Libraries don’t have to have a stiff and boring atmosphere. We don’t always find an old atmosphere like that in public libraries in modern urban environments. Now, libraries can also make visitors feel at home, cheerful, and not get bored quickly.
One of the requirements is that the library must have an interior that has a contemporary style design that is willing to play with color, light and minimalism. However, of course these advantages are of no value if the library only has a modest collection of books, plus a mediocre internet connection.
So, the eight libraries spread across Jakarta below, Admin guarantees, have these advantages. That way, these libraries can make you even more enthusiastic about reading many pages of books.
8 Beautiful and Complete Libraries in Jakarta
1. Regional Public Library of DKI Jakarta Province
Not long ago, precisely on July 7 2022, the Governor of DKI Jakarta Mr. Anies Baswedan inaugurated the DKI Jakarta Provincial Public Library or also known as the Jakarta Library which is located in Taman Ismail Marzuki, Central Jakarta.
With the inauguration of the library, the library, which had previously been revitalized since 2019, was again opened to the general public. Since then, many people have talked about this library on social media. This happens because the new face of this library has a very contemporary and comfortable interior, so it attracts a lot of attention from the public, especially young people.
The Jakarta Library, which is present as a new appearance from Taman Ismail Marzuki, was born as a form of increasing the community’s literacy culture while introducing the works of artists and cultural figures. This library has a collection of 138,000 books consisting of general books, children’s, and Jakarta collections that are relevant and suit the needs of the community.
Apart from providing books, the Jakarta Library also provides a number of facilities or spaces that can be used by visitors, such as a multifunctional room, children’s playroom, story booth and private reading room. Then there is also a podcast room , computer room and Jakarta collection room.
With these facilities, this library can be visited by people of all ages. For those of you who want to visit, the Jakarta Library only accepts 300 people per day with operational hours starting at 09.00 WIB. You can check more complete information on their Instagram account perpusjkt.
2. Read in Tebet
In general, libraries are mostly synonymous with a stiff and boring atmosphere. But did you know Grameds, it turns out there are libraries that have a homey atmosphere , which makes us comfortable while we are there. Yup, the library is Baca Di Tebet.
The library, which was founded by Kanti W Janis together with Wien Muldian, provides a collection of around 20,000 reading books which will always be updated by the librarians. Most of the books available in this library are Wien’s personal possessions, Kanti’s, and some are donated.
Not only does it provide various types of reading books arranged on high shelves, Baca Di Tebet also provides several rooms that can be used by visitors, starting from the Discussion Room, the Roy BB Janis Meeting Room which is not only intended as a place to read, but can also be used as a place to read. as a place to discuss, play music and sing.
Then for visitors who need peace, Baca Di Tebet also provides two rooms that can be used, namely the Reading Room and the Thinking Room. Apart from that, there is also Ruang Karya, a cafe called Eating in Tebet, and Sleeping in Tebet. Very interesting, Grameds!
For those of you who want to visit, you need to buy a ticket of IDR 35,000/day first. You can also become a member of the Baca Di Tebet library by purchasing a monthly or annual ticket. You can check more complete information on their Instagram account bacaditebet.
3. Goethe Institute Library
Grameds, is anyone interested in German culture and wants to learn about their culture and language? If you are one of them, you can visit the Goethe Institute library which is located in the Menteng area, you know.
In this library, you can learn about Germany through various fun and interactive activities. The Goethe Institute Library provides a collection of around 5,000 physical books and magazines in German as well as translations in Indonesian and English.
The book collections provided are varied, ranging from fiction, non-fiction, classic works, to children’s books with varying themes. Apart from providing various types of book collections, the Goethe Institute Library also has various kinds of learning media and knowledge about Germany, ranging from films, music, magazines, board games , to video games.
The library, which is part of the German cultural center in Indonesia, is open to the general public and can be visited for free. However, if you want to borrow their collection, you need to register for membership first by including your Jabodetabek KTP or Student Card, and pay a registration fee of IDR 50,000 per year.
4. Erasmus Huis Library
Not far after entering Jalan HR Rasuna Said, Kuningan, from the direction of Mampang Prapatan, there is the Dutch cultural center Erasmus Huis on the left. This institution is attached to the Royal Netherlands Embassy complex. Inside the Erasmus Huis there is a library that has a refreshing, comfortable and quiet atmosphere.
