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Bukit Batok Community Library

Bukit Batok Community Library is located at 1 Bukit Batok Central Link, #03-01 West Mall, Singapore 658713. This is fifth library of the National Library Board that is located inside a shopping mall. The library was officially opened on 21 November 1998 by Deputy Prime Minister, BG (NS) Lee Hsien Loong.

History
The Bukit Batok Community Library (BBCL) begun operating soon after the West Mall was opened. The library is headed by Lim Puay Ling. It is a fully computerised library with a collection of 202,151 publications. It has served more than 1,419,634 visitors and residents from the Bukit Batok and Bukit Gombak constituencies. As of 2001, it had 28,814 members and had given out 1,345,869 book loans.

RFID
Bukit Batok Community Library was the first library in which the Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Electronic Library Management System (ELiMS) was implemented. The Electronic Library Management System was developed together by Singapore Technologies LogiTrack and the National Library Board. The ELiMS system manages the tracking, distribution, circulation and flow of books in the library. The advantages of this technology is that it allows books to be cancelled immediately as they are returned through automated book-drops and the loan records of the borrowers are updated instantly.

Description
The library has a floor area of 1,270 sq. m. It is home to 191,492 books, 10,424 serials and 235 audiovisual materials. The library includes a customer service counter, an adult/young people's section, a children's section, an activities room, 13 multimedia stations and a reference collection. Facilities in the library include borrower's enquiry, six borrowing stations, two bookdrop services, browsing shelves of books and periodicals in four main languages and multimedia services.

Programmes
Two storytelling sessions for children are conducted every Tuesday at 7:00 pm and 7:30 pm. Reading Bear programmes were organised for primary school. Primary school children are also taken on class visits to the library featuring storytelling, craft, video shows and a tour of the library. Class visits for the secondary school students includes multimedia services. The multimedia service is a basic information literacy programme on Internet strategies, search tools and evaluation of websites. Junior colleges, schools and other institutions are offered bulk loan services and book promotions or institutional loans. School holiday programmes include video screening, storytelling in four languages and art and craft sessions. Adults can enjoy educational and informative talks, workshops, user education programmes and library orientation tours.



Author
Naidu Ratnala Thulaja



References
National Library Board. (1998). Annual report (pp. 15, 17-18). Singapore: Author.

Electronic cutting-edge library in a mall. (1998, November 22). The Straits Times, Prime News, p. 3.

Sip coffee and borrow a book at Ngee Ann City. (1999, April 6). The Straits Times, Home, p. 35.

National Library Board. (n.d.). Bukit Batok Community Library information sheet. Singapore: Author.


Further Readings
Easier library book returns. (1999, February 2). The Straits Times, Home, p. 33. 

The information in this article is valid as at 2002 and correct as far as we are able to ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history of the subject. Please contact the Library for further reading materials on the topic.

Subject
Architecture and Landscape>>Building Types>>Public Buildings>>Libraries
Public libraries--Singapore
Libraries--Singapore
Singapore--History--1990-
Law and government>>Culture and community>>Public libraries
Science and technology>>Library and information science>>Library and information services



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