Karya Raya 2026 Exhibition is Coming to Jakarta Library

The Jakarta Library and Archives Agency together with the Jakarta Library and Bookabook held the Karya Raya 2026 Exhibition with the theme 'Garden of Kindness: Where Creativity Grows on You'.

Create something meaningful

The exhibition will run at the Jakarta Library from September 11 to October 2, 2026, and will culminate at the Grand Theatre, Taman Ismail Marzuki on October 3, 2026.

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Karya Raya is a children's creativity event that encourages children to become writers, illustrators, and creators through the Bookabook ByMe Kit Publishing program.

Karya Raya itself grew from 638 books in 2023 to 1,081 books in 2024, 1,870 books in 2025, and 2,053 books in 2026.

This year, the journey of these works has expanded, as they have been given a home at the Jakarta Library. One of the new features introduced this year is the Karya Raya Corner at the Jakarta Library.

Now books by Young Author Karya Raya can continue to be read not only digitally on the ByMe.Bookabook.id website but also in the corner to continue to be discovered and read.

Entering its fourth year, Karya Raya has reached more public schools, apartment communities, international schools, and children from East Nusa Tenggara.

Head of the Jakarta Library and Archives Agency, Nasruddin Djoko Surjono, stated that one of Karya Raya's goals is to ensure that creative opportunities are not limited to a select group but are accessible to children from all social backgrounds. He emphasized that growth at Karya Raya isn't just about increasing the number of works produced.

"Behind every book, story, illustration, and creative work, there is a process of child development that starts from finding ideas, developing ideas, executing imagination, finishing what they start, and daring to show the results of their work," he said, Friday (9/11).

He added that the library should not only be a place for books that have been written. The library should be a place where new stories begin to be born.

Karya Raya Co-Founder Ernest said that children grow as their work develops. This process encourages children to develop from readers to writers, and from passive consumers to active contributors.

"Today, children's ability to think critically, explore possibilities, make choices, and create something meaningful is crucial. We want children to feel that their work has meaning," he said.

Head of the Jakarta Library Management Unit & PDS HB Jassin, Diki Lukman Hakim, stated that along with the inauguration of the Karya Raya Corner, Bookabook and the Jakarta Library as the organizers of Karya Raya launched the book Ruang Bertumbuh.

The book is inspired by the philosophy of the Jakarta Library and PDS H.B. Jassin, which is not only present to accompany reading, but also provides opportunities for learning, creating and growing so that the library can remain relevant in the present day.

"We want children to not only come to the library to read other people's work, but also to see that one day their own work could be part of the library and enjoyed by others," he stated

As for information, the exhibition invites schools, communities, and partners to expand the space for children's work by joining Karya Raya.

Currently, Karya Raya has involved more than 300 schools, published around 5,000 books, and recorded more than 50,000 exhibition visitors annually.

Karya Raya also received recognition as a Jakarta Flagship Program and received the Best Collaboration Partner 2025 award from Jakarta Library and Archive Agency and set a MURI record for the Largest Children's Book Exhibition.