Pustaka Negeri Sarawak
Pustaka Negeri Sarawak is the statutory state library of Sarawak, Malaysia, providing free library, archival, and community knowledge programs to the public through campuses in Kuching, Miri, Sibu, and a statewide mobile outreach network, funded by the Sarawak State Government.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1999
- HeadquartersKuching, Sarawak, Malaysia
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Pustaka Negeri Sarawak does
Pustaka Negeri Sarawak is the state library of Sarawak, Malaysia, established under the Sarawak State Library Ordinance 1999 and operating as a wholly state government-owned entity headquartered in Kuching. It functions as the primary public knowledge hub for Sarawak, providing free membership-based library services to citizens across physical campuses in Kuching (headquarters), Miri, and a Sibu campus launched in October 2020, supplemented by the State Records Repository in Kuching for archival storage and a mobile outreach programme serving schools, government agencies, rural villages, and institutions of higher learning.
Its core technology is a hybrid library system combining physical collections with digital resources. Built on the LibraryNet platform, the system delivers an Online Public Access Catalog (OPAC), a web-based Archival Records Management System (ARMS), the RECARS Records and Archives Reference Service exposing 7,741 archival records online, an e-KNOWBASE FAQ databank, an e-Booking facility reservation system, and the PANDei e-Learning platform for digital literacy and virtual reading programmes. Specialized facilities include a Makerspace featuring 3D printers (ULTIMAKER, ANYCUBIC, MAKERBOT), Arduino and Makey Makey kits, and robotics tools (mBot, AIRBLOCK), plus a Special Needs Room equipped with JAWS, Naturally Speaking, and a Computerized Braille Production System. The Pustaka Institute, formed 1 May 2022, manages statewide ICT infrastructure and knowledge management.
The business model is government-funded, not commercial: core lending, reference, and digital services are free to Malaysian citizens. Supplementary income streams include facility rentals (e.g., RM200–RM1,500/day for meeting rooms, auditorium, and Galeri; RM5–RM10/hour for discussion rooms), printing and photocopying at RM0.10–RM3.00 per page, book fines (capped at RM10), and inter-library loans at RM2 per request. Customers include the population at large, primary/secondary/tertiary students, government agencies, researchers, and special-needs groups. The organization is governed by a Board of Management chaired by Datuk Dr. Abang Haji Abdul Rauf bin Abang Haji Zen and holds ISO 9001:2015 certification plus IFLA and PPM memberships, positioning it as a credentialed, statutory state institution rather than a market-driven enterprise.
Pustaka Negeri Sarawak firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Pustaka Negeri Sarawak
- Legal name
- Pustaka Negeri Sarawak
- Website
- https://pustaka-sarawak.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1999
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Pustaka Negeri Sarawak is the statutory state library of Sarawak, Malaysia, providing free library, archival, and community knowledge programs to the public through campuses in Kuching, Miri, Sibu, and a statewide mobile outreach network, funded by the Sarawak State Government.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Pustaka Negeri Sarawak is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Kuching, Sarawak
- HQ country
- Malaysia
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices4 records
Markets served
Pustaka Negeri Sarawak business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Public Library Services: Free membership-based library services funded by the Sarawak State Government. Core services including lending, reference, digital access, and community programs are provided at no cost to citizens.
- Facility Rental: Rental of meeting rooms, conference rooms, auditorium, training rooms and other facilities to generate supplementary revenue.
- Printing and Photocopying Services: Charges for photocopying, printing, and scanning services (B&W and color) at nominal rates.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Monthly | Free membership for all |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Main Meeting Room - Kuching |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Auditorium - Kuching |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Galeri - Kuching |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Discussion Rooms - Kuching |
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Book Fine |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Inter Library Loan |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Photocopying/Printing (B&W) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Photocopying/Printing (Color) |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Pustaka Negeri Sarawak product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Pustaka Negeri Sarawak is the statutory state library of Sarawak, Malaysia, delivering free public library and information services to citizens across multiple physical campuses (Kuching headquarters, Miri, and Sibu) and digital platforms. It offers lending, reference, interlibrary loan, digital collections (OPAC, ARMS, RECARS, Electronic Databases, Sarawakiana Digital Collections), educational programs (Information Literacy Skills Programme, PANDei e-Learning, Makerspace), and specialized services (Children Infotheque, Special Needs Group Services, Selective Dissemination of Information). The organization also operates the State Records Repository (SRR) for government archival storage and preservation of Sarawak's documentary heritage.
