VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Indonesian Reading Ambassador explains the importance of books in the Indonesian Reading Ambassador's literacy safari event in Bangka Belitung on Thursday October 31st 2024. (Photo : Perpusnas) - 

VOInews, Bangka Belitung : Books can provoke new thoughts and ideas so that people can continue to innovate. The Empowered Reading Ambassadors with Books program invites new writers to document all regional potential in book form so that it can become shared knowledge.

"In addition to adding intellectual products in the form of reading materials, the works of new writers with rich regional cultural content can also be published and disseminated by the National Library," said National Library Main Librarian Nelwaty at the Indonesian Reading Ambassador's literacy safari activity in Pangkalpinang City, Thursday (31/ 10/2024).

Indonesia still faces the problem of an adequate collection of reading materials for its population and unequal access to them. This is of course a shared responsibility. So, it is time for both central and regional governments to synergize and collaborate to meet these needs.

“The National Library cannot work alone. "We hope that regions can replicate similar programs by empowering the role of literacy mothers and regional reading ambassadors," said Nelwaty.

UNESCO requires that the amount of reading material available in society be twice as large as the population. Meanwhile, the current conditions in Indonesia based on the results of the National Library's Community Literacy Development Index (IPLM) study in 2023 are still at a ratio of 1: 11. This means that one book is read by 11 people.

This condition is further exacerbated by the results of research by a national economic institution which states that the majority of Indonesian people who have completed their education are not yet able to understand the content of reading materials that can be useful in their daily lives, including in work matters.

"In fact, a country is called advanced if its population has a reading culture," said the Head of the Development and Development Division of the Babel Library, Abu Hapas.

Local wisdom is a source of strength when you want to write local cultural content, cultural heritage, local advice and traditions. In this way, the community can be involved in preserving and maintaining the authenticity of the region and enriching knowledge.

"Local wisdom is a characteristic of ethics and cultural values ​​in local communities that is passed down from generation to generation," said writer Rusmin Sopian.

Meanwhile, one of the teams from the Pangkalpinang City literacy drive, Rico Ariputa, explained that currently the development of local content is targeting and focusing on the younger generation.

He admitted that his party is currently intensifying efforts to save regional languages ​​by implementing local content in teaching and learning activities in schools.

"We have designed a number of good practices for developing literacy, such as building reading habits from an early age, providing quality reading books, fostering a love of regional languages ​​and providing a literacy-friendly environment," explained Rico//VOI