ANG MO KIO BRANCH LIBRARY (Open on Sundays)

Mr Lau Ping Sum asked the Minister for Community Development whether he will review the feasibility of opening the Ang Mo Kio Branch of the National Library on Sundays for the convenience of the residents.

The Minister of State for Community Development (Mr Wong Kan Seng) (for the Minister for Community Development): Mr Speaker, Sir, may I reply on behalf of my Minister.

This question of opening the libraries on Sundays has been raised in this House before. There are constraints on opening libraries on Sundays because of the shortage of qualified staff.

The Ang Mo Kio branch library was opened only on the 17th August. Its present opening hours are from 10 am to 9 pm on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, its opening hours are from 10 am to 6 pm. When the present staff vacancies are filled, the Ang Mo Kio branch library will open from Mondays to Saturdays from 10 am to 9 pm, which are the normal opening hours of our branch libraries.

The existing opening hours of the National Library, which are from 8.30 am to 9 pm on weekdays, and its branches are already longer than those of libraries in the other countries with well developed library facilities. These hours should be adequate to meet the needs of our people. However, we will explore the feasibility of using part-time staff on Sundays or opening on Sundays but closing on a weekday.

Mr Lim Boon Heng (Kebun Baru): Sir, will the Minister of State inform this House when the vacancies will be filled?

Mr Wong Kan Seng: I do not have an answer right now, but I think the recruitment by the Public Service Commission is under way.

Mr Lim Boon Heng: Another supplementary question, Sir. Will the Minister of State expedite the process in view of the congestion at the Ang Mo Kio library?

Mr Wong Kan Seng: Yes, we will try to do that.