If I could make changes for Indonesia Libraries

Two months ago I went to three libraries in Singapore managed by the National Library Board, making meaningful memories for my personal and professional learning curve. I read dozens of books about higher education management, cultivating my curiosity about brain and human development, and immersed in the richness of pedagogy. All at once, during my 1-week visit in Singapore.

Heading home, I wonder how Indonesian libraries would treat me – is the welcoming ambience I had in Singapore would be there (if not better)?

Well, to find out I decided to made my way to the Library of the Ministry if Education (MoECRT) and also the National Library of Indonesia. Get ready, here are my findings:

1. They left you clueless

Instead of questioning about subject matter that you want to dive into, the libraries in Indonesia is managed with little clarity about what to do as a visitor. They assume you already know about everything: what to do, where to go, how to optimize your time in the library.

The only signs that caught my attention are all about “No Food or Drinks Allowed”, “Pay attention to your belongings”, and the wifi password.

1. No Food or Drinks Allowed in this building: I do not know whether the library management forget or oversee the fact that we are 70% water, meaning that we need fresh water to drink. Even though they do not forbid me for bringing my water bottle inside, but I do not see the encouragement to stay hydrated in this library.
2. Pay attention to your belongings: as if thefts are everywhere? I don’t know how they organize their security system, but I wish library can be a safe sanctuary for intellectuals to deep dive into the knowledge.

Not only the questionable decisions they’ve made when they put the signs, I also need more time to get to my floor and area when entering this library. What I had in mind was that I want to know the ins and outs of Indonesia Education in the bank of knowledge: the National Library. I am aware that Education belongs to Social Sciences, which refers to code 300, but it took me a while to figure out which floor Social Sciences section is. Once I got there, I needed to walk the whole floor to find my desired book shelves because there was no clear sign of code number and book areas anywhere.

I’m not complaining, but this experience makes me miss my times in Singapore. I could spend more hours reading and summarizing my findings rather than figuring out what to do.

Bags are also questionable: am I allowed to bring my bags to the reading area? Why is everyone putting their bag in the locker?

Sad truth, I don’t know the rules until when I read it – and I don’t want to spend more minutes only to find out because I’m already on the reading area with one big bag beside me. As a context, I brought two bags and they only gave me one key to the locker: I couldn’t put all my belongings there. Even worse, there’s a sign telling us not to put valuable things inside, signing the unsafetiness in the safety area.

2. The people… they do not wish you were here

Indonesians who are willing to spend their day in the library are already so little, and they do not even show that they care!

All staffs I have interacted with are either showing poker face (no energy whatsoever), unfriendly, or busy with their make ups.

I do not expect much: just a simple smile to show that they’re happy when people visit their libraries. What they did made me rethink if I were to plan another visit or not.

Isn’t it ironic because we often claim that Indonesians are among the most friendly countries in the world? I do not understand how they measure the metrics but as far as I have interacted with people from Singapore and Boston, I can say professionally people in their libraries are friendlier.

…or the surveys are invalid in libraries?

3. The books…

I wish I could say much more about this but to be really honest, I do not want to spend more time criticizing about libraries in Indonesia.

I just want to answer the title quickly before I continue my reading here while I’m at the library:

1. Organize a seamless user experience end-to-end, ensuring high satisfactory rate.
2. Make sure the welfare of the library staffs are well met, ensuring they are “happy enough” to make the visitors are happy as well.
3. Bring more intriguing questions to the discussion floor in the book sections by providing good quality books.

That’s all what I can say for now.

Let’s see whether we can see improvements in Indonesian libraries…or not.