Choa Chu Kang Public Library is located in Lot One Shoppers’ Mall in Choa Chu Kang. Opened on 22 February 1997, it is the second library under the National Library Board to be housed in a shopping centre.1 It serves residents in Choa Chu Kang, Yew Tee, Teck Whye, Hong Kah North and Keat Hong.2
Opening (1997)
The library first opened in 1997 as Choa Chu Kang Community Library on the third floor of Lot One Shoppers’ Mall.3 Occupying 1,477 square metres on 1 floor,4 the library has books, CD ROMs and magazines in the four official languages for borrowing.5 The children’s section had bright colours painted at both ends of the bookshelves to enliven the area.6
Patrons could use the Online-Public Access Catalogue (OPAC) to locate books in the library, and there were also 14 multimedia stations for surfing the internet and exploring the library’s electronic resources. Choa Chu Kang Public Library was the first to install self-check machines for borrowing and returning of books.7 In June 1998, it became the first in a trial to adopt the use of cashcards for all transactions in order to save queuing time for patrons.8
In 2000, the library had a book collection of about 174,663 volumes and a journal collection of 9,837 volumes.9
Choa Chu Kang Library was said to have the “cheesiest decor” in the 2005 Library Awards by The Straits Times newspaper because of the large picture hung at the library counter depicting the last tiger that roamed the Choa Chu Kang area.10
The library closed on 1 November 2008 in preparation for its move to more spacious premises on another floor in the same building.11
Reopening (2008)
The library reopened on 21 November 2008 on the fourth floor of Lot One shopping centre and was renamed Choa Chu Kang Public Library in that same year.12 The new library spans 2,394 sq m, 38 percent larger than its old home, and is the largest shopping mall library in Singapore. Its nature-themed decor was inspired by the farming district in Choa Chu Kang.13 The capacity for the reading area was increased from 93 seats to 233 seats, and there is also a storytelling zone for children as well as an area for students and community groups to exhibit their artworks.14 A special room known as “Talk Zone” allows patrons to use their mobile phones without disturbing others.15
At the time of its opening, the library’s collection comprised 190,000 volumes including 390 periodical titles. In the financial year ending March 2011, Choa Chu Kang Public Library served more than 2,043,547 visitors and had registered 1,690,996 library loans.16
Author
Jenny Tien
References
1. National Library to spend $100 million on new technologies. (1997, February 23). The Straits Times, p. 27. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
2. National Library Board. (2014, September 1). Choa Chu Kang Public Library. Retrieved from National Library Board website: http://www.nlb.gov.sg/Portals/0/library/documents/Choa%20Chu%20Kang%20Public%20Library%20-%20Fact%20Sheet.pdf
3. National Library Board. (2014, September 1). Choa Chu Kang Public Library. Retrieved from National Library Board website: http://www.nlb.gov.sg/Portals/0/library/documents/Choa%20Chu%20Kang%20Public%20Library%20-%20Fact%20Sheet.pdf
4. How the libraries stack up. (2005, July 2). The Straits Times, p. 6. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
5. National Library. (1997). Choa Chu Kang Community Library. Singapore: Author. (Call no.: RCLOS NC8)
6. Choa Chu Kang Community Library. (2006, April 26). Description. Retrieved from National Library Board website: http://bit.ly/2ndJGNs
7. National Library to spend $100 million on new technologies. (1997, February 23). The Straits Times, p. 27. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
8. Cashcard hubbub. (1998, November 20). The Straits Times, p. 56. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
9. Koh, B. C., & Choy, F. C. (2000). Directory of libraries in Singapore 2000. Singapore: Library Association of Singapore. (Call no.: RSING 027.00255957 DIR)
10. Bookworms’ guide to S’pore. (2005, July 2). The Straits Times, p. 7. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
11. Two community libraries to move to malls. (2008, September 20). The New Paper, p. 8. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
12. National Library Board. (2016, March 10). Choa Chu Kang Public Library. (2016, March 10). Retrieved from National Library Board website: http://www.nlb.gov.sg/VisitUs/BranchDetails/tabid/140/bid/295/Default.aspx?branch=Choa%20Chu%20Kang%20Public%20Library; National Library Board. (n.d.). National Library Board annual report 2008/2009. Retrieved from National Library Board website: https://www.nlb.gov.sg/Portals/0/Reports/fy08/
13. Libraries that speak volumes. (2009, July). Discover NLB, 7, 2–3. (Call no.: RSING 027.45957 SNLBDN)
14. Bigger, better libraries at malls. (2008, November 16). The Straits Times, p. 13. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
15. Early birds flock to new Choa Chu Kang Library. (2008, November 22). The Straits Times, p. 40. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
16. National Library Board. (n.d.). Statistical summary: National Library Board annual report FY2010/2011 (p. 49). Retrieved from National Library Board website: https://www.nlb.gov.sg/Portals/0/Reports/fy10/content/NLB_AR10_11_statistical summary.pdf
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.
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