National Library Revives Nation's Collective Memory Through Ancient Manuscript

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta – The National Library of the Republic of Indonesia reinforces its efforts to preserve and utilize the nation's documentary heritage through a series of activities themed "Caring for the Nation's Collective Memory," as cited in a written press release on Monday, September 21, 2026. This preservation goes beyond merely rescuing and storing ancient manuscripts, it is designed to unlock access to the knowledge, cultural values, and memory contained within them.

This series of ancient manuscript preservation activities comprises three main agendas: the media conversion of ancient manuscripts, the strengthening of the National Collective Memory Program (IKON) and its linkage with UNESCO's Memory of the World (MoW) program, and the presentation of national awards.

The entire event takes place from September 23 to 24, 2026, at the National Library Service Facility Building on Jalan Medan Merdeka Selatan No. 11, Central Jakarta. Head of the National Library, E. Aminudin Aziz, emphasized that ancient manuscripts form part of the nation's collective memory, whose physical existence alone is not enough to safeguard. The knowledge contained within these texts must also be revitalized to remain relevant and beneficial to modern society.

"The National Library's endeavor in caring for the nation's civilization must not stop at preservation alone, but must culminate in the utilization of these manuscripts. Consequently, the public can read them, enhance their knowledge, and reflect on past journeys as a foundation for moving forward," he stressed.

Beyond inventorying ancient manuscripts, the National Library also conducts conservation and preservation through digitization. However, according to him, such efforts are not yet sufficient.

"We certainly must not stop at conservation and preservation that results in digitization. Indeed, our duty and mission are to establish the National Library as a research library," he stated.

He added that following digitization, the ancient manuscripts are transliterated from their original scripts into the Latin alphabet. Subsequently, the transliterated texts are translated into Indonesian through a language conversion process.

Deputy for Library Materials Development and Information Services, Suharyanto, explained that as of September 2026, 261 manuscripts have been registered through Khasanah Pustaka Nusantara (Khastara). This application is used for registering Nusantara ancient manuscripts and has involved 152 institutions to date.

Regarding IKON and MoW, Suharyanto explained that during the 2020–2025 period, 20 manuscripts were registered under IKON. Meanwhile, in 2026, 14 manuscripts were submitted and accepted for processing, with 11 of them set to be featured during the event on September 24, 2026.

"Throughout 2026–2027, the National Library has also prepared two nominations for the Memory of the World Regional Committee for Asia and the Pacific (MoWCAP). Furthermore, two additional nominations will be submitted in 2027. Regarding the provision of reading materials based on Nusantara ancient manuscripts, the National Library is further developing this program by publishing 25 comic books and children's books in the Babad Diponegoro series in English, alongside 50 comic books and children's books based on IKON and MoW manuscripts, which will be launched on September 23, 2026, at Medan Merdeka Selatan," Suharyanto elaborated.