UNAIR NEWS – East Java Vice Governor Saifullah Yusuf opened Airlangga Book Sale on Monday, 6 November at AMERTA Hall Campus C Universitas Airlangga. The opening of Airlangga Book Sale was in a talk show entitled “Surabaya Literacy Movement: Reviewing Literacy from Various Perspectives”.
Airlangga Book Sale which was held to commemorate the 63rd UNAIR Dies Natalis. From year to year, the book sale is held because of cooperation of UNAIR with the Department of Information Science and Library (IIP).
The man known better as Gus Ipul appreciated the annual event held by UNAIR. University as one of the educational institutions must participate in improving the literacy, both reading and writing.
“All this time we have been encouraging (reading interest, Red) schools, colleges, and NGOs. Provincial Government has been working with UNAIR and a number of agencies in order to improve reading interest of the community. The result, every year is getting better, “said Gus Ipul.
In the talk show, one of the speakers is an activist of literacy who develops street libraries, approaches and facilitates the community to get to know the library. The facility is provided for the community. Both the difficulty and the lack of motivation to come to the library.
She was Vegasari Yuniati, a literacy activist who became an exemplary employee of the Archives and Libraries of Surabaya City, as well as alumnus Sastra Indonesia UNAIR .
Through Airlangga Book Sale Gus Ipul hoped the literacy in Indonesia, especially in East Java, is improved.
“By reading, life will have quality. Reading is a bridge to live better. We keep trying to encourage reading interest of the community. We still have much to do. Not all people care (the importance of reading, ed), “he added.
Gus Ipul also hoped the publication of books in Indonesia is improved. Based on the data, the number of books published in Indonesia is only 30 thousand titles of books per year. Meanwhile, other countries in Asia reach more than 60-200 thousand titles of books.
“Reading interest also depends on the availability of books. The more diverse books in circulation, the desire to read will be higher, “he added.
The other two speakers, namely Vegasari Yuniati and Ivana Kurniawati, shared a lot about their movement on literacy. In improving children’s reading interest, Ivana, a literacy activist at C2O Library & Collabtive Surabaya, emphasized the importance of parents’ role to a child’s interest in reading a book.
“Introduce children to books first, not to gadgets. It is also to reduce the dependence of children on gadgets, “said Ivana.
After opening Airlangga Book Sale, Gus Ipul visited the booths in front of UNAIR Management Office. They are priced from Rp 5,000 to Rp 30,000. The book bazaar will take place from November 6 to November 11. (*)
Author: Binti Q. Masruroh
Editor : Feri Fenoria Rifai
