Casual Poet Library: A New Communal Space For Book Lovers, By Book Lovers
Even before it officially opens on August 5, Casual Poet Library has garnered much press and fanfare for its unconventional model of spreading the love for the written word: a community-run communal library where one can rent a shelf and share their own treasure trove of books. Its founder, photographer Rebecca Toh, tells us in her own words the story of how she turned her dream – one shared by many – into reality and how it could usher in new ways of thinking and doing in Singapore.
Alongside founder Toh (in blue shirt, in the foreground), here are some of the people who have helped to make Casual Poet Library happen: the bookshelf owners (ranging from housewives and middle‑aged folks taking a break from their careers to university students), as well as the team that designed and built the space.
First row, from left: Improvisational poet Nicole Emma Law, writer and designer Izyanti Asa’ari, singer‑songwriter Diya Tan, Toh, human connection coach Maisie Cheong and nutritionist Maddy Liew. Second row, from left: Singer‑songwriter Carrie Yeo, creative director Michelle Au, art director Rae Neo and illustrator Diana Goh. Third row, from left: Creative director and illustrator Alex Lim, flight attendant Wei Yang Seah, art director Jonelle Heng, art fabricator and artist Sean Gwee, and photographer and farmer Samuel Goh.
“I went solo to Japan four months ago to work on a personal photo project. During this trip, I visited this little fishing town called Yaizu in Shizuoka along the south coast to meet a friend I hadn’t seen in 10 years and he told me about a small library in Yaizu.
Named Minna no Toshokan Sankaku, which roughly translates to ‘everyone’s library’, it rents out individual shelves and every person who rents one helps to run the place together. I was blown away by this concept. If I lived there, I’d definitely rent a shelf; I really love books. So this idea stuck in my head, especially since it has always been one of my dreams to open a bookshop.
A shot of Minna no Toshokan Sankaku – the library in the Japanese fishing town of Yaizu, Shizuoka that inspired Toh to start Casual Poet Library in Singapore.
When I got back to Singapore, I kept thinking about creating a similar concept here, but I wasn’t sure if enough people would support it … I put out a post on my Instagram account (@rebecca_toh) in May, asking if anyone would be interested to commit a small sum to be involved in such a project (the rent Toh worked out for each bookshelf owner: $49 a month for a six‑month lease; $45 for 12 months; and $43 for two years).
READ MORE: Photographer Rebecca Toh On Growing The Visual Medium In Singapore
I told myself that if I could get 50 people to say yes, we’ll do this. In the end, I received messages from more than 300 interested parties by the end of the day. The response made me realise that this project really strikes a chord with a lot of people, so I put out a second post the next day, this time asking for recommendations for locations where this library could be set up…
I eventually settled on this spot in Alexandra Village (Block 123, Bukit Merah Lane 1, #01‑110) that fits my criteria. For one, I wanted Casual Poet Library to be small and cosy, and this space is about 450 square feet. There’s a toilet on site, making it more comfortable for visitors. The area is also pretty central. If I were to open this library in somewhere like Jurong or Tampines, it’d be difficult for many to get to unless they live nearby.
I’ve been documenting heartland spaces for many years as a photographer and also wanted from the get‑go for Casual Poet Library, or CPL for short, to be located within such an environment and not, say, a shopping mall. I love the charm of our older neighbourhoods. Some of the shops in Alexandra Village have been around for decades – the furniture store next to CPL, for instance, has been here for 50 years. I thought that if I opened CPL here, it could also attract people to visit and experience this neighbourhood before it disappears.
Toh has long documented heartland spaces in her personal photography practice, and when it came to finding a home for Casual Poet Library, she went with Alexandra Village for its central location and old-school charm.
Even though the response towards renting a shelf in CPL was overwhelmingly positive, I decided to lease the space using my own money before receiving payment from anyone because I wanted to reassure people that this isn’t a scam and also to inspire confidence in this project. There are so many scams on sites such as Kickstarter and I felt very uncomfortable taking anyone’s money before actually setting up.
