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| Left to right: Dr N Varaprasad, Chief Executive, NLB; Mr Wong Kan Seng, Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) and Mr Hri Kumar, MP, Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC were met at the door with a lion dance performance. |
Drum Roll Please!
Traditional Chinese Lion Dance and Malay drums resounded as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs, Mr Wong Kan Seng, arrived and officially opened the Bishan Community Library (BICL) on 1 September. A day later on 2 September, at 10 am, BICL, the National Library Board's (NLB) 20th
community library opened to the public.
In his speech at the unveiling ceremony, Mr Wong Kan Seng, who is also a Member of Parliament for the Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC, declared the library open and said that he hoped the facility would be a warm and conducive place for residents to meet and interact. |
| Mr Wong Kan Seng, DPM, declares the library open! |
 Front: Mr Wong Kan Seng, DPM, was the first to sign the Bishan Community Library guest book, as Dr N Varaprasad, CE (left), NLB, looks on. |
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BICL lights up the night
sky like the star it is! |
A
Sight to Behold
On 2 September, librarians and Friends of the Library (FOL) volunteers greeted the public with balloons and pamphlets. Everywhere, people perused the 4,000 square-metre,
5-storey high library in awe.
FOLunteer of the Library
Mrs Yong Ying Ying, a retired teacher and FOL volunteer explained, “It's a meaningful job and at the same time I enjoy reading books so that's why I am here.” |
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Inside... |
...was the mad rush to get ready. |
Outside... |
...was the mad rush to get in! |
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Serving the Community
Open from 10am to 9pm daily, the library is fringed by Bishan Junction 8 Shopping Centre, Bishan MRT Station and CPF Bishan Service Centre. It serves a diverse community, comprising residents in the Bishan, Marymount and Thomson areas. |
| Are these adults reading my books too? |
Nice Hubby Takes Wife to Library
“I came to the library to accompany my wife but since I have a fascination for photography, I decided to see if the library offered a section on the subject,” said Mr Mok Chan Tong, 45, a marketing manager for an international company.
He added that he did not mind waking up so early in the morning to queue before opening time because he was used to getting up early. “I had my breakfast nearby and conveniently walked to the new library,” he said. |
Ever wondered what
people were doing
in the floor above?
Well, now you know. |
Hmm... they seem to have found themselves a cosy spot. |
| So, this is how square books fit into a rounded shelf. |
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No Pea Brains, Just Thinking Pods
With a start-up collection of 180,000 books and audiovisual materials, the library features capsule-like areas for visitors to contemplate in. Known as Thinking Pods, it is hoped this will create an inviting environment for all library users. |
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Wow, that's crowd management for you. |
| 18-year-old undergraduate, Ms Li Hui Chun confesses that she loves books by Mercedes Lackey. |
Undergraduate Hooked on Books
Perhaps library patrons like Ms Li Hui Chun, an 18-year-old undergraduate, are already taking to BICL. Ms Li came to the library in search of works by her favourite author, Mercedes Lackey. “I love reading the works of this American writer – I am hooked on to it. So that’s why I am here because I learned the library has her books in its collection,” she explained. |
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