We’re building a shared library in the heartlands of Singapore! ❤️
You can now reserve a bookshelf and become a bookshelf-owner in our shared library.
Almost everything you need to know about our shared library:
Our shared library is made up of bookshelves run by individuals who pay a small amount of money every month to be bookshelf-owners.
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.
Bookshelf-owners can share a shelf with a friend or run multiple shelves.
Bookshelf-owners are invited and given priority to tend to the library, but anyone else is welcome to volunteer as a librarian!
You don’t have to be a Singaporean or to be in Singapore to run a bookshelf.
Bookshelf rental fee (one-year lease): SGD$45/month with a one-time registration fee of $25. This comes up to $565 for a one-year lease.
Bookshelf rental fee (six-month lease): SGD$49/month with a one-time registration fee of $25. This comes up to $307 for a six-month lease.
Each shelf is about 45cm (w) x 30cm (h) x 35cm (d), which can hold 10 to 20 books per shelf, depending on the size of the books.
All shelves will be assigned randomly. No shelf is better or worse in our shared library ❤️
Once we launch, you can join as a bookshelf-owner anytime, but as shelves are limited and our leases are for six months or a year, you will be put on a waiting list once shelves run out, and we will notify you when a shelf frees up.
All genres and languages are welcome. There will not be enforced curation. Please come and share you with us.
In the spirit of openness and imagination, while we are largely a library of books, art and crafts etc are very welcome too!
By and large, all books will be available for people to borrow. To borrow books, just sign up to be a library member for a small one-time fee (to be determined later). Every member can borrow up to 5 books per visit and will need to return the books within a certain period of time (to be determined later).
For concerns about books being damaged or lost, 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.
Bookshelf-owners will have the option to sell some of their items. To buy the item, simply scan the QR code at the shelf and pay directly to the bookshelf-owner. We won’t take a cut.
There will be tables and chairs inside the library for chilling, reading and working, with outlets for laptop-charging. We will also have a space outside for more chilling and reading! Everyone, even non library members, is welcome to sit around and browse our books.
Bookshelf-owners are welcome to organise and run their own community events at the space for a small and affordable fee (to be determined later).
If you are seriously interested in being a bookshelf-owner, please subscribe to our email list so we can notify you when bookshelf registration is open and you can reserve a shelf.
We aim to open our doors in end June 2024.
Let’s build a library together that is run in the spirit of openness, trust, respect and a sense of community.
More questions, ideas, thoughts? Please email us at hello[at]casualpoetlibrary.com or find us on Instagram!
Our shared library will be located at Alexandra Village ❤️ We are surrounded by a bird shop, an antique shop, a spectacle shop, barbers, bakeries, Rookie’s, furniture shops, a laundromat, delicious hawker food, a famous tze char restaurant, etc.