Kid's libraries strive for recognition

Prodita Sabarini, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Little fingers were dancing fast Sunday as groups of children folded origami birds. Faces excited but in full concentration, the children folded while friends cheered from the side.

"Come on! You can do it!" supporters cheered from the sides, their voices echoing inside the Mega Glodok Kemayoran shopping center in North Jakarta.

Sunday saw the mall transform into a big playground for more than 400 children from Jakarta and surrounding areas.

Children from 42 community libraries across Greater Jakarta joined the second Olympics for Community Libraries, held by volunteer-based non-profit organization 1001BUKU, in conjunction with World Book Day on April 23.

Community libraries are community-based alternative education centers, where children can play and learn outside the official schooling system.

Jakarta has seen significant growth recently in these kinds of community centers, most of which have been initiated by non-government organizations and concerned individuals.

They are usually volunteer-based with sizes varying from solid establishments with vast book and educational toy collections, to small scale libraries with tiny collections in volunteers' garages.

"We're holding this event to give exposure to community libraries. They are vital for children's access to quality reading," said Mochamad Ariyo Faridh Zidni, a 1001BUKU volunteer, who was in charge in organizing the Olympics.

"However, (community libraries) receive very little support from the public. We hope that through this event people will get a heightened awareness and help community libraries," he added.

1001BUKU works to increase children's access to reading material by providing books and empowering community libraries across Indonesia.

Ariyo said the were around 70 community libraries in their network in Greater Jakarta and around 120 across Indonesia.

"This event is also an opportunity for people managing community libraries to meet and share experiences with each other. Meanwhile the kids can have some fun," he said.

Children at the Olympics shouted and sung the local children's song "Bermain Layang-layang" ("Flying Kites") to support their friends.

After making their origami birds, then raced each other to make and hand-paint paper kites.

"This is the creativity marathon competition," Ariyo said of the game.

Girls from the Rumah Cahaya community library in Jatibening, East Jakarta decorated their kite by stamping their paint-smudged hands on it. They were the first to finish the race, taking around 10 minutes to finish.

"It was exciting. We really had to work fast," said Pipit Rosiana, 11.

"I didn't care if we won or not. I'm just having fun here," said Chairunnisa, 11, Pipit's team mate.

Besides the marathon, the Olympics also had children compete to design and color bulletin boards, as well as vie with each other in a storytelling competition.

"We prepared the leads of the stories and the children had to finish the stories as creatively as possible," Ariyo said.

Gunawan, 27, founder of the Kuartet Community Library in Cibubur, said the event was good for the children. Some 31 children from his library came to the event.

"There should be more events like this," he said.

Gunawan said he and his friends set up their community library to give a place for children in their neighborhood to hang out and read. "We also play games, such as Brain Gymnastics, for the children. Bored children are the ones prone to doing dangerous things, such as taking drugs," he said.