NLB Singapore

Ready for sun, sand, and good reads? ☀️🏖️📖

This June holidays, head down to Sentosa to check out Stories by the Beach, a new Sit-n-Read Node at Palawan Beach!

Spot the book buggy stocked with pre-loved books for adults and children to read and discover. Making its first stop at Palawan Beach in June, the buggy will continue to rove across Sentosa. Stay tuned to Sentosa’s website for updates on where it pops up next.

Simply pick up a book, read and unwind to the lull of the waves. 🌊

Discover more pre-loved books at Sit-n-Read Nodes island-wide. Find a Node near you at https://www.nlb.gov.sg/main/visit-us/public-libraries-singapore/nodes.

📍 Palawan Beach, Sentosa
📅 Daily, 24/7

History is more than a handful of pivotal moments —it’s the thinking behind the scenes that shaped the story. Unpack the intricacies of Singapore’s independence story –through handwritten notes, personal reflections and memos from our Founding Leaders. Only at The Albatross File exhibition.

Open daily (except Public Holidays), 10am to 9pm, at National Library Building, Level 10.

We thank the National Archives of Singapore for preserving records, personal memos and letters that reveal the complex journey to Singapore’s independence.

The 17th Asian Festival of Children's Content has officially ended! 🎉

Hosted by NLB for the 13th year running, AFCC 2026 opened last Thursday 21 May with a celebration of stories, creativity and community. This year's theme “The Worlds We Make” reminds us that children's literature is both a mirror and a map, reflecting our diverse realities while guiding young readers to find their footing in a fast-changing world.

The festival featured over 100 programmes and speakers, including an inaugural Reading Forum on building meaningful reading experiences for children, and we are also proud to have three of our own NLB librarians — Nicola, Lisa and Shahril, share their expertise with participants.

Congratulations to all the winners, your stories will continue to spark curiosity and nurture empathy in young readers for years to come! 📚

At The Albatross File exhibition, history isn’t just something you read. Have conversations with a GenAI-powered research assistant and explore Singapore’s journey to independence through immersive projections and interactive walls.

Open daily (except Public Holidays), 10am to 9pm at the National Library Building, Level 10.

We're pleased to announce that NLB has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Temasek Polytechnic!

Together, we'll be co-creating interactive learning experiences that bring NLB's S.U.R.E. principles and information literacy into TP's Artificial Intelligence & Data Analytics curriculum. Over the next few years, this collaboration will reach all TP Business students, equipping them with the skills to think critically, evaluate information and navigate Gen AI responsibly in business contexts.

Here's to building a generation of informed, future-ready graduates!💡

Temasek Polytechnic School of Business

Step into the archives and explore the many sides of the story – through personal notes, handwritten letters and memos from our founding leaders. Only at The Albatross File exhibition.

Open daily (except Public Holidays), 10am to 9pm, at National Library Building, Level 10.

We thank the National Archives of Singapore for preserving records, personal memos and letters that reveal the complex journey to Singapore’s independence.

More pre-loved books, more places to read 📚✨

NLB’s Sit-n-Read Nodes are expanding with new locations at centurysquaresg, city_sprouts, and waterway_point, joining the existing network of Sit-n-Read Nodes island-wide.

Bring your family and friends to check out over 6,000 pre-loved books now available across 10 Sit-n-Read Nodes for all ages.

New reading spots to explore 👉📍Century Square, City Sprouts @ Bedok, and The Cove at Waterway Point.

Revisit a familiar favourite near you 👉📍AMK Hub, Margaret Market, SAFRA Punggol, SAFRA Yishun, The Caffeine Experience at The URA Centre, The Centrepoint, and The Star Vista.

Find a Node near you at https://www.nlb.gov.sg/main/visit-us/public-libraries-singapore/nodes

NLB was grateful to receive a gift of 10 books from the High Commission of Pakistan on 11 May 2026. High Commissioner Rabia Shafiq visited the Central Library to present the books to Michelle Lau, Deputy Director of NLB’s Partnership Division. The books, which cover the culture and history of Pakistan, will soon be made available in our collection at the Central Library.

Discover new worlds and universes at NLB’s new Sci-Fi Pop-up Library at Parkway Parade! 🌌Look forward to close to 4,000 sci-fi books, graphic novels and comics, including works by Singapore sci-fi authors, in a futuristic pop-up library experience like no other. 📚✨

🖼️ Don’t miss the first-ever sci-fi exhibition in an NLB pop-up library showcasing original paintings from sci-fi book covers, along with iconic artworks and figures spanning across space opera, dystopian futures, and cyberpunk universes from the The Imaginariad’s collection.

