Dauzan, books and a mobile library

Slamet Susanto, The Jakarta Post, Yogyakarta

Eighty-year-old Dauzan Farook, whose face is heavily lined and whose speech is often difficult to understand because of the many gaps in his teeth, still maintains great enthusiasm to broaden his knowledge and spread it through his mobile library.

After waking up, bespectacled Dauzan always reads a book, making sure that the thousands of them in his house are neatly arranged, and repairing the covers of those that are damaged.

Then, after performing his midday prayers, he travels, either by bike or bus, from one village to another, going from one narrow lane to another, to lend out the books or magazines.

Affectionately known as Mbah Dauzan -- "Mbah" being a term of address for an elderly person -- he visits people from every social stratum that are keen to learn: children, local youths, young mosque activists, vendors -- even pedicab drivers.

He visits the local prison every Saturday to provide inmates with reading materials. Dauzan lends the books for free and takes them himself to whoever requests them.

Born in 1925 in Kampung Kauman, Yogyakarta, Dauzan, who now has 24 grandchildren, has been a bookworm all his life. He developed his love for reading when, as a small boy, he assisted his father, H. Muhammad Bajuri, who was in charge of the Muhammadiyah library. He said he was an avid reader and always set aside money to buy books.

"I have thousands of them. For me, a book is useful when more people read it. That's why I lend my books to friends whom I can trust," Dauzan, the former chairman of Muhammadiyah's Wirobrajan chapter, told The Jakarta Post.

As he often lent books to friends, he realized in 1993 that it might be a good idea to set up his own library. He decided to turn his modest house in a narrow lane into a library.

Later he called it the Mabulir Library. Mabulir is an Indonesian acronym for magazines and books. Dauzan funds the library out of his own pocket.

With the establishment of Mabulir, Dauzan, formerly a successful batik businessman in Yogyakarta, focused his activities on the library. He patiently visits anyone whom he thinks might benefit from the library and gives them access to the books, free of charge.

"For me, a book is a bullet that can be employed as a weapon to fight life's difficulties, especially in the present era of globalization. The main weapon with which to go to war now is science. You can acquire scientific knowledge only through reading," said Dauzan, who studied Eastern literature at Gadjah Mada University but did not complete his degree.

For him, books can also be a moral panacea. "If you read a lot, you will be knowledgeable and your knowledge will protect you against external attacks. That way, your morality will be well guarded.

"If our people are said to be lacking in morality, it is quite understandable because the level of interest among them to read is rather low. There is a direct relationship between morality and reading habits," he said.

Dauzan said he fought against the Dutch colonialists. He left military service in 1950 as a second lieutenant and then worked in his parents' batik business. In 1989, he retired and receives a military veteran's pension of Rp 500,000 per month. He spends his pension money on electricity bills and on maintaining his books, as well as purchasing new titles.

"Well, my pension is not enough. But this library business is only a way to get God's blessing. I'm old and do not think much about worldly matters anymore. What matters to me most is that more and more people read books," he said.

Dauzan has over 10,000 titles in his collection. His lending is based on a multilevel reading system, based on trust. To ensure that no borrower steals a book, he works on a group system.

You must form your own group before you may borrow any of his books. The coordinator of the group becomes a partner of the library. Today there are 100 groups, with a total 420 members using his library.

"Still, some people have borrowed books and then simply disappeared. I'm not discouraged, though. Look -- I risked my life when I took part in the struggle for our independence. So why should I be afraid of losing a few books?" he said.

Some fellow villagers believe Dauzan to be quite eccentric. In their opinion what he does is pointless and crazy. "Let the dogs bark. I will go on increasing the value of books by recruiting more readers," he stressed.

Mabulir now has its representatives in five cities outside Yogyakarta: Jakarta, Solo, Brebes, Purworejo and Magelang. The representatives were previously users of his library. Once a month or so, they exchange books at Mabulir. "I hope that some day they will be independent," he said.

Dauzan paused for a moment when asked who would later manage the library.

" All I can do is just encourage more people to read via the library. Anybody may succeed me," said Dauzan, who now lives alone as his wife passed away five years ago.