New library’s location more ideal, says Minister

KOTA KINABALU: State Community Development and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Azizah Mohd Dun said the location for the new State Library is very straregic – just next to Perdana Park in Tanjung Aru which is frequented by many people everyday.

“And there are also serveral schools nearby such as SM Stella Marris, SM La Salle, SK Stella Marris and SK Tanjung Aru, among others,” she told reporters after attending the State Legislative Assembly setting.

She said the pupils, students and the public are among the Ministery’s target groups to visit the new library when it is completed within to or three years. People patronising the Tanjung Aru Plaza could also visit the new library.

Tanjung Aru, she said is also a well known community destination. In this respect, she said residents of the housing and settlements in Tanjung Aru could also make use of the library.

She said while the new library is being constructed, the current Kota Kinabalu Regional Library facility would be temporarily relocated to the Suria Sabah mall by December.

“Anyone who wants to read or use the library could use the facility. Shoppers could also catch some reading when visiting Suria Sabah,” she said.

Azizah said the present State Library adjacent to Citi Hall’s administertion building at Lintasan Deasoka is no longer safe for both the staff and users.

Built in 1976, the structure recently saw cracks on it and some parts of the celing have fallen off. Civil activists recently launced a signature campaign againdt plans by the State Library to move the Kota Kinabalu Regional Library out from its current 35-year-old building.

They said that the location where the new library would be constructed defeats the policy of the government to encourage reading among the public.

Heritage advocator Richard Nelson Sokial, however, said it would be good to have two libraries in Kota Kinabalu and Tanjung Aru instead of one new centralised building in Tanjung Aru.

He said the traffic congestion in Tanjung Aru would become worse if the government moves everything from the present library to Tanjung Aru. 

Daily Express

Wednesday 24^th August 2011

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