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Hidden libraries offer break from city’s hustle and bustle
Baca di Halaman and PurpleCode are two privately-managed libraries in Jakarta that offer an escape from the hustle and bustle of life in the city with comfortable environs and a wide array of books.
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Beanbags are arranged in one corner of Baca di Halaman, a privately managed library in Cilandak, South Jakarta, that offers an escape from the hustle and bustle of life in the capital. (courtesy of baca di halaman/-)
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raffic congestion and a heavy workload make up a significant part of Jakarta life. Time is of the essence for most Jakartans, who rush around from Monday to Friday and, when the weekend comes, still think malls are the best way to take a break from the city’s everyday disruptions.
But these are the reasons that Annisa Sekaringtias founded Baca di Halaman, a small library tucked in an alley in Cilandak, South Jakarta. She wanted to provide an alternative for Jakartans seeking solace from a hectic life. “Reading is an activity that can only be done without hurrying, it unwinds your mind,” said Sekar.
Launched in November 2019, Baca di Halaman is located in the Eleven Trees complex. To get to the library, you must climb a set of stairs and emerge in an outdoor area surrounded by trees. Beanbags are dotted all over. Next to the area is a 2 by 2-meter room of bookshelves. Visitors buy ice cream or a drink as an entry fee.
Sekar said she was inspired by her experience reading in and borrowing books from the C2O Library in Surabaya, East Java, and the Kineruku library in Bandung, West Java.
“When I went back to Jakarta, I could not find such a place,” she said, saying that despite most libraries in Jakarta having thousands of book titles, bookworms still demanded a more diverse collection.
Bookstores with a wider range of books are growing in Jakarta. But the prices, especially for imported books, are not always affordable. Libraries provide an alternative to buying books outright. Baca di Halaman houses more than 300 titles curated personally by the founder, and the catalog is available online.
One visitor, Kya Maldini Hill said she was impressed with the library’s collection. As an English Literature student at Binus University, she was surprised that the library had books from several classic authors – such as Jack Kerouac, Franz Kafka, Virginia Woolf, Fyodor Dostoyevski and George Orwell – and contemporary authors – such as Scarlett Curtis, Francis Fukuyama and Alain de Botton – which she never found in the other libraries.
