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1.5 million loans, 840,000 visitors and counting, NLB's mobile library keeps reading on the move
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Over the past decade, the mobile library service has chalked up nearly 1.56 million book loans.
SINGAPORE - Every other Saturday, Ms Hirma Sheeryn and her children like to take a walk – not to go to the mall, park or playground, but to visit Molly.
Affectionately called Molly, the National Library's mobile library has become a regular sight in the 35-year-old homemaker's Punggol neighbourhood since 2022, where it stays for half a day.
With four children in tow, Ms Sheeryn appreciates that it takes her family just under five minutes to get to Molly, compared with a journey to her nearest library, P unggol Regional Library at One Punggol lifestyle hub , which is about five LRT stops away.
She and her two daughters, aged seven and nine, who are the more frequent visitors in the family, 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. Over the past decade, the mobile library service has chalked up nearly 1.56 million book loans. In 2024 alone, there were more than 116,000.
Ms Hirma Sheeryn's two daughters have been more interested in reading since visiting Molly.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF HIRMA SHEERYN
It is among initiatives in Singapore to boost access to reading for underserved communities.
These places include pre-schools, special education (Sped) schools, and voluntary welfare organisations.
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Since Molly's inception, its fleet has grown to three vehicles – one big and two smaller ones, which 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 younger , and were built to navigate smaller roads near pre-schools. They operate on weekdays, and can accommodate 12 to 15 children and two adults, with a collection of 1,500 books.
On the road, big Molly visits Sped schools and social service agencies monthly, and mini Mollys visit pre-schools at least twice a year.
Since April 2014, Molly has made at least 8,000 visits to various sites, said Ms Tan, with the most visited stop being Pathlight School, which has three campuses.
Molly has also recently been visiting primary schools that have a high number of students who receive financial assistance, Ms Tan said, adding that visits will be expanded to nursing homes, to enable seniors to visit libraries more conveniently.
A 2025 study by the National Institute of Education 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 Molly 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. Of the families surveyed, 43 per cent were found to have never visited public libraries at all due to a lack of time, concerns about book damage, and unfamiliarity with borrowing books.
They were also unaware of the mobile library's existence, or did not know they could borrow books from the bus.
The National Library's mobile library is among initiatives in Singapore to boost access to reading for underserved communities.
ST PHOTO: HESTER TAN
For families who did start visiting Molly regularly, the study found that 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, the study's principal investigator, said that Molly brought books and library resources to the neighbourhood 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 NIE's 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.
