A school project often becomes easier when you turn its broad topic into one question. For Sengkang students researching Singapore places, people or history, NLB OneSearch is a useful starting point for finding different kinds of sources.
OneSearch searches resources from libraries, archives and museum collections. A result might be a book, photograph, map, newspaper item or record, rather than another general webpage.
Use it to find evidence you can explain. A long list of results is only the beginning; the next job is deciding which items actually help answer your question.
Choose your reading route
Turn the assignment into a search question · Choose the type of evidence you need · Check the record and access conditions · Make a small evidence sheet
Turn the assignment into a search question
Suppose your project concerns changes in Sengkang. Begin with one manageable angle, such as changes in transport or the appearance of a particular place, rather than searching only for the whole town.
List the names, date range and alternative words that may matter. Search a few combinations and keep a note of which ones produce useful results.
NLB’s FAQ explains that quotation marks search an exact phrase. Try a full place name in quotation marks, then a broader version if the first search is too narrow.
Choose the type of evidence you need
OneSearch includes categories such as Books, Images, Newspapers and Records & Papers. Pick the category that fits your question instead of treating every result as interchangeable.
A photograph may help you describe what a place looked like at a particular time. A dated announcement may help establish when a change was announced. Neither source necessarily answers every part of the project.
Use available filters and advanced-search options to narrow results. Keep the question beside you so an interesting but unrelated item does not pull the whole project away from its purpose.
Check the record and access conditions
Read the title, creator, date and description before using an item. Notice whether the date refers to the original material, an event shown in it or a later catalogue entry.
NLB says some content has access restrictions, and a searchable record does not guarantee that its full contents are available from home. Follow the item’s access instructions rather than citing material you have not read.
The search works without login, but member access is required for many subscribed eBooks and eJournals. Check the particular resource when prompted rather than assuming every result is freely viewable.
Make a small evidence sheet
For each useful source, record its title, creator, date, link and the point it supports. Write your explanation in your own words and distinguish a direct statement from your inference.
Compare two sources where possible. If they seem to disagree, check whether they describe different years, locations or meanings before deciding one must be wrong.
NLB’s OneSearch FAQ links to Ask a Librarian for research help on Singapore and Southeast Asia. Bring a specific question and describe what you have already tried; that makes the request easier to answer.
Official sources and current checks
Information checked on 13 October 2026. Follow current official access instructions, event listings and registration conditions.
