Employees will be able to "work smart" and plug in at public libraries in the heartlands, under a new move to promote better work-life balance.

From May, they can head to public libraries at Jurong, Geylang East and Toa Payoh, where "Smart Work Centres", or workspaces equipped with printers, photocopiers and high-speed internet access for video-conferencing have been made available, in a collaboration between the National Library Board and Infocomm Development Authority.

The new centres can provide flexibility, cut costs as well as raise productivity by reducing the duration of commutes to work, said the two statutory boards in a release on Thursday.

Users of the work centres - which will be a paid service - can also access the libraries' collection of books, information resources and audio-visual materials, they added.

More details will be released later, said the two boards.