Libraries help forge connections amid digital age, says DPM Wong

New Punggol Regional Library is largest in Singapore, offers more discovery spaces

- Shermaine Ang

As a child, Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong spent nearly every Saturday afternoon in the old Marine Parade Library reading for hours on end. He and his brother would go through the books in the new arrivals section, then carefully choose the ones to borrow to read at home.

Speaking at the opening of the new five-storey Punggol Regional Library, which is the largest in Singapore, Mr Wong said libraries remain a special place in the community, and books are still important despite the proliferation of smartphones and social media.

"People were once convinced the book industry would suffer and eventually die off. But in recent years, we have seen a rebound in book sales across many countries.

Certainly, in Singapore, people have been reading books more regularly over the years," he said on Wednesday.

"More fundamentally, I believe all of us both adults and children - innately desire deeper connections with the world around us. We don't want just fleeting engagements on social media. We want more enriching, more meaningful experiences." This is also why more people are seeking out longer-form content, such as longer videos and podcasts, as well as articles on platforms like Medium and Substack, he said.