JOHOR BARU: Libraries are a cool place to hang out, literally. Besides, what better way to while away a scorching afternoon than by reading in the library?
Teacher Fatnin Mohd Razali, 37, and her family drove about 30km from Kulai to spend the afternoon at the main Johor Public Library Corporation (PPAJ) in Jalan Yahya Awal here before breaking their fast.
“We arrived around 3pm with our three young children to spend some time reading books and playing educational games on the computers.
“The weather outside is quite hot, so the library is a good place to cool off while doing something beneficial.
“We bring our children to the library about twice a month to instil reading habits in them,” she said.
Later, Fatnin and her family broke their fast at the Sultan Iskandar Mosque in Bandar Dato’ Onn before performing the tarawih prayers with their children.
Form Three students Muhammed Amir Iqram Adnan and Muhammad Hafidzuddin Abdul Faatir, both 15, also spent their afternoon at the library completing their homework and preparing for an upcoming test.
Muhammed Amir Iqram said they chose the library because of its quiet and conducive environment.
“There are many reference books and other resources available for us to use.
“My classmate Hafidzuddin is good at mathematics, so I asked him to tutor me while we prepare for our test,” he said.
After spending about three hours at the library, the friends stopped by a nearby Ramadan bazaar before heading home to break fast with their families.
PPAJ director Ungku Noorakmal Ungku Sulaiman welcomed the growing number of visitors, saying the library aims to serve as a community space for the public.
“We are happy that people have chosen to spend time at the library. It is increasingly seen as a community centre,” she said.
She added that the opening of the PetroSains PlayFarm in December last year has helped attract more families with children to the library.
“We are also expanding our outreach efforts through collaborations with external partners, including Southern University College, which will co-organise a reading picnic programme in April,” she said.
