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The National Library at Stamford Road will be closed from 1 April 2004; it will be relocated to Victoria Street when the new building is ready.
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The site, which currently houses the National Reference Library and Central Community Library, will be returned to the Government in June 2004.
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Members of the public can borrow and return library materials at the Central Community Library until 31 March 2004. From 1 April 2004, all materials borrowed from the Central Community Library can be returned at any of the National Library Board’s regional and community libraries located island wide.
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Library materials from the National Reference Library, which include the Business, Arts, General, Language and Singapore collections, will be temporarily relocated to the Jurong Regional Library, which will reopen in the second quarter of 2004.
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Members of the public can also visit the Woodlands and Tampines Regional Libraries for reference and information services. Alternatively, they can also access the library’s services via phone (6332 3255), fax (6332 3248) or website at
www.nlb.gov.sg/refpoint.
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As the National Library holds fond memories for many people who grew up with it, several initiatives are being planned to involve members of the public who may wish to capture and preserve the memories of the library. These include:
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· Guided tours of the National Library for visitors to learn about the history of the library and an opportunity to see for the first time, behind-the-scenes of some areas, such as the Fumigation Chamber, that were not accessible to
the public previously. The tours will be conducted in the first two weeks of February on Friday, Saturday and Sunday - 6th to 8th Feb, and 13th to 15th Feb -- at 5pm and 6pm.
· A photography contest, supported by the Photographic Society of Singapore, will be held concurrently with the tour in February.
· Sale of National Library commemorative items such as postcards, magnets, bookmarks and key chains.
· Following public requests to own a piece of the historic building, provisions are being made to allow the public to purchase the building’s trademark red bricks. Proceeds from the sale will be donated to the President’s Challenge and NLB’s adopted charities
-Gracehaven and Changi Women’s Prison -- to promote reading and learning.
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In addition, the National Library Board
(NLB) will be preserving the St Andrew’s insignia at the library entrance and relocating it to the new National Library building.
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The relocation of the National Library to Victoria Street, will allow the public to enjoy greater facilities, more space and more comprehensive collections to acquire Knowledge that ignites Imagination and transforms Possibility into reality -- the guiding principle that the building has been planned around.
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The 16-storey National Library building will house the Lee Kong Chian Reference Library, a Central Lending Library, and other public amenities. It will be a unique, modern, state-of-the-art information hub to inform, educate and entertain. As a key provider of Asian information and research services, the National Library will also serve as a centre for specialized research in business, science, culture and heritage.
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Scheduled to be open in the later part of 2005, the Library will offer an extensive range of book collections such as the Singapore Heritage Library, the Arts and Business Collections, the Donor Collections, the Rare Books Collection, and the Language Collections.
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In addition, the public can look forward to innovative and creative library services and facilities including:
· Event plaza
· Wireless Local Area Network
· Drama Centre
· Sky gardens
· Observatory pod
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The public can refer to the NLB website at www.nlb.gov.sg for more information on the new building.
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Source: National Library Board
Press Release 28 Jan 2004
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Has
the National Library building got to go?
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Book
Review: Memories And The National Library
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Look
for the real value before the heritage is lost
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National Library in Stamford Road to close in April 2004
