Ministry Introduces Literacy to Students via "School Goes to Library" Program

RRI.CO. ID, Jakarta - The Ministry of Religious Affairs Library provides a learning space for children to gain literacy experiences outside the classroom through its "School Goes to Library" program. As part of the 2026 Library Visit Day commemorations, students from Madrasah Ibtidaiah (MI) Al-Ittihad were invited to discover and utilize the library.

The event featured more than just book reading; activities included exploring the library premises, listening to storytelling sessions, and watching educational films together. Through these diverse activities, children were introduced to the concept that a library is not merely a place for reading, but a space for learning and gaining new experiences in an enjoyable way.

Luki Budiawan, the Library Coordinator of the Ministry, explained that "School Goes to Library" is an initiative designed to bring library services closer to the public, including school-aged children. He shared this information during an interview on Monday, September 14, 2026.

According to him, the program is designed to offer an experience distinct from typical library visits. He noted that the visiting madrasah students were not only encouraged to read but also participated in various other activities available at the Kemenag Library, ensuring their visit was both meaningful and memorable.

Luki added that libraries can serve as learning spaces for people from diverse backgrounds and age groups. Therefore, he believes that the library visit experience should be packaged engagingly and tailored to the visitors' characteristics to effectively achieve literacy goals.

He cited the example of how activities within "School Goes to Library" are customized according to the participants' age groups. For visitors from madrasah (Islamic elementary schools), public elementary schools (SD), or kindergartens (TK), the library staff primarily employs storytelling methods, while the educational films screened are carefully selected to suit the children's ages.

The activity also received a positive response from the school. Laily Rohayatin, the Principal of MI Al-Ittihad, believes that such off-campus learning activities boost student enthusiasm and garner support from parents.

Laily hopes that the experience of visiting the Indonesian Ministry of Religious Affairs Library can foster literacy habits in children on an ongoing basis, not only in the school environment, but also when they are with their parents and family at home.