For the past eight years, while I was an Early Childhood Educator, public libraries were a place I often visited, providing me with resources to plan and execute my lessons. After becoming a mother, this ritual still carries on. I make frequent visits with my son and borrow books to read to him.

The interest in reading can be developed from young. Singapore Minister Dr Yaacob Ibrahim shared that “reading habit helps promote self-directed, lifelong learning among those of all ages.” Unfortunately, since the introduction of e-books, the number of people visiting libraries and loaning books has declined steadily.

With that in mind, the National Reading Movement (NRM) by by the National Library Board (NLB) was rolled out on 2016 with the motto “Read More, Read Widely, Read Together”. Over the years, many new initiatives and programs like My First Library Card, My Little Book Box,  Kids READ, Early READ, READ@School and Molly – Mobile bus were implemented. In addition, the government has also been actively revamping libraries to better cater to young families with more inviting space for children, customised services as well as calming zones for disabilities and children with special needs.

➡️ Related Read: What Kind Of Books Do Singapore Ministers Read?

Top Child-Friendly Libraries You Must Visit

If you stay in the North

1. Yishun Public Library

What’s unique: The Yishun Public Library at the Northpoint City mall has a unique design that is inspired by Yishun’s plantation past while from its pixel-themed furniture to its virtual bookshelves, embodies the digital age and invites readers to learn and explore in a unique and modern environment. The Children’s Zone comprises child-friendly furniture and seating spaces designed for families to sit and read together. The Children’s Zone has age-customised collections where books in the Early Literacy section are organized with front-facing displays. The library has 26 nooks in the reading lounge, catering to those who prefer a quieter reading environment.

Where: 930 Yishun Ave 2 #04-01 North Wing Northpoint City, 769098 (Located in Northpoint City)

Opening hours: Mon – Sun,  11:00 AM – 09:00 PM . Closed at 5pm on eves of Christmas, New Year and Chinese New Year. Closed on Public Holidays

How to get there: Nearest MRT – Yishun, Bus Interchange – Yishun. Buses: 171,  811, 851 and 852

If you stay in the North

2. Woodlands Regional Library

What’s unique: If you are looking to expose your child to Asian heritage, culture and stories, this is the library to go to. The children’s section has an impressive Asian Children’s Literature (ACL) Collection which is divided into ‘4 Worlds’ – The World of Stories, The World of Languages, The World of Creativity and The World of Learning.

Where: 900 South Woodlands Drive #01-03, Singapore 730900

Opening hours: Mon – Sun, 10am – 9pm. Closed at 5pm on eves of Christmas, New Year and Chinese New Year. Closed on Public Holidays

How to get there: Nearest MRT – Woodlands, Bus Interchange – Woodlands. Buses: 169, 178, 187, 856, 858, 900, 900A, 901, 902, 903, 904, 911, 912, 913, 925, 925C, 926, 950, 960, 961, 961C, 962, 963, 963E, 963R, 964, 965, 966, 969

If you stay in the North

3. Sembawang Public Library

What’s unique: This is the second library that provides an Early Literacy Section (for children 6 years and under). It also has handy toys in this section. For the older kids aged 7 to 9 years old, there is the Young Readers Area, with Interactive Digital Story Telling Kiosks and tablets installed with educational applications to use and explore.

Mark your calendar on every third Wednesday of the month because that’s when Sembawang Public Library holds a Thematic Storytelling and Readers’ Advisory session for the public. This session includes storytelling and activities led by the librarians, who will be present to address any of your queries or recommend books for you and your child.

Where: 30 Sembawang Drive #05-01 Sun Plaza Singapore 757713

Opening hours: Mon – Sun, 11am – 9pm. Closed at 5pm on eves of Christmas, New Year  and Chinese New Year. Closed on Public Holidays

How to get there: Nearest MRT Sembawang. Bus Interchange – Sembawang. Buses 117, 167, 656, 858, 859, 882, 962, 980, 981

If you stay in the South

4. Library@harbourfront

What’s unique: Library@harbourfront offers comfortable lounge seats with scenic views of Sentosa Island. The Children’s Zone has a wide collection of books suitable for children of all ages, and a dedicated audio-visual and magazine collection where young readers can explore a diverse range of learning materials. Tinker Truck is the first children’s makerspace in a library that focuses on developing children’s creativity, problem-solving, and early literacy skills where children can participate in DIY learning activities and Maker programmes related to STEAM topics. The Stories Come Alive Room is another unique facility which you should not miss! Bringing storytelling to life using moving images, light, and sound effects to create an immersive and interactive experience for children.