The library in the midst of being built. In the foreground: Toh with creative director Michelle Au, who helped with Casual Poet Library’s branding and interior design.
With the 180 shelves now fully subscribed, and an additional 40 people on the wait list, I’ve covered the rental of the unit, renovation costs, utilities and some salary for part‑time admin work. CPL can sustain itself – to me, this is really important. Quite a few people have asked me why I don’t get a government grant.
READ MORE: Singapore’s Young Bookstagram Influencers Are Making Reading Fashionable
I did research on this and found out there are grants for heartland projects, and I did consider applying for them. However, think about what it’d mean for us to be able to pull this off with the whole initiative self‑funded by the community. CPL shows that people on the ground can come together to create things without help from the government. External grants often come with strings attached too, so with our model, I’d like to think we have more freedom.
The initiative operates on a lot of goodwill and faith in people. For example, there are no late fees for borrowed books – people are encouraged to return books within a month so that others can enjoy them, and "librarians" too work on a volunteer system. Borrowers pay an annual fee of $25, which goes towards the running of the space.
I think people have responded so enthusiastically to CPL because running a bookshop is a common dream for anyone who loves books. As mentioned, I myself have thought often about opening one, but was deterred because it risks being a financial burden, so much so that I could end up being trapped by this dream instead. Here at CPL, you can own a small part of the action by renting just a single shelf (one can choose to rent more than one shelf), which is a lot more manageable.
Toh is currently running a crowdfunding campaign (on till August 15) to help fund some of the free book clubs/community events/children’s programmes she plans to organise for Casual Poet Library later in the year – find out how you can contribute to it here.
We do have several rules in place to protect various players. For example, books that are banned in Singapore will not be allowed, and publications dealing with more adult topics or visuals will be kept on the higher shelves, so that children don’t come across them. To me, it’s a treat to be able to discover different books based on different recommendations.
What differentiates Casual Poet Library from standard libraries is that each bookshelf in the former is curated by their respective owners – with 180 shelves in total, that means 180 different perspectives. Fun!
CPL is different from a traditional bookshop or library – these are usually run top‑down, so you don’t really get that human connection. CPL, on the other hand, is a lot more personal: The shelves are like an avenue of self‑expression for the people who rent them because they decide what genres and titles they’d like to display. They’re also free to decorate their individual shelves, and are encouraged to put up little notes on themselves and what they like about the books, so that borrowers can get a sense of the person behind each shelf.
Toh also gives free reign to the owners to decorate their own shelves, so that borrowers can get a better sense of who they are – helping to lend a lot more personality and human-ness to Casual Poet Library.
I think outside of Japan, this concept of a communal library hasn’t really taken off partly because people haven’t heard of it. Another big reason is probably because Singapore as a whole is a society driven by pragmatism. There are probably many people who still think this idea wouldn’t fly. I myself have been surprised by the overwhelming response.
Each bookshelf owner decides for themselves what they'd like to display, and that means books, zines, magazines and comics of different genres, and not necessarily in English - there were shelves displaying publications of various languages when the FEMALE team visited.
Even when it came to finding volunteers to man the space, more than 150 people responded to my call‑out on social media – way past my expectations. And not all of these volunteers are bookshelf owners – many are just people who love the idea and want to be here. This is what has really made me feel convinced about the idea.
If I don’t do this now with all this momentum, I might not get another chance to. What’s the worst that can happen? If not enough people sign up to rent shelves, I guess I’d just have to work harder as a photographer to help cover the costs.”
Casual Poet Library opens August 5 at Block 123, Bukit Merah Lane 1, #01‑110. It opens daily from 9am to 9pm.
COORDINATION KENG YANG SHUEN PHOTOGRAPHY ATHIRAH ANNISSA ART DIRECTION JONATHAN CHIA HAIR KOJI/KIZUKI+LIM MAKEUP SARAH TAN
This article first appeared in the August 2024 Passion Edition of FEMALE