While e-book reading has held steady, physical book reading among adults dropped to 75% in 2024, compared to 89% in 2018. And 81% of adults indicated that they like to consume information via videos, compared to 62% who indicated that they like to consume information via hardcopy sources. To remain relevant, libraries will need to adapt and reinvent how they deliver content and services to its citizens.

Given the shifts in the information landscape, NLB is aware that inaction will undermine the fundamental role libraries and archives play as custodians of knowledge. In today's digital age, libraries play an even more critical role as community institutions whose physical presence fosters a sense of rootedness in community amongst patrons. We will continue to develop our libraries and strengthen its mandate as a key community node to foster learning and reading in this digital age.

NLB has seized the opportunity to re-imagine how libraries should look in the digital age. Today, let me share three key roles of libraries and how NLB will continue to fulfil them to support the reading, learning and discovery needs of our citizens in the digital age.

First, libraries serve as catalysts for reading and lifelong learning, a key goal that NLB has always championed.

We want Singaporeans to discover, or rediscover, their love for reading, be it turning the pages of a physical book or scrolling through an e-book.

Library visitorship and physical loans in 2024 have remained strong, with 20.8 million visitors to our network of libraries, the National Library and the National Archives. Our patrons have also checked out 24 million physical items in 2024, showing that Singaporeans continue to value the physical library experience.

At the same time, digital consumption of information continues to be on the rise, with library members borrowing 14.8 million digital items in 2024.

Beyond championing a culture of reading, NLB is transforming into a national platform for lifelong learning, working with like-minded partners to provide learning opportunities for everyone.

While our libraries have traditionally been successful at engaging children, we have increased our offerings for adults. NLB has partnered with SkillsFuture Singapore to help working adults embrace lifelong learning through THRIVE@libraries, our marquee learning festival. Moreover, learning engagement has been extended to seniors through programmes like Time of Your Life Celebration.

To support our Smart Nation ambitions, NLB has invested in initiatives to give citizens opportunities to explore emerging technologies. One such initiative is StoryGen, which taps on generative artificial intelligence's image generation capabilities to bring stories to life for library patrons.

As new technologies emerge, NLB is committed to ensure that these learning opportunities remain accessible for all. Citizens can count on the public libraries to be a place for them to learn as well as experience new technologies and find out for themselves how exciting these developments can be and how they may apply to everyday life.

New technologies come with associated risks. As libraries empower people to embrace new technologies, libraries will also equip citizens with the skills to go online safely and responsibly.

Some of you would be familiar with NLB's S.U.R.E. campaign, which stands for Source, Understand, Research, Evaluate, and how it provides everyone with a simple and intuitive framework to assess the reliability of information. This is supported by a range of programmes and resources on topics such as generative artificial intelligence, online scams and digital safety.

Another area in which libraries have curated resources on is parenting in a digital age. This is a challenging experience for many parents. Those of us who are parents today did not grow up with digital technologies and are naturally not confident in our ability to guide our children's digital habits. To support digital parenting, NLB has curated relevant resources, such as videos via its LearnX platform, for parents to help their children develop and practise healthy digital habits. NLB will do more in this area and is conducting parenting programmes and workshops at libraries to help parents and children practise healthy digital habits together.

Next, our libraries play an important role in bringing learning and knowledge to those with less means in our community.

In particular, NLB has been re-inventing itself and its spaces for persons with disabilities (PwDs). In 2023, NLB launched a suite of services for PwDs at the Punggol Library. This includes Calm Pods, which offer a private and calming sensorial experience to those who might need it, and the Borrow-N-Go tunnel, which enables users to go through the wide passageway and have their books automatically checked out.

To ensure that these services are developed to meet the diverse needs of PwDs, NLB had engaged over 500 PwDs and their caregivers to understand how its libraries could better serve their needs.

As a key social equaliser, NLB continues to support lower-income families through the kidsREAD programme, which promotes reading among young children since 2004. NLB launched kidsREAD@Home last year to bring volunteers directly to public rental flats to conduct reading sessions for children, after a pilot in 2023. To date, almost 200 children have benefited from kidsREAD@Home.

Finally, our libraries serve as anchors for the community. They are places where Singaporeans foster connections and encourage one another to learn and discover.

Libraries are spaces where people can discover their interests and connect with like-minded individuals.

Our libraries are home to 130 volunteer-led learning communities that cover a diverse range of interests. Some examples include Learning I.T. for Seniors, which is conducted in English and Mandarin, and the Ilham Pustaka Malay Reading Club, which is co-facilitated by established local authors.

Through these avenues of peer learning, library patrons can exchange knowledge on various interests, generate support for new passion projects and strengthen community networks.

Beyond fostering present-day connections, our archives also connect us with our past. The National Library and National Archives are the memory institutions of Singapore, preserving our documentary heritage and sharing stories of our past that help us have a richer understanding of what it means to be Singaporean.

The recently launched SG60 Heart&Soul Experience draws extensively from the National Archives' rich repositories of photographs, videos and oral histories, enabling Singaporeans to connect to stories of the past, even as we look towards the future.

Our libraries must remain accessible and be conveniently located in key community hubs where Singaporeans live, work and play. This has guided the formulation of the Libraries of the Future Masterplan, a 15-year masterplan to systematically revamp and upgrade the older public libraries from 2017 to 2030.

As part of this plan, NLB's strategy has been to move standalone libraries to places which enjoy easy access to transportation hubs and networks. This includes shopping malls and integrated hubs.

We understand that some Members are concerned about the relocation of the libraries and its impact on the community.

The decision to relocate any library is not taken lightly. Before deciding to relocate a particular library or to revamp it in-situ, NLB considers various factors, such as land use plans, the number of residents it can best serve, the library's age and the number of years since the last major renovation. Ultimately, NLB makes the decision based on how it can best serve and reach more patrons with its services and collections.

The upcoming relocation of Geylang East Library to Tanjong Katong Complex, as mentioned by the Member, reflects this approach. In the last decade, from 2015 to 2024, Geylang East Library has experienced declining visitorship from 670,000 to less than 470,000, about a 31% drop. We hope the relocation will help to improve the visitorship for the library, just as it did for the libraries at Harbourfront and Tampines, which saw a 58% and 71% increase in visitorship respectively over three years.

NLB had also considered retaining and revamping Geylang East Library at its current location. However, it will cost more than two times per square metre to revamp it in its current location as compared to relocating it to Tanjong Katong Complex. This translates into a budgetary difference of $22 million.

We recognise that whenever public libraries are relocated, they will become closer to some residents and farther for others. We are thus committed to ensuring that the new locations remain accessible.

For residents who live near the existing Geylang East Library, the new location is a short bus ride away. Notwithstanding this, NLB has engaged Geylang East residents to better understand their needs. We take public feedback seriously. NLB is working to identify a potential suitable space nearby to provide some form of library presence, such as a reading corner or a pop-up library.

We will also work with relevant grassroots organisations to help residents access NLB's digital resources or delivery services, ensuring continued reading and learning opportunities.

This year marks NLB's 30th anniversary. Our mission is to inspire Singaporeans to read, learn and discover and this mission is stronger than ever.

At the National Day Rally, Prime Minister Wong said that Singapore must be a "we first" society. This aligns with how we envision our libraries, as trusted spaces where people from all walks of life come together as one community to read, learn and discover together.

Question put, and agreed to.

Resolved, "That Parliament do now adjourn."

Mr Speaker: Pursuant to Standing Order 2(3)(a), I wish to inform hon Members that the Sitting tomorrow will commence at 11.30 am. Order. Order.

Adjourned accordingly at 7.48 pm.