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Singapore’s National Library Board offers micropayments to build reading habits

288 points · 149 comments · geox

  1. itake · · focus · HN ↗
    Singapore libraries are really annoying for foreigners because they don’t let you use the WiFi.

    Thailand at least gives you a 1 hour pass.

    Not that anyone asked but my ranking of public libraries in Asia

    1/ Taiwan

    2/ HK

    3/ Thailand

    4/ Laos (private libraries are cute, but hot…)

    4/ Vietnam (Bring your passport!)

    5/ Singapore

    I haven’t been to a library in Japan or S Korea. I tried working from a community center in Japan but I couldn’t figure how it works.

    1. joeblubaugh · · focus · HN ↗
      They also charge a pretty hefty membership fee if you’re not at least a PR, and charge for physical book reservations. It was pretty shocking for me after the California library system.

      And I’m a taxpayer. Net, I pay more taxes than a citizen with the same income.

      1. orsenthil · · focus · HN ↗
        Work out with a friend to share his library card?
      2. danieltanfh95 · · focus · HN ↗
        > Net, I pay more taxes than a citizen with the same income.

        No you don't, most foreigners don't pay more taxes overall per lifetime.

        1. elil17 · · focus · HN ↗
          Surely the reasonable metric is per year rather than per lifetime given that adult immigrants don't use education and childhood services.
          1. danieltanfh95 · · focus · HN ↗
            No, because you also do not serve in the army, nor (generally) produce children that will become citizens and thus build the population.

            Education and childhood services are pennies to what the country needs in terms of patriotic duty and population building.

      3. radicaldreamer · · focus · HN ↗
        For libraries, does it really matter who pays taxes and who doesn’t? Seems like it’s a public good that should be available regardless of ability to pay.
        1. joeblubaugh · · focus · HN ↗
          Exactly my point, annual fees should be zero but instead certain legal residents have to pay higher ones.
      4. oreally · · focus · HN ↗

        [dead]

        1. joeblubaugh · · focus · HN ↗
          I’m just asking for equal library fees bro, not even a tax-advantaged savings program like CPF.
          1. oreally · · focus · HN ↗

            [dead]

      5. ValentineC · · focus · HN ↗
        > They also charge a pretty hefty membership fee if you’re not at least a PR

        It's $43.60 per year [1].

        Thank you for contributing a bit more to the library's budget…?

        [1] <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.nlb.gov.sg&#x2F;main&#x2F;services&#x2F;library-membership&#x2F;types-of-membership" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.nlb.gov.sg&#x2F;main&#x2F;services&#x2F;library-membership&#x2F;type...

        1. joeblubaugh · · focus · HN ↗
          In the US, annual library fees are $0, incredibly.

          Maybe I shouldn’t complain, they also seem to think $35 is a reasonable price for a mass-market paperback here.

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