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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