Where: 1 HarbourFront Walk, #03-05 VivoCity, Singapore 098585

Opening hours: Mon – Sun, 11am – 9pm. Closed at 5pm on eves of Christmas, New Year and Chinese New Year. Closed on Public Holidays

How to get there: Nearest MRT HarbourFront. Buses 10, 30, 30e, 57, 61, 65, 80, 97, 97e, 100, 123, 123M, 131, 143, 145, 166, 855, NR1, NR6, RWS8

If you stay in the East

5. Choa Chu Kang Public Library

What’s unique: Choa Chu Kang Public Library has undergone a remarkable transformation and reopened on 27 October 2021. The library boasts a warm and natural ambiance, with green and wood tones used throughout the space. The children’s section features a tree-like structure, adding to the overall nature theme of the library. This is also the first library in Singapore to incorporate sustainability concepts into its design, with an indoor garden and hydroponics showcase that emphasizes the importance of preserving the environment. Not forgetting about the Nature Walls exhibit curated illustrations that showcase interesting facts about nature.

Where: 21 Choa Chu Kang Avenue 4 #04-01/02 and #05-06, 689812 (Located in Lot One Shopper’s Mall)

Opening hours: Mon – Sun, 11am – 9pm. Closed at 5pm on eves of Christmas, New Year and Chinese New Year. Closed on Public Holidays

How to get there: Nearest MRT Choa Chu Kang. Bus Interchange – Choa Chu Kang. Buses 67, 172, 188, 188e, 188R, 190, 190A, 300, 301, 302, 307, 307A, 925, 925M, 927, 976, 983, 983A, 985, 991, 991A, 991B, 991C

If you stay in the East

6. Tampines Regional Library

What’s unique:The Tampines Regional Library spans across five storeys and features an indoor playground on Level 3, managed by Playtopia. Also located on Level 3 is the Early Literacy Library that caters specifically to young children. To promote learning and reading in Chinese, the Chou Sing Chu Foundation has donated 32,000 Chinese children’s titles to the library. The foundation also conducts programmes and activities which aim to encourage children to read Chinese materials.

Where: Lobby H, 1 Tampines Walk, #02-01 Our Tampines Hub, 528523

Opening hours: Mon – Sun, 10am – 9pm. Closed at 5pm on eves of Christmas, New Year and Chinese New Year. Closed on Public Holidays

How to get there: Nearest MRT Tampines. Bus Interchange – Tampines. Buses 3, 10, 20, 23, 31, 34, 39, 65, 67, 292, 293.

If you stay in the East

7. Pasir Ris Public Library

What’s unique: The library underwent a revamp and reopened in late November 2015, and introduced an Early Literacy Library in their children’s section, a reading corner designed especially for children. In this section, bookshelves are lower, making it more inviting and accessible for children to pick books independently.

The design of the shelves allows each book to be displayed with their cover in front, where the little readers can immediately see the cover of the books instead of just the book spine. There are chairs with different heights and size, making the parent-child reading even more comfortable.

Besides unveiling a brand new look, the library also introduced the Auto-Sorter and Shelf-Reading Robot from NLB and A*STAR. Don’t be alarmed if you ever see a robot moving around!

Where: 1 Pasir Ris Central St 3 #04-01/06 White Sands, Singapore 518457

Opening hours: Mon – Sun, 11am – 9pm. Closed at 5pm on eves of Christmas, New Year and Chinese New Year. Closed on Public Holidays

How to get there: Nearest MRT Pasir Ris. Buses 3, 5, 6, 12, 15, 17, 21, 58, 88, 403, 518

If you stay in the Central

8. Queenstown Public Library

What’s unique: Besides it’s rich archives of books and resources, libraries also offer a variety of programs and hold events for children and adults. The Queenstown Public Library holds a movie screening every fortnight on Saturday from 4pm to 6pm. Before the movie screening, children are kept engaged in a series of short and fun games.

Every last Sunday of the month, hop on to The Heritage Trail conducted by My Community and Library staff, to learn more about your neighborhood and uncover history you never knew about your library.

Where: 53 Margaret Drive, Singapore 149297

Opening hours: Mon – Sun, 10am – 9pm. Closed at 5pm on eves of Christmas, New Year and Chinese New Year. Closed on Public Holidays

How to get there: Nearest MRT Queenstown. Buses 32, 122 via Margaret Drive, 51, 111, 145, 186, 195, 970 via Commonwealth Avenue

If you stay in the Central

9. Central Public Library

What’s unique: Touted as the World’s first Green Library for children, the library’s new design, book collect and space layout was all driven by green principles. Simple yet welcoming, my child walked straight into the eco-space, sat down and got ready to read a book in no time.

Do visit ‘The Knowledge Tree’, an interactive facility that allows children to learn about environmental issues through shadow play. There are also Interactive Digital Story Telling Kiosks set up, containing up to 179 e-book titles and engaging interactive activities for your little one to read and play. Have crayon stubs at home and not sure what to do with them? Drop them off at the ‘Drop your Crayons Bin’ where it will be recycled.

