Contest Winners

Not sure how to begin? See what this record can tell you about Singapore’s past:

Take inspiration from the curated resources from our collections and use them to create your contest submission!

These are the terms and conditions for the Be Inspired By History (#NLBInspiredByHistory) contest organised by the National Library Board (NLB). By entering this contest, participants confirm agreement to all the terms and conditions.

1. How to participate 

From Wednesday, 23 July 2025, 1800 hrs to Thursday, 23 October 2025, 2359 hrs (SGT), NLB is organising a social media contest to open the gateway to discovery of the rich collections and archives of the National Library Singapore (NLS) and National Archive of Singapore (NAS), and to inspire the creation of works that tell Singapore Stories. 
To participate, you must: 

a) Browse the collections and archives of NLS and NAS at our curated resource webpage, National Library Online and/or Archives Online (collectively the Resources).
b) Select one or more Resource(s) that inspire you.
c) Create an original work in digital format (e.g. a video, photo carousel, poem, song etc.) featuring the Resource(s) (Your Digital Work).
d) Explain why the Resource(s) inspired the creation of Your Digital Work.
e) Use English as the language written, spoken or sung.  
f) Post Your Digital Work on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook or YouTube within the contest period Wednesday, 23 July 2025, 1800 hrs – Thursday, 23 October 2025, 2359 hrs (SGT) 
g) Make sure the post and your profile are public!  Maintain this up to Thursday 27 November 2025, 2359 hrs (SGT) to allow time for them to be judged.    
h) Include the hashtag #NLBInspiredByHistory

2. IMPORTANT COPYRIGHT NOTICE AND TERMS OF USE:  Use of resources and materials

Resources that you can freely use for this contest:  All the images curated by NLS and NAS in the curated resource webpage have been copyright cleared for you to freely use for the purposes of this contest. This does not include the Useful Links, which are additional resources provided for reference.

Resources that need separate copyright clearance:  If you use other Resources from National Library Online and/or Archives Online, you must obtain the necessary copyright clearance to use these materials. This may include the need to pay reproduction or licensing fees to copyright owners and to meet other requirements of the copyright owners such as acknowledgements. 

It is recommended that the Credit Line shown on the webpage for each of the Resources be set out in the caption of the post. For instance, “Ministry of Education, courtesy of the National Archives of Singapore”.

For the avoidance of doubt, Your Digital Work must not contain anything that defames, demeans, insults, ridicules, or criticises anyone; or is inflammatory or is offensive to good taste or public decency or is otherwise found to be unacceptable by NLB.

The rights of use granted under these terms and conditions may be revoked by NLB at any time without having to assign any reason. In such a case, Your Digital Work must be removed from any use that is accessible by the public including from all digital platforms. AI tools (such as ChatGPT) can be used for brainstorming and idea-gathering, however, AI-generated content, including but not limited to images, videos, songs, lyrics and poems should not be used in Your Digital Work that is submitted.  

For the purposes of the contest, some modification of the Resources is allowed. This includes cropping, colourisation, animation and voice-overs for images. Only minor edits are permitted for video, such as the addition of subtitles, other treatment is not allowed. Any embedded watermarks, logos and notices in the Resources shall not be removed. 

3. Who can participate? 
Any person who is living in Singapore can participate, except for:
(i) NLB staff and their immediate family members; and 
(ii) Contractors for NLB who are involved in organising this contest. 

You do not have to be an NLB member to participate. 

4. Are multiple entries allowed? 
You may submit multiple entries but will only be eligible to win one (1) prize. 

5. What are the prizes? 
Winners will be eligible to win one (1) of the following prizes: 
• Two (2) selected winners will each receive an iPad Air (M3) 11-inch + Keyboard combo (worth about $1,298)
• Three (3) selected winners will each receive an Insta360 X4 Standard Bundle (worth about $577)
• Ten (10) selected winners will each receive S$60 worth of CapitaLand eVouchers
• Twenty (20) selected winners will each receive limited-edition books related to Singapore’s heritage and history, published by the NLB. 

The NLB reserves the right to change, add or substitute the prizes. 

