02 Mar 2021
BUILDING AN INCLUSIVE DIGITAL SOCIETY
1. Amid accelerated digitalisation due to COVID-19, we want to ensure that all Singaporeans can reap the benefits of digitalisation. As such, nurturing an inclusive digital society will continue to be a priority for the Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI) in 2021.
Libraries and Archives Blueprint 2025
2. To meet the evolving needs of Singaporeans, the National Library Board (NLB) is transforming our libraries into hubs for digital learning. The Libraries and Archives Blueprint 2025 (LAB25) looks at how NLB’s roles and priorities will evolve from 2021 to 2025, in response to social, economic and technological changes.
3. A key component of LAB25 is working with communities, individuals and industries to innovate and explore new solutions to address the needs of citizens. Since January 2020, NLB has conducted dialogues, engagement sessions and an online public consultation to understand what Singaporeans hope to see in our libraries and archives. More than 3,000 responses were received.
4. For a start, NLB has identified the following five areas to focus on.
Revamp of Choa Chu Kang Public Library
5. In line with the Libraries of the Future (LOTF) Masterplan, NLB will continue to develop public libraries with seamless access, both physically and digitally. Since 2015, six revamped public libraries have been launched. The revamped Choa Chu Kang Public Library (CCKPL) will reopen in the second half of 2021. CCKPL will be the first LOTF library to be redesigned with sustainability as its main theme, and will feature digital services which aim to encourage the appreciation of natural landscapes and biodiversity.
6. More details on LAB25 and the revamp of CCKPL will be released later this year.
For media clarification, please contact:
Hannah Yeo (Ms)
Assistant Manager
Corporate Communications Division
National Library Board
HP: (65) 8322 4965
Email: Hannah_YEO@nlb.gov.sg
1 Interest groups include Origami Fun (for children and teenagers), Malay in Minutes (for adults), Digital Art Club (for adults), 唐城 DIY Club (for seniors), Tampines Uke Jammers (for seniors) and more.
2 Reading clubs for children include 小书迷读书会 (Chinese Reading Club), Kelab Membaca Wira Cerdik (Malay Reading Club), Book Rangers Club (Tamil Reading Club). Reading clubs for adults include Open Borders (by Migrant Writers of Singapore), while reading clubs for seniors include The Golden Circle (fiction book club).