Shamima’s ukulele jam sessions are held online and at libraries other than the Tampines Regional Library.
“I realized that for a long time, I always thought of libraries as serious places,” she said.
The ukulele sessions made her think differently and even drew people to her who had never set foot in a library before.
“I looked at the number of programs that libraries are running right now. It’s so many, so diverse. In fact, I think what we all lack is time. We want to participate but we can’t. We have a lot of programs. It’s time.”
When asked what the library means to her now, Shamima said, “The library is my happy place. It’s a place I like to go whenever I have time.”
“Some people might go shopping on the way if they have time to kill. If they have to kill time, they find a library and sit there.”
A snapshot of Singapore’s history
For doctor Pok Cheng Sang, his free time is best spent traveling back in time.
The 64-year-old is so desperate for knowledge about Singapore’s history that he has spent more than a decade poring over library materials on the subject, even using a dictionary to compensate for his lack of English skills.
He is equally eager to share what he has learned with those who will listen.
In 2016, Poku jumped at the chance to share his expertise for the first time, serving as a tour guide at the National Archives’ World War II exhibit at the former Ford factory. After the exhibition was renovated and reopened in 2017, he became the exhibition’s first Chinese instructor.
He still tours twice a month on Saturdays at the historic site where British troops surrendered to the Japanese on February 15, 1942.
On scheduled weekends, Mr. Poku conducts tours in Mandarin, which often last longer than the required hour.
In an interview with CNA, he passionately explained the importance of the World War II era to Singapore, sometimes digressing into brief history lectures.