Prize(s) must be accepted as provided and are not transferable or exchangeable for other items. Where prizes are unclaimed, the organiser reserves the right to select an alternative winner from the remaining participants, if at all. 

6. How are the winners selected?
A total of thirty-five (35) winners will be selected at NLB’s sole discretion based on: 
1. Extent of using/referencing the Resources from NLS and NAS
2. Originality, innovation and creativity
3. How well the work has been put together
4. Social media engagement received by Your Digital Work.

NLB’s decision is final and not subject to appeal; and no correspondence will be entertained. 

7. How will the winners be notified? 
Winners will be notified via an update on our curated resource webpage, as well as an announcement post on NLS’ Facebook and Instagram and NAS’ Facebook and Instagram by Thursday, 27 November 2025. This will be followed by a Direct Message (DM) or comment on the platform (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube) they posted their entries to. 
Please ensure that your notifications and messages are enabled and toggled on. 

8. Prize Collection 
To facilitate prize distribution, winners must complete and submit the Be Inspired By History Winner Details Form. This form will be sent to the winners who respond to NLB’s notification as stated above.  
Winners are required to fill in their full names as per their identification document in the Winners Details Form. Other than the full name, no other details are obtained or retained in the verification process.  To verify the winners’ identities, winners will be asked to show their identification documents (physical or SingPass ID) at the point of collection.
Should winners opt to have another person (proxy) collect the prize on their behalf, they would have to fill in both their full name and the full name of their proxy in the Winners Details Form. Identification Documents of both the winners and the proxy (physical or SingPass ID) must be shown at the point of collection. 
• Full Name of Winner (as per the winner’s Identification Document e.g. NRIC, Student ID, Work Pass etc.): Only the winners' full names will be collected.  
• Social Media Handle: The username of the social media account used to participate in this contest. 
• Email Address: Winners must provide their contact email address for prize redemption. This will be verified via one-time password (OTP) authentication. 
• Full name of Proxy (as per the proxy’s Identification Document e.g. NRIC, Student ID, Work Pass etc.): Only the proxy's full name will be collected, should they be elected to collect the prize on the winner’s behalf. 

Winners must submit the form within seven (7) days of the release of the results. Failure to do will result in prize forfeiture and another winner will be selected. No appeal on this will be entertained. 

9. Who owns the rights to the entries submitted? 
NLB does not claim any copyright to Your Digital Work. The copyright will be retained by the participants. 
All participants grant to NLB the perpetual and worldwide right to make a copy and use Your Digital Work for any of NLB’s purposes without a fee and this includes: 
a) providing them at NLB’s discretion to Singapore public agencies or other NLB patrons for purposes that are aligned to NLB’s functions
b) use on websites and applications and any of their successor platforms, exhibitions, presentations, programmes, as well as books, merchandise and services that promote culture, history or learning;
c) archiving them as part of the collections of NLS or NAS.

Participants must ensure that the content of Your Digital Work is an original work created by them or where they have received permission to use for purposes of this contest.  

10. Updates 
Check https://go.gov.sg/NLBinspiredbyhistory for any updates. In the event of unexpected circumstances, NLB has the sole discretion to change the rules, prizes or cancel this contest at any time. 

Last updated: 18 July 2025

What’s the duration of the contest?
The contest will run from 23 July to 23 October 2025. Only posts created within the contest period and published on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube accounts will be considered. Remember to include the hashtag #NLBInspiredByHistory in your post caption and tag three friends to spread the word! 

What can I submit for the contest?
We encourage you to be creative in your submissions! You can create a poem, a song, a dance, or even an original outfit inspired by the National Library Singapore (NLS) and National Archives of Singapore's (NAS) resources. Then, post it to your TikTok, Instagram, Facebook or YouTube account(s). Make sure you tell us how and why the resources you chose inspired your creations. Submissions should be in English.

How long must my post remain public?
To qualify for the contest, make sure you have a public post and profile at the time of selection (Friday 24 October 2025 to Monday 24 November 2025). We need time for the judges to evaluate all the entries.

