Anonymous donor helps museum

SURAKARTA: The Radya Pustaka museum in Surakarta, Central Java, announced on Tuesday that it has received 15 packages filled with old manuscripts from an unknown sender from Semarang, the provincial capital.

Museum committee secretary Djaka Darjata said that the manuscripts were sent in brown packages and wrapped in plastic sheets. No senders’ names or addresses were found on the packages.

Djaka said that he received the first package on Feb. 7.

“At first I was suspicious that it might be a book bomb, but I braced myself to open it. It turns out it contained old, mildewing books,” Djaka said on Tuesday.

He said that the museum has spent a week examining the manuscripts, which were expected to be at least 50 years old. Most were considered rare and could no longer be found on the market.

“Whoever sent the books, I believe, wanted to see that these books are useful,” Djaka said, adding that museum management planned to use the manuscripts to form a new collection.