Sarawak State Library Explained

Sarawak State Library
Native Name:Pustaka Negeri Sarawak
Native Name Lang:ms
Type:state library
Established:2000
Location:Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia
Coordinates:1.5835°N 110.3499°W
Director:Japri bin Bujang Masli[1]
Hamid Bugo (Chairperson)[2]
Parent Organisation:-->

The Sarawak State Library (Malay: Pustaka Negeri Sarawak) is the state library of Sarawak, located in Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia.It was established in 1999 with the passing of the Sarawak State Library Ordinance 1999 [3] by the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly. The official opening of the main campus in Kuching on 31 December 1999 was attended by Abdul Taib bin Mahmud, the Chief Minister of Sarawak. Services for the public started on 2 January 2000.

History

The story of Pustaka started in May 1993 when Dr. David Jones,[4] the Library Building Consultant of the State Library of New South Wales visited Kuching and had few discussions with senior officers of the Sarawak Civil Service, including the State Secretary, Tan Sri Datuk Amar Haji Hamid Bugo. Following these J. discussions and earlier work by Stephen J. Parker[5] entitled "Developing public library services in Sarawak", Dr. David Jones began to prepare a design brief. The first draft of the design brief was ready at the end of same year. The project was then called the State Library and Information Technology Centre. On 23 June 1994, the design brief which had gone various draft stage was presented to the State Cabinet and subsequently approved.

Statutory Functions

The main functions of Pustaka as stipulated in the Sarawak State Library Ordinance, 1999 are to

Vision, Mission, Objective and Philosophy


VisionTo be the reservoir and fountain of information and knowledge to the State.
MissionTo provide access to information resources and to preserve Sarawak's intellectual heritage for the people of Sarawak.
ObjectiveTo promote acculturation of knowledge in the State.
PhilosophyA knowledge and information-based society needs a forum for intellectual exchange among its people, a centre of enlightenment where minds can meet and ideas interact, and access to information, knowledge, technologies and cultures available beyond the superficial boundaries imposed by geography.

Tag Line


a) Fountain and Reservoir of Knowledge - from 2000 to 2005
b) Pustaka, Your Knowledge Partner - from 2006 to 2016
c) Read. Innovate. Excel - from 2017 - now

Fast Facts

HeadquartersMiriSibuSRR
a) Commenced service on 1 January 2000.
a) Land size is 94 acres, including the lake.
b) Floor area is 12,731 square meters.
c) User seating capacity is 500.
d) Number of staff is 130.
e) Total collection is 90,000 copies.
f) Average use is 200 users per hour.
a) Commenced service on 3 October 2002.
b) Land size is 1.5 acre.
c) Floor area is 4,927 square meters.
d) User seating capacity is 200.
e) Number of staff is 40.
f) Total collection is 25,000 copies.
g) Average use is 200 users per hour.
a) Commenced service on 14 September 2020.
b) Land size is 8.3 acres.
c) Floor area is 8.5 square meters.
d) User seating capacity is 300.
e) Number of staff is 39.
f) Total collection is 30,000 copies.
g) Average use is 200 users per hour.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: CEO's Message. Sarawak State Library. 30 October 2016.
  2. Web site: Board Of Management. Sarawak State Library. 30 October 2016.
  3. Prior to this, the role of the Sarawak State Library was played by the Ministry of Environment and Public Health. The names of the Ministry changed various times and the current name is the Ministry of Local Government and Housing
  4. Dr. David J. Jones was the principal Building Design Consultant of Pustaka Negeri Sarawak
  5. Stephen J. Parker was a consultant who played a significant role in determining the library master plan for Sarawak