Rise in book loans and visitor numbers at S’pore libraries in 2024: NLB

SINGAPORE - People in Singapore are reaching for more books at public libraries, with borrowing figures climbing steadily in 2024.

Library patrons checked out 38.8 million physical and digital items in 2024, which is 2.5 million more than in 2023, according to the National Library Board’s (NLB) year-in-review report, which was released on April 4.

Woodlands Regional Library emerged as the most visited library, drawing 1.39 million visitors in 2024, surpassing Punggol Regional Library, which topped the charts the year before. 

Overall, footfall across NLB’s 28 libraries, the National Archives of Singapore, and the Former Ford Factory also saw a boost, rising to 20.8 million in 2024, from 19.8 million in 2023.

While more people visited libraries, digital use – the number of page views of NLB’s websites and the use of subscribed electronic books and databases – dropped by more than a quarter to 89.2 million, compared with 121.2 million in 2023.

Books 27 and 1 of The Almost Complete Collection Of True Singapore Ghost Stories nabbed the first and third spots respectively in the adult category of the top three physical books borrowed.

Comic artist Huang Zhanming’s The Celestial Zone X.II in Chinese clinched second place.

In the children’s e-books space, American cartoonist Dav Pilkey dominated the chart, clinching the top three spots with The Scarlet Shedder, Twenty Thousand Fleas Under The Sea, and Cat Kid Comic Club: Influencers.

Beyond books, readers in Singapore are engaging with libraries in new ways.

NLB’s report added that in 2024, its app clocked a monthly average of 3.05 million sessions, up from 2.69 million in 2023. The usage of NLB resources via third-party apps such as Libby is not recorded.

The library’s 19,541 programmes and 17 exhibitions also drew 2.86 million participants, surpassing the two million mark in 2023.

NLB chief executive Ng Cher Pong said in a statement: “We are grateful that many Singaporeans have come to see NLB as a trusted partner in their reading, learning and discovery of the world around us.”

During a session with media on April 4, Mr Ng said that the Cheng San Public Library will be closed for revamp in the second half of 2025.

The Bukit Batok Public Library will reopen in the first half of 2026, after closing on Dec 31, 2023, for a revamp.

With the NLB celebrating its 30th anniversary (NLB30) as a statutory board with a series of events from June 2025, he added that the milestone will give the organisation a chance to rekindle and deepen the love of reading and learning in Singapore.

“With NLB30, we are reaffirming our commitment to everyone, that our libraries and archives will continue to be essential pillars of knowledge and community.”

The plans include pop-up libraries around town to discover more works of Singapore literature, a keynote series of public talks featuring thought leaders from diverse fields, and a Book Bugs event for children in June. 

Launched in 2016, Book Bugs is a reading programme that features a collectible card game to encourage children to visit libraries to read more and discover the joy of reading.

NLB said in a statement that it has been on a journey of innovation since 1995, to bring reading and learning to Singaporeans in engaging and accessible ways.

The journey is now guided by the Libraries and Archives Blueprint 2025, a five-year road map that includes various efforts to reach out to people beyond physical libraries.

These include having QR codes in public spaces which people can scan to read digital magazines, e-books or other resources.

Ms Elfarina Roszaini, 34, a partnership manager, borrows at least two books from an NLB library every month. She enjoys reading fiction and, lately, short story collections.

She told The Straits Times that post-Covid, the revamped NLB app has made borrowing books a more seamless experience.

“With the app, I can locate a book I want in the library in under 10 minutes as it gives me specific information on where to find it,” said Ms Elfarina who lives in Queenstown and visits the public library at HarbourFront.

“Plus, borrowing books now is a lot faster with the QR codes. There is no need to queue behind people at the counters with 16 books in our hands.”