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TAKE a book, read it, and return it.
That’s the idea behind the Kuala Lumpur City Council (DBKL) book kiosk project, which aims to instill the habit of reading among the people of the city.
At least that is what Kuala Lumpur Mayor Datuk Nor Hisham Ahmad Dahlan hopes.
But sadly, several of these book kiosks were vandalized just two days after their installation.
Neither Hisham, though disappointed, said he was willing to give the people of the city a second chance so they could find the joy of reading once more.
“You can take the book home if you like. But bring it back.
“In fact, bring more books so that others have material to read,” Nor Hisham said, adding that the book kiosks would be placed in public parks, bus stops and commercial areas where there is foot traffic.
“The idea is that people take a book and read while waiting for the bus or having their coffee.
“You can take the book home, but we hope you get it back.”
One of the DBKL book kiosks that was vandalized shortly after its installation.
He said that parents, when they take their children to the park, can choose a book to read while the little ones have fun.
The mayor’s enthusiasm for the project is understandable, as not only is he an avid reader, but his time as a librarian at Universiti Teknologi Mara (UITM) in his 20s had laid the foundation for his love of books.
“I loved reading as a kid and my favorite books back then were Enid Blyton’s.
“It wasn’t easy getting Enid Blyton books unless you went to the library,” she said, adding that when she was young she had wished there were more libraries in her neighborhood.
This kiosk in Medan Tuanku has been claimed by a homeless person, who uses it to store his personal belongings.
So when Kuala Lumpur was named World Book Capital 2020 by UNESCO in 2018, the mayor saw the possibility of realizing his dream by having mini-libraries in the city.
“I saw a lot of them in Europe.
“There were a lot of bookstands everywhere and people used them,” he said.
With that idea in mind, DBKL, through the special infrastructure committee of its Project Implementation Department, worked on the installation of book kiosks in various parts of the city in an attempt to entice people to read.
The project, which was supposed to be ready to meet the launch of the Kuala Lumpur Book Capital of the World (KLWBC) 2020 on April 23, was postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
It was revived when the motion control order went into conditional phase.
Item reuse
The team involved in the project was tasked with sourcing old refrigerators and phone booths from landfills for reuse in book kiosks.
Mohd Fadzil (right) and Emilea at the book kiosk set up at the Menara 3 DBKL bus stop at Jalan Raja Abdullah in Kuala Lumpur. – Photos: LOW BOON TAT / The Star
The reuse of disused refrigerators and phone booths is popular in Europe.
“We never stop working despite the pandemic.
“Our creative team of architects was designing the kiosk despite the challenges faced,” said Deputy Director of DBKL’s Building Maintenance and Project Implementation Department, Mohd Fadzil Noh. “Our goal was to install 65 kiosks of various sizes in 19 locations and I am proud to say that on August 26 we were able to deliver the last kiosk.”
The project was divided into three phases, the first phase started last December and the third phase was completed last month.
Thirty architects from the department were given specific locations to design the kiosks.
“We decided to go for the areas that had the most foot traffic and were popular with tourists,” said Mohd Fadzil.
“Out of all the designs, we selected eight that we thought were suitable for our location and climate and put them in place,” he said.
The DBKL book committee identified 19 locations for the project and these were mostly the city’s heritage trails as well as the River of Life (RoL) areas, including Taman Tasik Titiwangsa, Taman Botani Perdana, selected buildings by DBKL, Kampung Baru, Chow Kit and Bukit Bintang. .
The kiosks were installed at Dataran DBKL, Jalan Ampang, Tiong Nam, Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, Jalan Bunus 6, Jalan Masjid India, Jalan Munshi Abdullah, Masjid Jamek, Sultan Abdul Samad Building, Jalan Ampang, Jalan Petaling, Jalan Panggung, MRT Pasar Seni, Dataran Medan Pasar, Jalan Cenderasari, and Jalan Sultan Hishamuddin.
The largest kiosk, 2 m high and 1.8 m long, was installed in Taman Tasik Titiwangsa.
“The challenge was to make it durable while minimizing cost, and of course it had to be aesthetically pleasing,” he said, adding that the total cost of the project was RM4,000, but the team managed to complete it below target.
Each kiosk comes with signage and lighting.
Those interested in donating books can drop them off at the Kuala Lumpur Library and DBKL Tower 3 at Jalan Raja Abdullah in the book drop container.
Beaten up by vandals
Just days after the first kiosk was installed in May, it became the target of vandals.
A repurposed fridge that was turned into a book kiosk at Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman caught the attention of children in the area.
The door was not long in breaking. The books were also gone.
A group of students using the book kiosk located in Jalan Tun Perak in the right way.
Several children were seen playing with the door handle and video about the incident revealed a child hiding inside the kiosk as apparently part of a game.
Meanwhile, Medan Tuanku’s book kiosk has been turned into a closet for a homeless man.
The books are not on display and the kiosk is used to store your clothes, shoes and other personal belongings.
At Taman Tasik Titwangsa, the book kiosk was vandalized with the hashtag sign removed and power cables ripped out.
In areas like Bukit Bintang and Kampung Baru, the acrylic doors of the kiosks were broken and the electrical cables were also pulled out.
Also, vandals have scribbled on newsstands.
At Menara Wawasan DBKL 3, the public is using the kiosk that is part of a bus stop to park their motorcycles.
“It is quite disappointing to see something so beautiful get destroyed,” said DBKL architect Emilea Norzarina Tajodin.
“Some of the bookstands were installed a day or two earlier and have already been vandalized.
“We are monitoring the kiosk, but we hoped the public would take over the kiosks and take care of them.”
The people of the city are appalled at the state of the newly installed bookstands and the vandalism committed against them.
“The concept of having books for everyone to read is a good one, but it seems like the bookstands were built at the wrong time.
“Many Malaysians still cannot appreciate this free service and use it wisely,” said Chi Zhau Han, a student from Segambut.
“It’s shocking to see this kind of behavior, especially in this age and age when people are supposed to be more enlightened,” said Veena Shastri, a Cheras medical student.
The owner of a cendol stall in Bukit Bintang, who calls himself Ah Boo, was happy to see a book kiosk near his stall.
“It was very nice to see people pass by, grab a book and sit down to read.
“But last week, I noticed that the books were missing and someone had ripped out the wiring for the lights and broken the acrylic door.
“I was so disappointed and angry at the selfish act of some people,” he said.
DBKL has given the project until next April to assess its viability.
“We cannot keep repairing kiosks and spending money unnecessarily,” Emilea said.
“So we hope that the community, sooner rather than later, will embrace the book kiosks as an asset to the city.
“How the public cares for it will determine whether DBKL will maintain and conserve the kiosks.
“We hope it becomes a permanent and memorable element in the city,” he added.
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