Library's New Contract 2007-2008
Hi Everyone ,
it was already 1 year , now , we have more than 120 members (more than 40 active members and most of them are students).We organise one seminar last Feburary 2007 and some appericiate and some are shock as it was the first time in Bagan.
MOst of the friends ,people and some library from Yangon donate a books ...and now we have ± 2900 books ( novels, magazine , cartoon etc ).. well , this is quite enough for the readers.
Now , i just signed new contract 2007-2008 for library building ..
Lats year , it was only 250000 kyats ( ±250us$ ) per year and this year he ask 300000 kyats ( ±300us$ )per year and i cannot negotiate the price and he confirm that next year it will be more ..
So,until 2008 august , i can confirm you all that i have a place and i am not sure for 2008 , whether i can make a new contract or not...
Current place is good and well situated but no choice .. if i cannot find ( ±350us$ ) next year .. i oblige to move library to my home ( which is far and not convienient for the patrons )
so , any idea to keep it in current condition , welcome !
Thank you all , thuya
Good news for the childern ...we received more than 60 books from Biblionef ,Netherlands . Because of Biblionef , the childern from Bagan have a chance to enjoy the new colorful books. Thank you to Rosie , who send me a book and here is the website of Biblionef for more information. http://www.biblionef.org Thanks Don , for bringing this books from Bangkok to Yangon
Reference From -Bangkok Dazed
Books for Bagan
Bagan native Win Thuya decided that the youth of his hometown needed a place to study and have access to reading material. Even though he is now living in Yangon, where he works for the Gulliver Travels tour agency, Thuya found time to open the Kuthodaw Library late last year. Thanks to assistance from friends and his employer, Thuya was able to rent a vacant building, put in some bookshelves and tables, and stock a small selection of magazines and books.
During my recent trip to Myanmar I finally got the chance to meet Thuya. He dropped by my hotel in Yangon to pick up a bunch of books for the library; some that I had brought with me from Bangkok (mostly children’s titles), as well as another big bagful that local writer Ma Thanegi had donated. Thuya is an earnest, thoughtful young man who is dedicated to this library project. He admits to getting discouraged at times, lamenting that many young people in New Bagan only want to read fashion magazines or sports newspapers. Currently, Kuthodaw has over 30 members, but they are trying to encourage more local students to learn about and use the library. Eventually, they want to add computers for a proposed multimedia room. “I will not give up,” Thuya promises. A few days after I met Thuya I visited the library in New Bagan. It’s located just off the main road (on a side street, next to a teashop) near the town’s morning market. I went there one afternoon with two local boys I know; Tun Tun and Min Min. They had not been to the library yet, so this trip was enlightening for them as well as for me. The library doesn’t yet have electricity so they are only open during daylight hours. Thuya’s sister, along with a few other volunteers, help to run the library. They told me that most patrons visit on Sundays, when students don’t have to attend school. The library is just starting and they need more English language books in a variety of categories. Currently, most of the books are in Burmese and come from Thuya’s personal collection. If anyone is interested in donating books or money for the Kuthodaw Library project, you are welcome to contact Win Thuya directly, or drop off books at my shop in Bangkok. You can find the link to the Kuthodaw Library website (which includes Thuya’s e-mail information) under the “Favorites” list on this page.
Our Library's first seminar 05 & 06 Feb 07
Around 12h30 , I take taxi with Ko Myint ( from sapaylawka book shop ) to go pick up the writers.
First, we go find Saya Khin Maung Toe then Saya KYaw Win and Saya Pe Myint.. Our bus departs from
Arrive at Bagan 06h00 , my friends come and find us . we drive to Mya Thida Guest house . All writers stay there and i go see my family.Then , i go fetch up writers and we start the visit with library then in old Bagan. SARABAR GATE II restaurant invite us for lunch . WE come back to guest house after lunch. I left them at Guest house around 13h30. i have to go and help my friends at City hall who prepare for this evening.
At 17h50 , all is ready and set .i am so exciting …i see nobody in the hall , the writers arrive but i have no audience .
I don’t know how i have to do..but after a few minutes , Group of students arrive then people come like a school of fish You cannot imagine how happy I am , I am very pleased with what I have done.
We start the talk till 22h20. First, Saya Khin Maung Toe , he talks about his life and some joke to keep audience enjoy the talk because second person ( Saya Kyaw Win) supposes to talk /introduce “ THE WORLD IS FLAT” by Thomas L Friedman..people get shock and some don’t understand ( personally , I like it because I think that they should know it) then Saya PE Myint talk some short story from Chicken soup for soul by Jack Canfield . Children and student appreciate it a lot.
Unfortunately, I cannot stay at Bagan for professional reason and I have to fly back to
Wednesday 07 February 2007 , they ( writers) fly back to Yangon , I go find them at airport and send them back to their home and they said second night is much better as the know more about what the audience want.
I would like to say thank you to the audience coming to seminar, the writers and all my friends from Bagan. i will try again in next year 2008 !
