1.5 million loans, 840,000 visitors and counting, NLB's mobile libraries keep reading accessible

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SINGAPORE – Every other Saturday, Ms Hirma Sheeryn and her children like to take a walk – not to the mall, park or playground, but to visit Molly.
The National Library Board's (NLB) mobile library, affectionately called 'Molly', has since 2022 become a regular sight in the 35-year-old homemaker's Punggol neighbourhood, where it stays for half a day.
With four children in tow, Ms Sheeryn appreciates that it takes them just under five minutes to get to Molly, compared with a journey to her nearest library, Punggol Regional Library at One Punggol lifestyle hub, which is about five LRT stops away from her home.
She and her two daughters, aged seven and nine, who are the more frequent visitors in the family to the mobile library, enjoy the variety of books among the 3,000 titles carried by the bright blue bus. The two girls have been more interested in reading since visiting Molly, she said.
They are among 840,000 users who have visited Molly since it first hit the roads in 2008. The places include pre-schools, special education (Sped) schools and voluntary welfare organisations. Over the past decade, the mobile library service has chalked up nearly 1.56 million book loans. In 2024 alone, it lent more than 116,000 books.
It is among initiatives in Singapore to boost access to reading for underserved communities.
Since Molly's inception, the fleet has grown to three vehicles – besides the bigger one, two smaller ones were launched in 2014, said Ms Tan Chui Peng, director of public libraries at NLB.
Big Molly visits two locations daily, holds up to 15 adults or 25 children, with space for up to five wheelchairs, and carries 3,000 books.
The mini Mollys were set up to bring the library experience to younger children aged six and below, and were built to navigate smaller roads near pre-schools. They operate on weekdays, and can each accommodate 12 to 15 children and two adults, with a collection of 1,500 books.
Molly visits Sped schools and social service agencies monthly, and the mini Mollys visit pre-schools at least twice a year.
Since April 2014, the mobile libraries have made at least 8,000 visits to various sites, said Ms Tan, with the most visited being Pathlight School, which has three campuses.
They have also recently been visiting primary schools that have a high number of pupils who receive financial assistance, Ms Tan said, as well as nursing homes, which they hope to visit more.
A 2025 study by the National Institute of Education (NIE) and NLB, which focused on low-income families living in rental flats, looked at the reading resources of 37 families.
Over six months, it sought to find out whether children who visited a mobile library experienced reading enjoyment, frequency and proficiency.
The households in the study had limited books at home and little exposure to reading in either English or mother tongue languages. Of the families surveyed, 43 per cent were found to have never visited public libraries at all owing to a lack of time, concerns about book damage and unfamiliarity with borrowing books.
They were also unaware of the mobile library service's existence, or did not know they could borrow books from the bus.
For families who did start visiting a mobile library regularly, the study found that the children became more excited about reading, showed improved vocabulary and print recognition, and made book-borrowing a part of their routine.
Parents said they appreciated the convenience and less intimidating atmosphere compared with public libraries.
Associate Professor Loh Chin Ee of NIE, the study's principal investigator, said that Molly brought books and library resources to neighbourhoods in a friendly and cosier setting, which can help to address the literacy gap in low-income communities.
'Molly has the potential to help families become more familiar with library resources,' said Prof Loh, adding that regular use over some time builds routine.
Still, even with better physical access to books, psychological and social barriers – like potential costs or unfamiliarity with library systems – still deter some families.
Simple outreach efforts, such as placing Molly's schedule in lift lobbies or sending WhatsApp reminders, could boost engagement, the study suggested.
Source: The Straits Times © SPH Media Limited. Permission required for reproduction
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