Jakarta - The National Library of Indonesia is to cooperate with the National Library of Australia by exchanging book collections, catalog notes and consultancy services, Indonesia`s chief librarian said.
"We have also cooperated in the same way with the national libraries of the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, the United States and Singapore," National Library of Indonesia head Dady P Rachmananta said after signing a memorandum of understanding on the cooperation here Tuesday.
He said, the national library was unable to collect all books published throughout the world , so it had to cooperate with the natinal libraries of other countries.
Dady said, the cooperation would benefit the National Library as it would thereby be able to collect various books published in Australia as well as in all regions in Indonesia.
Although Law No 4/1990 on printed and recorded publications required publishers to submit two copies of each book to the national library, the regulation was since the adoption of regional often violated, he said.
Under the cooperation with the National Library of Australia, the National Library of Indonesia would be enabled to collect books from all regions.
"The Australia library has the funds to travel to all regions in Indonesia and buy the books. Then, they would give one copy of each book they have bought to the National Library of Indonesia," Dady said.
Meanwhile, Deputy Director General of the National Library of Australia, Amelia McKenzie, said both libraries had been cooperating closely since 2004.
At the time, the Australian library helped libraries in Aceh to re-collect their books and provide reading material to refugees from the tsunami that hit the province in late December 2004.
McKenzie said, the National Library of Australia had the largest collection of books in the Indonesian language as it was receiving some 4,000 Indonesian books every year.
Source: www.antara.co.id (7 Mei 2008)