Nongkrong Pintar di Taman Baca Kesiman

25 October 2023 | Destination

Perpustakaan kini tak lagi terkesan suram, dingin, dan membosankan. Di Taman Baca Kesiman, perpustakaan disajikan dengan cara kreatif, sehingga meningkatkan minat baca pengunjung.

Taman baca yang beralamat di Jalan Sedap Malam Nomor 234, Denpasar ini menjadi tempat nongkrong pintar berbagai kalangan, khususnya anak-anak muda. Taman baca yang baru berdiri 2014 ini lebih tepat disebut dapur buku karena didesain untuk tempat baca

buku sambil makan, minum, dan pertemuan atau sekadar tempat nongkrong komunitas.

Pengelola lebih memilih menyebut tempat ini sebagai dapur, bukan kafe supaya anggapan awal pengunjung tidak menyebut taman baca ini adalah restoran. Taman Baca Kesiman bukan tempat makan atau restoran umum, namun memang menyediakan dapur kecil dengan menu-menu sederhana yang bisa dipilih pengunjung yang tak ingin kelaparan di tengah keseruan membaca.

Pengunjung cukup merogoh kocek lima ribu rupiah untuk segelas kopi bali, teh hangat, atau wedang jahe. Seporsi kentang goreng dengan harga Rp 20 ribu atau salad kebun yang bahan bakunya diambil langsung dari kebun sekitar seharga Rp 15 ribu sudah bisa mengenyangkan perut.

Pengunjung Taman Baca Kesiman bebas membaca lebih dari 2.500 koleksi buku pribadi milik founder, Agung Alit dan Hani Duarsa. Misinya adalah menumbuhkan minat baca dan meningkatkan literasi masyarakat secara umum. Tempat ini buka pukul 10.00 WITA hingga 18.00 WITA.

Manager Program Taman Baca Kesiman, Gede Indra Pramana mengatakan taman baca ini menyediakan ruang baca indoor dua tingkat, ruang aktivitas, kebun, hingga lapangan hijau untuk olah raga. Tak heran jika Taman Baca Kesiman menjadi lokasi berbagai workshop, diskusi mahasiswa dan generasi muda yang fokus pada isu-isu sosial, diskusi buku, hingga tempat peluncuran buku.

“Kami mempunyai beberapa program reguler berbasis komunitas, seperti bincang sore, pemutaran film dan diskusi, hingga acara musik yang kami sebut berdendang,” kata Gede.

Aneka koleksi buku sejarah, sosial, politik, sastra, novel terjemahan, jurnal ilmiah, jurnal populer, dan buku-buku langka yang sulit dijumpai di pasaran ada di sini. Banyak buku berisi pemikiran dari penulis-penulis yang berada di luar arus utama.

Karya-karya penulis terkenal, seperti Pramoedya Ananta Toer, Noam Chomsky, dan Iran Ali Syariati berjejer rapi di rak-rak buku taman baca ini. Ada juga majalah, novel, hingga buku cerita anak menunggu dilahap pembaca.

Pengunjung bisa memilih sendiri tempat membacanya, di dalam ruangan, di kursi-kursi kayu di halaman, atau sambil tiduran di lapangan rumput yang berada persis di samping perpustakaan. Semua buku yang dipinjam sementara hanya boleh dibaca di tempat, tidak boleh dibawa pulang.

Minat baca rakyat Indonesia masih rendah. Data United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) menunjukkan persentase minat baca anak Indonesia hanya 0,01 persen. Ini berarti hanya satu orang dari 10 ribu anak di Indonesia yang senang membaca.

Taman Baca Kesiman hanya tempat kecil untuk wisata edukasi, sekaligus membangun peradaban generasi yang sadar baca. Mereka nantinya akan menghadapi arus perubahan zaman yang terus bergerak cepat.

Taman baca ini mengisi kekosongan idealisme dan realitas sempitnya ruang baca di Indonesia, khususnya Bali. Bagi Gede, Taman Baca Kesiman tak ubahnya seperti ‘kawan perubahan’ yang berkembang bersama generasi muda.

Pengelola Taman Baca Kesiman menerima sumbangan atau donasi buku dari masyarakat umum. Meski demikian, pengelola tetap memilah buku-buku sumbangan yang dinilai layak disimpan di taman baca tersebut.

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Clever Hangout at Taman Baca Kesiman

Libraries are no longer seen as gloomy, cold, and boring. At Taman Baca Kesiman, libraries are presented in a creative way, which increases the interest of visitors to read.

This library, located at Jalan Sedap Malam Nomor 234, Denpasar, has become a popular hangout for various groups, especially young people. This library, which was established in 2014, is more accurately called a book kitchen because it is designed as a place to read books while eating, drinking, meeting, or simply hanging out with a community.

The management prefers to call this place a kitchen, not a cafe, so that visitors do not initially think that this library is a restaurant. Taman Baca Kesiman is not a restaurant, but it does have a small kitchen with simple menus that visitors can choose from if they don't want to get hungry in the middle of reading.

Visitors only need to spend Rp 5,000 for a cup of Balinese coffee, hot tea, or ginger tea. A portion of french fries for Rp 20,000 or garden salad made with ingredients taken directly from the surrounding gardens for Rp 15,000 is enough to fill the stomach.

Visitors to Taman Baca Kesiman are free to read more than 2,500 personal book collections from the founders, Agung Alit and Hani Duarsa. The mission is to foster a love of reading and improve literacy in the community in general. The place is open from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM.

Taman Baca Kesiman Program Manager Gede Indra Pramana said that this library provides an indoor reading room with two levels, an activity room, a garden, and a green field for sports. It is no wonder that Taman Baca Kesiman has become a venue for various workshops, student and youth discussions that focus on social issues, book discussions, and book launches.

"We have several regular community-based programs, such as afternoon talks, film screenings and discussions, and musical events that we call berdendang," said Gede.

A variety of books on history, social issues, politics, literature, translated novels, scientific journals, popular journals, and rare books that are difficult to find on the market are available here. Many books contain the thoughts of writers who are outside the mainstream.

The works of famous authors, such as Pramoedya Ananta Toer, Noam Chomsky, and Iran Ali Syariati, are lined up neatly on the shelves of this library. There are also magazines, novels, and children's storybooks waiting to be devoured by readers.

Visitors can choose their own reading place, indoors, on wooden chairs in the courtyard, or while lying on the grass field that is located right next to the library. All books that are borrowed temporarily can only be read on the spot, not taken home.

The reading interest of the Indonesian people is still low. Data from the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) shows that the percentage of reading interest of Indonesian children is only 0.01 percent. This means that only one in 10,000 children in Indonesia enjoys reading.

Taman Baca Kesiman is just a small place for educational tourism, as well as building a civilization of a generation that is aware of reading. They will later face the current of changing times that are constantly moving fast.

This library fills the gap between idealism and the reality of the limited number of reading rooms in Indonesia, especially Bali. For Gede, Taman Baca Kesiman is like a "change buddy" that grows with the younger generation.

The management of Taman Baca Kesiman accepts donations or donations of books from the general public. However, the management still selects book donations that are deemed to be worth keeping in the library.

Source Images
- denpasarkota.go.id
- instagram.com/tamanbacakesiman
- Kompas/Hendra Setyawan