The National Library is a national knowledge institution empowering individuals and businesses with knowledge and information as it continuously expands its vast array of reference collections and services. It preserves and makes accessible Singapore's literary and publishing heritage, and intellectual memory through the Lee Kong Chian Reference Library occupying seven floors (from Level 7 to 13) with a floor area of 60,000 square metres. The Lee Kong Chian Reference Library, named after Dr Lee Kong Chian, in honour of the Lee Foundation's S$60 million donation, aims to be the premier resource for works on or about Singapore and the region for local and overseas researchers and academics.

The regional library has an extensive collection as it is targeted not only at the people living in that particular township, but also at those who have more specialised information needs. Such a library offers a wider range of reference materials (in both print and non-print formats), in addition to the general collection.