Sarawak State Library, State library in Kuching, Malaysia
The Sarawak State Library (Pustaka Negeri Sarawak) stands in Petra Jaya, Kuching, within a park near the State Mosque. Its grounds hold a lake, public performance and exhibition areas, a playground, picnic spots, and cycling and walking paths lined with trees and shrubs.
In May 1993 David Jones, library building consultant of the State Library of New South Wales, discussed the project in Kuching with senior officers including State Secretary Hamid Bugo, and prepared a design brief approved by the State Cabinet on 23 June 1994. The Sarawak State Library Ordinance 1999 established the library; the main campus was officially opened on 31 December 1999 by Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud, and public services began on 2 January 2000.
The library's tagline changed over time: "Fountain and Reservoir of Knowledge" from 2000 to 2005, "Pustaka, Your Knowledge Partner" from 2006 to 2016, and "Read. Innovate. Excel" since 2017. It hosts events such as the Bookaroo Children's Literature Festival, Knowledge Camp, Makersmeet and Reading Seed, and it manages the 36 rural libraries in Sarawak funded by the National Library of Malaysia.
The library sits in a park in Petra Jaya beside the State Mosque and the Minaret Garden, with a lake, walking and cycling paths, a playground and picnic areas. It opens Monday to Friday 10am–7pm and weekends 9am–6pm, and is closed on public holidays.
The library's origins trace to May 1993, when Dr. David Jones, library building consultant of the State Library of New South Wales, visited Kuching and discussed plans with senior Sarawak Civil Service officers, among them State Secretary Tan Sri Datuk Amar Haji Hamid Bugo. His design brief, first drafted that year, was approved by the State Cabinet on 23 June 1994.
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