Indonesia launches Ranggawarsita Library to expand cultural knowledge
“The library will continue to grow and become one of the main references for cultural studies, covering knowledge from the past, the present, and ongoing research for the future,” Culture Minister Fadli Zon said during the inauguration of the Ranggawarsita Library in Jakarta on Monday.
He said the library’s collections consist primarily of publications produced by the government.
“The collections include publications issued by the Ministry of Culture and its predecessor institutions, namely the former Ministry of Education and Culture, the former Ministry of Culture and Tourism, as well as cultural books published by various publishers in both physical and digital formats,” he said.
The library currently houses more than 14,000 physical books and nearly 6,000 digital titles.
“We will continue to digitize the intellectual property owned by the government or belonging to the Ministry of Culture so that the public can access it from anywhere,” the minister said.
According to the minister, the public can read physical books on site as references for research, dissertations, undergraduate and postgraduate theses, journalists, and writers seeking information on culture and cultural advancement.
“We will continue improving the collections through acquisitions, including publications produced by the Ministry of Culture and materials available at regional offices and cultural heritage preservation centers,” he said.
Additionally, the Head of the National Library of Indonesia, Endang Aminudin Aziz, said the institution had assigned a librarian to manage the newly inaugurated library.
He said the library had also been registered under the Library Identification Number system to support its operations and development.
“Libraries have now evolved far beyond their traditional role through what we call the social inclusion-based library transformation program,” Aminudin said.
Head of the National Archives of Indonesia Mego Pinandito said his institution would support the development of the Ranggawarsita Library by providing archival materials needed to enrich its collections.
“The National Archives will continue assisting in locating and tracing archival materials that may be needed to further develop this library in the future,” Mego said.
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Translator: Bayu Prasetyo