VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

The Head of National Library, Muhammad Syarif Bando officially open the the Magetan Regency Literacy Center Graha in Plaosan, Magetan, East Java, on Friday (12/17/ 2021) - 

National Library (NLI) R.I. is committed to providing a stimulus for local governments through the provision of the Special Allocation Fund (DAK) for the library sub-sector.

This is given to local governments to prepare basic public service infrastructure. This year, Magetan Regency, East Java Province, became one of the recipients of physical DAK assistance for the library sub-sector worth Rp. 10 billion. The funds were allocated to build the Magetan Regency Literacy Center Graha.

The Head of National Library, Muhammad Syarif Bando, welcomed the commitment of the Magetan Regency Government to facilitate community needs. "We appreciate the policy efforts of the district government and its ranks for its alignment with the community. The construction of this Literacy Center Graha is an inspiring thing," said Syarif Bando after inagurating the Magetan Regency Literacy Center Graha in Plaosan, Magetan, East Java, on Friday (12/17/ 2021).

He added, to take advantage of the Literacy Center Graha, the Magetan Regency Government needs to synergize and involve community components. "This is to ensure that Magetan Regency grows with new ideas and ideas, all of which knowledge is in the library," he continued.

On that occasion, Syarif Bando received a book written by the Regent of Magetan, Suprawoto, with the title Sewing Dreams of the People and Email Saka Jakarta. Syarif Bando hopes that the books can be digitized. In addition, various books with local content, such as the origin of Magetan, the potential of human and natural resources, history, culture, and tourism, are also expected to be digitized. In this way, these books can enrich the literacy treasures of the National Library of Indonesia.

"How powerful it would be if one digitized book would penetrate millions of human heads and grow millions of new human values," he said.

Meanwhile, Regent Suprawoto, said that the construction of the Literacy Center Graha was an effort to advance education, human resources, interest in reading, and literacy in a broad sense in Magetan Regency.

As a district that has a small APBD and does not have a university, Suprawoto said that it is difficult to bring in experts and professors in Magetan. According to him, it was just a dream.

"But that dream can come true because of the National Library of Indonesia. It is impossible for us to bring in experts, but people can access great works (books) in the library," he said.

This Literacy Center Graha will become a literacy center in a broad sense, not just reading and writing interests. This building can also be used by anyone, not limited to the people of Magetan.

Regent Suprawoto conveyed that easy access to the library is expected to produce great works. Moreover, the National Library of Indonesia has digitized more than 600,000 book titles, as well as the availability of scientific journals. "So we can write, learn from various knowledge here. There is no reason not to work because there is no access," he said.

In addition, the Literacy Center Graha can also be used as a literacy tour for students. According to him, tourism does not have to be interpreted with nature tourism. "We want to change that, that we can travel but provide added value. Children during school holidays can come here, then return from here, they can make short stories, poetry or geguritan," he explained.

The presence of the Literacy Center Graha is believed to have an impact on the people of Magetan Regency and inspire other regions. "I invite the public and literacy activists to take advantage of this place. Create a good program so that people can come to learn, and share knowledge. On behalf of the people of Magetan, I thank the National Library of Indonesia," he concluded.

Before inaugurating the Magetan Regency Literacy Center Graha, the Head of the National Library and the Magetan Regent visited the Digital Reading Corner (Pocadi) in Pasar Baru, Magetan, which was assisted by the National Library of Indonesia//VOI-NK