Invitation to seminar, 05 & 06 Feb 2007 at Kuthodaw library
FIRST TIME IN BAGAN
Invitation to seminar/conference
By
Writers from
Saya PeMyint , Saya KyawWIn & Saya Khin Maung Toe (Moe MEik )
Topic- Benefit of Reading & How to be successful in life
Date and time
05 Feb 2007, Monday @ 18h00 onward
06 Feb 2000 , Tuesday @ 18h00 onward
Place
City Hall , Myole Pagoda, New Bagan
We, Kuthodaw library have the pleasure of inviting you to attend a best practice seminar on 05-06 Feburary2007 at city hall ( Myole pagoda) , New Bagan
The seminar aims at promoting the reading habit.
We are looking forward to meeting you at the seminar, which we hope will provide an excellent opportunity to meet and exchange experiences.
More information about the event and library are available at
http://kuthodaw-library-bagan.blogspot.com/
Contact person, Bagan:
Ko Nge , Ma Phyo
North wing of Central Pagoda
New Bagan
Email- nanopost@mail4u.com.mm
Thuya , Yangon : wthuya@gmail.com
Kuthodaw Libray was open to the public at 10aug06
This is the old building where i rent to open library .
House Owner will clean and make it proper before we make a contract.
For the moment , we agree to rent it for 5 years and one year payment will be settled when the contract is signed. Mr.Herve Flejo from Gulliver Travels contribute the renting charges for this first year ( one year from August 2006 ).
This is the most proper and easy accessible place for everyone .it was just at the coner of market and middle of the village, surrounded with some teashop where most of the young pass their time
with a lot of courage from all my friends and under the remark of ‘no objection' from local authorities’.
At opening we have no electricity yet, we have only 2 long tables a bench as library own material. We had a round 800 books (500 novels, and 300 journals & magazine) all is in Burmese. Local friends donate 2 book shelves.
I have 2 library staff; we open daily except Monday .from 09h00 to 17h00
I collect some books, journals & magazine from all possible sources.
In the first week of September, we will have electricity at library.
My idea is to have media room, computer room etc, I have enough space but not enough finance yet. I will do in coming season.
Kuthodaw Library,Bagan
Kuthodaw Library,Bagan
Non profit , Non Gouvernment Organisation.
To distribute the books, journal, news paper-To practice and encourage the reading habit.-To be a source where public can access easily for learning & knowledge.
Why we named Kuthodaw :
The large walled complex of pagodas situated at the base of the southeast stairway to Mandalay Hill and was built by King Mindon in 1857. The Royal Pagoda popularly known as the Kuthodaw, was given the official title Maha Lawka Marazein. It was modelled on the Shwezigon Pagoda of Bagan. This pagoda is often called "the largest library in the world" because it is surrounded by 729 small stupas each protecting a marble stone slab inscription, a total 729 inscriptions comprising the whole of the Buddhist canon, the Tipitaka as checked and approved by the Fifth Great Synod which King Mindon convened to mark the 2400 years of the Buddhist Era. This unique collection is often consulted by Buddhist scholars from all over the world.
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Who I am ?
My name is thuya and I am from BAGAN . in 1996 , when I finished basic education , I start working at hotel as receptionist in bagan and in 2000 I left my native village and come to Yangon to discover more …Yangon is the Capital of Myanmar , where you can see all good & bad things. When I arrive Yangon , first I go to Alliance Francaise to study French and the same time , I attend some English speaking class and visit some libraries ( British council , American centre , University Library ) when I have free time . AT present , I am working at French Travel agency call Gulliver Travels and still learning French and English and travel in my country when I have a chance and trying to do something good for my friends , new generations from BAGAN , because simply I love BAGAN .
Why ?
THIS TIMES ( 1996-2000) , you have NO PLACE TO LEARN AND POLISH YOUR KNOWLEDGE in bagan . In Yangon , I see a lot of youth who spend their time at library and learning vigorously … I feel pity for my friends who was still in Bagan and spend their time at local tea shop (waste) as they have no facilities to learn or extend their knowledge. Since this time, I am thinking to found the library in my place for youth, public & students. We have no library since ever.
How ?
First is to register the library,to set up some organization Non government or whatever , is not easy in Myanmar .They ask me to organize with somebody from USDA on the top of the organization and control all books not to be misguided on the junta So , I prefer to stay outside of this story and try to make small book shop and distribute all sort of books (from YANGON) under the name of IRRAWADDY BOOK SHOP and I am ready to transform it to library as soon as I have a chance.
Who is inside? What I need?
For the organization, I will base in Yangon to find fund/ contact for the library and do some miscellaneous. One of the teachers from BEHS (basic Education High school) will take care about the management of the library and organization of some events from time to time when we have a chance. Mr.Herve Flejo (Gulliver Travels) will be main sponsor for our library. But, we still need some contributor / donor to keep run this Library for ever.
Project or Promise.
To distribute the books, journal, news paper
To practice and encourage the reading habit.
To be a source where public can access easily for learning & knowledge.
To make formal educational information more accessible to youth.To organize symposium / conference as much as possible
To organize summer class (English speaking class, computer basic and some supplement course for who working in tourist Industry etc)
To create a well-informed linkage among youth of different professions.To extend the library with multimedia equipments as soon as we have enough courage
To sponsor the education for some orphanage ( co-operations with local women affairs association )
Contact :
For further information on this project :
You can contact to me ( win thuya ) – wthuya@gmail.com
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