VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Gunungkidul Regency now has a representative service facility building. The construction of the new building was sourced from the physical special allocation fund (DAK) for the education sub-sector of the library worth Rp. 10 billion, which was disbursed by the central government.

According to a release received by Voice of Indonesia on Tuesday (25/01/22), Head of the National Library (RI), Muhammad Syarif Bando, said that the presence of the library is a manifestation of the central government's alignment in preparing basic service infrastructure.

In addition, this is an effort to accelerate the achievement of national targets in supporting the improvement of human resources (HR).

"This three-story building is a monumental event for Gunungkidul Regency, in accelerating the national agenda in order to improve the quality of human resources," said Syarif Bando, after inaugurating the Gunungkidul Regency Library Service Facility Building on Tuesday (25/1/2022).

Syarif Bando added, Indonesian people are still constrained by limited reading materials. This is based on the results of a study conducted by National Library in 34 Provinces and 220 Regencies/Cities in 2019. The study shows that 90 people are waiting for one book. Whereas the standard set by UNESCO, ideally, every person, there are three new books per year.

"Because of the IFLA manifesto, it mandates that the last seat for people who have dropped out of formal education is the library," he said. For this reason, his party encourages scientists and academics so that their knowledge can be poured into writing. Because society needs books of applied science.

"Here, we are the driving force to encourage people to believe that the transfer of knowledge, from theory and practice, is only one way, namelyreading," he continued.

Similarly, the Regent of Gunungkidul, Sunaryanta, acknowledged that literacy plays an important role in facing global developments. According to him, there is no creation of new technology without literacy.

"Literacy is very important, which in the end can provide people's welfare," he said.

With this library service facility building, Sunaryanta hopes that human resources in Gunungkidul Regency will be more advanced.

"Change will occur when we are not satisfied, and that dissatisfaction should be based on that literacy, so that future changes will be better," he hoped.

Meanwhile, Member of Commission X DPR RI, My Esti Wijayati, said that libraries have the support capacity to increase the Youth Development Index (IPP).

In 2020, the IPP nationally fell to 51.00. This is due to the Covid-19 pandemic which has an impact on one of the IPP domain sectors, namely the employment opportunity sector.

"In 2020 the national IPP fell, it was possible because at that time we were hit by the Covid-19 pandemic. Where work opportunities, workers in the company experienced a decrease in job opportunities, including being laid off," he said.

In fact, with human capital and the current pandemic situation, he continued, it has opened up space for job opportunities.

"Because the National Library and regional libraries have the carrying capacity to increase IPP, which is one of the key indicators of the success of our national development through increasing human resources," he continued.

My Esti gave an example, there are many young people who improve the economy by becoming YouTubers, as well as entrepreneurship by utilizing various spaces in the marketplace.

"I ask that there are spaces in the regional library by making activities that attract young people, such as book reviews on how to promote online media," he said.

The inauguration of this library service facility building was coupled with a Talkshow on Increasing the Community Literacy Index with the theme "Library Transformation to Create a National Digital Ecosystem", followed by the inauguration of the Literacy Mother of Gunungkidul Regency Diah Purwanti Sunaryanta for the period 2022-2024, and the inauguration of 18 Literacy Mothers of Kapanewon (district) throughout the year. Gunungkidul Regency.

On the same occasion, a memorandum of understanding was also signed between the National Library of Indonesia and the Gunungkidul Regency Government, Yogyakarta State University, Gunung Kidul University (UGK), and the Yogyakarta Islamic College. (VOI-NK)