Sengkang Public Library reopens with more space and tween section

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Sengkang Public Library opened its doors to the public on Saturday (March 18).
The reopened Sengkang Public Library spans two floors and offers a dedicated space for tweens aged 10 to 14. ST PHOTO: ALPHONSUS CHERN
Minister for Communications and Information Yaacob Ibrahim was guest of honour at the re-opening of the Sengkang Public Library. ST PHOTO: ALPHONSUS CHERN
The reopened Sengkang Public Library has 125,000 books, more than half (60 per cent) of which are new. ST PHOTO: ALPHONSUS CHERN

SINGAPORE - The queue stretched for about 80m, and had started forming an hour before the 10am grand reopening - of the library.

On Saturday (March 18), Sengkang Public Library opened its doors to the public once more, with one new floor, and something no other library in Singapore has: a dedicated "tween" space.

The space is meant for readers between the age of 10 and 14, and National Library Board (NLB) spokesman said that this area was introduced here because Sengkang has a larger proportion of young families, adding: "NLB also hopes to sustain children's reading interests as they transit into their teens".

The new library is 18 per cent larger and has 78 per cent more seating space. There are also 125,000 books there, more than half (60 per cent) of which are new.

Among the visitors were polytechnic lecturer Paul Davidson and his 10-year-old son Kyle. As Mr Davidson watched over Kyle playing with Lego toys in the tween section, he said that the new section was "perfect" for his son, and that he was also very happy that the library had reopened.

"We'll come once a week," said Mr Davidson, before his son quipped: "Maybe even more."

Minister for Communications and Information Yaacob Ibrahim, who declared the library reopened, said that as new libraries are built across the island, the Government will study the regions they will be built in to adapt them to their demographics, much like Sengkang Public Library's relationship with Sengkang.

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