Self study in Singapore libraries

I read this excellent blog entry about Singapore public libraries' policies on self studies in their facilities. Being a lazy person, I don't want to offer any constructive comments or opinions. This issue simply struck a chord in me because of the contrasting impressions I had of Singapore libraries as compared to the US counterparts.

While in US as a teenager I used to study in public libraries. In fact, libraries were the obvious place to do such constructive activities (other than at home). When I moved to Singapore I was quite surprised to find that no one studied in the public libraries. This blog entry just confirmed my old suspicion that self study was indeed not welcome at those venues. Oh, and just like one fellow commenter, I remember spending hours in a fast food restaurant like McDonalds studying for my exams in NUS. And of course I had my obligatory soft drink to show that I was a legit customer. =P