Library Book Sale



Singapore Infopedia

by Anasuya Balamurugan

The National Library Board’s first centralised Library Book Sale was held at the Suntec City Entertainment Centre in 19981 in conjunction with the Great Singapore Sale.2 Since then, the book sale has been taking place almost every year either at the Singapore Expo in Changi or the Suntec Singapore Convention and Exhibition Centre. The sale is usually a two-day event where used library books are sold cheaply.3 The Library Book Sale has met with great success, drawing huge crowds.4
 
History
Before the first centralised Library Book Sale in 1998, library book sales were held at individual libraries. The National Library, which used to be located on Stamford Road, held its book sale at the staff carpark area of its former premises. The purpose of these book sales was to clear old and worn-out books in order to make space for new ones. The money raised was used to fund library operations and to buy new books.5 Due to the huge demand for used books, it was decided to centralise these ad-hoc book sales to give book lovers a wider choice of books to purchase. The National Library Board saw the event as a meaningful way to promote reading, literacy and lifelong learning as well as to recycle and extend the lifespan of books. Hence the first centralised book sale was held in 1998 at the Suntec City Entertainment Centre, where 120,000 books were put up for sale.6


Description
The book sale has been held almost annually since 1998, usually at the Singapore Expo in Changi and sometimes at the Suntec City Convention and Exhibition Centre.7 About 300,000 books and magazines are put up for sale each year, though the actual numbers vary from year to year, depending on the number of books weeded from the individual libraries. The average shelf life of a book at the sale is at least four years. The materials are arranged by language, age group, and fiction or non-fiction. Books are sold for S$1 to $S2, and magazines for S$5 per pack of 10 or 20 issues.8 The Library Book Sale has received overwhelming response from the public and long queues usually form before the sale opens.9 Since its launch in 1998, the National Library Board has also carried out a pre-event charity book donation.10



Author

Anasuya Balamurugan



References
1. “Library Sale Attracts a Crowd,” Straits Times, 19 July 1998, 31. (From NewspaperSG)
2. “Library to Hold Great S’pore Booksale,” Straits Times, 17 June 1998, 2. (From NewspaperSG)
3. Priscilla Goy, “170,000 Books Snapped Up at Library Sale,” Straits Times, 20 July 2008, 14; Tan Judith, “60,000 Turn Up for Library Book Sale,” Straits Times, 24 August 2009, 18; “170,000 Books Sold,” New Paper, 20 July 2008, 27; Zaidah Rahmat, “Bag Books from just $1,” Straits Times, 12 July 2008, 3; “Bigger Venue, 250,000 Books on Offer This Year,” Straits Times, 19 June 1999, 4; “Get Cheap Books at Library Sale,” Straits Times, 10 January 2004, H8. (From NewspaperSG)
4. Jane Ng, “Library Book Sale That Got Too Hot,” Straits Times, 16 July 2000, 32 (From NewspaperSG); “Library Sale Attracts a Crowd.”
5. Azizah Sidek, et al., The People’s Library: 50 Years of National and Public Library Services (Singapore: National Library Board, 2007), 129–32. (Call no. RSING 027.55957 SIN); “Library to Hold Great S’pore Booksale”; Woon Wui Tek, “Bukit Merah’s Big Book Bang,” New Paper, 24 August 1994, 9; “Branch Library’s Sale of Old Books Draws Crowd,” Straits Times, 22 November 1996, 50; “Pram Comes in Handy at Library Sale,” Straits Times, 8 March 1997, 25. (From NewspaperSG)
6. “Library to Hold Great S’pore Booksale”; “A 2-1/2 Hour Wait to Buy Cheap Books,” Straits Times, 20 July 1998, 27 (From NewspaperSG); “Get Cheap Books at Library Sale”; Rahmat, “Bag Books from just $1”; Tan, “60,000 Turn Up for Library Book Sale”; “300,000 Used Books Up for Grabs at NLB Sale,” Straits Times, 16 September 2012, 22. (From NewspaperSG)
7. Goy, “170,000 Books Snapped Up”; “Get Cheap Books at Library Sale”; Chua Wei Ying, “Double the Size, Double the Book,” New Paper, 2 July 1999, 16. (From NewspaperSG)
8. Kristina Tom, “Grab Your Pick From,” Straits Times, 11 August 2006, 2; Lim Lee Ching, The Big Book Feast,” New Paper, 4 July 2001, 28. (From NewspaperSG)
9. Ng, “Library Book Sale That Got Too Hot”; “Guess What These Queues Are For,” Straits Times, 12 January 2003, 6 (From NewspaperSG); Rahmat, “Bag Books from just $1”; Clara Chow, “70,000 Bookworms Flock to Library sale,” Straits Times, 15 August 2006, 8. (From NewspaperSG)
10. “Almost 100 Organisations Benefit Form Charity Book Donation.” Channel NewsAsia, 22 July 2011. (From Factiva via NLB’s eResources website)



