The best libraries around Singapore for studying O Levels and A Levels

TL;DR
Skip the cafe noise. These nine NLB libraries give you free Wi-Fi, plentiful sockets and seat-booking certainty—critical when you are grinding past-year papers or revising \(F = ma\) and \(y = mx + c\) for Integrated-Programme promos.
Use the cheat-sheet below to match your school's WA calendar to each branch's peak-hour pattern, then dovetail tuition in Clementi or Bugis accordingly.

1 | Fast shortlist

2 | Seat-booking & crowd-timing cheat-sheet

NLB's Seat Booking portal opens 24 h in advance. Most study pods fill within 90 s at exam crunch.
Formula to hit a confirmed slot:

\[ \text{Success rate} = \frac{\text{Booked seats}}{\text{Total seats}}\times100\% \]

Aim for (\le 70%) utilisation; beyond that the odds nosedive.

Pro tip: National Library recommends booking 09 am-13 pm blocks during WA season and "walk-in" after 18 pm when commuters clear out.

3 | Library-by-library deep dive

3.1 National Library Building (Victoria Street)

• Hours 10 am-9 pm daily.
• Power ratio ≈1 socket : 1.5 seats.
• Unique edge (>6,000) reference titles—great for IA or H3 research.
• Tuition sync: 7-min walk to Bugis MRT, next door to many Waterloo-Street IP tuition centres.

3.2 library@orchard (Somerset 313)

• Design doors open 11 am; two-tiered benches keep eye strain low.
• Noise guard: ceiling baffles + white-noise vents.
• Maths hack: borrow A-Level problem-solving titles from the Graphic Novels corner—short queue.

3.3 Jurong Regional Library

• MAKEIT lab on Lvl 2—3-D printers for Physics IA prototypes.
• Late close 9 pm; Rapid Bus 52 from HCI/NYGH stops outside.
• Peak Sat 14 pm-18 pm; arrive 10 am to lock seat.

3.4 Clementi Public Library

• Travel time: 3 min from MRT Exit B.
• Why IP: same HDB block as Eclat Institute—do tuition (Physics+Math hybrid), grab dinner, then head upstairs to consolidate.
• Silent pocket behind Lifestyle shelves—hidden gem at exam time.

3.5 Woodlands Regional Library

• Study Lounge (Lvl 4) seats 100; nearest sockets on wall ring.
• North cluster schools (RI boarding, Yishun IP hubs) head here on weekends.

3.6 Tampines Regional Library

• East-siders (VS/VJC, DHS) love the 700-seat capacity.
• Brain-break hack: 100-m indoor running track two floors down—perfect for 5-min HIIT between past-paper sections.

3.7 Punggol Regional Library

• Largest NLB (5 levels); Level 3 Study Zone has 80 cubicles with daylight lamps.
• Opening hours 9 am-10 pm; good for Sec-3 night owls grinding free-body diagrams.

3.8 library@harbourfront

• Commute: direct EWL (HarbourFront) or Circle Line.
• Sea breeze balcony = stress-relief.
• Socket map: wall strip behind non-fiction shelves.

3.9 The LLiBrary (Lifelong Learning Institute)

• Target user: JC2 & post-NS private candidates.
• Booking via MySkillsFuture; almost always seats.
• Vibe: quieter than public branches—zero toddlers.

4 | Study-plan templates

4.1 Mid-term WA week

4.2 Pre-A-Level sprint (last four weeks)

1. Alternate locations daily: National Library → Punggol → Tampines to avoid environment fatigue.
2. Limit each seat slot to 3 h—research shows recall drops after 150 min continuous sitting.
3. Night session 18:00-21:00 at library@harbourfront; heavier dinner at 17:00.

5 | Links to super-charge your prep

• IP Maths roadmap — Integrated Programme Math Year-by-Year Roadmap and 12-Week Grade-Jump Plan
• IP Physics practicals guide — Measurement and Uncertainty for IP Physics
• Clementi tuition hub — Clementi Math Tuition 2025/26 Guide for IP Students
• Burnout guard-rails — Mental Health for High Achievers in Integrated Programme

Last updated 12 Jul 2025.