Danantara Library opens at National Museum of Indonesia

The Danantara Indonesia Trust, in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture and the Museum and Cultural Heritage department, has officially opened the Danantara Library at the National Museum of Indonesia in Jakarta. Designed as an ‘Open Access Knowledge Hub’, the facility serves as a public reading space and a center for research into Indonesian history and culture.

The library houses over 8,000 rare collections, including international and Indonesian cultural literature, ancient literary tales, and museum inventories. Notable items include colonial-era archives from the Bataviaasch Genootschap and the ancient manuscript Serat Centhini. The Ministry of Culture plans to add 30,000 more books to strengthen its role as a historical research hub.

Access to the library is free of charge, though visitors must pay the standard entrance fee for the National Museum of Indonesia. Due to the rarity of the collection, books cannot be borrowed and must be read on-site. Visitors are required to book a time slot in advance to ensure the preservation of the materials, with each session accommodating approximately 18 to 20 people for one-hour intervals.