Discover Hidden Gems of History, Stories, Good Eats and More with Glue: Curiocity

Joint Media Factsheet by National Library Board and Open Government Products

From today, everyone can explore and discover hidden gems of history, stories, and even good eats of Jurong and Harbourfront with Glue: Curiocity. Through this new interactive tech prototype, users can discover more about the places they live, work or play in, as it draws from the rich resources of the National Library and National Archives of Singapore. The prototype has been co-developed by the National Library Board (NLB) and Open Government Products (OGP). 

The Glue:Curiocity showcases will be at Jurong Regional Library and library@harbourfront till 28 March 2024, where patrons can explore the rich heritage of Jurong and Harbourfront. Some key highlights are:

a. Touchscreen displays with interactive maps and quizzes: Visitors can explore location-specific content from the National Library, National Archives of Singapore, and other sources.
   i. At Jurong Regional Library: Visitors can discover stories of the Jurong area, and explore its evolution from an industrial area to a bustling hub of community, commercial and recreational activity;
   ii. At library@harbourfront: Visitors can learn more about the development of the Harbourfront and the wider Telok Blangah area from a maritime hub to a residential, recreational and nature zone.
b. Personalised trails: Visitors can also customise their personalised trails led by a unique digital “tour guide”, which they can view on their mobile devices.
c. Food finds: Glue: Curiocity will also show where you can find some of the good eats around Jurong and Harbourfront.

In addition to the showcases, the mobile prototype of Glue: Curiocity will be available from March 2024. The mobile version will provide users with a personalised digital experience to continue exploring Jurong and Harbourfront conveniently and while on the go. More details will be shared closer to date.

Patrons had a sneak first-hand preview of Glue: Curiocity at both libraries over the weekend to learn more about the history of Jurong and Harbourfront, through stories such as those on the old Jurong drive-in cinema and former World Trade Centre at Harbourfront. NLB and OGP are gathering feedback to finetune the prototype, and invite more patrons to experience Glue: Curiocity.

NLB’s Chief Executive Officer Ng Cher Pong said: “Glue: Curiocity marks another milestone in our ongoing journey to reimagine how we can bring more Singapore Stories to life for all to discover. In the spirit of LAB25 (Libraries and Archives Blueprint 2025), we will continue to push ahead with innovations like this. Collaborations with the community and partners inspire us to push on with new ways for everyone to explore, and interact with the rich and varied resources in our collections.”

“Our goal with this prototype is to better understand what most excites our citizens and residents about the communities they live in, and to provide them with that sense of belonging to Singapore. We are proud of our partnership with NLB to help drive more user-centric and problem-first product development in this space”, said Mr Brian Lee, the Product Manager for Glue: Curiocity and OGP’s SocialTech team.

Glue: Curiocity, NLB’s latest tech prototype, is part of NLB’s LAB25 efforts, and wide-ranging experiment to push new frontiers in learning and discovery. NLB will continue to leverage new cutting-edge technologies in collaboration with private and public sector partners, and welcome more partners to work with it to enhance how Singaporeans discover, learn and experience. 

Please refer to the Annex for the visuals of the Glue: Curiocity prototype. 

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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 28 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, and NLB’s Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube channels. 

About Open Government Products
Open Government Products is a tech team that operates within the Singapore Government, dedicated to building technology that serves the public good. Our team's focus ranges from developing better apps for citizens to automating the internal operations of public agencies, with the ultimate goal of accelerating the digital transformation of the Singapore Government. Our vision is to transform Singapore into a model for how governments can use technology to improve the public good.

Learn more about us at www.open.gov.sg.

About Curiocity
Curiocity aims to curate, spotlight, and inspire stories about our collective experience, and bring Singapore’s spatial history to life through digital storytelling. Curiocity is one of NLB’s ongoing initiatives under its LAB25 (Libraries and Archives Blueprint 2025) Singapore Storytellers role. For more information, please visit the Curiocity website.

For media enquiries, please contact:
Hoe I Yune
Weber Shandwick
Tel: 9324 2061
Email: IHoe@webershandwick.com

Cheryl Lee
Open Government Products
Tel: 9386 2026
Email: cheryl@open.gov.sg

Annex: Visuals Of Glue: Curiocity

Build a personalised trail to explore location-specific content from the National Library, National Archives of Singapore, and other sources.
Explore and learn about places of interest on the interactive maps, and even locate the still-existing places via Google Maps on the personalised trail to visit later.
Get a customised itinerary based on the places of interest explored, which can be scanned via QR codes and viewed on mobile devices.
The interactive Glue: Curiocity showcases, with design inspired by historical maps from the National Archives of Singapore’s collections.	Glue: Curiocity at Jurong Regional Library   Glue: Curiocity at library@harbourfront