Tag: National Library Board

Singapore – The National Library Board (NLB) of Singapore is introducing a unique way to read through ‘Spectacles,’ an augmented reality (AR) glasses. Made in partnership with Snap and Le Pub Singapore, NLB’s Spectacles immerses readers in the story world they are reading.

Through the device, developed for Snap Spectacles, reading experiences will be elevated through audio-visual AR effects in real-time. While the user reads, the reading lenses scan the book. It uses text recognition and machine learning to provide audio-visual effects

Complementing readers’ experiences, it sets the mood through soundscapes and visuals about the storyline. Depending on the story, it provides effects such as suspenseful music, distant chattering, or music that sets the scene. 

The AR Spectacles are currently undergoing beta testing and are set to be available for readers to try later this year. It was created by LeGarage, LePub’s innovation hub, while collaborating with Snap’s team in Paris.

Gene Tan, chief librarian & chief innovation officer at the National Library Board, said, “We are happy to partner LePub and Snap in this to explore ways to enhance the experience of stories and books for everyone. This is part of NLB’s ongoing efforts to engage with partners to experiment with new experiences that could inspire discovery and spark a renewed passion for reading and learning.”

Antoine Gilbert, senior manager, AR Studio Paris, Snap, said, “Snap’s AR Studio Paris’ mission is to educate and inspire the world about the possibilities of augmented reality in the fields of art, education, and culture. With the latest generation of Snap Spectacles, we are pushing the boundaries of immersive experiences, enabling new ways to interact with the world.”

“This innovation is further exemplified by the development of the world’s first Augmented Reading experience — a breakthrough designed to transform how people engage with written content through Snap Spectacles. By bridging the physical and digital realms, we continue to empower creativity and redefine the future of storytelling,” Gilbert added.

“Our goal is not to replace the traditional reading experience, but to enhance it by creating a compelling gateway to books. These glasses are an invitation to rediscover the joy of deep, meaningful engagement with text. Once people are hooked on the story, we hope they’ll keep reading to the end,” Stephan Schwarz, executive creative director at LePub Singapore, commented.

Singapore – The National Library Board has teamed up with LePub APAC to launch an innovative project called ‘Playbrary’ that turns books into games with the aim of reviving reading. 

In this game-changing initiative, books are literally transformed into interactive text adventure games, blending the timeless charm of storytelling with the engagement of digital gameplay. 

Through cutting-edge AI technology, Playbrary transforms conventional books into captivating text-based adventure games. Staying true to the book’s original storyline, these games offer dynamic interaction, enabling players to shape the narrative’s direction. Beyond adapting to player choices, the AI enriches the experience by generating vivid images to complement the text, resulting in a fully immersive and multisensory experience.

Playbrary is in partnership with OpenAI, integrating it seamlessly with ChatGPT and allowing users to engage with these literary adventures directly through the platform. 

Furthermore, Playbrary offers a free prompt generator, ensuring that everyone can enjoy the fusion of reading and gaming. Once kids ‘play’ a story, they can borrow the original from the National  Library Board, Singapore’s catalogue of books and eBooks. 

The Playbrary was born out of the challenge libraries globally face, which is keeping books relevant in an age dominated by digital distractions. More than just a digital library, Playbrary is an interactive journey through literature, where stories are not merely read but experienced. 

Moreover, beyond just entertainment, the initiative will also serve as an accessible educational tool for many. By gamifying the reading process, it presents a novel solution to the dwindling interest in traditional reading among younger generations. 

The National Library Board’s initiative hopes to solve the issue of younger generations losing interest in traditional reading.

Playbrary has the ability to turn any book in the public domain into a game since AI has read all of them already. With this, more than 1,000 classic books will be playable at launch, and LePub APAC is also inviting authors and publishers to add their books to Playbrary. 

Ng Cher Pong, chief executive officer of the National Library Board Singapore, said, “This is part of NLB’s ongoing efforts to make generative AI accessible to all. Our partnership with LePub APAC opens new, innovative ways for more people to read and learn. Through the gamification experience of Playbrary, we hope to encourage more Singaporeans to read these classics after playing the game. We also invite like-minded partners onboard to explore emerging technologies that inspire new ways of interaction with NLB’s resources, such as through GenAI.” 

