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| Our Tampines Hub (OTH) - Singapore |
Located at Our Tampines Hub or also known as OTH (Singapore's first-ever integrated community and lifestyle hub), the Tampines Regional Library is the first regional library in Singapore
It is housed together with the Tampines Stadium (a 5,000-seat stadium with a FIFA-endorsed "2 Star Quality Pro football pitch - can be used for both football and rugby match plus other community events), Sport Halls, Swimming Complex (with 6 different swimming pools including the largest rooftop pool in Singapore), 5,000 sq ft playground, bowling centre, sports clubs,wall climbing theme park, jogging track, Public Service Centres (such as: People’s Association, North East Community Development Council, Housing Development Board, Workforce Singapore, and Ministry of Social and Family Development, and ActiveSG), hawker center, child care centre, senior care centre, enrichment centres, wellness centre, gym, community club, auditorium, health centre, clinic, theater (with free movie screening), karaoke, restaurants, cafe, supermarket, rooftop garden with BBQ pits, and so on.
If you are interested to check more on the variety of restaurants or facilities available, you can click here.
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| Tampines Regional Library Entrance - Level 2 |
Our Tampines Hub was officially opened on 6 August 2017, but the Tampines Regional Library was re-opened a day earlier. Despite being opened for almost 3 years ago, I visited it for the very first time only few days ago. From overall things available at the OTH, the library is the only thing I was attracted most, and that was why I went.
There are 2 entrance to enter the library. First one is from Tampines Ave. 5 (main road). You can reach there using the bridge connected to the opposite side (following the signage) or simply using the escalator up. The second entrance is from Tampines Ave. 4. Both are located at the level 2.
Covid-19 is still around here in Singapore, therefore upon entrance we have to scan the QR code using our mobile phone to register our visit (for easy trace tracking purpose) and have our body temperature checked. Colorful label is given and pasted onto our clothes.
We are given 30 minutes time to enter and have to get out when the time is up (no seating and reading are allowed at this period of time). Many seating and reading areas are blocked and no activities (such as: storytelling, culinary learning class, PIXEL Labs activities, WISHers reading club - a language learning group for senior citizens and housewives, etc.) are held until further notice.
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| Returning book machines on the left and Adults Audiovisuals (DVDs) borrowings on the right - Tampines Library Level 2 |
As it was my first time, I had no idea how the library looked like. I went with handful lists of books that I planned to borrow (after checking for its availability using the NLB Mobile apps). I opened up the apps upon entering and looked for the book that I wanted to borrow. After clicking up the Tampines Library, I would be able to find out the location of the book stored (since some libraries were huge and contained many shelves).
I stopped the library staff and asked for her advice about the shelf's location and I was surprised when she mentioned that the book that I was looking for was located at the sixth floor. What??? Sixth floor??? And the entrance was at second floor only. The lifts and escalators were available at the back (near the entrance from Tampines Ave. 4).
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| Directory shown at the lift door - Tampines Regional Library |
You could see the above directory for the faster access to reach your destination.
Wow, it was huge and impressive!!! No wonder it was called Regional Library. One thing that came up from my mind almost immediately was... how tiring its staffs must be (or cleaning staffs) to go up and down around the area to do their jobs :D They must have a strong pair of legs. Hehehe....
Things got more interested and I decided to take few pictures around and shared with you my amazement. Let us start from the level 2 and slowly go up.
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| Adults magazines (the racks on the wall are Tamil language magazines) - Tampines Regional Library Level 2 |
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| Adults magazines varieties (culinary, business, fashion, travel magazines, etc.) - Tampines Regional Library Level 2 |
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| 3 Culinary studios on the left and books related to culinary on the right - Tampines Regional Library Level 2 |
The culinary studios are managed by PA (People's Association). It was first time for the library to integrate the community learning space with another agency's space within the library. Cooking classes are to be held here. Looks clean and neat inside!
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| Tampines Stadium - View from Tampines Regional Library Level 2 |
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| Tampines Stadium - View from Tampines Regional Library Level 4 |
You can see the view of the stadium from inside the library (from level 2 to 4). Imagine when there are football or rugby matches going on!!! :)
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| Picture books borrowing (Early literacy) - Tampines Regional Library Level 3 |
This will be a great place for parents with toddler. Pictures books, interactive books, folktale story books, and early literacy books are available for borrowing. Those books focus on key areas that are vital to children’s learning and development. Cosy seating area is available too (for non-Covid-19 time, this place will be a heaven for a very young children).
