NLB teams up with Rakuten Kobo for new hybrid reading space at City Square Mall
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Patrons can browse e-books using Kobo e-readers at City Square Mall’s Sit-n-Read Node, as well as read pre-loved books.
PHOTO: NATIONAL LIBRARY BOARD
- NLB and Rakuten Kobo launched a hybrid Sit-n-Read Node at City Square Mall on 19 Oct, with e-readers, digital books and pre-loved physical books to make reading easier.
- The move supports NLB’s ReadSG push to build a nation of readers by placing reading spaces in busy malls and everyday places, with more sites planned.
- A new Sit-n-Read Node also opens at Anchorpoint on 19 Oct, with magazines and a Browse-n-Borrow kiosk while Queenstown Library is being renovated.
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SINGAPORE – A new space offering people the chance to browse both physical books and e-books was launched at City Square Mall in Little India on Oct 19 to encourage people to read more.
In a media release on the same day, the National Library Board (NLB) said it has teamed up with e-book and e-reader provider Rakuten Kobo – in its first standalone presence here – to create a hybrid Sit-n-Read Node from Oct 19 to April 11, 2027.
Located on the mall’s third floor and open from 10am to 10pm daily, patrons can browse e-books using Kobo e-readers there, along with NLB’s pre-loved physical books at dedicated seating areas and reading nooks.
The e-readers offer readers snippets from a curated digital collection, in the hope that they explore new genres and content.
If they find something they like, they can borrow the full e-books via the NLB Mobile app and continue to read on their personal devices on the go, NLB said.
Pre-loved physical books are also available for all ages and can be taken home without borrowing. However, NLB said it encourages everyone to bring the books back, so others can have a chance to read them as well.
This is part of NLB’s efforts to promote reading here and build a nation of readers under its ReadSG initiative by making reading more exciting, accessible and integrated into everyday spaces, the board added.
“By bringing Sit-n-Read Nodes into high-footfall lifestyle spaces like City Square Mall, we are transforming ordinary spaces into inviting reading corners where people can discover books and enjoy a good read wherever they go,” NLB’s chief executive Melissa Tam said.
Julian Chou, general manager of Rakuten Kobo Asia, said: “Bringing Kobo e-readers together with NLB’s collections gives visitors a chance to explore digital reading for themselves and discover how a good book can become part of their daily routine.”
Another Sit-n-Read Node was also launched on Oct 19 at Anchorpoint in Alexandra Road. It features pre-loved magazines for browsing as well as a Browse-n-Borrow kiosk that also allows patrons to collect reserved items as the nearby Queenstown Library undergoes renovations.
The Sit-n-Read Nodes have been progressively opened since August 2025, welcoming 400,000 visitors in total so far.
ReadSG, a five-year national reading movement, was launched by NLB in September to get people to read for at least 15 minutes each day.