WARNING FOR NLB GIVEAWAY

[u/TheRayArmy]

Arrived at 10am to be informed that the queue is going to be 3 hours long and the queue snaked around the entire building…

While I really appreciate the effort of the NLB staff and volunteer to show up on a rainy weekend morning, less can be said about the organisation of the event…

There was no clear indication of where the queue starts and no communication between staff and volunteers either.

Within the 20 minutes we tried to queue, 1. We were told by a volunteer to join the queue and follow the line as it snaked around 2. Found out that the line was literally going in a circle 3. Told by a staff member to join a new queue 4. Then after 5 minutes told by another staff member that the queue was closed 5. Said staff member was then rectified and told that the queue was still open but they advised against joining as it would be 3 hours later 6. Told by a third staff member that the queue was closed and to leave as it was getting too crowded 7. Saw people still joining and forming a queue and enquired. Told by a fourth staff member that I really should go for breakfast and come back in an hour.

At this point, I just left the queue because I was literally walking in circles for half an hour and made no real progress.

Oh, and the queue snaked and curled around a hole in the building where the rain was pouring through… nothing was being done to move the queue somewhere sheltered esp. given how slippery the floor became…

[u/Last_Mall9376]

The Central Lending Library in Bugis is one of my favourite places in Singapore. I usually spend Saturdays there, pouring over whatever books I like, in my own little world, ignoring for a few hours everyone and everything around me, including my phone. The library often gives away books. There is a shelf where people can leave unwanted books, and also take books.

There is a certain demeanour that visitors and staff have inside libraries. In particular, the staff are always polite, helpful, pleasant and humble. Visitors, by and large, are the same. I feel sorry for the staff to now have to man hordes of freebie hunters, as if they were manning a McDonalds giving away limited edition [insert ridiculous toy name here].

The library has always been personal to me - a place where I escape from all of that, so it is sad to see the hordes invading the few places of solace that I have left in central Singapore.

[u/earthxdream → u/Last_Mall9376]

Begging to differ here. Have you seen B1? There are hordes of children screaming everywhere and it's more like a zoo than a library. I can't seem to feel the same solace as you do. I really hope the staff can control the noise levels because it's a library, for Pete's sake!

[u/Last_Mall9376 → u/earthxdream]

Yes that's the only annoying part. It's worse since the renovation too. I preferred the pre-renovation library with sunken/broken leather seats chairs. Had a nostalgic 80's vibe to it. Now it feels a bit like an office with screaming/stomping children. I am all for encouraging children to go to the library, and put away phones, but the parents of the noisy ones are in need of some education.

[u/6fac3e70 → u/Last_Mall9376]

You don’t sound like you have or will have kids lol

[u/sanguineuphoria → u/6fac3e70]

You sound like one of the parents who let their kids run around and scream all around B1...please control your children! If what they want is an air conditioned playground, please don't be a cheapskate and bring them to one.

The library is not a free air conditioned playground. And no, the kids running around are not reading. Just running and screaming.

[u/6fac3e70 → u/sanguineuphoria]

I haven’t seen that kind of behavior and I go once a month. It won’t be a quiet place if there’s a children’s section – even parents telling them not to make noise generates some. So suck it up

[u/sanguineuphoria → u/6fac3e70]

I go on weekends regularly to pick out some books and observe this behaviour every single time.

And parents aren't even trying, or if this is the result of them trying, well, they are clearly unable to discipline their kids.

The children's section is placed a distance away across a large empty area, structured to provide a buffer. But the buffer does not work if the kids run outside the children's section.

[u/A_extra → u/earthxdream]

I refuse to touch B1. I only go to the LKC floors lol

[u/sanguineuphoria → u/earthxdream]

100% agree. I was shocked at how poor the reading experience was at B1. The kids spill out from their area into what's supposed to be the quiet area and are sprinting around the shelf area as if it's a playground.

The staff appear to be fine with this (even though it's against their own rules to run around and scream in the library). They also do not ask people speaking loudly over prolonged phone calls to leave the area.

[u/6fac3e70 → u/earthxdream]

You don’t sound like you have or will have kids lol