It cannot be denied that the interest in reading among the Indonesian population is currently still relatively low. In fact, reading is a means to increase insight and knowledge. Seeing these conditions, the Indonesian government and several parties who care about this matter have made various efforts to foster interest in reading among Indonesian people. One of them is by establishing a public library equipped with various types of books, ranging from science, literary works, to fiction. Apart from providing various types of reading, the library is now also equipped with various modern facilities which are guaranteed to make visitors feel at home there for a long time.
Interested in spending time at the library? Come on, visit the following libraries.
The Crystal of Knowledge
The first library known to have a complete book collection and adequate facilities was the central library of the University of Indonesia (UI). The Crystal of Knowledge has a collection of around 5 million books, both conventional books and e-books, and is equipped with comfortable sofas that can be used for reading books. Apart from that, the library which consists of 8 floors is also equipped with various other facilities, such as a multimedia room equipped with sophisticated computers, seminar and workshop rooms, and wifi connection. If you feel hungry while reading, you don’t need to go far to look for food. Because, this library is also equipped with a food court and coffee shop. Even though it is located within the University of Indonesia area, The Crystal of Knowledge is not only intended for UI students, but can also be accessed by the public.
Grahatama Pustaka
The next library is in the Special Region of Yogyakarta. Called the City of Students, the local government established a library equipped with various facilities, namely Grahatama Pustaka. In the library, which is open every day, you can find various collections of books. Starting from the newest books, books that are classified as rare, to collections of books in Braille. Not only for adults or students, this 3-story library also has one floor specifically for children, complete with various supporting facilities. Apart from that, Grahatama Pustaka also has other facilities, such as a digital room, music, visual auditions, discussions and seminars, auditorium and 6-dimensional cinema.
Soeman HS Library
Next, there is the Soeman H.S. Library. which is located in Pekanbaru City, Riau. The name of this library is taken from the name of a writer and national fighter from Riau of Tapanuli descent, namely Soeman Hasibuan. This public library, which is one of the landmarks of Pekanbaru City, has a quite unique building shape. Its shape, which resembles an open book with many large pillars, is the main attraction of this library building. Soeman H.S. Library Building consists of six floors, and is equipped with facilities such as a public library, children’s library, student library, Energy Corner (Chevron Library), educational room, auditorium, Malay room (special room for Malay cultural literature), atrium, meeting room, discussion room, room audio visual, internet room, CCTV, and also an elevator. Not only that, Soeman HS also has a cafeteria and a special room for children.
Freedom Institute Library
The Freedom Institute Library is one of the public libraries founded by the Bakrie Foundation. Located at Wisma Bakrie I, South Jakarta, this library provides 15 thousand book titles from various categories. Not only that, this library also has a homey concept and has a modern layout with instagrammable corners, and is covered in Indonesian ethnic touches. For visitors who want to read the book collection at the Freedom Institute, the management does not charge any administration fees at all. However, the books here are only allowed to be read on site, meaning they cannot be taken home.
National Library of the Republic of Indonesia
Apart from having public libraries in various cities, Indonesia also has a National Library. This library is located on Jalan Medan Merdeka Selatan and is predicted to be the tallest library building in the world because it has 27 floors plus 1 basement floor. The literacy collection of the National Library is also quite complete. You can find a variety of books, from those for children to the elderly. The library, which was founded in 1980, is also equipped with various facilities, such as a theater room, reading culture promotion zone room, lactation room, rare book collection services, and multimedia services.