Perpusnas Showcases UNESCO-Recognized Manuscripts in Jakarta Exhibition

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - The National Library of Indonesia (Perpusnas) has launched an interactive documentary heritage exhibition titled Preserving Memory, Awakening Awareness at the Grha Literasi Building in Jakarta.

Opening on Monday, September 14, 2026, to coincide with national Library Visit Day, the exhibition runs through September 30. The showcase translates complex historical codices into accessible visual formats, utilizing manuscript reproductions, infographics, and interactive digital elements to connect young visitors with classical Indonesian thought and literature.

The exhibition presents manuscripts inscribed in the National Collective Memory (IKON) and UNESCO Memory of the World (MOW) registries across four core narratives: Indonesia’s Heritage for the World (featuring historical accounts of Syekh Yusuf, Babad Diponegoro, and Sutasoma), Shared Values (highlighting Panji and Primbon Tengger), Women’s Heritage (focusing on female representation in Simbur Cahaya and Sri Tanjung), and Exceptional Works (displaying masterworks such as Nagarakretagama, La Galigo, and the writings of Hamzah Fansuri).

Accompanying the display, Perpusnas is hosting literacy masterclasses, cinema workshops, IKON-MOW adaptation seminars, and the Nugra Jasa Dharma Pustaloka awards recognizing ancient manuscript conservation efforts nationwide.

Perpusnas leadership emphasized that modern public libraries must function as active educational hubs that reconnect contemporary society with historical intellectual assets. "In addition to storing collections, the library safeguards the memory of the nation so that it can continue to be studied, understood, and interpreted by subsequent generations," Deputy for Library Material Development and Information Services Suharyanta stated in an official release in Jakarta on Monday, September 14, 2026, as quoted by Antara.

He explained the broader cultural significance of preserving indigenous manuscripts as living intellectual resources rather than static relics. "Documentary heritage preserved in manuscripts serves as an entry point to understanding identity, culture, and the journey of the nation," Suharyanto noted.

Documentary heritage simultaneously unearths values that remain relevant to contemporary life. Manuscripts are not merely displayed as relics of the past, but as an intellectual legacy recording the ideas, knowledge, values, experiences, and life journeys of society during their respective eras.

Detailing the curatorial approach, Suharyanto stressed the importance of reframing how younger generations interact with classical literature. "The four narratives presented in this exhibition represent an effort to transform perspectives on manuscripts, visitors are invited not only to view them as 'old objects,' but to understand manuscripts as sources of knowledge carrying stories of human beings, society, thought, values, and experiences passed down from generation to generation," Suharyanto added. ***