The information in this article is valid as at 2016 and correct as far as we are able to ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history on the subject. Please contact the Library for further reading materials on the topic.

 

Rights Statement

The information on this page and any images that appear here may be used for private research and study purposes only. They may not be copied, altered or amended in any way without first gaining the permission of the copyright holder.

More to Explore

Pearl's Hill School

ARTICLE

Pearl’s Hill School, formerly known as the Singapore Chinese Branch School, was established in 1881. It was one of the first government English elementary schools set up by the British colonial government. It became known as Pearl’s Hill School in 1913. The school relocated to a 12-storey building on Chin...

BusAds

ARTICLE

BusAds is a family-run company that provides printing and advertising services. The company has received several honours at the Asian Print Awards between 2012 and 2014....

Richard Eu Yee Ming

ARTICLE

Richard Eu Yee Ming (b. 29 October 1947, Hong Kong–) is the chairman of Eu Yan Sang International Ltd., a healthcare company that focuses on traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). He is the man behind the transformation of Eu Yan Sang from a TCM business into a modern company that provides...

National University of Singapore

ARTICLE

The National University of Singapore (NUS) was officially established on 8 August 1980 through the merger of Nanyang University and the University of Singapore. However, the university’s origins can be traced to the founding of a medical school in 1905. NUS has undergone various institutional developments over the years to...

Eu Tong Sen

ARTICLE

Eu Tong Sen (b. 23 July 1877, Penang, Malaya –d. 11 May 1941, Hong Kong ) was a businessman and philanthropist who established his fortune in Malaya, and subsequently Hong Kong and southern China. The foundation of his business empire was established through tin mining and rubber plantations. These later...

Victoria School

ARTICLE

Founded as an English class for a handful of Malay students in 1876, Victoria School has produced many notable alumni over the years, including poet Edwin Thumboo and three of Singapore’s former presidents: Yusof Ishak, C. V. Devan Nair and S. R. Nathan....

Shopping centre libraries

ARTICLE

As at 2016, the National Library Board (NLB) has 13 libraries located in shopping centres. This strategy aimed to bring the library closer to the people and encourage life-long learning among Singaporeans. The first shopping mall library, Jurong West Community Library, was opened on 22 March 1996 in Jurong Point....

Chettiars

ARTICLE

The Chettiars are a subgroup of the Tamil community originating from Chettinad in Tamil Nadu, India. Historically, the Chettiars are most commonly associated with the moneylending profession. There is still a small Chettiar community in Singapore today. Most of its members are professionals with only a handful still involved in...

Tao Nan School

ARTICLE

One of Singapore’s oldest primary schools, Tao Nan School was established on 18 November 1906 by the Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan (Singapore Hokkien Clan Association). The school was first located on North Bridge Road and then Armenian Street, before moving Marine Parade in 1982. The school building at Armenian Street...

Tan Yeok Seong

ARTICLE

Tan Yeok Seong (b. 1903, Penang, Malaysia–d. 1 April 1984, Singapore) was a historian of Southeast Asia and a collector of books and historical artefacts. Educated at Amoy University (now known as Xiamen University), Tan was well versed in English and Chinese. He donated his private collection of books and...