SEAToday.com, Jakarta - The Indonesian National Library (Perpusnas) has initiated a program to build 10,000 village libraries throughout Indonesia by 2024 to promote reading culture.

The Perpusnas Acting Head E. Aminudin Azis, explained on Thursday (2/15) that each library will receive 1,000 books along with the shelves. The village libraries consist of 600 Library Transformation Based on Social Inclusion (TPBIS) village libraries, 4,604 TPBIS replication village libraries, 2,409 libraries proposed by district/city governments, and 2,387 community reading parks (TBM). He explained that the village libraries and TBMs will collaborate with school libraries so that children can utilise books from both libraries.

This initiative is an implementation of Perpusnas’s three priority programs in 2024: strengthening reading culture and literacy, mainstreaming Nusantara manuscripts, and library standardisation and development. Aminudin hopes that this program can strengthen the reading culture and literacy levels of the nation's next generation.