Meanwhile, Cyril Louis, executive creative director at LePub APAC, shared, “As Playbrary begins its journey, it stands as a testament to Singapore’s innovative spirit and a potential beacon for the future of libraries in the digital age. Playbrary celebrates books through the lens of technology, inviting a new generation to rediscover the magic of stories in a format that resonates with their digital-first lifestyle. Once they’ve ‘played’ a story on Playbrary, many kids will be curious to read the original.” 

Hanh Kanssen, managing director at LePub APAC, also added, “Playbrary is an exciting project for LePub, which not only helps to rekindle a love for reading in young adults but is also a great educational resource. I am very proud of our great creative team behind this creation, who helped to make this project happen at the speed of light so that people all over the world can discover the joy of reading.” 

Singapore — Singapore’s statutory board for learning and information literacy The National Library Board and Japanese lifestyle brand MUJI have entered into a collaboration to promote the love for reading by engaging online users to practice love for reading, even when online.

The campaign, conceptualised alongside creative agency Ogilvy, encourages online users to download the NLB Mobile app, as part of the ongoing “National Reading Movement” in the country.

As part of the reading awareness campaign, the creative team created an in-store installation that pays homage to popular Japanese literary culture and encourages reading. With this year’s NRM theme of “Be Unexpectedly Interesting”, NLB has worked with MUJI on the launch of a new campaign titled “Wall of Haikus”. Shoppers at the two selected MUJI stores will get to experience these haikus, a Japanese poetic form written in three lines.

The installation made use of mechanics to encourage readers to enter into a literary adventure. Starting with 30 selected eBooks and audiobooks uniquely designed with images and haikus unto a bookmark, customers can scan the QR code attached to the bookmarks and they will be directed to NLB’s eBook collection. According to NLB, this strategy of allowing customers to take home with them a free bookmark that contains a free eBook will encourage learning and discovery of content.

Elrid Carvalho, creative director of Ogilvy Singapore, commented on their work on the project, saying, “Haikus are a beautiful part of Japanese culture and being able to highlight them alongside the joys of reading feels like a double discovery. We want everyone who interacts with the bookmarks to feel a sense of wonder and intrigue, as well as feel inspired by the bookmark designs and the beautifully crafted Haikus, to then go home and download the book and continue their reading journey.” 

Chris Koh, programme director of the National Reading Movement, commented on the event, saying, “For this year’s edition of the National Reading Movement, we wanted to explore new ways of bringing reading and discovery to more people. Through our partnership with MUJI to bring haikus and books to people, we hope to inspire everyone to read more, read widely and read together.”

The installations can be found at MUJI stores at Jewel Changi Airport and Plaza Singapura and will run until 28 June 2022.

Singapore – As part of the National Library Board’s (NLB) ongoing ‘National Reading Movement’, the statutory board under the Ministry of Communications and Information of the Government of Singapore, has launched a new campaign to encourage Singaporeans to “read more, read widely, and read together.”

The campaign, which was created in partnership with advertising agency Ogilvy Singapore, aims to inspire people to read more books, both fiction and non-fiction, through the NLB mobile app. 

Titled ‘Read More. Be More’, the campaign includes activity across Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, as well as OOH in MRT stations, and digital display banners, reminding people how reading can turn day-to-day mundane situations into unexpected adventures. 

Moreover, the campaign includes two films – ‘The Unmasked Superhero’, where audiences discover how an unassuming supermarket employee mysteriously knows everything about superheroes, and ‘The Space Explorer’, which reveals how a humble tennis coach is also a budding astronomer. The two stories show how through reading books, people can expand their worlds and be so much more.

Chris Koh, the program director for National Reading Movement, noted that this year’s campaign continues to bring a fresh take in asking people to read more and widely.

“Our intent with this year’s campaign is to connect with audiences in specific everyday moments and demonstrate how reading can unexpectedly help you to be interesting, and this is true no matter what genre, language, or format reading can take,” said Koh.

Nicolas Courant, Ogilvy’s chief creative officer for Singapore and Malaysia, shared that the approach was to introduce reading as the source of how someone becomes interesting.

“By reading, you gain knowledge and knowledge leads to stronger connections with those around you,” added Courant.

Elrid Carvalho, Ogilvy Singapore’s creative director, further shared that the campaign used physical books to create their protagonists, in an aim to pull audiences into the world of books. 

“If we’ve inspired those who may have given up their reading habits, to pick up a book again, then we’ve succeeded in this campaign,” said Carvalho.

The campaign will be running until March 2022.