ReadSG

ReadSG is the National Library Board’s (NLB) five-year national movement to build a reading culture in Singapore. NLB launched it on 6 September 2026, alongside the inaugural National Reading Month, with Government, education, health, arts and community partners and reading ambassadors. The stated aim is to make reading a sustainable everyday habit, beginning with short, achievable reading sessions. ReadSG is a national campaign, not a school examination, a library-membership requirement or a literary-content licensing scheme (NLB, 6 September 2026; ReadSG, accessed 4 October 2026).

ReadSG Challenge: pilot, platform and participation

The ReadSG Challenge asks participants to read for at least 15 minutes a day. NLB delivers it through CrowdTask SG, a GovTech-built citizen-engagement platform. Its features include personal reading goals, streaks, experience points and redeemable virtual coins to encourage regular participation. NLB described the Challenge as a pilot running from 6 September to 31 December 2026, with later features to be adjusted in response to feedback; the launch release set a target of 150,000 users by September 2027. These are a dated pilot period and a stated target, not a report of actual participation or a guarantee that every feature or reward will continue unchanged (NLB, 6 September 2026).

At selected NLB and partner events from September to November 2026, participants can redeem bonus rewards such as limited-edition library charms. The official ReadSG site lists the challenge and activities, but event access and reward availability are tied to the published event details rather than a universal entitlement for every reader (NLB, 6 September 2026; ReadSG events, accessed 4 October 2026).

National Reading Month and Read for Good

The inaugural National Reading Month began on 1 September 2026, with activities for all ages across NLB libraries. The ReadSG launch at the National Library Building on 6 September included themed reading spaces, talks, storytelling, a marketplace and activity stations. Other dated programmes included Reading in the Age of Distraction seminars on 5, 12, 19 and 26 September; the Big Book Giveaway on 19–20 September, where visitors could select up to 10 pre-loved books and audio-visual items per entry; and Love Our Libraries and Archives activities throughout September. Those 2026 event dates have passed; they describe the inaugural month and should not be read as a current or recurring schedule (NLB, 6 September 2026, launch release and Annex A; NLB Annex A, accessed 4 October 2026).

Read for Good, formerly called Read for Books, ran from 6 September to 7 October 2026. NLB set a target of 7.5 million reading minutes to raise up to S$150,000 for reading and learning support for less-privileged communities. Each 15 minutes read on a day contributed towards the drive; ReadSG Challenge sessions logged during September 2026 automatically counted. NLB named kidsREAD, MINDS and Preschool Market as beneficiaries, with support including reading and learning aids and sponsored book donations. The target is a fundraising goal, not a guaranteed amount raised, and this 2026 campaign window is not a standing benefit programme (NLB, 6 September 2026; ReadSG events, accessed 4 October 2026).

Relationship to NLB’s reading ecosystem

ReadSG sits within NLB’s broader reading-promotion work, including the National Reading Movement, which began in 2016 with the aim to “Read More, Read Widely, Read Together.” NLB presents ReadSG as a multi-year national campaign, while the National Reading Movement continues as the wider umbrella for year-round initiatives, library collections, book clubs and reading programmes. The two are connected but not interchangeable: ReadSG is the five-year campaign launched in 2026; it did not create a separate public-library system or replace NLB’s existing services (NLB, National Reading Movement, accessed 4 October 2026; NLB, ReadSG launch, 6 September 2026).

NLB also announced initiatives alongside the Challenge and Read for Good, including Get It Now, which makes selected popular eBooks available for one day each month without a waiting list; Readers Assemble: A Marvel Festival; the Time of Your Life Celebration; and A Book A Day. These are separate programme components rather than eligibility conditions for the Challenge. ReadSG’s durable purpose is reading-promotion, while dates, reward mechanics and individual programme availability should be checked against NLB’s current event listings (NLB, ReadSG launch, 6 September 2026; ReadSG events, accessed 4 October 2026).