Our Stories

Advancements in medical technology can raise difficult ethical questions. Join Librarian Kevin Seet as he explores some of these issues.

Librarian Sharon Teng browses the bookshelves to discover Nobel Peace Prize laureates and their stories championing peace and justice.

What does a 1913 flyer advertising an air exhibition tell us about aviation history in Singapore? Senior Librarian Eng Chuan finds out…

Associate Librarian Winnie Tan takes us on a journey to explore the evolution of the iconic Singapore Girl uniform.

Join librarian Jacqueline Lee as she explores how comics were almost banned in Singapore, and the thriving community it has created today.

What was it like working with talented guest cooks? Librarian-turned-host Paddy Ong talks about his experience filming the series!

Librarian Sundari explores Tamil radio plays by P Krishnan and M K Narayanan and relives their enduring appeal.

Revisit Singapore’s cinematic history in the 1950s and 1960s through the photographs of billboards painted by Gay Yau Studio.

Take a deep dive into two special maps featured at the Mapping the World: Perspectives from Asian Cartography exhibition.

Did you know that HDB blocks in Singapore were uniformly painted white when they were first built? Find out how they came to be decorated!

Art doesn’t just belong on a wall in a museum. Learn about the artworks that have been part of Singapore’s train stations as early as 1987!

Revisit Malay folktales in the Asian Children’s Literature collection at the National Library.

Join librarian Leng Foong as she peruses the personal collection of music scores, sketches and ephemera donated by the man himself.

Revisit the past through these old magazines and rediscover what was once trending, fashionable and popular!

How did cartographers from the past create maps, and how were they used? Join curator Jie Lin as she shares some exhibition highlights.

While our islands do indeed make wonderful beach getaways, they have also made the headlines in the past for other less salubrious reasons.

What were cookbooks like half a century ago? Join librarian Toffa as she takes a (tasty) trip down memory lane to find out!

Explore the origins of the blocks of HDB flats that dominate Singapore’s skyline with librarian Sharon Teng.

Today, maps are but a click away on our mobile devices. But what were they like when humankind first started exploring the world?

Find out how the programmes team developed a retro shopping experience to appeal to children for the library’s first children’s programme.

Find out how this traditional remedy, demonstrated to be effective through scientific assessment, was used to treat leprosy patients.

Explore dog pictures in the carte de visite format with John Koh, who has donated more than 500 items to the National Library Board.

Did you know that monkeys once “worked” as botanical assistants in Singapore?

Uncover the work of naturalist and explorer Carl Bock, who encountered the Dayaks in Borneo despite earlier failed (and fatal) expeditions.