Fyi, many of these children books (32,000 Chinese children's titles) were donated by Chou Sing Chu Foundation (a non-profit organisation founded in 2004 by Mr Chou Cheng Ngok, Popular Holdings Limited’s Group CEO, in honor of his late father, Mr Chou Sing Chu (1905-1986), founder of Cheng Hing Company, World Book Company and Popular Book Company) in an effort to promote learning and reading in Chinese. It conducts programs and activities to encourage reading of Chinese materials in children as well. It is great to know this!!! :)
Indoor playground (run by Playtopia) is available too at Level 3 (currently closed due to Covid-19) at additional cost. Check for the rates here.
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| Teens' Fiction - Heaven for teens at Tampines Regional Library Level 4 |
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| Reading Box inside Teens' Fiction at Tampines Regional Library Level 4 |
This will be a wonderful place to visit after school or during school holiday time where you can read and borrow any books that you like, and sit at this cool library!!! English, Chinese, Malay, and Tamil language books are all available here. We are indeed very lucky to live in this multi-racial harmony country :)
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| Children's Novels Shelves at Tampines Regional Library Level 4 |
Children are also pampered with wide varieties of books available too!!!
Pixel Labs@NLB - a dedicated space that enables patrons to learn, create, invent, and share skills using tools, equipment, and hardware kits - is also located at Level 4. 3D printing and Arduino workshops (open-source electronic prototyping platform enabling users to create interactive electronic objects), arts and multi-media production, coding lessons, can be learned over here. It is a collaboration between Infocomm Media Development Authority of Singapore and National Library Board
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| Terrace on 4 - Seating staircase at Level 4 |
When Covid-19 is over, they can choose to sit at this cool place too - Terrace on 4. And if you notice, there are power sockets available too at each stair near the seating area, which suits well for those who are using laptop while reading, studying, or researching in this library.
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| Terrace on 5 - Seating staircase at Level 5 |
Terrace on 5 is available at level 5 too!!! :)
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| Study Lounge at Tampines Regional Library Level 5 |
If you need a more quiet place to study, study lounge is available at level 5.
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| Singapore Collection (both fiction and non-fiction) at Tampines Regional Library Level 5 |
At level 5 you can find the Singapore collection books (both fiction and non fiction in 4 different languages) and other non-fiction books.
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| Reading space at Tampines Regional Library Level 5 |
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| Non-fiction collections e.g. Travel, business, etc. - Tampines Regional Library Level 5 |
The library has a great collections of non-fiction books starting from business, computer, travel, art, recreation, comic, etc.
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| Reading space at Tampines Regional Library Level 6 |
My favorite place will be the above reading space at level 6. With carpet and sofa, this will be a great place to read my book comfortably and quietly (quiet reading space). Fiction books from many different languages are available here.
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| Outdoor space at Tampines Regional Library Level 6 |
When feeling sleepy and in need of fresh air, the door towards fresh air is just near the escalator. There are seats where you can read your book outdoor too!!! (Currently closed due to Covid-19).
Large print books shelves are located very near to this area. Newspaper reading place is also available at this level 6 with a window view facing outside (currently not available due to Covid-19).
At this level there is a dedicated space for volunteers to share knowledge and plan activities to promote the love for reading to other users. The whole 6th floor is currently a volunteer-run floor where volunteers assist with the shelving of books as well as attending to user inquiries. Cool right?
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| Cute mobile carts to transfer the books back to shelves - Tampines Regional Library Singapore |
If you cannot wait to visit, below is the info that you need to know.
Address:
1 Tampines Walk
#02-01 Our Tampines Hub
Singapore 528523
Opening Hours:
Mon - Sun: 10:00 AM - 09:00 PM
Closed at 5.00pm on eves of Christmas,
New Year and Chinese New Year
Closed on Public Holidays
24-hour Bookdrop
To find more information about the Tampines Regional Library and to check their maps on each floor, click here. Please read important notice on the website before visiting. Hope you enjoy your time there as I did :)
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| Dream place (IG: Rimareyka.writes) |
P.S.: Currently there are 3 regional libraries available across Singapore, which are in Jurong, Woodlands, and Tampines. One is coming soon, which is in Punggol, very near from where I stay. I really cannot wait to find it out as well (too bad the construction is being held due to the recent Covid-19). But I really wonder how it will look like. Will it as nice as this Tampines Regional Library? But for sure, once it is opened, this place will be my second home where I can spend my time reading and do other things there :)
And if you want to find out more about other libraries that I have written up before, you can click on the link here: Sengkang Library, Library@HarbourFront, and Library@Orchard. Happy browsing!!! :)
