National Library Board Singapore Digital Collections (NLB)

Overview

The National Library Board (NLB) Singapore Digital Collections encompasses a range of online digital resources and heritage platforms maintained by Singapore's statutory National Library Board. The primary digital heritage platform, accessible at eresources.nlb.gov.sg/printheritage, is BookSG, which provides access to rare and special print collections digitized from the National Library of Singapore and the British Library. The broader NLB digital ecosystem also includes NewspaperSG, an online archive of current and historic Singapore and Malaya newspapers, and the National Library Online (NL Online) platform for born-digital and digitized content.

History and Founding

The National Library Board was established on September 1, 1995, as a statutory board under the Singapore government's Ministry of Digital Development and Information. The history of its library collections extends to 1820s when Stamford Raffles proposed establishing a public library in colonial Singapore. The Raffles Library and Museum evolved through the 20th century, becoming the National Library of Singapore in 1960. In 1995, the NLB took over these duties and embarked on a comprehensive digitization and modernization program. The NLB manages the National Library, a network of public libraries, and the National Archives of Singapore.

Collections and Holdings

The NLB's digital print heritage collections include rare and special books from the 19th and early 20th centuries, colonial-era materials, and regional Southeast Asian publications. Notable collections include the Lee Kip Lin Collection of over 19,000 items including early maps, photographs, and documents of Singapore history; the Ya Yin Kwan Collection on overseas Chinese and Southeast Asian history; the Koh Seow Chuan Collection of over 10,000 historical legal, business, and commercial documents; and the Shanghai Book Co. Collection. NewspaperSG hosts over 200 newspaper titles in the National Library's microfilm collection and a fully searchable digital archive. The Lee Kong Chian Reference Library's National Collection comprises over 1.9 million items documenting Singapore's documentary heritage.

Access and Usage

Most digitized content is freely accessible online. NewspaperSG full-text archive access is available via multimedia stations at NLB libraries. The digital library serves researchers, students, educators, and members of the public worldwide.