IKN National Mosque to House a Library
DIRECTORATE GENERAL of Guidance for the Islamic Community of the Ministry of Religious Affairs has teamed up with the National Library of Indonesia (Perpusnas) and the Nusantara Capital City Authority (OIKN) to prepare a library at the IKN National Mosque in the Nusantara Capital City. The collaboration is part of an effort to strengthen the mosque’s function beyond worship, turning it into a centre for literacy and the development of knowledge for the public.
Director of Islamic Affairs and Sharia Development, Arsad Hidayat, emphasised that cross-institutional collaboration is key to ensuring the library’s development proceeds in a targeted and sustainable manner. He said the library is an important part of reviving the reading tradition and Islamic studies within the mosque environment.
“The IKN National Mosque is expected not only to be a place of worship but also a space for learning for the community. Therefore, we have engaged Perpusnas and OIKN to prepare a literacy ecosystem, including a library that is accessible to the wider public,” Arsad said on Sunday (8 March).
He explained that the mosque library will later serve to strengthen religious literacy while providing an inclusive space for scholarly dialogue. Through a collection of books, Qur’anic manuscripts (mushaf), and various Islamic references, the public is expected to use the mosque to deepen their understanding of Islam while enriching knowledge.
Meanwhile, Nur Rahmawati, Head of the Sub-directorate for Islamic Library, said that the plan to establish the IKN National Mosque Library had been discussed with Perpusnas through a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) as the initial stage of technical assistance. “In that meeting, we outlined several initial needs, including recommendations for library furniture, a list of relevant book titles, and support for provision of around 1,000 Qur’anic manuscripts to support religious activities in the mosque,” she said.
Nur explained that Perpusnas will begin the mentoring by forming a special team tasked with overseeing the library’s establishment. The team will work with the Ministry of Religious Affairs and the OIKN to prepare aspects ranging from institutional arrangements and collection management to library facilities.
She added that the next stage is waiting for the issuance of the decision establishing the library along with its management structure to be set by the OIKN and the Ministry of Religious Affairs. The document will form the official basis for developing library services.
“Thereafter, they will present the initial state of the library, including its collections and facilities, so that the mentoring process can proceed more effectively,” she said.
She also added that Perpusnas would involve regional library offices in the mentoring process, including the East Kalimantan Provincial Library Service and the library services in Penajam Paser Utara Regency and Kutai Kartanegara Regency. “This collaboration is important so that the mosque library development does not stand alone but becomes part of a broader regional literacy ecosystem in the region,” she said.
In terms of facilities, the library space at the IKN National Mosque has already been prepared and some initial furniture is available. However, the Nusantara Capital City Authority is prioritising provision of main infrastructure to support Ramadan activities in 2026, so the library development will be carried out in phases.
The head of the Centre for Public and Special Library Development (PPUK) at Perpusnas RI, Nani Suryani, stressed Perpusnas’s commitment to guiding the library’s establishment. The mentoring will cover institutional aspects, collection management, and service development to ensure the library functions optimally.
“Perpusnas fully supports the development of the library at the IKN National Mosque. We will provide mentoring from the initial establishment stage through to strengthened management of the library to ensure it becomes a literacy space that benefits the community,” said Nani.