National Library Board Announces Playbrary: An Innovative Fusion of Reading and Gaming
In today’s tech-obsessed culture, inspiring a love of reading might feel like tackling Mount Everest. But the National Library Board, Singapore (NLB) is taking a risk by launching Playbrary, an innovative programme that will revolutionise people’s relationship with books. Collaborating with LePub APAC, the Playbrary team came up with a fresh spin on books: text-based adventures that merge the timeless appeal of storytelling with the addictive charm of video games.
AI Meets Storytelling: A Multisensory Adventure
Libraries throughout the globe are concerned about how to keep books relevant in the digital age; NLB takes an innovative approach to this problem. Reading data shows a worrying trend; a recent survey by the Singaporean Ministry of Education indicated that the number of students who “enjoy reading a lot” has decreased dramatically. Video and smartphone games, on the other hand, have enormous appeal. Playbrary uses gamification to solve this problem by making reading more interactive and fun.
AI-Enabled Journeys: Unveiling the Mysteries of Playbrary
Playbrary breathes new life into classic works of art by employing cutting-edge AI technology. By collaborating with OpenAI and integrating seamlessly with ChatGPT, Playbrary allows users to go on literary adventures directly from the site. An immersive, multi-sensory experience is achieved not just because the plot changes in response to player choices, but also because the AI creates visually attractive graphics to complement the text.
Playbrary: More Than Just Fun, It’s Educational
In addition to being fun, Playbrary is an excellent instrument for education. Making reading more like a game is a novel approach to the age-old problem of kids losing interest in traditional reading. There is a free prompt generator on the site to make it accessible to everyone. After children “play” a story on Playbrary, they can borrow books from the National Library of Reading (NLB). Young readers can benefit from this when they go from electronic to print books.
Playbrary: A Guidepost for Libraries’ Future
Playbrary may be accessed from any location. More than a thousand fantastic novels have been adapted into playable adventures for the platform so far, and the power of the public domain means that there is plenty of space for many more. If more people get on board and submit their works to Playbrary, the platform’s already diverse library will grow even more. That is precisely what LePub APAC is requesting from authors and publishers. Libraries may not only make it through the digital age, but potentially thrive, thanks to this groundbreaking project that exemplifies Singapore’s commitment to innovation.
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Quotes
- Ng Cher Pong, Chief Executive Officer, National Library Board, Singapore: “This is part of NLB’s ongoing efforts to make Generative AI accessible to all. Our partnership with LePub APAC opens new, innovative ways for more to read and learn. Through the gamification experience of Playbrary, we hope to encourage more Singaporeans to read these classics after playing the game. We also invite like-minded partners onboard to explore emerging technologies that inspire new ways of interaction with NLB’s resources, such as through GenAI.”
- Cyril Louis, Executive Creative Director at LePub APAC: “As Playbrary begins its journey, it stands as a testament to Singapore’s innovative spirit and a potential beacon for the future of libraries in the digital age. Playbrary celebrates books through the lens of technology, inviting a new generation to rediscover the magic of stories in a format that resonates with their digital-first lifestyle. Once they’ve ‘played’ a story on Playbrary, many kids will be curious to read the original.”
- Hanh Kanssen, LePub APAC’s Managing Director: “Playbrary is an exciting project for LePub, which not only helps to rekindle a love for reading in young adults but is also a great educational resource. I am very proud of our great creative team behind this creation, who helped to make this project happen at the speed of light so that people all over the world can discover the joy of reading.”
Immerse yourself in the world of Playbrary for an enthralling literary adventure. For more information, see the Playbrary website.