Singapore, 30 July 2021 – From today, go on a fun-filled reading adventure at our Read! Fest 2021's very first multi-sensory self-guided literary trails at the West Coast Park (WCP), the East Coast Park (ECP), and at the ground floor Plaza of the National Library Building.
Organised by the National Library Board (NLB) as an extension of Read! Fest 2021, the literary trails build on this year's theme of 'Reboot!' by inspiring the public to consider fresh perspectives and face challenges in life. The literary trails offer a self-directed and interactive experience, which can be enjoyed with the family or in small groups in line with the ongoing COVID-19 precautionary measures in Singapore.
Titled "The Curious Adventure of The Salaryman", participants will be led on a journey by a digital protagonist, navigating his own adventure to reinvent himself. Daring explorers can embark on an immersive reading experience by scanning the QR codes on the uniquely designed art installations. These installations depict the different stages of the Salaryman’s journey, its sensory elements, and quotes from four recommended English titles in Read! Fest.
Begin your journey at these starting points:
All three trails will end on 31 October 2021.
"We are delighted to bring Read Fest! back after a year's break, with new programmes suitable for everyone during this pandemic. For those who prefer to explore the outdoors, we have the new interactive self-guided tours for you to stretch your legs, have some fun, and yet maintain safe distancing while taking part in an unique reading experience that you can access via your mobile devices. We hope that participating in the trails will reinvigorate your love for reading." said Ms Krist Chan, Deputy Director (Seniors & Adults), Libraries and Archives Group, NLB.
Over the past few weeks, NLB has seen over 192,000 participants and sign-ups for our Read! Fest programmes and Read for Books charity book drive. Especially with the ongoing pandemic, NLB hopes to create a novel and safe phygital experience through the literary trails to encourage everyone to “Read More”, “Read Widely” and “Read Together”, in line with our National Reading Movement.
As the literary trails are designed to be self-guided, physical contact is minimised and participants will be able to access all resources digitally through their mobile devices. All participants are also strongly encouraged to wear masks at all times, maintain safe distancing and abide by the prevailing COVID-19 precautionary measures at all times, while participating in the trails.
Find out more about the trails at https://readingnation.nlb.gov.sg/rfarchive/rf21/, and appended in the attached Annexes.
About Read! Fest
Read! Fest is an annual festival organised by the National Library Board (NLB) to celebrate reading. Held over about a month, it hosts an array of activities to promote reading among Singaporeans. Over the past six runs, Read! Fest has engaged about 780,000 participants through programmes and workshops to encourage reading and learning with the library. With over 60 programmes spanning three weekends this year, Read! Fest 2021 culminated on 18 July 2021 with community reading activities. Read! Fest began in 2014, and became a part of the National Reading Movement, which was launched in 2016 as a 5-year campaign to encourage people to Read More, Read Widely and Read Together.
About National Library Board
The National Library Board (NLB) nurtures Readers for Life, Learning Communities and a Knowledgeable Nation by promoting reading, learning and history through its network of 27 public libraries, the National Library and the National Archives of Singapore. NLB also forges strategic partnerships that encourage awareness, appreciation and greater discovery of Singapore’s history through its rich collections on Singapore and the region.
NLB achieves excellence through innovation, focusing on citizen engagement and co-creation, resource and digital innovation. This creates learning opportunities, greater access to library resources, services and archival collections, as well as a continual development of innovative library spaces. Established on 1 September 1995 as a statutory board, NLB is under the Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI).
For more information, please visit the NLB website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube.
ANNEX A - Overview of the Read! Fest 2021 Literary Trails