Online library makes bookworms of people<\/p>\n
Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Indonesians can now have greater access to books without having
\nto go to a library. The lack of time and other difficulties
\nshould no longer be reasons for doing some library browsing.<\/p>\n
Four non-governmental organizations (NGOs) jointly launched
\nhere on Thursday a library website through which people can
\nsearch for a large variety of books. It even offers a "delivery
\nservice" for books they decide to check out.<\/p>\n
"By a single click on our website, people can search for any
\nkind of book that they want. They should not necessarily come
\nhere and there to look for books as they can order them via e-
\nmail and we will deliver them," a librarian said, referring the
\nwebsite: www.pustakabersama.net.<\/p>\n
The delivery service is free of charge, unless visitors want
\nto copy the ordered books.<\/p>\n
The four NGOs involved are the Center for Strategic and
\nInternational Studies (CSIS), the Utan Kayu Community in East
\nJakarta, the Aksara Foundation and the Freedom Institute.<\/p>\n
Besides introducing the online library aimed at helping people
\nget easier access to information, they also are using a joint
\ncatalog system, so the "virtual library" has thousands of titles.<\/p>\n
The NGOs said they had requested the Jakarta administration's
\nparticipation in supporting and promoting the online library by
\nproviding one of its historic buildings as a "base-camp" for
\npeople to directly visit.<\/p>\n
The building could be either the former immigration office or
\nformer National Library, which are both located in the Medan
\nMerdeka area in Central Jakarta, they added.<\/p>\n
A co-founder of the Aksara Foundation, Hassan Kartadjoemena,
\nexplained that the project was aimed at developing and promoting
\nan online system connecting libraries.<\/p>\n
"Libraries should not be hidden. They have to be accessible.
\nMany libraries in this country are just not visited by the
\npeople, so we have to be proactive now. Such an online system is
\nvery popular in Japan, Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines.
\nSo, let's begin the system in Indonesia," Hassan told The Jakarta
\nPost on the sidelines of the launching ceremony.<\/p>\n
"We set up this library after learning that our country has so
\nfar neglected the whole of its cultural assets, archeological
\nsciences and architectural buildings," he added.<\/p>\n
The Freedom Institute, which set up the library as a research
\ncenter in late 2001, has around 10,000 book titles and 60 titles
\non major periodicals. Many books on Islam are also available
\nthere.<\/p>\n
The 33-year-old CSIS Library has meanwhile more than 30,000
\ntitles of books and papers, 316 titles of foreign and local
\nperiodicals and journals as well as hundreds of thousands of news
\nclippings.<\/p>\n
The Aksara Library was set up in 1998 and now has 4,897 titles
\nof books, with its main collections highlighting issues on
\ncorruption, military, bureaucracy and democracy.<\/p>\n
The Utan Kayu Library, which was set up in 1996, has around
\n3,656 books on philosophy, the arts and mass media. It also
\nprovides digital text-records on various art presentations.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/online-library-makes-bookworms-of-people-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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