National Library Board Launches Sci-Fi Pop-up Library at Parkway Parade and Expands Sit-n-Read Nodes Across Singapore

Singapore’s reading scene is getting a futuristic upgrade as the National Library Board launches a new Sci-Fi Pop-up Library at Parkway Parade, alongside three new Sit-n-Read Nodes at Century Square, City Sprouts Bedok, and The Cove at Waterway Point. The initiative is part of NLB’s ongoing efforts to make reading more accessible and seamlessly woven into everyday spaces across Singapore.

Located on Level 4 of Parkway Parade, the new Sci-Fi Pop-up Library is a fully self service space featuring close to 4,000 sci-fi books, graphic novels, and comics for readers of all ages. Created in collaboration with Parkway Parade and supported by The Imaginariad, an organisation dedicated to celebrating and preserving science fiction and fantasy, the pop-up library offers an immersive experience inspired by futuristic worlds and storytelling.

The library space features chrome walls and green neon lighting designed to resemble a portal into a sci-fi universe. Visitors can also access an interactive eReads screen that allows them to borrow and read sci-fi eBooks on the go.

Adding to the experience is a sci-fi themed exhibition curated with support from The Imaginariad. Marking the first exhibition housed within an NLB pop-up library, the showcase includes original paintings used on the covers of sci-fi novels such as The Icarus Twin by Timothy Zahn and The Drowned World by J. G. Ballard. The exhibition also features themed artworks and figures inspired by books found within the library’s collection.

Visitors can explore various sci-fi sub genres including space opera, dystopian fiction, and cyberpunk, while learning more about how the genre evolved in Singapore. The pop-up also highlights works by local sci-fi authors such as Judith Huang and Vivian Teo.

The Sci-Fi Pop-up Library will run from 14 May 2026 to 11 April 2027 and will be open daily from 10am to 10pm. NLB also shared that the collection will continue to grow over time.

At the same time, NLB is expanding its Sit-n-Read Node network with new locations at Century Square, City Sprouts Bedok, and The Cove at Waterway Point. These join existing Nodes located at AMK Hub, Margaret Market, SAFRA Punggol, SAFRA Yishun, The Caffeine Experience at The URA Centre, The Centrepoint, and The Star Vista.

With the addition of the new Nodes, readers can now access more than 6,000 pre loved books spread across ten locations islandwide. The Sit-n-Read Nodes allow visitors to freely take home books without formal borrowing procedures, although readers are encouraged to return them after reading so others can enjoy them too. The book collections will also be refreshed regularly, with each Node operating for a few months up to a year depending on the location.