Patrons can explore a range of topics, from poetry and sustainability to local history, through programmes and activities at participating libraries and archives.
Date: now to 1 Oct 2023
LOLA 2023
The National Library Board’s (NLB) Love Our Libraries & Archives 2023 (LOLA) returns this September, with the aim to deepen patrons’ connections to libraries and archives through a series of activities that celebrate the community and reaffirm their love for reading and learning. This includes community engagement activities with specially designed tote bags up for grabs, DIY activity booths, “insider” talks by librarians and archivists on how libraries and archives are transforming to meet the reading and learning needs of Singaporeans and more.
This month-long event is part of NLB’s LAB25 (Libraries and Archives Blueprint 2025) vision to promote librarians and archives as important learning marketplaces to serve the communities. Here's taking a closer look at some of the key highlights of LOLA 2023:
Stories of Our Community
Venue: All public libraries
Date: now to 1 Oct 2023
Stories of Our Community aims to promote community engagement by sharing their personal experience relating to their community libraries. To participate, patrons can submit their drawings, stories, or photos to share their personal experiences of public libraries.
Patrons will receive a specially designed tote bag for each submission. There are four different types of tote bag designs available, and patrons can visit the different participating libraries in the central, western, eastern and northern regions of Singapore to collect the different designs.
DIY Activity Booths
Venue: Across public libraries at varying timings
Date: 23, 30 Sept & 1 Oct 2023
To celebrate and create buzz within the libraries, patrons are invited to create their own crafts at the DIY booths. Participation is free and registration is not required.
Suitable for preschool to primary school children.
Learning from Literature: Through the Lens of Stories
Venue: Promenade, Level 7, National Library Building
Date: 23 Sep 2023
Time: 1.30pm to 3pm
To showcase the Asian Children’s Literature Collection, NLB invited two guest speakers to discuss their work of educating children through graphic novels, story writing and reading.
Ms Lesley-Anne, a writer, and Mr Sonny Liew, a comic artist and illustrator, will share on their motivation on the topic and understand what can be done further through the reading and writing of children’s literature.
The public is invited to join in this conversation to discover how they could play a positive role in the lives of children through reading and writing literature for them.
Art X Stacks – Art Out Loud: A Spoken-word Poetry Competition
Venue: Reading Room, Level 8, National Library Building
Date: 23 Sep 2023
Time: 5pm to 6.30pm
In a special collaboration with Outspoken, formed up by a group of local poets, NLB is hosting an exciting evening of competitive spoken-word poetry. Join to watch six poets battle it out in three rounds of prepared and improvised poetry performances based on artworks from the library’s art collection.
Fall in Love with Local Edibles!
Venue: Promenade, Level 7, National Library Building
Date: 24 Sep 2023
Time: 5pm to 6pm
Patrons are invited to discover the edible plants in wet, tropical Singapore, learn how to grow them and what their health benefits are. Patrons will see, touch, smell and taste them freshly harvested from a real urban farm and learn more about how they can use these local alternatives and transform them into simple gourmet dishes.
The session will be conducted by Michelle Tan, Founder and Tribe Chief of Urban Jungle Folks (UJF), a social enterprise that promotes the adoption of sustainable lifestyle practices.
Rock & Roll with Jerry and The NeuFaces
Photo Credits: The National Library Board
Venue: Archives Reading Room, Level 2, National Archives Building
Date: 23 Sep 2023
Time: 12pm to 12.30pm & 1.30pm to 2pm
Jerry and The NeuFaces, Singapore’s legendary rock n’ roll band since 1972, will be performing retro rock songs from the 1960s to 1990s. This performance will entertain and delight audiences both young and old and celebrate homegrown musicians who have contributed to the local music scene.
Into the Archives: Behind the Scenes Tour
Venue: National Archives Building (Meeting point: Atrium, Level 3)
Date: 23 Sep 2023
Time: 3pm to 4pm & 4.30pm to 5.30pm
The tour offers visitors insight into NAS, to learn more about paper conservation in the Archives Conservation Lab, how eyewitnesses’ accounts of Singapore’s past are documented in the Oral History Centre and audiovisual preservation in the Sound and Moving Images Lab.
