S1E106: Will the new National Library Board campaign get more people to read books?

The Straits Times Podcasts · Aug 13, 2026 · 38m

Would you read regularly if you were paid to do so?

The National Library Board (NLB) is hoping that people will develop a consistent reading habit by giving readers virtual coins that can eventually be exchanged for cash. They need to spend at least 15 minutes on the activity each day.

But why does the library have to incentivise us to read for fun? What do we lose when we no longer read, especially if we’re choosing to doomscroll instead?

In this episode of The Usual Place, I speak with:

Associate Professor Loh Chin Ee from the National Institute of Education, who researches…