Nooks for books

Nooks for books

SINGAPORE - If your literary interests lean less to mass-market tastes, and more towards niche interests such as clan genealogy, colonial Singapore or even stupa art, there are places you can go to feed your curiosity.

There are small, alternative reference libraries in Singapore, including a tiny nook with books on Confucius and clan lineage in a clan association in Bukit Pasoh, and a Buddhist library carrying tomes on meditation, death and literature in Geylang Road.

Singapore-centric volumes abound at the National Museum of Singapore's library, and local writers and poets' works, some long out of print, find a home at The Arts House.

However, students looking for a cosy corner to study, take note: Seating spaces at these libraries are minimal and strictly for readers only.

Some are open to the public by appointment only.

Life! Weekend checks out Singapore's lesser-known literary gems.

keziatoh@sph.com.sg

THE BUDDHIST LIBRARY

What: Readers must take off their shoes before entering the pristine Buddhist Library (above), located in a shophouse in Aljunied. The 20,000 titles sit on tall dark-wood shelves, creating an old-world feel. There are tomes on the religion, as well as on topics such as death, Indian and Tibetan literature, cultural studies and Buddhist art.

Must-read: Deathing: An Intelligent Alternative For The Final Moments Of Life by Anya Foos-Graber, who writes that preparing for eventual death should be as natural as preparing for natural childbirth. Buddhist Stupas In Asia: The Shape Of Perfection by Joe Cummings and Bill Wassman, a coffee-table book crammed with full-colour photographs of one of the oldest religious symbols, and showcasing the spread of stupa building and Buddhism across Asia.

Where: No. 2, Lorong 24A Geylang Road

When: Noon to 9pm from Tuesdays to Saturdays, 10am to 9pm on Sundays, closed on Mondays

Info: Call 6746-8435 or go to www.buddhlib.org.sg

GAN HERITAGE CENTRE

What: If your surname is Gan, and you are interested in tracing your family's history, find it out here. A little alcove in this clan association building in Outram Park houses a collection of about 450 titles, including a genealogy of those bearing the surname and early philanthropists' contributions to the country. One of those was the late Gan Eng Seng, who started the Gan Eng Seng Free School in 1885 in his shophouses along Telok Ayer Street.

There are about 30 visitors a week, including history buffs unrelated to the clan, who come to learn the history of the Gans, says curator Gan Ee Bee, 39.

Books are in English and Chinese, and are bought by or gifted to the association. There is potential to grow the collection, but it must first develop a coding system, says Ms Gan.

"The library helps people to research their family stories and genealogy, and learn more about the clan's development," she adds.

There is a small reading space, with a table and chairs. Books are for reference only.

Must-read: Books on Yan calligraphy, inspired by Yan Zhenqing, a master calligrapher of the Tang Dynasty.

Where: Gan Heritage Centre, 18B-20B Bukit Pasoh Road

When: Call to book an appointment, from 2 to 6pm daily

Info: Call 6223-0739 or go to www. ganclan.sg/en/heritage/exhibition

EARSHOT CAFE AND THE ARTS HOUSE

What: This collection flies the Singapore flag high, with more than 600 books penned by local writers, poets and publishers. The works are on shelves lining the Earshot Cafe (above) at The Arts House, which opened in 2005.

The cafe wants to be a platform where Singaporean and Singapore-based artists, film-makers and writers promote their works to a wider public.

Beyond the eatery is a pop-up corner that sprouted in September, from the We Love Shorts! festival, which celebrates short story writing. This little nook of books will be at its location indefinitely. Nearby, a cardboard tree (right) stands over boxes holding children's books, including big books of classic fairy tales such as Peter Pan.

Must-read: Off Centre by Haresh Sharma, for a dose of academic nostalgia, as this was the first Singaporean play to become an O-level literature text, and tells the story of the rational and emotional experiences of two schizophrenics.

Where: The Arts House, 1 Old Parliament Lane

When: 11am to 8pm from Mondays to Fridays, 11am to 5pm on Saturdays, closed on Sundays and public holidays (Earshot Cafe). 10am to 10pm daily (The Arts House)

Info: Call 6332-6900 or go to www.theartshouse.com.sg/Visit/ ShopDine/EarshotCafe

NATIONAL MUSEUM OF SINGAPORE

What: The National Museum always had a library - after all, it was called the Raffles Library and Museum when it opened in 1887.

After the museum's revamp was completed in 2006, the library (right) was moved to a restricted room, located beyond the Film and Wayang Living Gallery.

To access the 15,000 volumes on Singapore's history, cultural studies and design-related subjects such as fashion, food, photography, interior design, film and architecture, public visitors have to write in to the museum. The books are for on-site reference only.

Several treasures abound. Handy guides to museums abroad are in a little collection towards the back. This includes guides to Musee Carnavalet in Paris, and the Smithsonian in Washington D.C.

There are also eclectic selections on topics such as traditional Chinese flower arranging, Bollywood posters and women's cookbooks; as well as books on European art masters such as Matisse, Raphael and Rembrandt.

Must-read: Two yellowing volumes of the Memoir Of The Life And Public Services Of Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, widely regarded as the founder of modern Singapore, due to this glowing biography written by his widow, Lady Sophia Raffles.

Travellers' Singapore: An Anthology by John Bastin, a compilation of travellers' impressions of the island when they came here from 1819, often on transit for a few days before moving to other parts of Asia.

Where: National Museum of Singapore, 93 Stamford Road

When: Depends on appointment slot, during office hours

Info: E-mail tan_chor_koon@nhb.gov.sg


Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

This website is best viewed using the latest versions of web browsers.