National Library Board

The National Library Board (NLB) is one of the key institutions in the government that fosters the Tamil language and culture, serving the Tamil community directly in its quest to become a learning community and contribute to a knowledgeable nation. It has a dedicated division called the Tamil Language Services (TLS) to cater to the Tamil community. 

NLB has its origins in the Singapore Library, a private library that became a public library in 1874. A new museum was added to the library, and the joint entity was named The Raffles Library and Museum. The new building on Stamford Road was officially opened in 1887. However, in 1955, the colonial government separated the museum from the library.  By this time, Tamil books had already become part of the library’s collection. Although few in number, the Tamil books in the national library have become a treasure for the Tamil community. 

In 1960, a year after Singapore gained self-governing status, the library relocated to its own building adjacent to the museum. By then, the Tamil service had grown to occupy many shelves in the main hall of the library, and there was also a special collection in the reference section. 

Later, the government decided to expand the mission and services of the national library, transforming it into a statutory board. Consequently, NLB was founded in 1995. Along with the other official languages of Singapore, Tamil was given a berth in NLB, with Tamil books made available in many of its branches. In 2016, to further boost mother tongue languages (MTLs) -- Mandarin, Malay, and Tamil -- separate MTL departments were established. TLS now manages various aspects of library services specifically for the Tamil language, catering to the Tamil community across Singapore. In addition to books, TLS collects a wide range of materials, including audio and video recordings, manuscripts, and historical documents. With the introduction of new information technologies, TLS has also been building a digital library to meet the new needs of the Tamil community. 

Currently, TLS oversees a collection of approximately 300,000 Tamil materials, distributed across 28 public libraries in Singapore. The four regional libraries each house an average of 15,000 Tamil books, while the smaller stand-alone and mall libraries typically maintain collections of around 10,000 items each. 

To promote its collections to the Tamil community, TLS offers a wide range of activities. Some are part of NLB’s mainstream programmes, such as the National Reading Movement, Read! Fest, One Story, and Book Bugs. Others are tailored for the Tamil community, including the Culture and Heritage Series, the Youth Reading Series, Read@School programmes, Tamil Storytelling sessions, Tamil Children’s Book Clubs, and Digital Storytelling initiatives. To guide TLS, NLB established a Tamil Advisory Panel in 2016. The panel reviews the Tamil collection available in libraries, provides advice on strategies, and offers feedback on content recommendations. The panel has played a pivotal role in the development of several innovative and pioneering initiatives.

In 2022, TLS developed and launched Tamil Cholai, Singapore’s largest collection of Tamil reading materials, at the Woodlands Regional Library. Tamil Cholai features around 20,000 contemporary and classical works, offering a rich blend of fiction and non-fiction titles, predominantly in Tamil. The collection also features a permanent display of Thirukkural translations in 22 languages, as well as a specially curated collection in English, Chinese, and Malay on subjects related to Indians and Tamils. Tamil Cholai was launched on 16 April 2022 by Josephine Teo, the Minister for Communications and Information and the second Minister for Home Affairs.

TLS collaborates closely with other government agencies, such as the National Arts Council, the Tamil Language Council, the Tamil Language Learning and Promotion Committee, as well as community partners and library volunteers to deliver a wide range of offerings.

It was in collaboration with the community group, the Tamil Digital Heritage Group (TDHG), that NLB developed the Tamil Digital Heritage Project. Over the course of five years, this project led to the creation of digital collections of Singapore’s Tamil literature, theatre, music, and dance. These collections not only became cultural repositories for the Tamil community but also added to the national collections on Singapore cultures. Another significant collaborative project was the development of the first-ever Encyclopedia of Singapore Tamils (EST). Joining hands with TDHG’s successor organisation, Centre for Singapore Tamil Culture, NLB launched this online resource in Tamil and English on 2 August 2025. EST was inaugurated by Tharman Shanmugaratnam, President of the Republic of Singapore.



For more information
“History of National Library Singapore.” National Library Board Singapore. Accessed on 1 August 2025. https://www.nlb.gov.sg/main/visit-us/our-libraries-and-locations/libraries/national-library-singapore/about/history-of-national-library

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The information in this article is valid as of August 2025 and correct as far as we are able to ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history of the subject. If you have any feedback on this article, please submit here.