Queenstown Public Library turns 45; picture book on newly conserved buildings launched

SINGAPORE - Queenstown Public Library celebrated its 45th anniversary on Saturday. The library is the first public library here, and the oldest one after the original National Library building at Stamford Road was torn down.

At the library, a heritage wall featuring the library's history, the original National Library and the development of Queenstown area, was set up. A picture book on 75 newly conserved buildings in Singapore, including the Queenstown library, was also launched.

Titled "Looking at Heritage Buildings", the book was produced by Mr John Koh, a board member of the National Library Board, with the support of the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA). The book is the first picture book on conserved buildings targeted at children, with URA's support.

Mr Koh decided to produce it after reading about the 75 buildings that URA conserved last year in the newspapers. He said: "Books are a good way of storing memories. Singapore is full of stories. If you see something interesting, produce something on it."

URA's Senior Director for Conservation, Mrs Teh Lai Yip, added: "Our conserved buildings are only as good as the value we place on them. Through the book, a new generation can better appreciate the stories behind buildings they might pass every day, and make memories of their own in and around them."

The 26-page book will be available in hard copy at the Singapore City Gallery and public libraries. The e-book can also be downloaded at http://www.ura.gov.sg/uol/publications/research-resources/books-videos/…

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