Governor Hopes Jakarta Library and PDS HB Jassin Become Centers for Community Activities

Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan inaugurated the Jakarta Library and the Hans Bague Jassin Literary Document Center in the area of the Jakarta Arts Center Taman Ismail Marzuki (PKJ TIM), Thursday (7/7).

Our job is not only to maintain but also to develop

On that occasion, he recounted how the Jakarta administration convinced the family of HB Jassin to manage his entire collection, which he hopes will be used as a guide in managing the library in the future.

"I'm telling this story thus you are from the Library and Archives Agency do what I convey to the family (HB Jassin). Mr. Ajib (representative of the family), we are people who not only love all of these works (HB Jassin's collection) but save this work as you saved all of them. Trust us, and we will keep HB Jassin's PDS as a permanent and largest literary collection in the world," he expressed, as quoted by Jakarta PPID's press release.

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Thereby, he instructed his staff to make them a reflection of the library in the future that attracts new generations to come and have activities in the library.

“Our job is not only to maintain but also to develop. Hope the Jakarta library reflects the future library in Indonesia," he explained.

“This is how ideas are converted as space and this space becomes a learning space for all. Moreover, his position in TIM, the center of cultural activities, so the hope is that it will bring about breakthroughs, continuous novelties in the process of developing our culture," he continued.

He hoped that the could be managed to become a center of activity for the community. So, the library is not only a place to collect books and literacy, but also a place that brings culture to life in Jakarta.

"When we are making a library, we will build the library of the future. I emphasize here that bad libraries collect collections, good libraries build services, but the best libraries build community. This place should be a center for community growth," he stressed.

"The library used to be a storehouse of books before but now it's an information nerve center. Yesterday, as a place to gain knowledge and entertainment, tomorrow it will be the third room to gain knowledge and wisdom and to foster interest in reading in children, a place where children can work, learn and teach others. This is all part of community activities," he added.

Aside that, the Governor also entrusted a message to librarians who will later serve in the Jakarta Library and PDS HB Jassin to become innovators for visitors, not only as providers of book data but also initiating various activities.

"Then the librarian must be a good navigator, not just a bookkeeper, but a producer, a liaison inspiration, and a resource provider who ignites ideas and works for anyone who visits. Work with the arts of knowledge and inspire," he exclaimed.

As for the information, there are 138,000 collections in the Jakarta Library and 4,395 collections in PDS HB Jassin. The Jakarta library contains a collection of general books, children's books, to kejakartaan collections that are relevant and according to the needs of the community.

Then the collection at PDS HB Jassin focuses on documenting literary works, including handwritten documents of great writers, such as Chairil Anwar, WS Rendra, etc.

They are also equipped with new rooms, including a multifunction room, children's game room, story booth, private reading room, podcast room, computer room, and Jakarta collection room.