Inside Singapore’s Largest Mall Library: A Guide to VivoCity Library (library@harbourfront)
There are many things to love about Singapore, but for me, as a big bibliophile, the primary reason is the public library system. We have a lot of libraries, and some of them are even inside shopping malls! One example is library@harbourfront.
Libary@harbourfront started as the Bukit Merah Public Library, and it was originally located on Jalan Bukit Merah. But at the end of 2018, the library closed, relocated to VivoCity, and was renamed library@harbourfront.
Today, library@harbourfront is the largest shopping mall library in Singapore. If you’d like to see their vast collection soon, here’s a guide to help you prepare for the trip.
Things to Know
Address: 1 HarbourFront Walk, #03-05 VivoCity
Operating Hours: Monday to Sunday—11 am to 9 pm
Admission Fee: Free
Website
How to Get Here
By MRT: Riding the MRT is the best way to get to library@harbourfront. This is because the HarbourFront MRT station is just a short walk away. You can take either the North-East or the Circle Line.
By Bus: Ride any of the following buses: 10, 30, 30e, 57, 61, 65, 80, 97, 97E, 100, 123, 123M, 131, 143, 145, 166, 855, NR1, NR6, or RWS8. These buses make a stop at VivoCity.
By Car: If you prefer to drive, VivoCity has a car park. The rates for cars range between S$1.60 and S$3.80, depending on the time and day.
For motorcycles, you just have to pay S$1.20 for the first three hours, and then another S$1.20 for every subsequent hour.
Fees
Just like the other libraries in Singapore, library@harbourfront is free to enter. You can also take a book from the shelves and read it inside the library. And if you’re a Singaporean citizen, you can even borrow the books for a limited time.
Fees are only applicable if you’re a permanent resident or foreigner and you want to borrow books. In this case, you have to subscribe to any of the National Library Board’s (NLB) memberships, which are as follows:
How to Borrow Books
The process of borrowing books from this library is pretty simple and straightforward: you just have to bring the book you want to the book-borrowing station.
Another way you can borrow books is through the NLB mobile app. You can reserve a physical book through that app and pick it up at the library within five days.
Or you can choose to borrow an ebook or an audiobook instead; the app will let you do that, and you don’t have to go to the library at all!
What to Expect
Large Space and Coastal Theme
From: kyurimkim
The first thing you’ll notice when you step inside library@harbourfront is the size. I assumed that this library was going to be small since it’s located inside a mall. But no, this one is actually pretty spacious!
It takes up an area of roughly 3,000 square meters, which is a good chunk of VivoCity’s third floor. With that space, this library currently holds a collection of about 245,000 items. This already includes books, magazines, and audio-visual materials.
Aside from the size, you’ll also notice this library’s distinct interior theme. Since it’s located by the harbour, it takes on a coastal theme, so expect to find vivid hues of blue, green, and yellow here.
Children’s Zone
From: kakoveryvernis
One thing I like about this library is that it has a zone for children in hopes of encouraging little ones to pick up the beautiful hobby of reading.
A highlight in this zone is the Tinker Truck, which is a bright truck with illustrations of adorable blob-like monsters. Catering towards younger kids, this is where fun activities like crafts and puzzles are held to help foster their creative and problem-solving skills.
Another great thing about the zone is the Stories Come Alive Room. My nieces and nephews love this one because it’s immersive.
During a storytelling session, the walls light up with illustrations and animations accompanied by sound effects! This way, the kids feel like they’re in the story themselves!
Teens’ and Adults’ Zones
From: nniching
Don’t worry, it’s not just the kids who have their own zone; there’s also a section for teens and adults!
What I like the most about the teens’ and adults’ zones is they contain countless shelves focused on certain subjects, such as travel, health, and business, so it’s easy to go down a research rabbit hole here.
I’m also a big fan of the fiction section here. There’s a great mix of local works and books by foreign authors, so it’s a joy to browse the shelves. I’ve actually found several of my favourite reads that way—just aimlessly browsing until something catches my eye.
Learning Zone
From: singlitstation
Technically, the Learning Zone is part of the Teens’ and Adults’ Zones, but I feel like it deserves its own moment under the spotlight.
Here, there are “Learning Pods,” each with its own computer that you can use to access the library’s digital collections.
I love coming to this zone to watch TED talks or attend online courses (I’m currently obsessed with textile arts like knitting and crochet). The pod is spacious enough, so I can bring in a few books there. I truly feel like a student preparing for a big test!
Events and Programs
From: australiainsg
Reading books isn’t the only way we can learn something; we can also learn through fun events and immersive programs. Fortunately, this library hosts them often!
The events and programs change often, but some of the ones you can expect are storytime sessions for children. These sessions are fun because the storytellers always give it their all, mesmerising the children!
Another type of event you can expect here is workshops. I’ve attended one on “designing” my life, which is just a fancy term for getting my ish together. That workshop was helpful; I learned about how to use planners properly and the joy of making a to-do list.
The Best Seats
From: littledayout
Library@harbourfront has a reading lounge that’s pretty spacious, and the chairs are comfortable; you can sit for hours on end without feeling any pain.
My favourite seats are the ones by the windows. They face the harbour, so I get to enjoy a beautiful view while reading. I also have access to sunlight, and goodness knows I need that since I spend most of my time indoors.
If you prefer privacy, you can take the seats in the “inner” section. These seats are perfect for students because they have tables for you to put your paper, laptops, tablets, and books.
Oh, and here’s a tip before I forget: you can reserve your seat ahead of time! So, there’s no need to fight other people to get your preferred seat. Just keep in mind, though, that you can only reserve it for a limited time.