Sarpay Beikman (Yangon)

Location – Corner of Merchant Road and 37th Street, Kyauktada Township, Yangon

Built in – 1947 (72 years)

4 story building with total floor area – 38690 sq. ft

Main Functions – Library, Bookshop, Publishing House, and Office

 Editorial Department
Third Floor
 Administration Office
 Publishing House
Second Floor  Translation Association Office
 Multipurpose Hall
 Public Library
 E – Library
First Floor
 Reference Section
 Reading Room
 Bookshop
Ground Floor  Book storage and offices
 Children’s Library

Background History of the Library

In addressing the conference on 1947 Sorrento Villa Plan, Bogyoke Aung San urged that a
translation society should be established to translate and publish useful books suitable for the
people. As a result, the Burmese Translation Society was established on 26th August, 1947. It was
renamed as Sarpay Beikman in May.1948. Its first president was prime minister U Nu. The Sarpay
Beikman Public Library is one of the branches of the Sarpay Beikman and was opened on 13th
March.1956. The Children’s Library and Electronic Library were opened on 1st October,2001.

Analysis on Functional Study

(a) Spatial Organization: Main Functions

Children’s library is located on ground floor as part of the main library.

Total Floor Area – 1200 sq. ft + 276 sq. ft = 1476 sq. ft

Stack system - Open stack, Open access system

Main functions – Reading area, Activities area, Stack area, Admin

Total No. of books – Myanmar books (2343), English books (2017)

Book Genre Number

Journals 260
Story Books 750
Myanmar Essay Books 387
Chapter Books 356
Picture Story Books 850
Concept Books 352
English Books 1665
Total 4620

Programs and Activities – Coloring and Craft activities, Story Telling, Play activities

(b) Space Utilization: Circulation & Spatial Arrangement

 Simple arrangement with reading area in the middle and stacks around the perimeter

(c) Lighting, Ventilation, Air circulation: Weather Protection

 High openings on exterior wall of east and west sides give natural lighting
 Suspended fluorescent lights on plain level ceiling also gives artificial lighting for interior
space
 Ventilation is not good enough and air circulation is not sufficient if there are many users
at the same time since windows are closed
  Since the planning layout is bookshelves around the perimeter and reading space in the
center, openings are not functioned for views
 Mechanical ventilation – 3 air-cons (split type) within windows and 1 standing air cooler
at the corner

(d) Awareness of user needs – Space Sensation

 Although library is targeted for under 12 years old children, no specific spaces for different
age groups and users
 No articulation within a space for different functions (different kinds of spaces are not
defined with floor finishes and wall finishes)
 Activities area (coloring and play corner) is so small that insufficient for many children
 Reading area is not comfortable and suitable for children with normal adult size furniture
(lack of children’s furniture)
 Colors play important role in children’s library to improve and reinforce the child’s
curiosity and interest, but there is no color usage inside the library
 Lack of design and considerations for child’s behavior and psychology
 Books genre are not so many in varieties and for different age groups

(e) Experience within the space

 Simple and clean and easy to understand the space layout since it is open hall type plan
 Lack of intimacy for users, there is no internal space organization
 For wall treatment, there are many posters with various sizes (no unity in layout design)
 Walls – use only one color (green), lack of dynamic effect for users
 For spatial continuity, there is only one main entrance (5ft. wide) on west side (37th street),
one entrance from book shop on the north side internal wall
 Two tall structural columns without articulation in the middle of the space creates visual
disturbance
  Since the reading area is in the center and away from openings, users cannot have visual
continuity with exterior (no views)
 Gives a feeling of reading in a boring, monotonic enclosed space with bookshelves along
the perimeter of the walls

Analysis on Aesthetics Study

Interior

 Stable expression, lack of dominant and colors and textures, so boring for children
 No unity and visual continuity between interior and exterior spaces (cannot feel or see the
interior spaces from outside)

Exterior

 Uneasy to find the entrance, gives an expression of unwelcoming and dynamic feelings for
children
 Does not give the expressiveness in character of a children’s library

Analysis on Structural Study

Building Type – Four-story RC

Structural System – Column and Beam

Wall – Brick walling

Floor – Concrete floor with Linoleum

Ceiling – Plain level ceiling, Plastering (White) , high ceiling (approx..15 ft) to give spacious
feeling within a small space

Window – Glass with metal frame

Stair – Concrete stair (Terrazzo Finishing)

Children’s Library Memberships and Payments System

 Target user – under 12 age children

 Members can only borrow books. Free of charges for users who read at the library.
 Members must be one who live in the area of Yangon City Development.
 To get borrower’s card (membership card), one true copy of National Registration Card
with two license photos are required together with user’s phone number and address.
 Total no. of members – 161 no.
 Two types of memberships – special and ordinary

Special Member Ordinary Member

Admission Fees 1000 1000
Annual Fees 1000 1000
2 books can be borrowed for Only 1 book can be borrowed
Benefits
10 days for 7 days
50 kyats per book for one day 50 kyats in fine for one day
Overdue fees
overdue overdue

Library opening hours – 10:00 am to 4:00 am (from Monday to Friday)

(Loan counter closed at 3:00 am)

Maximum no. of user – about 30 users in summer holidays when schools are closed, about 10 users
in school opening time (daily)

Most users are primary school children of age