The Erasmus Huis Library reopened in November 2018 after renovations were carried out inside. Now, the new interior is dominated by white with a variety of eclectic furniture. With the open space concept , one part of the library can also be used for discussions or seminars.
The Erasmus Huis library collection consists of 15 thousand book titles published in Indonesia and the Netherlands from the categories of literature, linguistics, history, politics, social, arts, culture, children, to dictionaries. There are also newspapers from Indonesia and the Netherlands. The Erasmus Huis Library is open from Monday to Saturday. You can click for more complete information about it here.
5. Ministry of Education and Culture Library
The Ministry of Education and Culture also has a great library. Established on November 29 2004, this library has a collection of 200 thousand titles in various forms, ranging from books, e-books , audio visuals, magazines, newspapers, journals, to electronic journals. This library is also managed in accordance with the National Library Standards which have been accredited A by the National Library of the Republic of Indonesia.
Sophisticatedly, the Ministry of Education and Culture Library also implements SLiMS (Senayan Library Management System), which is a web-based open source library automation system that was first developed and used by the Ministry of Education and Culture Library. This application is used for managing printed and recorded collections in libraries.
Not just a reading room, the Ministry of Education and Culture Library, which consists of two floors with a total land area of 1,500 square meters, has other facilities. Starting from classrooms, discussion/multi-purpose rooms, children’s collection rooms, audio-visual rooms, mini theaters, to photocopying services and of course free internet access. The total number of visitors this library can accommodate can reach 300 people. If you want to know the list of collections or more complete information about the Ministry of Education and Culture Library.
6. National Library of the Republic of Indonesia
When President Joko Widodo inaugurated the National Library of the Republic of Indonesia in mid-September 2017, the virtual world was abuzz. How come. After the old building consisting of three floors was completely renovated for 2.5 years, now this library building has 27 floors. President Jokowi said, this building is the tallest library in the world.
Standing on an area of 11,975 square meters and a building covering an area of 50,917 square meters, its stature looks majestic and towering on Jalan Medan Merdeka Selatan, Jakarta. This 126.3 meter high library building was also designed with a green building concept and energy consumption of 150 kwh/mm2 per year.
The National Library of the Republic of Indonesia has so many collections that can be relied on to gain information and knowledge. Not only physical books, there are also digital books. This institution also collects rare books, Indonesian manuscripts, photos, maps and paintings. There are also collections in the form of monographs, sound recordings, films, and micro formats.
For students, researchers and writers, the treasure that cannot be wasted in this magnificent library is the leading national and international journals it has, from Brill Online, Cambridge University Press, IG Publishing, Proquest, to Sage Knowledge.
7. Freedom Library
Another storehouse of knowledge hidden on Jalan HR Rasuna Said, Kuningan, Jakarta. This library is the Freedom Library which is now located on the ground floor of the Wisma Bakrie Building. Previously, this library stood on Jalan Proklik, precisely opposite the Proclamation Monument. However, the library closed in 2015 because the building had been sold – and is now the office of the DPP Democratic Party.
After a hiatus of more than two years, the Freedom Library reopened in August 2017. This library still has an interior design that is not much different from the old building with brown colors and a warm atmosphere and industrial touches. This library is still loyal to providing thousands of literature collections in the fields of humanities (philosophy, law, history, language, literature, art), social, economic, religious, and international relations.
Apart from the book collection, the Freedom Library also provides local and international journals, newspapers and leading newspapers. Don’t miss the photocopying service and free internet access. With soft sofas and cool air blowing from the air conditioner, what you need to watch out for is sudden attacks of drowsiness while reading a book.
8. University of Indonesia Library
OK, this library is not located in the Jakarta area, but Jakarta, aka Depok, even though it is not far from the Jakarta-Depok border. It is difficult not to include the University of Indonesia Library on this list, because of its complete collection and excellent main and supporting facilities. Not to mention the physical form of the building which is special because it is unique and is also surrounded by trees and lakes.
Built on an area of 2.5 hectares, this library collects more than 5 million titles and various leading scientific journals from within and outside the country. It is not surprising that this library is named The Crystal of Knowledge. This library collection can not only be accessed by University of Indonesia students, but also the general public by paying only IDR 5 thousand.
The supporting facilities for The Cristal of Knowledge include a computer room, lounge , multimedia room, discussion and meeting room, silent room , internet access, and a lactation room. There is also an Online Public Access Catalog (OPAC) application, so visitors can quickly and easily search for the literature they want. You can find detailed information about the University of Indonesia Library here.