The Central Library at the end of August
The Central Library at the end of August
Today, the library is giving away books at a few locations across Singapore. It’s an annual event and this year, I noticed that there’s now an option to drop off your pre-loved books for others to take back.
Since I was strongly discouraged by my family from bringing back more books, I decided to just head down and drop off a few books… and see what was around.
Because an Otter told me to follow it.
Immersion Room: Book Havens of Bras Basah
The central library is located in Bras Basah in the heart of the city. My bookish knowledge about the area is located to the library and the center full of secondhand books next to it, so I was interested in finding out more.
This exhibition takes the place of the Storytelling one, where Gen AI was used to come up with a “comic” based on local folklore and I LIKE THIS ONE BETTER.
It’s very simple to use, just open the browser and choose which era is projected on the wall.
Scan a building outlined in white
And they will give you its name. From there, you can choose to find out more about its history.
I thought it’s a smart way to get people to find out more about local history
ChatBook: S. Rajaratnam
Speaking of local history, a biography of one our first generation politicians (who was also a writer) was just released (I’ve written about how it’s on my TBR) and I guess to promote there book, there is now a mini exhibition on level one.
The exhibition is cute and is filled with a brief history of S. Rajaratnam, but the main draw is supposed to be the Gen AI chatbot that can teach you more about the man.
Unfortunately, when I was there the chatbot wasn’t working - I think it hung? Which I suppose is why a traditional exhibition gallery may be better; you are less likely to have hiccups like this.
Small things like this aren’t the main reason I come to the library, but I think they are a pleasant addition to the whole experience. I wonder what else will be new on my next visit?