Indonesia boosts library literacy initiatives in Pemalang and Batam

The Central Java Provincial Archive and Library Agency, led by Rahmah Nur Hayati, announced a push for every school, village and local government unit to establish a library. The effort was highlighted at the opening of the Festival Literasi 2026 in Pemalang, which runs from 29 July to 4 August 2026 at the Kridanggo Sports Hall. The festival’s theme, “Digital Literacy for a Bright Pemalang,” features book reviews, AI‑focused talk shows and workshops, a multi‑age literacy contest, cultural performances, and a digital transaction education session with Bank Indonesia.

In Batam, the city’s Library and Archives Department hosted a social‑inclusion training for public‑library managers. Dr. Moh. Bisri, head of the Riau Islands Provincial Library Agency, presented the Transformasi Perpustakaan Berbasis Inklusi Sosial (TPBIS) programme, urging libraries to become open, innovative hubs that deliver literacy, skills training, economic empowerment and local‑culture development. Participants from community libraries and reading‑garden centres were urged to adopt inclusive services that raise human‑resource quality and support a literate, self‑reliant Batam society.