South Tangerang, FAH Online – Wednesday, January 15 2025, the Faculty of Adab and Humanities (FAH) UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta held an important meeting with the Taman Al Muhajirin Foundation in the Courtroom on the 2nd Floor. This event, which started at 14.00 WIB, marked the beginning of strategic cooperation between the two parties in efforts to develop libraries that are more inclusive and friendly for children and the surrounding community.

This collaboration is an initiative of the Taman Al Muhajirin Foundation, which aims to create a library as a comfortable learning space and support the development of literacy in the surrounding environment. The meeting was attended by 35 representatives from the Foundation, including leaders, elementary school teachers, kindergarten teachers and other teaching staff. From the FAH side, this event was also attended by faculty leaders, including the Head of the Library Science Study Program and the Head of the FAH Library.

Dean of FAH, Dr. Ade Abdul Hak, M.Hum delivered a warm welcome during the visit of the Al Muhajirin Foundation. In his remarks, the Dean emphasized the importance of libraries as the heart of education which plays a vital role in the advancement of science. He emphasized that being a librarian is not just about maintaining a book collection, but also about acting as a facilitator of information literacy. Therefore, FAH is committed to assisting the Al Muhajirin Foundation in managing libraries professionally.

The Dean also highlighted the existence of the Library Science Study Program at FAH which is ready to actively contribute to supporting this collaboration. This is expected to have a positive impact on the development of libraries managed by the Foundation.

The Chairman of the Al Muhajirin Foundation, in his remarks, expressed his appreciation to the FAH for its willingness to collaborate. He explained that this visit aimed to learn about good library management. The Foundation is committed to developing the school library into a mosque library as well as a library that can be accessed by the general public. The Chairman of the Foundation hopes that the existence of this library can become a learning center and provide broader insight for the community.

Head of the FAH Library Science Study Program, Siti Maryam, SS, MS, M.Hum., also provided his views regarding library management. He emphasized that the duties of a librarian require full focus and cannot be accompanied by other work. “Library officers must be fully focused on their duties,” he said.

He also suggested that library collections for elementary or kindergarten levels be adjusted to the student's age. For example, using color or theme classifications such as stories, counting, and writing to make it easier for students to find appropriate books. Apart from that, you also need to pay attention to the comfort of the library room, so that it can create an atmosphere that makes visitors feel at home reading.

Concluding the series of events, Deputy Dean III of FAH, Prof. Usep Abdul Matin, MA, MA, said that libraries must be able to achieve four main targets that support education. One point stressed was the importance of encouraging children to share their views on what they read. “Children need to be encouraged to question the content of their reading in order to foster a critical attitude,” he said.

The event then continued with the signing of an MoU between FAH and the Taman Al Muhajirin Foundation. This signing is a symbol of the commitment of both parties to collaborate in the development and management of quality libraries.

The discussions and question and answer sessions that followed were followed with great enthusiasm by the participants, showing great interest in library development. Then continue the tour to the FAH library to see the book collection and management system at the Faculty.

This event is a positive first step in realizing libraries as inclusive and modern educational centers. All parties hope that this collaboration can provide significant benefits, not only for the institutions involved, but also for the wider community.

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