FAQs for bookshelf-owners

What is the Casual Poet Library?

Casual Poet Library is a shared library in the heartlands of Singapore run entirely by individuals in the community. Each individual pays a small amount of money every month to be a bookshelf-owner. On each shelf, bookshelf-owners share about themselves and their book recommendations via little note cards, and tend to their shelves like they are tending to a (book) garden. The library is open to everyone and all books are for people to browse and borrow.

The shared library is also a creative community space for coffee pop-ups, book clubs, painting classes, journaling workshops, community sharing sessions, book launches etc. It’s a space fertile for whatever can be shared, built and dreamed up by our community.

What does Casual Poet Library care about?

We want to create a place where people can come and rest, relax, read, find inspiration, have the stress melt off their backs, be less invisible and connect with each other. We also want to show that there are always possibilities in life - that there are always new ways of living and thinking and new ways of breaking the rules in Singapore, this pragmatic and practical island we lovingly call home.

Casual Poet Library isn’t about making profit, but about staying open, accessible and sustainable with the help of the local community, and we continually strive run the library in the spirit of ease, openness, trust and respect.

Why open a shared library in the heartlands?

We love the heartlands because they don’t make them like they used to! We love all the little shops and businesses — the rattan furniture stores, the bakeries, the old-school stationery shops; the trees that uncles and aunties sit under to chill and hang with each other; people walking around in slippers and FBTs to grab a hawker lunch or buy groceries — these small moments of life in the heartlands are made possible by the very architecture and structure of our older neighbourhoods, and we deeply cherish them. 

What are the costs involved in being a bookshelf-owner?

Bookshelf-owners pay to rent a bookshelf for SGD$45/month (about the cost of one cafe meal these days) with a one-time admin fee of $25. This is for a one-year lease, which comes up to a lump sum of $565.

There are also options for a six-month lease ($49/month) or a two-year lease ($43/month).

You won’t have to pay the admin fee again when you next renew your lease.

The lease is for a minimum of six months and we don’t offer monthly payments so that we can keep the administrative side of things as clean and simple as possible and keep costs down.

What does the revenue from shelf rental pay for?

This is a completely self-funded project from the get-go. The income we get from renting out the shelves goes to paying our shop rental, utilities, town council fees, a part-timer who handles all the admin-related tasks — these come up to about SGD$5,000 a month. Our renovation fees + startup costs reached almost $50,000.

What is the size of each shelf?

Each shelf is about 45cm (w) x 30cm (h) x 35cm (d), which can hold about 20 books per shelf, depending on the size of the books.

Can I run more than one shelf?

Yes you can run multiple shelves. You can also share a shelf with a friend!

What kind of books can I share on my bookshelf?

All genres — novels, graphic novels, children’s books, thrillers and murder mysteries, non-fiction, artist’s zines, art and crafts etc — in all languages are welcome. We don’t pre-censor, nor do we enforce curation. You have the freedom to make your shelf your own and share the books you want to share. Please come and share you with us.

Can I sell some of my books or items?

While we're primarily a sharing library, you can sell some of your books / artwork / creations. Price the book/item you want to sell and print your own QR code for direct honor-system-style payment. The library doesn’t track your sales nor take a cut.

Do I have to be a Singaporean to be a bookshelf-owner?

You don’t have to be a Singaporean or to be in Singapore to run a bookshelf. You can simply send a box of books over! Easy =)

How are the bookshelves assigned?

All shelves for new shelf-owners will be assigned randomly. No shelf is better or worse in our shared library ❤️

Can I change up the books on my shelf whenever I want?

Of course! It’s your shelf, you can do whatever you want with it. You could choose to change the books up monthly, you could keep it the same for a year, you could display only one book, or multiples of one book. You could switch genres. It’s up to you. Have fun!

What are the other aspects of being a bookshelf-owner?

As part of the community, you can be as involved as you want, from helping to keep the library open by volunteering as a librarian, coming up with ideas for activities that can be done in the library, helping to manage aspects of running the library, to helping to keep the library clean.

Or you can simply run your own shelf and do nothing else! No obligations.

Are there any other perks to being a bookshelf-owner?

All bookshelf owners get free lifetime membership at the library, even after your shelf lease has expired and you’re no longer a bookshelf-owner;

You can also rent the library for free for your events (subjected to availability); for ticketed events, rental will be on a pay-as-you-wish basis.

We hope this encourages you to use our library space to organise and run your own community events revolving around things you care deeply about.

How are my books tracked? What if a library member loses or damages my book?

We have a digital cataloguing system and as a bookshelf-owner, you will be responsible for cataloguing your books and keeping your catalog up to date. This is how we keep track of your precious books and work as a community to make sure everyone's collection stays safe. We know you've carefully chosen each book for your shelf, so this system helps us protect what matters to you. This system allows us to see which books have been checked out and who they have been lent to, and send return reminders etc.

Apart from that, bookshelf-owners will have to be on board with the idea that this is a community borrowing library, so some wear and tear is likely to happen. Books that are too precious and cannot be subjected to any wear and tear or slight damage at all might not be suitable for our shared library.

For lost books or damaged books, library patrons will pay a maximum of SGD$25 per book to the bookshelf-owner as compensation or replace the copy.

How does the library borrowing system work?

Library patrons pay an annual fee to become a library member. They can borrow up to five books per visit.

There are no late fees but library patrons are encouraged to return their books within a month (and can renew for maximum another month) so that others can continue to share the books.

Can I sign up to be a bookshelf-owner later?

You can join as a bookshelf-owner anytime, but as our shelves are limited (due to limited space), you can join our waitlist and we’ll notify you when a shelf frees up.

How does the shared library stay financially viable?

The shared library stays financially viable thanks to the bookshelf-owners who pay a small amount of money every month. This helps to pay the rent and keep the library open. It would not be possible otherwise to run a library like this.

Are refunds possible?

In order for the shared library to stay viable and sustainable, it will be difficult for us to offer refunds. However, if you have found yourself in a dire financial situation, we would be happy to help on a case-by-case basis.

What happens when my lease ends?

We will contact you two months before your lease ends to see if you want to continue. You can either give up your shelf or continue at the same rental rate as before.

What are the library’s opening hours?

We’re open Tuesday-Sunday, 10pm to 9pm (closed on Monday).

How big is the shared library?

Our space is about 450sf. Seated, we can hold about 20pax; standing room, about 30pax. We also have an outdoor area.