British Council library moves to cyberspace<\/p>\n
Evi Mariani and Leony Aurora, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
To mark World Literacy Day on Wednesday, The Jakarta Post
\nEvi Mariani and Leony Aurora has
\nbeen investigating library facilities in the city. Today, we take
\na closer look at those managed by foreign cultural institutions.<\/p>\n
\"We're changing\", read the posters hanging from the ceiling of
\nthe British Council library on Jl. Jendral Sudirman.<\/p>\n
From Sept. 17, the 7,000 members will find the library closed
\nuntil October, when the 17,000 books, 5,000 audio visual titles
\nand 70 individual magazine titles will become available to
\nreaders again, only this time at the Ministry of National
\nEducation building on the same road.<\/p>\n
The council had agreed to hand over its entire collection to
\nthe government, spokeswoman Mona Monika told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
The council would oversee the training of new librarians to
\nensure that the service meets the required standard for the next
\ntwo years, she said.<\/p>\n
But this does not mean that the British Council will stop
\nproviding grants for education in Indonesia. The money will be
\nreallocated to developing an e-library and road shows to cities
\nthroughout the archipelago.<\/p>\n
\"That's why we call the program 'We're changing' instead of
\n'We're moving',\" said Mona. \"We are trying to reach out to more
\npeople by developing the www.britzone.or.id website.\"<\/p>\n
The website, which is already running and enlisting members,
\nprovides access to tens of thousands of papers on various topics,
\nlike the social sciences, politics and economics.<\/p>\n
The library of the Netherlands Culture Center Erasmus Huis in
\nKuningan, South Jakarta, is also getting ready for a transfer --
\nthis time moving back its entire collection to the main building
\nlater this month.<\/p>\n
Only a quarter of the 19,600 books in its collection are
\ndisplayed in the green container that has been converted into a
\ntemporary reading room.<\/p>\n
\"We have some 2,500 books on law in Dutch, Indonesian, and
\nEnglish,\" said assistant librarian Tjok Istri Putri Irina.<\/p>\n
Not many law students use the facility though. \"It's a pity,
\nbecause the collection is quite comprehensive,\" she said.<\/p>\n
The library offers some 800 music CDs, mostly consisting of
\nclassical music or music by Dutch artists.<\/p>\n
Visitors to the library include Dutch literature students,
\nforeigners and Indonesians of over 50 who were taught Dutch in
\nschool.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the library of the Japan Foundation in the
\nSummitmas I building on Jl. Sudirman, Central Jakarta, is
\nbecoming more and more popular among Indonesians.<\/p>\n
Dozens of visitors were browsing the shelves when The Jakarta
\nPost visited the library on Monday. For learners of Japanese, the
\nlibrary offers guide books, language games, CD-ROMs, and a
\ntelevision airing Japanese channel NHK.<\/p>\n
The room, located on the second floor, also has publications
\nin English and Indonesian, limited to those promoting Japan. The
\ntotal collection stands at 29,000 books.<\/p>\n
Like public libraries in the city, only residents holding
\nJakarta ID cards can become members. \"It is a challenge to manage
\nthe 4,000 members that we have,\" said librarian Sushanty
\nChandradewi.<\/p>\n
Mahendra, 22, a Japan literature student of the National
\nUniversity in South Jakarta, goes there every Monday and Thursday
\nto prepare for his examinations in December.<\/p>\n
\"The television helps me improve my comprehension abilities,\"
\nsaid Mahendra, who is in his final year at university.<\/p>\n
On holidays, he travels every day from his home in Bogor. \"I
\nlike it here. The facilities are free and I can read Japanese
\nbooks, magazines and comics.\"<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/british-council-library-moves-to-cyberspace-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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