UNAIR NEWS – The Faculty of Humanities (FIB) Universitas Airlangga has taken a significant step to advance literacy culture on campus. Through close collaboration between the faculty’s librarians and student literacy advocates, FIB officially introduced a new student-driven community called Mahagita (Mahasiswa Penggiat Pustaka).
The community was formally inaugurated in the FIB Reading Room on Tuesday (November 11, 2025). The launch is expected to serve as a catalyst for building a literacy ecosystem that is more dynamic, creative, and inclusive. It also aims to become one of the faculty’s primary driving forces in promoting a stronger reading culture.
Encouraging stronger reading habit among students
Mahagita was established in response to the attention and support of Vice Dean I of FIB, Prof. Dr. Sarkawi, SS, MHum, who noted that existing student-led literacy efforts already had strong foundations. However, he emphasized that these initiatives needed more institutional backing to ensure sustainable growth in students’ engagement with reading and literacy activities.
Mahagita now serves as a formal collaboration platform between FIB librarians and students. The community will focus on creating a series of programs that are both engaging and informative. “With the synergy fostered through Mahagita, we hope to provide more impactful activities that can be accessed by all members of the FIB academic community,” he said.
Receiving broad support
Vice Dean II of FIB, Dr. Listiyono Santoso, SS, MHum, who also attended the inauguration, expressed strong support for the initiative. “We truly appreciate the establishment of this kind of student community, and we hope it will continue to grow and develop,” he stated.
He added that the new community plays an important role in supporting the cycle of knowledge creation and consumption. “With this initiative, we hope to encourage more meaningful activities, especially those related to books and reading,” he said.
Meanwhile, Nadia Tsaurah, librarian of the FIB Reading Room (RBC) and advisor to Mahagita, shared her optimism about the community’s future impact.
“God willing, this initiative will bring substantial benefits to the entire FIB community. We hope the RBC will attract more visitors and that continued improvements will provide lasting value for the faculty’s academic environment,” she said.
Author: Marissa Farikha Siti Fatimatuzzahra
Editor: Yulia Rohmawati
