Students donate books to community libraries

Students donate books to community libraries

Evi Mariani, Jakarta

A community organization that promotes reading among children,
1001buku, initiated on Saturday a program called, 100buku Goes to
Schools, in which schoolchildren are encouraged to donate
children's books to community libraries.

As a pilot project, 1001buku is working together with state
high school SMU 6 in Bulungan, South Jakarta.

"We will include the book donating program in the annual
student orientation program," Titus Bagus, chairman of the SMU 6
student body, told the audience in the campaign on Saturday at
the Jakarta Book Fair 2004 in Senayan Sports Center.

Titus, 16, said first year students usually were asked to
bring food or balloons to the school by senior students during
the student orientation program, held in the first week of school
in July.

"For this year's orientation program, the student body will
require each first year student to donate at least one children's
book," he said. "We do not require second or third year students
to donate, but we encourage them to do so."

Titus said that the program was educational and was very
useful as one donated book could be enjoyed by dozens or even
hundreds of children who did not have easy access to books.

He said that so far the program had received a warm response
from fellow students at his school.

"Some of student body members will also help distribute the
books to community libraries around Jakarta," Titus added.

1001buku campaign manager Dian Safitri said that there were
about 50 community libraries that had joined 1001buku's network
in Jakarta.

"In total, we have about 110 affiliated libraries in several
cities in Indonesia, including Yogyakarta, Bandung, and Aceh."

Dian added that 1001buku was contacting other schools, both
junior high and high schools, to join the program.

"But we haven't received any response from the schools. In
most cases, we have to deal with a lot of red tape at the
schools. The headmasters usually require us to submit a
recommendation letter from the Ministry of National Education,"
she explained.

"It's easier for us to approach the students, for example,
through the student bodies, and let the students do the talking
to the teachers and headmasters," she added.