You can now borrow up to 6 library items starting 1 July!

It's now official. The increase of 50% loan quota of the existing 4 library items (by that, I mean only books) to 6 (not only 4 books, but also up to two CDs or DVDs). Pity, it does not really mean you can borrow up to 6 books. Heh.

Of course you can do so by signing up to Premium Membership (which allows you to borrow 8 library items:4 books / magazines & 4 additional audiovisual materials / books / magazines / music scores) or Premium Plus Membership (16 library items: 8 books / magazines & 8 additional audiovisual materials / books / magazines / music scores). The former will cost you $21 (if you're a Singaporean or a Permanent Resident) or $42.80 (if you're a Foreigner) whereas the latter $42 (and you're eligible if you're a Singaporean or a Permanent Resident).

You can find out more from this Media Release on "National Library Board Celebrates Customer Appreciation Day".

Homemaker Angeline Kwan, a frequent library user, will need a bigger bag for all the library books she will be carting home each time now.

From July 1, basic library members will be able to check out up to six library items, which include books and up to two CDs or DVDs. Currently, the limit is four books, and audio-visual materials can be borrowed only by premium library members, who pay a yearly fee.

A new Premium Plus library membership scheme will let users take out 16 items, including up to eight CDs or DVDs, for $42 a year.

Shopping mall library branches will also start to carry audio-visual materials and comics.

The changes were announced yesterday at the National Library Board's (NLB's) Customer Appreciation Day event at the Woodlands Regional Library.

NLB chief executive N. Varaprasad said the changes reflect the needs, learning styles and expectations of library users today. The average reader borrows the maximum of four books each time.

Mrs Kwan's 15-year-old son, Benedict, won an award for chalking up 18 loans a week for last year.

'Our family just reads a lot, and Benjamin can spend three to four hours a day reading his favourite books like CSI (Crime Scene Investigation) and fantasy novels by Stephanie Meyer,' said Mrs Kwan, 48.

From Straits Times, "Borrow up to 6 library items".