Heritage Trails :: Ang Mo Kio Trail :: Ang Mo Kio Public Library

Opened on 19 August 1985, the Ang Mo Kio Public Library (formerly known as Ang Mo Kio Branch Library) was the fifth full-time branch library to be built. Prior to that, residents in Ang Mo Kio had to travel to Toa Payoh for the nearest library. Planning for the library began as early as 1978. The site was finalised by 1979 and construction began only in 1983. Meanwhile, a temporary mobile library was opened in 1981, housed in the former HDB Area (East) Office at Block 528, Ang Mo Kio Street 52, to serve the residents.

When the library opened in 1985, the response from residents was overwhelming. Huge crowds turned up and the wait to borrow books took easily more than an hour. The library had to set up a temporary loans counter in its garage to help ease the queue, which snaked outside the library building.

The library underwent extensive renovations and upgrading in 2002. It now houses the National Library's first Indian Library service, focusing on materials relating to Indian history, culture, art and philosophy and holds the largest Tamil language collection among all the libraries.