"This is extraordinary, and even the National Library supports the measures of the Surabaya Government to provide library services and staff to the village and sub-district offices," Head of the Center for Library Analysis and Development of Reading Culture at the National Library Adin Bondar stated during a Talk show and Writing Training at the Surabaya City Youth Hall, Tuesday.
Bondar said that the effort to replicate activities and programs by the city government reflected the local government's involvement to have good political will for the development of reading culture and literacy.
The government had laid down a solid foundation that literacy culture, especially the love of reading, was very essential and fundamental in improving national human resources, he noted.
"Improving the literacy culture is a national priority activity. The action plan is involving influencers or role models for Indonesian Reading Ambassadors, Regional Reading Ambassadors, Literacy Matrons, Literacy Activists to provide guidance, training or advocacy to the community," Bondar stated.
Expert Staff of the Mayor for Law, Politics, and Government of Surabaya City M. Afghani Wardhana remarked that the Surabaya city government continued to innovate, coordinate, and collaborate to improve the literacy culture amid members of the public.
"Providing reading service places spread across various public facilities, such as public libraries, schools, neighbourhood halls, sub-district offices, sub-district offices, flats, agencies, terminals, hospitals, and city parks," Wardhana stated.
Thus, the Surabaya Government needed literacy activists and everyone to collaborate to ensure the success of the literacy improvement program, according to Wardhana.
"The City Government has responded (to the stipulation) that Surabaya City, which is considered worthy of being a barometer of literacy, as a challenge. In fact, Surabaya Mayor Eri Cahyadi has long been (pursuing efforts) to improve the literacy culture through various reading service facilities to encourage the people's reading interest," he noted.
Writing training participant Vania Winola F, a 11th grader at Surabaya 6 State High School, said that this event was immensely useful to improve the literacy culture among students. They said this is because reading and writing activities were not difficult.
"This seminar really helps us to write what we want to write," she said.
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Translator: Abdul Hakim, Mecca Yumna
Editor: Azis Kurmala
Copyright © ANTARA 2022