What are you waiting for? Join us and blast off on your next reading adventure now! 🚀

📍Parkway Parade, Level 4
🗓 Till 11 April 2027
⏰10am – 10pm daily

No matter your age, there's always something for you at the library 😌

Our libraries and archives will be closed on Hari Raya Haji, 27 May 2026, Wednesday as well as Vesak Day, 31 May 2026, Sunday.

Do continue to check out our eBooks, eMagazines and eNewspapers via the NLB Mobile app!

NLB was glad to receive a gift of 21 books from the Embassy of Denmark on 5 May 2026. Ambassador Jakob Brix Tange presented the books to Michelle Lau, Deputy Director of NLB's Partnership Division. The books will be made available soon in our collections at the Central Library and Punggol Library.

From declassified documents to exclusive recordings, meet the voices behind Singapore’s independence — only at The Albatross File
exhibition.

Open daily (except Public Holidays), 10am to 9pm at the National Library Building, Level 10.

The Singapore Book Awards took centrestage at the Pod, National Library Building on 28 Apr - and what a night it was!

The best of Singapore’s publishing industry was honoured.

A huge congratulations to Straits Times Press, winner of the prestigious Book of the Year award for The Albatross File: Inside Separation - a gripping account of one of Singapore’s pivotal moments.

The award was presented by NLB’s CEO, Ms Melissa Tam to ST Press’ Ms Sumiko Tan.

If you have not read it yet, The Albatross File is also the inspiration behind The Albatross File Exhibition - another reason to visit us soon!

Check out the amazing works of our Singapore literary talents at our libraries and via the NLB Mobile app!

We are happy to partner Amazon Web Services and vivitasingapore to launch the Amazon Think Big Program at Punggol Library!

Students aged 9 to 16 years old can pick up STEM fundamentals in coding, robotics, AI, and cloud computing at hands-on Think Big workshops.

In these workshops, students can explore, tinker and create using digital and physical tools to build digital confidence, experiment with new technologies and bring their ideas to life.

The workshops are currently available at the MakeIT makerspace at Punggol Library, before moving to MakeIT at Jurong Library.

Learn more and sign up at https://go.gov.sg/thinkbigprogram today!

📸: AWS

On 21 April 2026, NLB received copies of "Timpa: A Science Adventure" from the Embassy of Italy in Singapore. Cultural attaché Ilaria Petrolati presented the books to Michelle Lau, Deputy Director, Partnership Division. Thank you to the Embassy of Italy for this addition to our collection!

Go behind the scenes of Singapore’s Separation with newly-declassified documents and records. Only at The Albatross File exhibition.

Open daily (except Public Holidays), 10am to 9pm, at National Library Building, Level 10.

Ever wondered what happens to your books after it goes into our book drops? On World Book Day, go behind the scenes and discover the systems that enable you to return books at any library and help you find exactly what you're looking for no matter where you are!

Watch the full episode here:

Behind Singapore's Library System When you return a library book, its journey is just beginning. Go behind the scenes of Singapore’s libraries to discover the high-tech system, from RFID tagging to automated sorting and shelf reading robots, that keeps millions of books moving islandwide each year.

On 17 April 2026, Ambassador of Ireland Sarah McGrath visited Central Library to present NLB with a copy of “The Poems of Seamus Heaney” to Michelle Lau, Deputy Director, Partnership. This gift celebrates the birthday of Seamus Heaney, a celebrated Irish Poet who received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1995. NLB thanks the embassy for this gift.

Travel back in time at The Albatross File exhibition with declassified documents and oral histories that bring to life the journey leading to Singapore’s separation. See the story you remember in a fuller light.

Open daily (except Public Holidays), 10am to 9pm at the National Library Building, Level 10.

🌳 We rolled up our sleeves for a fruitful tree planting day in March! 🌱

As part of NParks' OneMillionTrees movement, NLB staff traded books for shovels and planted 50 trees along Bedok Reservoir Road.

We hope that these trees will grow strong alongside future generations of readers, beautify our environment, and support local biodiversity. 🐝📚

From eco-friendly buildings and sustainability programming, to serving as convenient hubs for green initiatives like ink cartridge and fabric recycling, sustainability is woven into everything we do!

Start your own sustainability journey with programmes, books and other resources curated by NLB librarians here: https://www.nlb.gov.sg/main/site/learnx/learnx-sustainability

On 14 April, Ambassador for the Kingdom of the Netherlands Anneke Adema visited the Central Library, where she was received by Michelle Lau, Deputy Director, Partnership. The Ambassador presented a symbolic gift of a bouquet of tulips, representing the strong relations enjoyed between the embassy and NLB.

Our libraries and archives will be closed on Labour Day, 1 May 2026, Friday.

Do continue to check out our eBooks, eMagazines and eNewspapers via the NLB Mobile app!