5 Public Libraries in Klang Valley That You Need to Know

In Klang Valley, there are several well-known public libraries, available to be accessed by the professionals and students. If you are looking for an alternative place to do your studies, assignments or study groups and wanting to have access to thousands of reading and research references, here are the 5 libraries in Klang Valley that you need to know and choose from.

1. Perpustakaan Negara

Perpustakaan Negara was established in 1956 — one year before the declaration of Independence.

Suiting to its title as ‘The National Library’, it was designed based on the concept of Malay’s traditional headgear called ‘Tengkolok’. This royal headgear is still worn today, especially by the Kings of states in Malaysia and Malay’s bridegrooms.

Perpustakaan Negara, which is located on Tun Razak Street, has more than four million collections of reading materials, ranging from printed books to newspapers to manuscripts and digital copies.

High-quality and historical materials

Perpustakaan Negara is very well known for its historical collections that dated back to the 1950s and 1960s. Besides, the library has an archive of old literature books, especially the Malay literature.

In this library, you may find many publications of Malaysia’s national poets and novelists such as:

• A. Samad Said
• Pak Sako
• Noordin Hassan

For foreign students or academicians, Perpustakaan Negara also provides a wide range of international materials such as:

• Harvard Collection
• ASEAN Collections
• United Nations Publications

Here is some additional information regarding the national library:

• Opened from Tuesday to Sunday, from 8am till 5pm
• Closed on Mondays and public holidays
• Provides free membership
• Members are allowed to borrow three books for three weeks

2. Perpustakaan Kuala Lumpur

Located in the heart of metropolitan city, Kuala Lumpur, this library is established specially for the KL citizens. Perpustakaan Kuala Lumpur, which was established in 1989, is located on Raja Street and is opened from Monday till Sunday.

The Special Corners

In this library, there are two interesting reading sections called the KL Corner and the Lincoln Corner.

• The KL Corner – This corner provides reading materials and photography of Kuala Lumpur. The purpose of such collections is to educate readers about the history and culture of the capital city of Malaysia.

• The Lincoln Corner – There is also a corner called Lincoln Corner which exhibits everything about the USA — its history, education system, business opportunities, cultures and travelling tips.

3. Perpustakaan Raja Tun Uda

This is one of the newest libraries in the Klang Valley. It is located in Seksyen 13, Shah Alam and developed with a concept of ‘library in a park’.

This RM70 million library is situated right next to the Royal Golf Club of Sultan Abdul Aziz and it is overlooking a beautiful lake and the famous Masjid Negeri, Shah Alam. With its state of the art interior designs and facilities, this library provides one of the best services in Malaysia!

The Children’s Creative Zone

This reading area is specially designed for the younger audiences. On the 1st floor in the library, kids may sit under the ‘Reading Tree’ or on the bean bags, reading children’s story books with their parents.

There is also a Children’s Activity Room where they can do bunch of educational stuffs such as attending the story-telling, colourings and art sessions held by the library’s team members.

Here are some of the high-end facilities provided in Perpustakaan Raja Tun Uda:

• Personal computers with free Wi-Fi connections
• 3D and 6D movie/theatre rooms
• Gymnasiums
• Cafeteria

4. Perpustakaan Komuniti Petaling Jaya

Formerly known as MPPJ Library, Perpustakaan Komuniti Petaling Jaya was established to cater the needs of the Petaling Jaya citizens. It started off as a book club and later gained the support of the Petaling Jaya City Council and finally, an initiative to start a community library was officiated in 1995.

Even though this is not a national or state library, it still provides a wide range of book collections. Some of them are:

• Encyclopaedias
• Compilations of STPM, SPM, PMR, UPSR exam papers
• Collections of seminar and workshops presentations

The WebOPAC System

In order to provide a quality service to their customers, the library has developed its own IT system called ‘The WebOPAC System’. Via the system, users may login to the library’s website and search for a particular textbook, novel, CDs, DVDs or research publications. They will then be informed about the location of that particular material in the library.

Besides than that, this 4-floor library also provides the following facilities:

• Reading corners
• Games corners
• Self-service kiosks for borrowings and returning books
• Cafeteria

5. Japan Foundation Library Kuala Lumpur (JFKL) Library

Japan Foundation Library of Kuala Lumpur (JFKL) resides inside the Japan Foundation office in Mid Valley city. Even though it is located inside a private office, it still opened to the public — members and non-members.

Just like any other libraries, JFKL also provides plethora collections of books, magazines, CDs/DVDs and other printed/non-printed materials.

Japanese Books Collection

For students who are doing a preparation programme before flying to Japan to further their studies, JFKL is the perfect place for you to read and learn more about the far-east country. Inside the library, you can find many Japanese books, dictionaries, encyclopaedias, newspapers, music, documentaries and films.
Here is some additional information regarding JFKL:

• Opened from Tuesday to Saturday from 10.30am till 6.30pm
• Members are allowed to borrow five books for two weeks
• Books can be returned during closed hours by dropping it at the Dropbox outside the office