Getting your daily dose of news is even easier than before with the commencement of the Newspaper Reading Corners on 1 November!
The Newspaper Reading Corner is an initiative by Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) Foundation to encourage Singapore youths to keep abreast of current and social affairs, heighten their awareness of local & world affairs, and cultivate the habit of reading news daily.
The official launch took place on 22 November at Temasek Polytechnic (TP) on behalf of the five polytechnics – Nanyang Polytechnic (NYP), Ngee Ann Polytechnic (NP), Singapore Polytechnic (SP), Republic Polytechnic (RP) and TP. To quote Edmond Khoo, TP’s Deputy Principal, who graced the launch ceremony: “I am happy to note that we can partner with SPH Foundation in this initiative to make news real and in this way help our students to be well-informed and well-read individuals.”
Tuty Reyhana, a third-year CMM student from the School of Business, agreed, “It’s a good initiative to get students to read more.” She explained that students generally do not read newspapers, but with the Reading Corner, students are likely to do so between classes.
According to Ginney Lim, General Manager of the SPH Foundation, the launch at TP Library “marks the first of many Reading Corners which the Foundation has committed to sponsor in educational institutions island wide.”
The papers at TP Library’s Reading Corner are additional copies to the newspapers to which the Library currently subscribes. Said DP Khoo, “With the additional papers that are sponsored by the SPH Foundation, our students can now walk to our poly library and easily pick up a copy of the Straits Times or Business Times and also the language dailies – Lianhe Zaobao, Berita Harian, Tamil Murasu.” Included in this list are the International Herald Tribune and the Financial Times, the latter being sponsored by its namesake.
In fact, since the reading corner was first set up on 1 November, there was an immediate positive response with the newspaper readership increasing significantly.
Mrs Esther Ong, Director, TP Library and Information Services, added , “With this sponsorship, we are able to offer more copies of our local newspapers and it’s very enlightening to see all the papers taken from the rack and our students deeply engrossed in reading them.”
Indeed, the Library is ever committed to promoting life-long learning in students. Setting up of the reading corner is part of TP Library’s effort to promote life-long learning and to further cultivate a culture of interest in news and current affairs among TP students.
The newspapers are cleared every evening at 5pm and transferred to the Feedback counter near the Library exit for free distribution.
Contributed by Yeow, Puspa & Loh Hui Hong, Temasek Polytechnic Library
Over at Singapore Polytechnic Library, the feedback from students has also been positive. “I find it much easier to get hold of the daily newspapers”, said Shirley Yee Qiu Yue, a 2nd year student from the SP School of Chemical and Life Sciences. Shirley added that she has been reading more often in her free time.
Her classmate, Ng Chee Wee agreed with her. Chee Wee said that in the past, the copies were limited and difficult to find. With the additional copies, he would start his newspaper reading habit again. Xiong Wei Wei, a final year student from the SP Singapore Maritime Academy said that the new reading area offered her a wide range of newspapers and a comfortable place to read.
Contributed by Angela Tan, Singapore Polytechnic Library