"This event aims to be a means of exchanging information and promoting cooperation for library development in Asia and Oceania," head of the National Library, Muhammad Syarif Bando, said in Jakarta on Tuesday.
Themed “Library Service Impacts on Community: Sustainability, Inclusion, and Innovation,” the opening event, which was held in a hybrid (online and offline) format, was attended by representatives from 30 countries in Asia and Oceania.
According to Bando, the current complex international situation presents a challenge for libraries to put forward ideas based on fair access to information.
He said that libraries should be fully involved in supporting the sustainable development goals or SDGs to end poverty, improve welfare, and protect the planet through the achievement of 17 goals.
"Libraries are required not only to provide services but also to take into account the impact of the services provided," Bando said.
In the domestic economic recovery, the library has an important role as an open space for the community to improve their quality of life, he added. For this reason, the National Library of Indonesia (Perpusnas) has developed a library paradigm that is oriented toward the use of library resources, with the largest proportion going toward the use of libraries for knowledge transfer.
"To strengthen libraries in Indonesia, the National Library of Indonesia has a social inclusion-based library transformation program that aims to improve community welfare through library empowerment," he informed.
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The program seeks to revitalize the function of public libraries based on social inclusion. Under the program, public libraries are being revitalized as centers for community empowerment activities, which are committed to improving the quality of life and community welfare.
"With the tagline ‘literacy for welfare,’ it means creating a prosperous society by empowering public libraries. This is very much in line with the manifesto of public libraries in supporting the achievement of the sustainable development goals," Bando explained.
Meanwhile, president of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) for the 2022–2023 period, Vicki McDonald, said IFLA's vision is to achieve a strong and unified library field by empowering a literate, informative, and participatory community.
She emphasized that libraries and librarians can help support the government’s work.
"As a librarian and library leader, I believe our challenge is to consider how we can work with governments to support their work in addressing and resolving community challenges," McDonald said.
Furthermore, this year, IFLA has entered its 95th year, she noted. This is a good time to reflect on achievements and consider how the library should be recognized for its existence.
In addition, she invited participants to think about the contribution made to society.
The 28th CDNLAO is taking place from October 24 to 27, 2022, in Jakarta. This is the third time that Indonesia has hosted the event. Earlier, Indonesia hosted CDNLAO meetings in 2007 and 2012.
This year’s conference has three sub-themes, namely sustainability, inclusion, and innovation, and is featuring speakers from the National Library of Indonesia, IFLA, Iran National Library, Vietnam National Library, Philippine National Library, Singapore National Library, Qatar National Library, and China National Library.
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Translator: Indriani, Azis Kurmala
Editor: Suharto
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