Queenstown Public Library

I wouldn’t be surprised if this building is one of the oldest in Singapore; apparently it’s been around for 45 years at the time of this review (which is ancient in Singapore standards!)
Structurally, it’s different as it’s not just square– I don’t know my architecture terms but it has curves and stuff. However, I find it a bit drab, as it’s just painted different shades of grey… nothing saucy about it.
You’ll find the children’s section on the first floor, and the adult books on the second. I think it’s funny that they have an extra «Quiet Reading Room» on the 2^nd floor, as if the library itself isn’t quiet enough already!
I was able to get a desk mid-​day and it was equipped with multiple power points. Unfortunately I couldn’t connect my laptop to the free wifi network, as apparently the network was not secured.
Also good to note is that they are located about a 10 minute walk from Queenstown MRT and luckily you can cut through the field that’s between Commonwealth Ave and Margaret Drive. Happy reading!

I love coming to this library to work or study during the weekends. They’ve got plenty of tables, free WiFi, sockets for your laptop charger, and lush green scenery right outside to help you relax.
And like most libraries, they’ve got a nice children’s section.

This is a historical landmark that is still a working public library. I certainly hope that this building does not go the way of the National Library at Fort Canning, a traffic tunnel now where the proud building used to stand.
This is a library in the most traditional sense of the word, an institution of which I have fond, enduring and sepia-​toned memories. I used to catch a bus all the way from where I lived in Upper Serangoon clutching my library cards and make my way to the National Library to be lost in its cool cavernous interior, browsing and reading for hours.
The library at Queenstown while of considerably more modest proportions is of the same vintage, design and construction as the «old» National Library. It sits in the middle of a park, surrounded by grassy fields and trees, unencumbered by other buildings and therefore noise and distraction. An anachronism in the congested, crowded concrete jungle that is Singapore today. It is an absolute oasis of calm and learning. The interior has been brought up to date like the interior of many a legacy shophouse in Tanjong Pagar. It is bright, cool and has all the amenities one would expect of the National Library Board. The service is excellent, prompt, polite and professional. The collection is comprehensive, but that hardly matters since all the books in all the branches are part of the national collection.
Owning books in Singapore can be an expensive proposition, not so much because books cost a lot, but that storing them in land-​scarce Singapore can quickly become challenging. This is why having an excellent public library system is such a boon, especially if you have young children. It’s not just me saying how good the National Library Board, there are accolades aplenty from various benchmarking bodies for service and innovation.
I love my libraries, but I particularly love this one because it is a part of a Singapore that is no more, one of the few links Singaporeans have to their past. Most importantly, it’s a living fossil, it’s a piece of our past, but a piece that continues to be part of contemporary lives and hopefully part of our future.

This library on Margaret Dr. has the perfect setup for our family.
It has plenty of children’s books, more so than the other libraries we have visited, reading/​study areas throughout both floors, a café with decent drinks and desserts (though a bit pricey for a library), 24-​hr return slots, and staff who have proven to be adequately helpful and resourceful. The place is spacious and never too crowded when we go — usually on weekday afternoons and weekend mornings.
The street parking can be challenging, especially on weekends, but we still choose this library over other locations.