Miri Public Library

The Miri City Council Public Library or the Miri Public Library is managed by the Miri City Council to cater for the information needs of the users in Miri City and its sub-urban areas. The library is housed in the Miri Civic Centre.

History

Miri Public Library has grown from very modest beginnings to become an outstanding community resource. When it was established in 1958 at the Miri Community Hall, it had only one staff member and a few hundred books. It proved very popular, however, and in 1968 a new library was built at Setia Raja Road to cater for the rapidly growing demand. The new library opened with three staff and a collection of almost thirteen thousand items. Its membership was then 1,369, and in one year they borrowed an astonishing 38,140 items.

In mid 1989, Miri Public Library was relocated to the Miri Civic Centre. The improved accommodation breathed new life into the library service. Staff were able to raise the profile of the library, and public awareness and appreciation grew commensurately. Being in a more modern building also facilitated the introduction of more advanced library technology, culminating, in 2005, in the implementation of the integrated library management system, ANGKASA. Over the years, Miri Public Library has won awards for the high number of loans issued, and has often topped the library league table for membership and budget allocation. Four years running, from 2000 to 2003, it won the ‘Best Municipal Library in Sarawak’ award.

A branch library was established at Piasau Jaya estate in 1981 with two staff and an initial collection of 2,000 items. In its first year it had 423 registered members, issued 8,478 items and recorded 12,169 visitors. This library is very popular with students of nearby schools.

The branch library at Lutong was established in 1988 with two staff. It attracted 2,006 members and had 1,711 items in its collection. In 1989, its first full year of operation, it issued over six thousand loans. Its building was donated by the resources company, Petronas, and the local authority funded its conversion into a library. The library was provided with advanced ICT facilities under the fourth Universal Service Provision programme and offers free Internet access to Library members as well as to students of nearby schools.

Address and Contacts

Address		Contacts
___________________________________		___________________________________
Miri Public Library Level 2, Miri Civic Centre 98000 Miri Sarawak, Malaysia		Tel. 6-085-415395 Tel. 6-085-424984 Tel. 6-085-430020 Fax. 6-085-430057

Fast Facts

The library is on a single floor with a total area of 560 square meter.

* 2012 statistics

Number of Staff		Collections		Membership		Internet/Multimedia Facilities		Usage
14 staff xx library attendants		347,401 printed books		7,087 adults 12,094 children/minors		8 computers		142,115 book loans

Branch and Village Libraries

01) Lutong Public Library
02) Piasau Public Library
03) Taman Tunku Public Library
04) Bario Village Library