Mobile Libraries Not Traveling Too Well Because Of Shortages

Jakarta - At least 100 municipalities and districts across the archipelago are yet to receive mobile libraries as promised by the National Library more than five years ago.

Dady Rachmananta, head of the National Library, speaking on the library`s 29th anniversary on Sunday, which is also National Book Day, said most of the districts would receive the mobile libraries by the end of the year.

One mobile library costs Rp 200 million ($19,200) and carries 550 book titles.

He said, however, that some regions would have to wait until they had established their own local libraries because the central government wanted to make sure that the regions could maintain the service.

Dady said that were about 260 mobile libraries operating throughout Indonesia, 95 percent of which were well used, particularly in East Java, Yogyakarta and North Sumatra. Each library consists of textbooks, novels and encyclopedias.

“People can read the books on the spot or borrow them,” he said. “The mobile library is on a regular schedule and people can return the books when the library is in their area again.”

However, Dady said that mobile libraries that were over four years old faced another problem. He said that due to the long distances traveled, some of the vehicle`s components needed to be renewed. The book collections also needed to be upgraded with new titles, otherwise people would get bored reading the same books. He said that the National Library needed local government support to overcome this problem.

“That`s really a load for us, because not only are we responsible for supplying libraries to the remaining 100 places, but we must also think about the renewing the existing mobile libraries,” he said.

He said that the government had asked the private sector to consider establishing a similar service. “Some companies have run mobile libraries in the past,” he said. Anita Rachman

Source: http://www.thejakartaglobe.com (18 May 2009)
Photo: http://www.lubuklinggau.go.id

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