Unique! In Pekijing Village, Serang, Every House Front Features Book Racks Tailored to Residents' Professions
Limited access to education in the outskirts of Serang City has sparked a unique literacy movement in Pekijing Village, Banten Province. Rather than building conventional library buildings, this movement places book racks directly on the porches of residents’ homes. This concept, known as ‘proactive literacy’ (jemput bola), is an effort to reduce the geographical and social barriers experienced by the local community.
The Pekijing Village librarian, Bayu Ibrahim, explained that the movement originated from concerns regarding the difficulty of accessing education in his area. To reach the nearest primary school, children in Pekijing must travel approximately 4 kilometres. The lack of public transport makes mobility difficult for residents.
“The nearest primary school is about 4 kilometres away and there is no transport. Only those with motorcycles can provide rides; those without must walk. It is very difficult,” Bayu said during an interview with Media Indonesia.
This situation became even more challenging during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021. Bayu and his colleagues then initiated ways to ensure the community could still access reading materials despite limited movement. Since 2021, they began building reading gardens, which eventually evolved into the Pekijing Literacy Village.
Book Rack System in Front of Houses
The main programme implemented in this village is the Family Book Rack. Through cooperation with the Serang City Library and Archives Office, every house in Pekting now has a book rack at the front. The book collections in these racks are specifically provided based on the profile of each household’s residents.
“Every house has a book rack in front. It contains at least four books tailored to the community’s profile. For example, if the residents are farmers, we provide books for farmers. If they are interested in automotive topics, we provide automotive books,” explained Bayu.
These books are not static; they are rotated or exchanged once a month so that residents receive new reading material regularly. Regarding the collection, Bayu noted that 60% of the books come from the Serang City Library and Archives Office, while the remaining 40% are self-funded by the community, visitors, and the general public through donations.
Bayu admitted that instilling a reading culture in his environment did not happen instantly. At the start of the book rack programme, many residents resisted. With an average education level of only primary or junior high school, books were not seen as a primary necessity.
“To be honest, when the book racks were first placed in every house, they were rejected. Residents said, ‘Why put them there? We won’t read them.’ We eventually replied, ‘Fine, don’t read them, just use them as decorations.’ We used that approach,” said Bayu.
The strategy of treating the book racks as “decorations” proved successful. Once the racks were installed and the collections were rotated monthly, residents gradually became curious. Over time, residents began actively asking for specific book titles from Bayu. This is how the reading interest in the Pekijing community began to grow slowly.
The existence of Pekijing Literacy Village has impacted the academic achievements of local children. According to parents, many children have now managed to rank within the top five in their respective schools since the literacy movement was promoted.
Furthermore, literacy has transformed the social behaviour of the residents. Pekijing, which was once a closed village resistant to outsiders, is now more open. Residents have become friendlier to guests and more selective in receiving information. Residents no longer mind when their walls are decorated with graffiti or when the community holds music concerts in the area.
“Previously, the community was very closed, especially since villagers still believed in mystical things. After literacy arrived, the community became more open. They can now distinguish between good and bad information,” added Bayu.
In addition to distributing books to homes, Bayu has developed other innovations, such as the Elderly Reading Corner, held every two months. This programme targets elderly residents who often feel lonely. Because many elderly people face vision impairments, this programme encourages intergenerational interaction, where grandchildren read books to their grandparents.
“The reason is that the elderly in Pekijing often feel lonely when alone; they need someone to talk to. Because their vision has started to blur, their grandchildren now read stories to them. This allows them to experience literacy as well,” explained Bayu.
PKijing Literacy Village also runs various other programmes, such as “Social Inclusion,” which transforms reading materials into skill training to increase residents’ income, and “Literacy Camping” as an innovation to make literacy feel closer and more enjoyable for all. For Bayu, the goal is simple: to make the community feel comfortable and have access to knowledge right at their doorstep.
The good practices implemented by Bayu and his community have gained the attention of the central government. The Head of the Language Development and Fostering Agency (Badan Bahasa) of the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, Hafidz Muksin, who visited Pekijing, expressed his support for this literacy model.
“We see that Pekijing Literacy Village demonstrates how a community can build a living and enjoyable literacy ecosystem. Children, parents, and the community come together in various activities that promote a culture of reading and creativity in their environment,” said Hafidz.
Hafidz assessed that Pekijing could serve as an inspiration for other regions in providing literacy spaces that are accessible, open, and friendly to the community.