Product overview
Pustaka Negeri Sarawak is a public library system operated by the Sarawak State Government, offering a unified platform of library and information services. The core product portfolio includes OPAC (Online Public Access Catalog) for library material discovery, ARMS (Archival Records Management System) for archival location services, RECARS (Records and Archives Reference Service) for state records research, e-KNOWBASE for FAQ knowledge management, e-Booking for facility reservations, and Electronic Databases for online research access. These are complemented by specialized services including a Makerspace with 3D printing and robotics equipment, Children Infotheque for young readers, Special Needs Group Services with assistive technologies, Information Literacy Skills Programme for user education, Outreach Programme for community engagement, and the PANDei e-Learning platform for digital education. The system operates from multiple campuses in Kuching (main), Sibu, and Miri, with the State Records Repository providing archival storage. Pustaka Institute handles ICT infrastructure and knowledge management across the statewide library network.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- OPAC (Online Public Access Catalog)
Quantifiable outcome
- 56 hours per week of service availability at main library
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Pustaka Negeri Sarawak
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Pustaka Negeri Sarawak technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Pustaka Negeri Sarawak partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Sarawak Data (data.sarawak.gov.my)minorPartnership with Sarawak State Government's open data initiative, providing access to government data through Pustaka's digital platform
- Digital Community CentreminorCollaboration with Digital Community Centre (SWKDCC) to promote digital literacy and community digital access
- LibraryNetcoreTechnology partner providing library management system (LibraryNet) for OPAC, member management, and circulation services
- Malaysian Libraries NetworkcoreInter-library loan and resource sharing partnership with Malaysian libraries network enabling access to materials beyond Sarawak collections
- Arkib Negara Malaysia (National Archives Malaysia)coreStrategic partnership for knowledge sharing and best practices in archival and records management between state and national archives
- Jabatan Muzium SarawakminorPartnership with Sarawak Museum Department for heritage preservation and collaborative initiatives in documenting Sarawak's history and culture
- Majlis Perbandaran SibuminorCollaboration for Borneo Cultural Festival 2026, jointly organizing cultural programs at the Melanau/Melayu Pavilion
- UNIMAS (Universiti Malaysia Sarawak)minorAcademic partnership including digitization of paintings collection (72 items) and research collaboration on Sarawak heritage materials
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Pustaka Negeri Sarawak competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- British Library: United Kingdom national library offering hybrid digital-physical services, research collections, and international programs. Comparable scale of digital initiatives, archive management, and IFLA-aligned international engagement.
- Library of Congress: United States national library and the world's largest library, operating legal deposit, archival preservation, and large-scale digital services. Comparable legal deposit mandate and Sarawakiana-style regional heritage preservation.
- State Library of Queensland: Australian state library operating public lending, digital collections, archival services, and community programs. Comparable state-level mandate with heritage preservation, digitization programs, and free public access model.
- National Library Board Singapore (NLB): Singapore's national library network operating physical branches, digital services, and archives. Comparable hybrid library-services model with strong government backing, e-learning platforms, and digital transformation initiatives.
Others
- LibraryNet (Sirim/STI): Malaysian library management system provider that supplies Pustaka's OPAC, member management, and circulation platform. A core technology/infrastructure enabler for Pustaka's hybrid library services.
- Jabatan Muzium Sarawak (Sarawak Museum Department): Sarawak state museum department that is a strategic partner of Pustaka for heritage preservation and Sarawakiana collections. Adjacent cultural heritage steward operating in the same geographic and governmental context.
- Perpustakaan Awam Negeri (State Public Libraries Network Malaysia): Network of Malaysian state public libraries coordinated with Perpustakaan Negara Malaysia. Comparable state-level public library services and provides inter-library loan infrastructure that Pustaka participates in directly.
Direct peers
- Perpustakaan Negara Malaysia: National Library of Malaysia, the federal counterpart to Pustaka Negeri Sarawak. Operates similar public library and information services at the national level, sharing legal deposit functions, digital library platforms, and IFLA membership.
- Arkib Negara Malaysia: National Archives of Malaysia, a core strategic partner of Pustaka. Comparable in archival records management, government records preservation, and historical document stewardship, serving as the federal analogue to Pustaka's State Records Repository.
Regional players
- Sabah State Library (Perpustakaan Negeri Sabah): Malaysian state library serving Sabah with similar mandate and Borneo regional context. Comparable in scale, state government funding model, and focus on Borneo heritage collections and indigenous community services.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Pustaka Negeri Sarawak social profiles
Digital presencePustaka Negeri Sarawak compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Pustaka Negeri Sarawak financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Pustaka Negeri Sarawak leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles12 records
Pustaka Negeri Sarawak subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries3 records
Pustaka Negeri Sarawak funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Pustaka Negeri Sarawak M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Pustaka Negeri Sarawak
What does Pustaka Negeri Sarawak do?
Pustaka Negeri Sarawak is the statutory state library of Sarawak, Malaysia, delivering free public library and information services to citizens across multiple physical campuses (Kuching headquarters, Miri, and Sibu) and digital platforms. It offers lending, reference, interlibrary loan, digital collections (OPAC, ARMS, RECARS, Electronic Databases, Sarawakiana Digital Collections), educational programs (Information Literacy Skills Programme, PANDei e-Learning, Makerspace), and specialized services (Children Infotheque, Special Needs Group Services, Selective Dissemination of Information). The organization also operates the State Records Repository (SRR) for government archival storage and preservation of Sarawak's documentary heritage.
Is Pustaka Negeri Sarawak a public or private company?
Pustaka Negeri Sarawak is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Pustaka Negeri Sarawak founded?
Pustaka Negeri Sarawak was founded in 1999. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Pustaka Negeri Sarawak based?
Pustaka Negeri Sarawak is headquartered in Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia, in the Asia region.
How does Pustaka Negeri Sarawak make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Public Library Services are the primary driver. The others are facility Rental and printing and Photocopying Services.
Who are Pustaka Negeri Sarawak's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are British Library, Library of Congress, State Library of Queensland and National Library Board Singapore (NLB). Others are LibraryNet (Sirim/STI), Jabatan Muzium Sarawak (Sarawak Museum Department) and Perpustakaan Awam Negeri (State Public Libraries Network Malaysia). Direct peers are Perpustakaan Negara Malaysia and Arkib Negara Malaysia. Sabah State Library (Perpustakaan Negeri Sabah) is listed as a regional player.
Does Pustaka Negeri Sarawak have an API?
No public API is recorded for Pustaka Negeri Sarawak.