Thread

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

288 points · 149 comments · geox

itake · 1789919545 · 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 · 1789952051 · 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. ValentineC · 1790001238 · 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://www.nlb.gov.sg/main/services/library-membership/types-of-membership" rel="nofollow">https://www.nlb.gov.sg/main/services/library-membership/type...
    joeblubaugh · 1790041898 · 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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