The National Library Board (NLB) on Wednesday (24 Jun) announced that all public libraries will reopen to the public from next week Wednesday (1 Jul).
In line with the safe reopening measures under Phase 2, safety precaution will be put in place, NLB said.
All Public Libraries To Reopen After Over 2 Months
The National Library Building, National Archives of Singapore building, the Former Ford Factory and all 25 public libraries will reopen to the public on 1 July with shorter opening hours and capacity controls in place.
Shorter opening hours from 11.00 a.m. to 7.00 p.m will apply to the National Library, public libraries and the National Archives of Singapore, daily until further notice. Similarly, the Former Ford Factory will have opening hours from 11.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m. Meanwhile, the Oldham Theatre will remain closed.
Safety Reopening Measures To Be In Place
According to NLB, libraries will operate on a “borrow and go” model where people will be able to borrow and return physical materials, as well as use reservation and book drop services.
However, all seating and study areas, including newspaper and multimedia stations, will not be available. All programmes, guided tours and events in physical spaces will also continue to be temporarily suspended.
NLB said patrons are “encouraged to use the NLB mobile app to scan and borrow physical library materials as a means of contactless borrowing.”
National Library Building Reading Area. | Image source: National Library Board website
There will also be a limit in crowd capacity to 50 persons per floor, as well as timed entry and limited visiting time of 30 minutes per patron’s visit, NLB said.
“To minimise the need to queue for entry into our libraries, patrons are encouraged to make an online booking for their preferred entry slots,” it added.
Meanwhile, online booking will be required for those visiting the Lee Kong Chian Reference Library and the National Archives of Singapore. More details on the online booking system will be provided at a later date, said NLB.
Patrons who visit our facilities must observe the Ministry of Health’s advisories such as the use of SafeEntry for check-in and check out, compulsory wearing of masks, temperature taking, and safe distancing measures. “In view of the capacity restrictions, patrons may have to queue and wait before they can enter our premises,” said NLB.
Those looking to visit can check https://go.gov.sg/library-visit-crowd or the NLB mobile app for the real-time crowd capacity in the libraries and archives before visiting.
Phase 2 of Singapore’s Reopening
Libraries were just among the many public facilities forced to close during the circuit breaker period implemented in April to curb the spread of COVID-19 in the community.
All public libraries will be resuming operations in Phase 2 of Singapore’s post-“circuit breaker” reopening.
Earlier this week, the National Heritage Board (NHB) announced that The National Museum and Asian Civilisations Museum will reopen on Friday (26 Jun). In addition, National Gallery Singapore will also reopen on Jun 26, according to an advisory on its website.
National Gallery Singapore. | Image source: iStock / ClaudineVM
Meanwhile, The Indian Heritage Centre, Malay Heritage Centre and Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall will follow suit a week later on 3 Jul.
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