How will my entry be judged? 
We’re looking for entries that use the resources of the NLS and NAS in a thoughtful, innovative and original way. We will also look at how well it's put together as well as engagement sparked by the post. 

What can I win?
Up for grabs are:
• Two (2) selected winners will each receive an iPad Air (M3) 11-inch + Keyboard combo (worth $1,298)
• Three (3) selected winners will each receive an Insta360 X4 Standard Bundle (worth $577)
• Ten (10) selected winners will each receive S$60 worth of CapitaLand eVouchers
• Twenty (20) selected winners will each receive limited-edition books related to Singapore’s heritage and history, published by NLB.

Can I use the curated materials for my own projects outside of the contest?
No, we are allowing the free use of these curated materials only for the purposes of the Be Inspired by History contest (23 July 2025 to 23 October 2025). 

How do I download the resources?
Click the link at the top of each category’s webpage to download the images. This downloads all the images in the category.

Must I use the curated resources provided in my entry?
The images curated by NLS and NAS on this site (go.gov.sg/nlbinspiredbyhistory) have cleared the necessary copyright for contest use. (This does not include the Useful Links, which are additional resources provided for reference.) You are free to use other NLS and NAS resources outside of what we have curated, as well as materials from external sources and institutions. However, you must adhere to the respective Terms of Use of these resources, including obtaining any necessary copyright and bearing any reproduction costs. 

Can I edit the curated resources I’m using for my contest entry?
Yes, you may edit and modify the curated images for your contest entry. This includes:
• Cropping and resizing
• Applying filters and colour effects
• Colourising black and white photographs
• Creating animations using the images
• Adding voiceovers or audio elements
Please indicate any modifications made to the original materials in the caption of your post (e.g. “Original photograph has been colourised and animated”). Please use all materials respectfully. Changes you make should not alter the content in ways that are offensive, derogatory or misrepresent the original context of the materials. 

What format should my video entry be in? 
You can use any video format that can be viewed on the respective social media platforms. Of course, a higher quality video might be better. If you want to get technical, original videos in the .mpeg or .mov formats with the following specifications would be best (though if you don't know what this means, don't worry about it).
• Resolution: 1920 x 1080 (16:9 or 9:16 image aspect ratio) 
• Video codec: ProRes 422, XDCAM HD422 or similar 
• Video bit rate: at least 50 Mbps 
• Video bit depth: 10 bit 
• Video scan type: progressive 
• Video frame Rate: 25 fps 
• Chroma Subsampling: 4:2:2 
• Colour Space: YUV

Can I use Artificial Intelligence (AI) in my submission?
You can use AI tools (such as ChatGPT) for brainstorming and idea-gathering. However, AI-generated content, such as images, videos, songs, lyrics and poems should not be used in your submitted digital content posted to social media. We might ask for work-in-progress versions of your work if we need to verify the non-use of AI.

Must I credit the resources that I use?
Please include credits for all resources you have used, including our curated resources (go.gov.sg/nlbinspiredbyhistory), NL Online, Archives Online and other sources. Credits may be included on your social media post captions (e.g. Ministry of Education, courtesy of the National Archives of Singapore).  

Who can participate in the contest?
Anyone living in Singapore can participate except for NLB staff and their immediate family members, and Contractors for NLB who are involved in organising this contest. You do not need to be an NLB member to participate (though we strongly encourage you to register as an NLB member if you are not one yet!).  

Can I submit more than one entry?
Yes, you can, but you are only eligible to win one prize.

How will I know if I’ve won?
We will notify you via an update on this webpage (go.gov.sg/nlbinspiredbyhistory) as well as an announcement post on NLS’ Facebook and Instagram and NAS’ Facebook and Instagram by Thursday, 27 November 2025. You can refer to the contest T&Cs for more details in the section above. 

How can I collect my prize?
To facilitate prize distribution, we’ll send you a Be Inspired By History Winners Details Form, which you must complete and submit. The form will be sent to you after we establish contact through our communication channels. You can refer to the T&Cs for more details in the section above.  

Whom can I contact for questions or feedback?
You can email: enquiry@nlb.gov.sg