The National Library Board (NLB) announced the programme on June 25, setting a 5‑year horizon for a digital incentive that rewards 15‑minute reading blocks with 20 coins. A single session can be logged only once per day, and 1,000 coins translate to SG$1 (about US$0.80). NLB chief Melissa Tam said the scheme will turn casual scrolling into sustained reading, arguing that longer articles sharpen attention, critical thinking and imagination.
The initiative follows growing worries about dwindling attention spans amid a flood of short‑form content. Loh Chin Ee of the National Institute of Education noted that 15 minutes is a modest target for those who rarely read, but deep, sustained reading still lags as people turn to screens for news and entertainment. Risk analyst Isaac Neo, 32, warned that academic pressures often erase leisure reading habits, while lifestyle blogger Charmaine Lim urged commuters to trade TikTok for books on public transport.
NLB has added a charitable angle, hoping participants will collectively log 7.5 million reading minutes this year, a figure that could raise up to SG$150,000 (≈US$118,300). The board said the money will be earmarked for literacy‑related causes, though it did not name specific recipients. The programme also offers a virtual coin system that keeps users engaged through gamification.
The library will track cumulative minutes on an online dashboard and publish monthly updates, giving the public visibility into how close the target is. Officials expect the data to inform future policy on reading promotion and to demonstrate the impact of digital rewards on civic engagement.