Bowen Library

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Currently I'm living in New South Wales. For a convenient reason, I'm renting a flat unit nearby my uni which is in Eastern Suburb. It is just on the south of Sydney CBD. Randwick City Council is the local government of the Eastern Suburb. Demographically, Randwick city which consists of 13 suburbs has population more than 120,000 people with annual growth rate about 0.3%. The population is well educated, which mostly has university qualification. The workforce is more of managers and professions than tradespersons or labourers. The local government provides a wide range of city service. One of them that I would like to talk here is the public library namely Bowen Library.

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Bowen library is located on three accessible places: Randwick, Maroubra and Matraville. It is not only providing books, but kid toys, computers with internet connection, study rooms, as well as many social activities like free english classes from low to advanced level, talk show and training (like knitting, yoga, etc). Although its books are mostly from donation, they are still in a readable condition. Fiction books are likely the most, but you can also get literature for HSC, english learning, recipes, computer, religion, geography, history, biology, dictionaries, CDs, magazines or even books in Indonesian, Chinese, Arabic, Japanese and many others. Don't ask about the number of the book please... because it is often overwhelmed and sale the old ones. To be the member, we are asked an ID with the address on it only. Member can borrow the book as many as they want and can renew/extend the book many times. The fine is only $1 per book for a day late return. Fantastic! They are never quiet! In addition, they open 7 days a week, till 9 pm during weekday. Hmm... an interesting facilitation, isn't it!

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Once I visited it, I found student groups discussing about math and pensioners sitting besides the shelves seriously read a book. Today, I accompanied my husband attending the free english class. Surprisingly, most of the student is mature chinese. As you know, chinese is the biggest migrant in Australia. It is likely that the government gives migrants a chance to survive in Aussie, isn't it? Then, the teacher is purely a volunteer. It means he do not receive any money! He said that he is retired already. He is happy as an unpaid teacher because he can assist people learning english and get friends to talk with, rather than just stay at home lonely.

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Just thought about Indonesia. It is not fair enough to compare Indo with Aussie though. But, I hope sometime in the future, knowledge awareness becomes one of the considered needs of people in Indonesia. It will be, I bet, if reading passion in Indo is well facilitated with a sophisticated public library, if schools are students' second home, if knowledgeable people is fully appreciated by government, if only well educated people is leading the country... if no corruption... waallohu alam!