Jakarta Provincial Government to Transform Libraries into Creative Spaces for Children
The Jakarta Provincial Government is committed to making libraries spaces for children to create and develop their creativity, rather than just places to read books.
“Libraries do not only provide books to be read, but also prepare spaces for creating and producing books,” said the Head of the Jakarta Library and Archives Office, Nasruddin Djoko Surjono, during the opening of the Karya Raya 2026 exhibition at the Jakarta Library, Taman Ismail Marzuki (TIM), on Friday.
He stated that providing creative spaces is part of the government’s efforts to present a safe and comfortable environment for children to develop their creativity amidst the advancements in digital technology and artificial intelligence (AI).
He assessed that the development of technology and the use of gadgets among children should not stifle their creativity. Therefore, the Jakarta Provincial Government is striving to provide spaces that children can use to engage in various creative activities.
“We want to provide space for children to create, so that physical activities, drawing activities, and so on, can at least reduce their gadget-related activities,” Nasruddin said.
This progress is evident in the development of the Karya Raya activities, which gather an increasing number of children’s books every year. In 2023, 638 books were recorded, which then increased to 1,081 books in 2024 and 1,870 books in 2025. “And this year, it has reached 2,053 children’s books,” Nasruddin revealed.
He mentioned that over the past four years, the programme has involved approximately 300 schools and produced more than 5,000 children’s books. The exhibition also achieved a Museum Rekor Dunia Indonesia (MURI) record as the exhibition with the largest number of children’s books in Indonesia.
“When children are given space to grow, we are essentially discovering the future of Jakarta,” said Nasruddin.
Furthermore, he stated that the Jakarta Provincial Government is also working to ensure that similar activities become increasingly inclusive, reaching public schools, international schools, low-cost apartments, literacy communities, and children across various regions of Jakarta.
He also expressed hope that the children’s works on display would not cease once the event concludes. “Jakarta Library will serve as one of the spaces to store, display, and appreciate these works so they can be read by the public,” Nasruddin concluded.