VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

The memorandum of understanding (MoU) signing between Perpusnas and PWI - 

The National Library of the Republic of Indonesia (Perpusnas) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Indonesian Journalists Association (PWI) at the peak of the 2023 National Press Day (HPN) commemoration in Medan, on Thursday (10/2/2023). Head of National Library, Muhammad Syarif Bando, stated that this collaboration would bring progress for both parties.

"PWI and the National Library are civilization management institutions that have been recorded in the long history of the world. We hope that in the midst of an information explosion, media people will get quality references from libraries and vice versa, media people's products, both in the form of online and print media," he explained.

The Head of National Library of Indonesia explained, the library will increasingly get intellectual works produced by higher quality media people for community development in the future.
"This MoU will build synergy towards quality collaboration and presentation of information that is accountable, transparent and credible," he said.

The memorandum of understanding between National Library and PWI aims to improve institutional relations in the implementation of information dissemination to strengthen community literacy. "National Library and the press must inform the public about the importance of literacy. Because science supports the creation of technological developments. The technology can be obtained from reading books. This proves and explains how expensive science is,” he said.

In its implementation, the scope of this memorandum of understanding covers the development and utilization of library information sources, development and utilization of library resources, human resource development, optimization of publications and dissemination of information about libraries and literacy, as well as other activities agreed upon between National Library of Indonesia and PWI.

According to a release received by Voice of Indonesia on Friday (10/02/23), the party that signed the PWI was the Chairman of the Central PWI, Atal S Depari. The signing was carried out in the presence of the President of the Republic of Indonesia, Joko Widodo, who gave a speech at the peak of the 2023 HPN commemoration.

The President at the HPN 2023 peak event with the theme 'Free Press, Dignified Democracy' said that the main role of the media is now increasingly important to amplify the truth and reveal facts, especially in the midst of post truth, post fact and post truth ferocity. The mainstream media is expected to be able to maintain and maintain its mission to seek the truth, search the truth, and build optimism.

The President also reminded the press about responsible reporting. According to him, the press is free and reporting can be done by anyone. "We are less free now, the press has covered all information media that can appear in digital form. Everyone is free to make news and freely. Now this is the main problem, in my opinion, making responsible reporting, because society is flooded with news from social media. and other digital media," said the President.

The President's statement is in line with the intent and purpose of the memorandum of understanding with National Library-PWI, in which the library as a trusted source of information can be a reference for journalists in presenting valid and true news to the public.

On the other hand, PWI through its media network and journalists also have an obligation to optimize the publication and dissemination of information about libraries and literacy in order to educate the nation's life together with the news it produces.

National Library of Indonesia's important role was also stated by the Head of the Editor-in-Chief Forum, Arifin Asydhad, that the main task of the media is to strengthen public literacy. "The mass media needs to collaborate with many parties related to literacy, one of which is the National Library. So I think the mass media and the National Library have the same vision and mission, so there needs to be good cooperation in the future," he explained//VOI