‘We want you to still feel at home’: How NLB designs its libraries to be more than just for reading

The library has also expanded to two floors on the fourth and fifth floor of Lot One shopping mall to attract more visitors. Inspired by library@harbourfront where the adult and junior collections are separated, Ms Shu’s team placed the children’s section on the upper floor. 

Not only has she received fewer complaints from readers about noise, it is more convenient for children to move from the children’s section to the shopping mall’s playground outside the library on the same floor. 

While Ms Shu said the library’s demographics have shifted from having more elderly to an increase in young adults and older teenagers, she added that “whether they read a physical book or an e-book doesn’t really matter to me, as long as they come and enjoy the space”. 

“In Singapore, we are so limited with land and space that I feel like in this library, this is one thing that we have done well,” she added.

“And when patrons come in and they see that there’s this vast amount of space where they can walk around and sit around – we have kids who even lie around – that it’s really very inviting. Even if they don’t pick up a book from my shelves, but they are enjoying themselves … that’s fine.”

From Choa Chu Kang to Punggol, a library is now “about building people connections” rather than getting visitors to “passively read a book”, added Ms Shu. “That’s something that NLB would like to change.”

Mr Wan, whose planning and development team comprises people from various disciplines such as architecture and exhibition curation, hopes that future libraries will evoke a “sense of familiarity but also a sense of wonder” in every visitor.

“When people come in, (I want them to) know that it is still able to fulfil your basic needs, in terms of (providing) the content you’re looking for, for studying or working. Or maybe you tell me, ‘Hey, I just want a place to relax. I just want a quiet place where I can gather my thoughts, where I can be myself,'” he said.

“We want you to come in and still feel like you’re at home.”