Tip: Want to enrich your child’s learning and deepen your child’s interest? Before or after your library visit,  pop by to the nearby family activities areas like the Civil Defence Heritage Gallery located at Central Fire station, Children’s Museum Singapore and other art museums around the area such as the National Museum. If you need a bite or do some shopping, head to the nearby malls at City Hall or Bugis.

Where: 100 Victoria Street, Singapore 188064

Opening hours: Mon – Sun, 10am – 9pm. Closed at 5pm on eves of Christmas, New Year and Chinese New Year. Closed on public holidays.

How to get there: Nearest MRT Bugis or City Hall. Buses: 145, 197, 32, 51, 63, 7, 80, 175, 851, 61

If you stay in the West

10. Jurong Regional Library

What’s unique: Jurong Regional Library is the first to set up an Early Literacy Library in the children’s section. The space layout and resources available is almost comparable to an Early Childhood classroom setup. The basement, where the Early Literacy Library is located at has a Stage Area and Activity Zone, where play materials are available for children to play with.

The library has carefully sourced and grouped resources that supports children’s learning through play, songs, speech, language and literacy. The collection for children below 3 years old is categorized into themes: Sense & Sensation, Concepts, Languages, Poetry and Rhymes and Emergent Reader. Books and audio-visual materials are available in Singapore’s four official languages – English, Chinese, Malay and Tamil.

The library also has a stroller parking area and a Nursing and Diaper changing room.

Where: 21 Jurong East Central 1, Singapore 609732

Opening hours: Mon – Sun, 10am – 9pm. Closed at 5pm on eves of Christmas, New Year and Chinese New Year. Closed on Public Holidays

How to get there: Nearest MRT Jurong East. Bus Interchange – Jurong East. Buses 41, 49, 51, 52, 66, 78, 79, 97, 97E, 98, 98M, 105, 143, 143M, 160, 183, 197, 333, 334, 335, 506 , 176, 178

If you stay in the North-East

11. Sengkang Public Library

What’s unique: Reopened in March 2017, there is a new dedicated tween space designed for readers between 10 to 14 years old, which is unique to Sengkang Public Library. Another special feature of the library is the Book Drop area, located at Level 4, where the Early Literacy section for younger children is also situated. With a clear view of the back room, visitors can see how books are sorted as the Auto Sorter system work its magic as returned books travel on the conveyor belt.

Where: 1 Sengkang Square, #03-28 & #04-19 Compass One, Singapore 545078

Opening hours: Mon – Sun: 11am – 9pm. Closed at 5pm on eves of Christmas, New Year and Chinese New Year. Closed on Public Holidays

How to get there: Nearest MRT Sengkang. Bus Interchange – Sengkang. Buses: 80, 83, 85, 86, 87, 372, 501,502, 965

If you stay in the North-East

12. Punggol Public Library

What’s unique: Located within One Punggol, the library opened its first two floors to the public on 30 January 2023. With dedicated offerings for children on both levels, the library serves the needs of the community in Punggol, which has one of the highest proportions of children below five years old in its resident population. The library’s first two floors, which will open daily from 12pm to 9pm, have dedicated collections and spaces for children of all ages, where they will be able to broaden their learning about the world and develop 21st century skills.

Where: 1 Punggol Drive, One Punggol #01-12 Singapore 828629

Opening hours: Mon – Sun: 12pm to 9pm. Closed at 5pm on eves of Christmas, New Year and Chinese New Year. Closed on Public Holidays

How to get there: Nearest MRT Punggol. Buses: 382W, 39, 50.

If you stay in the North-West

13. Bukit Panjang Public Library

What’s unique: Bukit Panjang Public Library is the first library that pilot the program called the Stories Come Alive Room. It offers an immersive and interactive storytelling experience for children that uses moving images, light, and sound effects. This innovative approach to storytelling engages children and makes reading an exciting and enjoyable experience. The Book Mountains in both the Children’s Zone and Adults’ and Teens’ Zones is a unique shelving design that incorporates a gradual ramp and varying shelf heights, allowing visitors to look out to the rest of the library while browsing books.

Where: 1 Jelebu Road #04-04 & 16/17 Bukit Panjang Plaza, 677743

Opening hours: Mon – Sun: 11am to 9pm. Closed at 5pm on eves of Christmas, New Year and Chinese New Year. Closed on Public Holidays

How to get there: Nearest MRT Bukit Panjang. Buses: 75, 171, 176, 177, 180, 184, 187, 190, 700, 700A, 920, 922, 960, 963, 963E, 963R, 970, 971E, 972, 973, 975, 979, 979M.

If you wish to find out more about the events and programs or latest update of the libraries, follow them on Facebook or go to nlb.gov.sg/golibrary.

Photos: National Library Board.

By Tan Yi Jun.

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