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Head of the national library, Syarif Bando in South Sumatra - 

The National Library (Perpusnas) synergizes with the Regional Government, both Provinces and Regencies/Cities throughout South Sumatra in an effort to increase the community literacy development index (IPLM) and the level of reading fondness for the people of South Sumatra (Sumsel).

Head of the South Sumatra Provincial Library Service, Fitriani, stated that IPLM and the level of interest in reading in the province will increase in 2021, compared to 2020. He explained that this was the result of the work of the local government supported by the National Library of Indonesia.

"From 13.63 in 2020, in 2021 it has increased to 14.57. The level of fondness for reading has increased from 52.38 percent to 55.84 percent," he said in an audience at the National Library Service Facility Building, Jl. Medan Merdeka Selatan No. 11, Central Jakarta, on Thursday (10/2/2022).

On this occasion, the Head of the National Library of Indonesia, Muhammad Syarif Bando, and his staff received a visit from the Regency/City Literacy Fathers/Mothers in South Sumatra and the Paser Regency Government of East Kalimantan.

The visit of Mr./Mrs. Literacy to regencies/cities throughout South Sumatra was led by the Chair of the South Sumatra Province PKK Mobilization Team, Febrita Herman Deru, Head of the South Sumatra Library Service, Fitriana, and the Literacy Ambassador of South Sumatra Province, Ratu Tenny Leriva Herman Deru. Meanwhile, the Paser Regency Government is led by the Regent of Paser, Fahmi Fadli.

Fitriana explained that the hearing was a follow-up to the direction from the Governor of South Sumatra in the 2021 South Sumatra Literacy Festival. It was stated that the audience would add insight and knowledge about libraries, especially about literacy. South Sumatra has 17 regencies/cities. He hopes that the National Library of Indonesia can provide support in the form of assistance in improving the quality of the library.

South Sumatra Literacy Ambassador, Ratu Tenny Leriva, explained that various programs will be implemented in an effort to increase the literacy index and the level of liking for reading throughout this year. These programs include the Digital Reading Corner at MONPERA and the Reading Corner at PS MAll Palembang, Launching of free Sign Language Training, Literacy road shows, workshops and talk shows, as well as book donations for the community. "We hope that we can continue to synergize and also have full support from the National Library of Indonesia," said the woman who is familiarly called Iva.

Meanwhile, the Regent of Paser, said that after visiting the National Library, he got many new insights. He admits that his district is lagging behind in literacy development. "We feel that Paser is missing a lot," he said.

His party seeks to improve the quality of literacy and libraries in Paser. Therefore, he hopes to get assistance from the National Library in the form of assistance for library transformation based on social inclusion, digital reading corners, and special physical allocation funds for library development.

"We hope that the Head of the National Library of Indonesia can grant our request, because we want to catch up with us in literacy development in Paser Regency," he explained.

In his speech, Syarif Bando explained that the National Library supports efforts to improve the quality of human resources (HR). "I am morally assigned as the head of a non-ministerial institution that is directly responsible to the President, to explain the importance of reading in supporting the government's 2020-2024 RPJMN (National Medium-Term Development Plan), especially for improving the quality of human resources," he said.

According to a release received by Voice of Indonesia on Thursday (10/02/22) Syarif Bando described, at this time, society is entering the era of technology with very fast changes. Along with this, the library must also make a paradigm shift where its function is 10 percent for collection management, 20 percent for knowledge management, and 70 percent for knowledge transfer.

"If this is not done, people will have left the library for a long time. Libraries are no longer about books on shelves, but how can people who cannot get money be assisted so that they earn money with books of applied sciences," he explained.

Furthermore, Syarif Bando conveyed the importance of reading and literacy development in the constellation of global interests. Today's literacy can not only be interpreted as a basic ability to read and write. According to him, community literacy ability is the possession of knowledge and skills that can be implemented to create goods/services that can be used in global competition.

He emphasized that the depth of knowledge instilled in students is the cause of the quality of college graduates who have not been able to innovate to create competitive goods and services.

"This is the basis for the President (to say) there is no other way, other than making HR the key word for the 2020-2024 RPJMN," he said.

Therefore, increasing library accessibility as a knowledge transfer space needs to be done to accelerate the realization of superior human beings. "That is, humans who master science and technology, can create jobs, can reduce unemployment, can increase per capita income, and can increase the country's foreign exchange for welfare," he explained.

Responding to hopes and requests from the South Sumatra Province and Paser Regency, Syarif Bando expressed his commitment to providing mobile library car assistance, social inclusion-based library transformation assistance, and Digital Reading Corner for both regions. In this activity, the accreditation certificate was handed over to the Paser Regency Public Library//VOI