Libraries forge connections amid digital age, says DPM Wong at Punggol Regional Library opening

SINGAPORE - As a child, Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong spent nearly every Saturday afternoon in the old Marine Parade Library reading for hours on end. He and his brother would go through the books in the new arrivals section, then carefully choose the ones to borrow to read at home.

Speaking at the opening of the new five-storey Punggol Regional Library, which is the largest in Singapore, Mr Wong said libraries remain a special place in the community, and books are still important despite the proliferation of smartphones and social media.

“People were once convinced the book industry would suffer and eventually die off. But in recent years, we have seen a rebound in book sales across many countries. Certainly, in Singapore, people have been reading books more regularly over the years,” he said on Wednesday.

“More fundamentally, I believe all of us – both adults and children – innately desire deeper connections with the world around us. We don’t want just fleeting engagements on social media. We want more enriching, more meaningful experiences.”

This is also why more people are seeking out longer-form content, such as longer videos and podcasts, as well as articles on platforms like Medium and Substack, he said.

“So, our cultural institutions must evolve – not to imitate or reinforce the culture of instant gratification, but to offer more opportunities for our people to have deeper and richer cultural experiences.”

He added that Singapore’s public libraries have always played such a role, and must continue to do so. For instance, the National Library Board (NLB) has been adapting to digital trends, making its books available on the Libby app.

“Some may say that if you have a digital library, why even bother to have a physical library? After all, everything can be borrowed from the app nowadays,” said Mr Wong.

“In fact, I think the opposite applies. In this digital world, it is even more important to have a physical library. A space where we can bring people together, to connect with knowledge and to connect with one another.”

The Punggol Regional Library features makerspaces – or collaborative spaces – for 3D printing workshops, games for people to learn about emerging technologies such as AI and exhibitions on the heritage of Punggol.

The first two levels, which cater to children, opened in January.

Within a month of operations, and with just two floors opened, visitors to the library are already comparable to other regional libraries which are fully opened. The number of library loans are also 75 per cent higher, said Mr Wong.

He observed that the library has more spaces for people to discover knowledge in new and engaging ways.

For example, a DIY space for children, set up in partnership with the Smithsonian Institution, allows them to tinker with their hands and create items, learning through play.

There are also activities and programmes to support the needs and interests of the community, he said.

NLB will curate programmes ranging from sessions for entrepreneurs to present their ideas to potential investors, to sustainability workshops on composting and recycling.

The library is also an inclusive one, with a collection of special format books, assistive technology and sensory-friendly spaces for those with special needs.

Special features for persons with disabilities (PwDs) include a dedicated passageway for wheelchair users to easily borrow books.

This was prototyped and developed by NLB after it learned that wheelchair users found it difficult to put books on the borrowing machines.

“It shows that if we apply ourselves to issues like this, we can find innovative solutions to make our libraries more accessible and our society more inclusive,” said Mr Wong.

Ms Aqleema Uda Thith, who helps to facilitate the kids’ tinkering sessions or explorative activities, is volunteering with NLB while waiting to study literature in NTU.

“Some kids are shy and hesitant to interact with new materials. Tinkering helps them build confidence in their ideas and encourages an inventive spirit,” she said.

Adults can also learn how to use equipment like 3D printers, laser cutters and various hand tools at free workshops held at the library every Sunday by makerspace Salvage Garden, which produces customised assistive tech for PwDs.

Founder Saad Chinoy said 3D printing allows him to customise devices such as wheelchair parts quickly and at low cost.

He hopes to reach out to PwDs and their caregivers. “They’re the ones who best know what they need, it would be cool for them to try their hand at making devices that would best suit them.”

Amazon Web Services also worked with NLB to set up interactive tech exhibits for people to learn about new tech such as artificial intelligence and to spark interest in it.

Malay language writer Norisah A. Bakar, who contributed poetry to an interactive library exhibit on Punggol, shared her memories of living in a kampung in 1968.

Trudging through floods to get to school, using toilet buckets and collecting water from a pipe by the road were everyday affairs, said the 61-year-old.

“Even then, we had a happy childhood. Now, kids have good lives, they must understand what things were like in the past to appreciate what they have.”