The New Sembawang Public Library
I'm so excited!!!
Those in Sembawang should count themselves lucky, for though Sun Plaza is still closed for reno, the library located in the mall is done with its reno and has now re-opened. And boy, what a beautiful place it is! It looks like a souped-up Borders!
I'm gonna start with a couple of pictures to show you what I mean, because, if you rely on the National Library's own website, you wouldnt be impressed :/ :
There are plenty of reading and chill-out spaces, and students, you don't have to go to MacDonald's to study anymore. See in the picture below - there are study desks located just at the entrance of the library that are super-comfy and make you look chic. Or you can sit at the desks at the big windows behind.
What I love about this library is how friendly it is for families with young children. There are baby toys that are actually placed at child-level (that's rarer to come across than you'd think). Although I don't get the fire extinguisher wedged in the middle of the shelves. Some sort of early childhood education toy, do you think?
There is a big lounging area for babies where the baby book collection is located made of artificial grass on a slight knoll where parents can lie with their tots and read to them.
And, oh so generous! 3 or 4 tablets for anyone to play on. Although when we were there, sharing became a big issue.
But the BEST part, the part that made me feel like a kid in a candy store, were the BOOKS!! New, great collections I couldn't find elsewhere like an entire set of Bill Peet books. Most of them still untouched. Look at this Martha Speaks book, with its 100 stickers still untampered with.
On that note, I must ask your opinion on an important ethical question: is it right to take the stickers in library books and stick them in the books or use them elsewhere? I kinda think the books are there for everyone's enjoyment and that it might spoil it somewhat if you let your kid play with them. However, stickers are meant to be used and what's the point in a thing being there if it doesn't serve it's intended purpose? Still, I must admit I hate it when I borrow a library book and find that some child's (I'm assuming it's a child) stuck stickers all over it, including over the text.
There's also a swanky new machine where you can collect your reserved books. I didn't use it so can't comment on its usability (does it run on Microsoft?).
Overall, the Sembawang Public Library is a great place and would be my lib of choice had I lived nearer there. There were a couple of things I thought would have made it a more pleasant experience had they been done differently, which I will highlight, especially since it might make a difference in some parent's life.
Firstly that the toilets are located on the floor below the library and at the other corner of the mall. So you need to give yourself ample time to haul your kid to the loo. Secondly, that the entire library is constructed as one big open space, which means that there are people trying to study, read or chill-out and you need to constantly shush your children to manage the noise. This can be immensely difficult with the toys, tablets, grass etc. I'm not sure why NLB hasn't learnt its lesson and created separate closed-off spaces for adults and kids. The L.O. for a while during toddlerhood swore off libraries because I was constantly clutching him and shushing him, if not, the librarian would come and tick him off. I really mean that he had librarians ticking him off for rolling around on the floor reading his board books ("Boy, please read at the table"), or gibbering loudly to himself whatever narrative was at that moment running through his head. Or they would come to me and ask me in an exasperated tone to control him, like I was some negligent parent. I can't help it. I've clutched him till he was blue and shushed him till the saliva ran out. He's just a kid who likes to sprawl when reading and has a lot of competing voices up there. It would be so much less stressful on the poor librarians and parents if the space could just be designed a little better.
That said, kudos to the NLB for this lovely little library!!! Great job!
Those in Sembawang should count themselves lucky, for though Sun Plaza is still closed for reno, the library located in the mall is done with its reno and has now re-opened. And boy, what a beautiful place it is! It looks like a souped-up Borders!
I'm gonna start with a couple of pictures to show you what I mean, because, if you rely on the National Library's own website, you wouldnt be impressed :/ :
There are plenty of reading and chill-out spaces, and students, you don't have to go to MacDonald's to study anymore. See in the picture below - there are study desks located just at the entrance of the library that are super-comfy and make you look chic. Or you can sit at the desks at the big windows behind.
What I love about this library is how friendly it is for families with young children. There are baby toys that are actually placed at child-level (that's rarer to come across than you'd think). Although I don't get the fire extinguisher wedged in the middle of the shelves. Some sort of early childhood education toy, do you think?
There is a big lounging area for babies where the baby book collection is located made of artificial grass on a slight knoll where parents can lie with their tots and read to them.
And, oh so generous! 3 or 4 tablets for anyone to play on. Although when we were there, sharing became a big issue.
But the BEST part, the part that made me feel like a kid in a candy store, were the BOOKS!! New, great collections I couldn't find elsewhere like an entire set of Bill Peet books. Most of them still untouched. Look at this Martha Speaks book, with its 100 stickers still untampered with.
On that note, I must ask your opinion on an important ethical question: is it right to take the stickers in library books and stick them in the books or use them elsewhere? I kinda think the books are there for everyone's enjoyment and that it might spoil it somewhat if you let your kid play with them. However, stickers are meant to be used and what's the point in a thing being there if it doesn't serve it's intended purpose? Still, I must admit I hate it when I borrow a library book and find that some child's (I'm assuming it's a child) stuck stickers all over it, including over the text.
There's also a swanky new machine where you can collect your reserved books. I didn't use it so can't comment on its usability (does it run on Microsoft?).
Overall, the Sembawang Public Library is a great place and would be my lib of choice had I lived nearer there. There were a couple of things I thought would have made it a more pleasant experience had they been done differently, which I will highlight, especially since it might make a difference in some parent's life.
Firstly that the toilets are located on the floor below the library and at the other corner of the mall. So you need to give yourself ample time to haul your kid to the loo. Secondly, that the entire library is constructed as one big open space, which means that there are people trying to study, read or chill-out and you need to constantly shush your children to manage the noise. This can be immensely difficult with the toys, tablets, grass etc. I'm not sure why NLB hasn't learnt its lesson and created separate closed-off spaces for adults and kids. The L.O. for a while during toddlerhood swore off libraries because I was constantly clutching him and shushing him, if not, the librarian would come and tick him off. I really mean that he had librarians ticking him off for rolling around on the floor reading his board books ("Boy, please read at the table"), or gibbering loudly to himself whatever narrative was at that moment running through his head. Or they would come to me and ask me in an exasperated tone to control him, like I was some negligent parent. I can't help it. I've clutched him till he was blue and shushed him till the saliva ran out. He's just a kid who likes to sprawl when reading and has a lot of competing voices up there. It would be so much less stressful on the poor librarians and parents if the space could just be designed a little better.
That said, kudos to the NLB for this lovely little library!!! Great job!
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