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National Library Singapore The official page for National Library Singapore (NLS). Whether you are a researcher, parent, educator or student – there is something for everyone!
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The National Library of Singapore is a national knowledge institution empowering individuals and businesses with knowledge and information as it continuously expands its vast array of reference collections and services. Through the Lee Kong Chian Reference Library, it preserves and makes accessible Singapore's literary and publishing heritage, and intellectual memory. The reference library occupies seven storeys (Levels 7-13) at the National Library Building where the start-up collection size exceeds 530,000 print and non-print materials. A full range of services, such as access to electronic databases, document delivery service, reprography, microfilm and audio-visual access are available. Use NLB e-Resources (eresources.nlb.gov.sg/index.aspx) to locate indexes, full-text ejournals, enewspapers, ebooks and emagazines. Also available are websites and guides on Singapore – Singapore Infopedia, NewspaperSG, HistorySG, PictureSG, BookSG, MusicSG and more! Interested in the history, arts and culture of Singapore and Southeast Asia? Check out BiblioAsia, a quarterly journal to promote the collections and programmes of the National Library: nlb.gov.sg/Browse/BiblioAsia.aspx

To find a book in the library, visit: http://catalogue.nlb.gov.sg

Search for upcoming library events: nlb.gov.sg/golibrary

Question for a librarian? Submit here: nlb.gov.sg/Research/AskUs.aspx

Other enquiries can be emailed to: [email protected]

07/09/2026

Traditional Chinese candy was once a familiar sight at weddings, festivals and street opera shows in Singapore. Today they’re almost forgotten. Pastry chef and author Yeo Min attempts to recreate three varieties—including one she has never seen before—with the help of her mentor Chef Pang Nyuk Yoon. Coming to YouTube and Facebook this Wednesday, 9 September.

"From Book to Cook" is a cooking show on Singapore's food history. Join librarian Paddy Ong and guest cooks as they explore Singapore's history and food heritage while recreating dishes that have either shaped Singapore's food scene, or have become less common over time.

04/09/2026

Can a place be “invented” before you even set foot there?

“I invented Malaya”, so claims the narrator of Henri Fauconnier’s 1930 novel Malaisie. Although Malaya was never under French control, early 20th-century French writers imagined the region and its tropical landscapes, often from afar.

📚 Discover how the Malayan tropics became a space for imagination, exoticism and literary experimentation through a selection of French novels from the National Library’s collection.

👉🏻 Register now via go.gov.sg/alw30sep-fb

🗓️ Wed, 30 Sep 2026
🕖 7 pm – 8 pm
📍 LAUNCH Programme Room, Level 7, National Library Building

There’s only one weekend left for All Things Singapore (ATSG) 2026!✨ Explore Singapore’s stories through adventure, musi...
03/09/2026

There’s only one weekend left for All Things Singapore (ATSG) 2026!

✨ Explore Singapore’s stories through adventure, music, art and more before the final weekend comes to a close!

📅 4 & 5 Sep 2026
📍 National Library Building & National Archives of Singapore
👉 Check out the full list of programmes and timings at go.gov.sg/atsg2026

Held in conjunction with the Singapore Night Festival.

03/09/2026

When chef, filmmaker and writer Sarah Huang Benjamin wanted to make Hakka abacus seeds for Chinese New Year, her relatives were of little help. The exact recipe was something the older generation had not passed on. Armed with her childhood memories of helping to make the dish, Sarah spent hours doing research and conducting countless experiments before she came up with something she was happy with.

Listen to the episode on BiblioAsia Podcast: https://go.gov.sg/abacus-seeds

02/09/2026

In Singapore, fish head curry is often associated with Indian restaurants, but the dish itself isn't from India, where whole fish heads are rarely eaten. So how did the dish come about? Culinary consultant and spice queen Devagi Sanmugam explores its origins and how to make the dish, from choosing the best fish to tempering the spices for the curry.

Check out additional resources here: https://go.gov.sg/nlb-fbtc-s3e6

"From Book to Cook" is a cooking show on Singapore's food history. Join librarian Paddy Ong and guest cooks as they explore Singapore's history and food heritage while recreating dishes that have either shaped Singapore's food scene, or have become less common over time.

01/09/2026

How well do you know Singapore’s internet trends?

Visit the Internet Gems booth at the Launch of ReadSG on 6 Sep to take a quiz and redeem a limited-edition enamel pin!

Find us at Level 1, National Library Building!
🗓️ Sun, 6 Sep 2026
🕖 11 am – 6 pm
More details at https://go.gov.sg/internetgems26-fb

31/08/2026

Fish head curry is one of Singapore’s most iconic dishes—but it didn’t exactly come from India, where whole fish heads are rarely eaten. Culinary consultant Devagi Sanmugam traces its origins and shows how to cook it properly, from selecting the fish to tempering the spices. Catch it on YouTube and Facebook this Wednesday, 2 September.

"From Book to Cook" is a cooking show on Singapore's food history. Join librarian Paddy Ong and guest cooks as they explore Singapore's history and food heritage while recreating dishes that have either shaped Singapore's food scene, or have become less common over time.

Geylang and its lorongs were not known for vice activities until 1959. Read about the area’s rich history in the BiblioA...
28/08/2026

Geylang and its lorongs were not known for vice activities until 1959. Read about the area’s rich history in the BiblioAsia, a free quarterly publication by the National Library, Singapore that features stories on history, culture, and heritage: https://go.gov.sg/geylang

Do you remember when Bukit Batok MRT station first opened? Taken in July 1990, just a few months after the station offic...
28/08/2026

Do you remember when Bukit Batok MRT station first opened? Taken in July 1990, just a few months after the station officially opened to the public in March, this photograph captures two beginnings: a young life, and a new chapter in Singapore’s transport story.

Were you among the earliest passengers at Bukit Batok MRT station? Contribute to Bukit Batok Memories today! https://go.gov.sg/bbmemories

📸 Photo contributed by Lois Yeo for Bukit Batok Memories

28/08/2026

For decades, the prevailing impression was that Singapore was “kicked out” of Malaysia. However, newly released documents in Dr Goh Keng Swee's Albatross File reveal a more complex history. In this episode, Janadas Devan, the coordinator for the Albatross File project, tells us more about the secret negotiations by Singapore’s leaders to separate from Malaysia, even as many of them still hoped to preserve a looser federation.

Listen to the episode on BiblioAsia Podcast: https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/all-sections/podcast-the-untold-negotiations-behind-singapore-s-independence-in-1965/


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