A story published at Bamboo Delight Magazine
(Minn) Myoh Minn Oo
Bamboo Delight library was opened together with Bamboo Delight Summer School in 2013. Founder Ma Pue Sue said “ I myself love books and am fond of reading so I have been gradually collecting books with the idea of opening a library later so that book-lovers like me can see and read many books in one place.”
“Another thing about opening a library is that I want to promote the reading ability of the children because I couldn't finish my studies in school so I had to rely on reading the books. Also, reading books has advantaged me, my family and my environment with ideas different from others. It let me do things that others in my age couldn’t do and it promoted my mindset and conscience with the ability to decide what is right and wrong. Knowing the advantages of reading, I wanted to open a library, hoping that both the kids who love reading and those who don’t, could read at my library, so I opened my own one.”
“In 2013, at the beginning there were only nearly 100 books. I kept the books in the cupboard in my house. When I told the foreigners who came to my house about how much I love reading and collecting, they donated some books to me. Thus, my library came into shape with over 100 books. Now, there are about four to five thousand books in the library. It has improved so much during 11 years. The books not only are bought monthly but also are donated by foreigners and local organizations.”
There are both English and Burmese books at the library. The library is placed on the upstairs of founder Ma Sue’s house. About 150 people regularly come to read at the library. Starting from 2020, because of the pandemic and the political situation, the number of people coming to read has reduced to about 100. The age of the people coming to read range from 6 to 60 years old. Surprisingly, there were also 60 year-old housewives who came to read. They would come to read when they are done with chores instead of using phones and others.
“I’ve been watching the progress since 2013 that the children’s ability to read has improved and they have become richer in knowledge. When the library initially opened, it was allowed to rent 3 books per person but later there have become many children and women who are really fond of reading so it was set up to rent 5 to 10 books per person. Genuine readers asked for the kind of books they want to read. This can be seen as a great change since the library opened. I tried to buy the books they asked for by all means,” said Sue.
The library is open regularly on Saturdays and Sundays. The library does not have an off day. As the library is at my house, the children who always come to my house can always read at the library. During the pandemic and coup, it wasn’t open regularly on weekends and the kids don’t go out of their homes anymore. However, I delivered the books to houses of the kids and my friends who wanted to read and did not want to stop reading. Moreover, I delivered the books to the foreigners in lock-down hotels and also to the prisoners at Nyaung Shwe prison after choosing the books they might want to read.
“Now I am really proud that Bamboo Delight Library has celebrated the 10th Anniversary, together with Bamboo Delight Summer school and Hand to Hand Charity on March 3 2023. I promise to keep trying for the continuation of the Bamboo Delight Library.”
Now my library is just one room above my house so I am hoping one day to build a one-storey or two-storey building for Bamboo Delight Library for sustainable impacts over literacy of children, youths, students, housewives and elderly people in my communities.
Current Facebook Page for Bamboo Delight Library
https://www.facebook.com/bamboodelightlibraryandsummerschool?mibextid=LQQJ4d
Old Facebook Page for Bamboo Delight Library
https://www.facebook.com/libraryandsummerschool?mibextid=LQQJ4d