Press Release: SEAQIL, SEAQIS, and SEAMEO CECCEP Support the Creation of Digital Libraries
Libraries as information centers need to develop following technology in order to remain a window to the world. SEAQIL, SEAQIS, and SEAMEO CECCEP received assistance from the National Library of the Republic of Indonesia and the Library of the Ministry of Education and Culture of the Republic of Indonesia for the creation of a digital library.
SEAMEO QITEP in Language (SEAQIL) held a digital library development workshop to improve institutional functions and services on 16-17 March 2021 offline at SEAMEO QITEP in Language. This workshop is a follow-up collaboration with the Library of the University of Education of Indonesia and is also part of improving the competence of library management in SEAQIL, SEAQIS, and SEAMEO CECCEP. During the workshop, Reza Putra Hariwantyo from the National Library of Indonesia and Chaidir Amir along with a team from the Library of the Ministry of Education and Culture of the Republic of Indonesia attended to provide assistance in the creation of a digital library.
Dr. Misbah Fikrianto, Deputy Director of Administration SEAQIL, in his opening explained the current need for fast, precise, and accurate information, "The demands of the Industrial Revolution 4.0, which were previously based on hardcopy, have all turned into services that are paperless or digital in nature." This was then followed up through this workshop as an effort to realize the library, as a media for disseminating and storing information, into a digital or e-library which has actually been developed 15-20 years ago by various parties.
Furthermore, Reza Putra Hariwantyo, a resource person from the National Library of Indonesia, added that libraries have a role as a medium for knowledge transfer in the 21st century. Libraries also follow technological developments in terms of improving operations, providing services, and equitable distribution of library availability. Reza added that the National Library of the Republic of Indonesia has at least six functions, namely (1) the library as a supervisor; (2) library as reference, (3) library as research, (4) library as deposit, (5) library network center; and (6) libraries as conservation.
Literacy as a support for life skills that can increase the economic value of the Indonesian people has an important role and needs to be supported by various parties. Therefore, digital library management is a relevant matter that should be prioritized. Through assistance from the National Library of Indonesia and the Library of the Ministry of Education and Culture of the Republic of Indonesia, the programs or activities of the three SEAMEO Centers related to open sources of learning or library management are expected to be more synergistic. At the end of the workshop, the enthusiasm to develop the existing library system was expected to be sustainable.
