Jogja Library Center, Where Echoes of Memory Embrace the Light of Learning

This old and mysterious library is located on one of the busiest streets in Jogjakarta. However, not many people recognize its beauty, as it is hidden by the modern structures around it. Join me as we discover this place together.

CITY ESCAPADES

asxlm

6/13/20243 min read

Hi, it's your boy Sal. I’m going to tell you about a hidden gem that I found in Yogyakarta. I actually don't know if this place can be categorized as a hidden gem since it is located on one of the busiest roads in Yogyakarta. However, I feel that people don't really recognize this place considering that it is located between cafes and is hidden by the surrounding buildings. This place is called Jogja Library Center, located on Jln. Malioboro No.170, between souvenir stores and organized by the DIY Regional Government (Yogyakarta's Regional Government). I found this place while I was strolling around Malioboro. Initially, I thought that this place was closed since I came on Saturday, but after I asked the receptionist, they told me they are going to be open until 3:30 pm. That means I still have time to explore inside the library.

When entering the library, the librarian told me to put my shoes in a bag that they provide and put my belongings in the locker, but prior to that, I had to give them my ID card, which you should not forget to take back when you finish, and they gave me a visitor lanyard in return. When I looked around, I was amazed by the architecture that it has; old vibes are really prominent there. You will be welcomed by the vibes of the 80s as you step onto the wooden floor and look through the bookshelves around. The library is built on 2 floors. I don't exactly know the difference in terms of the books they provide between the 1st and 2nd floor. However, on the 1st floor, they have a space where people, mostly students, could read the books located right in front of the entrance. On the first floor, you can find a room occupied with 90s computers which unfortunately are only for decoration. The room also has a vintage printer and other office miscellaneous. If you go through the ways onto the backside of the 1st floor, you will find a room which I suppose is intended for a cinema, occupied by around 40 seats, and of course, all the furniture is vintage. Honestly, when I visited the cinema look-alike room, I got goosebumps and felt scared considering that there were no people in there. On the 1st floor, you can also find a corner named “Kyoto Book Corner” where you can read magazines and books from Japan, and a shelf contains vintage magazines like “Djoko Lodang”, “Penyegar Semangat”, and Gatra which were published decades ago.

Then I went to the 2nd floor, and other things that amazed me is that they still maintain the old structures even on the smallest parts like the stairs and the handles. On the 2nd floor, you will find a lot of bookshelves that have a lot of vintage books and magazines from decades ago. I recognized some books as really old, might be published in the late 50s when Indonesia was just liberated from Japanese colonization. I also found a lot of books that contain history, especially Yogyakarta history, however, the books there don't have illustrated covers, which indicates that they were already published a long time ago when digital illustration was not readily available like it is now. On the 2nd floor, there is also a shelf where you could find vintage cassettes and other stuff that I suppose are important enough to be kept in a glass shelf. It also has a lot of pictures hanging on the wall, and of course, the pictures are in black and white tone while some pictures also have sepia.

If you are currently searching for vintage magazines or books for whatever reason, or you just happen to come across Malioboro Street, I recommend you to pay a visit to this old library. It surely will give you a major feedback vibes to the time when you surely never been there, maybe you have not been born yet, however, you can sense the vibes and the presence of that time. Nostalgia and knowledge at their finest!