National Library: revealed!

Those who have read everything are thought to understand everything too: but it is not always so. Reading furnished the mind only with materials of knowledge: it is thinking that makes what we read ours.

I went to a national library on Salemba Raya 28 this noon to satisfy my curiosity about public libraries available in Jakarta. How come? If you read completely my previous posting entitled “Traveling to Jakarta, Indonesia”, you must’ve figured it out. One of my blog viewers –who I’ve recognized as ‘pengamat’- rebated my statement saying that we don’t have any public libraries here. Yet (s)he gave me this URL.

Thus I decided to experience myself how a public library works here. The one on Salemba Raya 28 is pretty far from my residence, but whatever… my curiosity was driving me crazy! LOL.

My first impression when I found the building; okay, it has a wide parking area and esthetical fountain in the middle. Nice.

Today is my first time visiting this national library. No wonder when I put my first step into the building, my eyes were shortly attracted to a huge sculpture(?).

I was browsing around and found its new collections on the display. It has some interesting collections in vary languages (as I saw on the display); English, Dutch, French, etc. I wasn’t able to access their library to see their collections, since the access are given to member only.

Below are facts I’ve had during my visit;

1. National library has a lot of collections from almost every category (books, manuscripts, papers, magazine, newspapers, audio-visual, etc) which are compiled and classified into 9 different floors.
2. The library opens on weekdays from 9 AM to 4 PM.
3. Visitors are divided into two categories; members and non-members. Both of them have to fill the guestbook.
4. Members are opened to students and public. You will be charged IDR 10,000 per year and given a member card.
5. Visitors are provided lockers to deposit their carriage since they are not allowed to bring along bags, backpack, jacket, food and drinks, and plastics. Visitors are required to wear appropriate clothes. Otherwise, you will be penalized for administration charge. However, you are allowed to bring notes and stationary.
6. Visitors (both members and non-members) are prohibited to take library’s collection home. What a weird condition to be regarded as a public library.
7. Members have privileges to read and make a copy of collections to read it at home.
8. Non-members have access only to browse the catalogue on the 2^nd floor. You can’t read there or make a copy.
9. Most of the visitors coming from high schools and college students nearby.

Finally, I’ve made up my conclusion; it’s NOT a public library. It’s just a NATIONAL library. Public library lends its collection (for free! Except for the late charges), free access for everyone, provides cozy place to read on, and free membership for all (based on my research of public libraries overseas). No wonder, reading-as-a-habit is not very familiar among Indonesians in general. You know why; it’s hard to find a public library in the city. All you can see is bookstores transforming as public libraries. Nice try.

Updated on Oct 1, 2006: this posting has been reviewed by Jakartass on Sept 29, 2006. Thanks for the grammar correction as well.