We are thrilled to announce that the SBC Library Renovation has been completed. We give all thanks and glory to God, we are grateful to all our donors, and we thank you for your ongoing support and encouragement. Over the past year, we were able to raise $472,435 within the SBC community. This amount, together with generous gifts from the Nga family and the Korean Presbyterian Church in Singapore, enabled us to finish well and officially open on Founder’s Day (21 August). The total amount raised covers the entire cost of the renovation ($1.587 million), with a balance of $385,846 that now allows for long-overdue upgrades to the library management system, including its annual subscriptions.
Since the soft launch on 14 April, the library has been bustling with regular and new visitors. More alumni have returned, finding the library to be calming and conducive for their sermon preparation. Students have grown more comfortable exchanging ideas and sitting together even when working on assignments individually.
Some faculty members have begun using the new studio and lounge for tutorials and pastoral care groups, enjoying deeper and livelier discussions with students in a cozier setting. Even the staff have identified their favourite spots in the library to read, unwind, and recharge.
The renovation is just the beginning of our renewal. The new space is configured for study groups, peer tutoring, as well as impromptu prayer meetings. Our students caring for one another within this space has helped us to see how we do not have to be “alone together”, but that God is in our midst when we relate to each other and journey together.
The SBC Library is committed to cultivating both print and digital collections that would broaden the middle lane between serendipitous browsing and deep reading, and open up uncharted paths of discovery. Further transformation awaits—new services, programmes, and databases—each involving thoughtful planning and discernment. We truly appreciate your continued prayers and support. May all that the SBC Library provides encourage lifelong learning and an endless pursuit of our God, who meets us in our encounters with unusual spaces, unfamiliar faces, and unknown pages.
