Singapore's Century Square to house a virtual library

Property manager AsiaMalls Management has signed a memorandum of understanding with Singapore’s National Library Board to provide a virtual library of e-books through a digital wall. This initiative will be available at the newly refurbished Century Square mall, which will reopen to the public in Q2 2018.

The company said the refurbishment is meant to allow the mall to transform into a community space that will provide shoppers with curated shopping experiences – where their retail and community needs are met. With the addition of Century Square’s virtual library, it will allow shoppers to access e-books easily at their leisure, providing a well-rounded experience for shoppers and bringing more convenience.

Tan Kee Yong, managing director of AsiaMalls Management, said: “As we planned for the mall, we wanted to include technology that would bring value to the community around us. In line with the Smart Nation Initiatives to digitally transform the country, this first-of-its-kind virtual library will enhance the shopper experience at Century Square by providing shoppers with the convenience of borrowing e-books within a retail space. Libraries are such an essential part of everyday life, and for anyone who loves to read, they will be well-served with all the e-books available from the Century Square virtual library. This partnership with the National Library Board will mark the beginning of our initiatives to use innovation to better serve the community at hand.”

“We want to promote reading to everyone in Singapore and that means bringing our resources everywhere, especially to places frequented by Singaporeans like shopping malls. This partnership with Century Square fits into this larger plan by National Library Board. We are very pleased that shoppers can now have a meal, shop, watch a movie and borrow an eBook in one stop,” Siow Shong Seng, director of Technology & Service Innovation at the National Library Board added.

The National Library Board will also hold activities and events targeted at children, and to promote reading, at Century Square. The Century Square virtual library is expected to go live on when Century Square re-opens in Q2 2018.