Hello readers. Have you been to a local library in the neighborhood? If you have not, please check it out at our
Penang State Library
The Penang Library is the first library open to the public for subscription in Malaysia since 1817. On August 7, 1972, the
Penang State Legislative Assembly passed an Enactment to make it a Statutory body that will provide the library amenities and services to the public and took over the role and administration of Penang Library beginning January 1973.
Today, the library is not just a place for you to borrow books. It is fully air-conditioned and is very cold inside on a rainy day. You can use the wireless facility to go to the internet or bring your kids to have learning fun at the educational games using the electronic medias. If you need to start the little ones to have the reading habit, you can start them at the children corner. It will be a great day for family outing without too much distractions and spending unnecessarily money on shopping trips to the local hypermarkets or bookstores there, as all you may need is to borrow those books or your favorite cooking or home furnishing bulletins and then return it when you finished reading.
Oh yes, about returning the book is so easy nowadays. It is as easy as you go to the post-office to mail the letter on the post-box or just like going to the local bank to deposit a check at the check deposit machines and you collect the receipt as evidence of returned books or bulletins after you drop it into the kiosk standing outside the State Library premises - see picture of the kiosk. So guys and gals and parents, you can just do it (NIKE) on any day and any time rain or shine.. just like you go to the McDonald's drive through. By the way, the library is open on Sundays except public holidays and State gazetted holidays. See picture of the opening hours stated on the wall.
To start you on this healthy habits, you can enroll on individual membership at RM2.00 (Ringgit Malaysia Two only) and at RM1.00(Ringgit Malaysia One only) for student or at RM5.00(Ringgit Malaysia Five only) for the whole family package.
For individual members, each one is entitled to borrow four books at one go plus a bulletin for adult members but only four books and no bulletin for the children for two weeks and renew it again for another two weeks. Please check it out yourself and you will love to comeback again and again to get more knowledge and reading pleasures at the Public library
As for me and family, I have been borrowing books there and especially on the books on learning HTML, XML, create websites, Window and on internet and computers and etc. However, there are instances where they do not have the latest books that you may be looking forward to read. Therefore, you may have to go to the bookstores to satisfy your search and buy it for reading and keep as reference and personal library collection.
Anyway, The Malaysian government took pity on us poor citizens that they allowed us tax rebate for purchased of books to enrich ourselves. Come on fellow Malaysians, please buy original books and do not photostat the books as we may infringe copyrights and robbed the writers and authors of the livelihoods. It is common practice by many parents and tuition teachers or tuition centers to borrow books from friends and then photostat in bulks. It is understandable for the underprivileged children and parents but not those who can afford to send their children from this tuition center to that tuition center and what not.
With the advancement in technology so rapid, soon we will be reading more e-books as the internet users ratio to citizen in Malaysia is bound to increase as more children are exposed to computer literacy through schools and education.
Oh before I detour from the main library function, I am a little sad and sorry to see what I see as I walkabout the surrounding while waiting for my family to finish their business at the library. The whole building was sinking...sinking that it is deepening day by day. If you have been a resident here long enough, you will probably remember that this town is one of the brainchild satellite township inspired by former Chief Minister, the late Tun Lim Chong Eu. This land where the building was built was part of the vast swampy lands on the Mainland known as Province Wellesley. Yet, I understand from one of the librarians that they have requested for the budget to repair the building structure but they have not heard from the government for months pending the approval.
Look, the handicapped persons on wheel-chairs will find it very troubling and dangerous to get to the library as the ramp or the sloping pathway to the main entrance from the front of the building has sunken at least 3cm and making it uneven and difficult to move up. My Dear Chief Minister of Penang, The Honorable Mr Lim Guan Eng and My Dear Prime Minister of One Malaysia, Datuk Seri Najib and his beloved wife, The Compassionate Chairperson who champions the welfare of the less fortunate by virtue of her status as wife of the Malaysian Prime Minister, and My Dear Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, YB Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yackop, please ..please work on this immediately as knowledge is wealth and we do not need the bureaucracy and politicking to get the repair job done right now before some wonderful assets and lives loss through the sinking or collapsing of the entire building like The Titanic ship.
Note: The building was officially launch open by another former Chief Minister of Penang state, YB Tan Sri Koh Tsu Koon on 31st March, 2000 when he was the Chief Minister (from People's Movement Party, a component of the National Front Coalition party then before he was succeeded by the present Chief Minister from the Democratic Action Party (DAP).
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| Side view of the Penang State Library |
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| Operation hours notification on the wall at the main gate |
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| State Library main gate view |
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| The Book kiosk for easy drop and go return of books borrowed |
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| The three flags - The National flag of Malaysia, the Penang State Flag and the Library flag harmoniously flying high |
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| Outside the library |
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| The cool green garden at the compound |
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| The sinking ground caused uneven level at the access pathway for the less fortunate |
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| Sinking like Titanic? |
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| Main Entrance to Enter here |
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| Plaque commemorating the launch by the then Chief Minister |
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| Spacious and cool inside the main lobby |
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| The registration counter manned by friendly staff to help you |
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| Book your Tea or Coffee |
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| Cafe inside the library |
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| Out exit with security scanner |
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| The stairways to Auditorium |
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| Upper floor cafe area ideal for holding seminars and serving light refreshment |
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| A peep inside the Auditorium where the Music Competition was held |
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| Broken stairs caused by sinking and subsidence |
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| A huge gap at the edge of the building |
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| All cracked |
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| Education is the foundation of Excellence motto on the wall |
Did you hear me or can someone with connection at the TOP as in the local politic arena said, a cable can send this message loud and clear to the VIPs to get the job done? As for me, I shall call upon my God and my Savor Jesus Christ, Our Lord Al-Mighty, God with Us, Immanuel through prayers and petitions this Christmas to grant peace on Earth and safety for all who visit the State Library building while it is pending repair. If you need a safe haven this Christmas, please come to
BMBC or Bukit Mertajam Baptist Church with your family and friends on Christmas's Eve this Friday December 24, 2010 at 6.30pm and celebrate with us for Christmas dinner and worship service. See you.
Oh no.. no politicking ya... I just echo my voice a concerned citizen.
Okay..I just want to round it up after going round the round of musics that I enjoyed and fascinated by the children performance at the Penang State Music Competition Organized by a music school here at the Auditorium of the State Library. The Auditorium is for rent to the public. Please inquire with the library for your reservation. Will share with you the enchanting musics by the star performers on another day.
Next time, I will go back to my Big Foot Hill or BM library branch to check out the changes that have been made since some years ago that I went there. Remember my earlier post on November 13, 2010 on People's Gymnasium at Bukit Mertajam? Well, the BM library is next to the gymnasium. The
BM library picture is feature on that post too. You can view a picture of it by clicking the above link.
Better still, I will go for the mobile library which I will find out more later.
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