Launch of “The Book Bank”
Gardens Shop @ Tanglin Gate

Avid bookworms will soon be able to enjoy a new book or two while spending time with the family among the lush greenery and tranquillity of the Gardens with the launch of The Book Bank at the Gardens Shop @ Tanglin Gate.

The Book Bank

The campaign is started by the Gardens Shop to cultivate a love for reading, especially among the little ones who visit the Gardens, as well as to make bonding time with the family more fun and rewarding. Bookshelves stocked with books are set up outside the Gardens Shop @ Tanglin Gate and visitors to the Gardens are encouraged to pick up a book or drop a book in exchange for a new title that is of interest to them. This programme will kickstart on 5 March 2016 with an initial contribution of books from the Gardens Shop in the hopes of inspiring people to get involved by contributing their own books to keep the fire burning. As the Roman philosopher Marcus Tullius Cicero once said, “If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need”.

The Gardens Shop hopes to help people find that quiet contentment and joy that comes with the sharing of these doorways to knowledge and imagination with both young and old. People can take these books to a quiet corner or to a picnic where they can spend the afternoon reading at the Botanic Gardens.

The Book Bank at SBG

Aside from promoting a love for reading, the Gardens Shop also hopes to encourage and build a community of openness among the visitors to the Gardens, one that instils a penchant for sharing, especially in children. “It would be such a joy for us should this little bookshelf encourage different families to interact with each other, and for the little ones to have a chance to make new friends at the Gardens, bonding over something as wonderful as books”, said Ms Wee Swee Poh, CEO of BP de Silva Holdings, parent company of RISIS. “Hopefully this will help bring back a little of the ‘kampung spirit’ to the Gardens. The Gardens is an ideal space for people from all walks of life to come together and bond over common interests.”

RISIS, a homegrown gift and jewellery brand that turns 40 this year, manages the three “Gardens Shop” stores at the Singapore Botanic Gardens. They also handle the design and production of merchandise exclusive to Singapore Botanic Gardens along with curating a range of nature-inspired and botanical-themed gifts sourced from around the world.

The Book Bank at Tanglin Gate

The Gardens Shop @ Tanglin Gate prides itself on range of books for both the adults and kids. The shop houses more than 700 titles, including books on nature, art, photography, home and living, and offers an extensive collection of educational titles for the little ones. Visitors can also browse through a range of botanical and fauna publications suitable for researchers, hobbyists and gardeners.

Aside from the wide collection of books at the three Gardens Shop stores located at the Singapore Botanic Gardens, there is an array of other children’s gifts such as t-shirts, tumblers, educational toys, garden-themed children’s books and an interesting assortment of keepsake gifts and knick-knacks for everyone.

The Singapore Botanic Gardens is managed by the National Parks Board. For more information, visit here and Facebook.

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