Head of National Library: Libraries Continue to Be Relevant for the Nation's Dignity

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Head of the National Library (Perpusnas) of the Republic of Indonesia, E. Aminudin Aziz, stated the importance of libraries’ relevance in the modern era to maintain the nation’s dignity.

In the national webinar “Nurturing the Library and Upholding the Nation” to commemorate National Book Day 2026, Aminudin posed fundamental questions about the position of libraries after 46 years of establishment, including whether libraries are still needed by society and remain a pillar of knowledge.

“The big question is, after 46 years of existence, are libraries truly still needed by society? Do they still serve as the mainstay of knowledge? Is it true that libraries embody the essence of knowledge repositories themselves?” said Aminudin in Jakarta on Tuesday.

He emphasised that libraries must not merely function as book storage facilities but should continue to play a role in safeguarding the nation’s dignity through the maintenance and utilisation of library resources.

According to Aminudin, efforts to nurture libraries require patience, effort, and continuously evolving thought to ensure libraries remain relevant to societal needs.

“Libraries exist for the nation’s dignity, serving as both a resolve and a challenge,” he stated.

He mentioned that there are five main targets of the forum: identifying the strategic role of libraries in national development, exploring the contributions of the publishing industry, examining government policy support, studying best practices from international networks, and strengthening research-based academic perspectives.

“Literacy issues cannot be resolved from a single viewpoint,” said Agus.

In the webinar, the relationship between libraries and the nation’s dignity was also discussed, including the contribution of books in nurturing the national cultural heritage to keep it alive and relevant for improving the quality of Indonesia’s future generations.