The National Book Museum in the Future

We have long known the term "Books are Windows to the World," which means that books are a source of knowledge to understand the world and its contents. An old term whose origin is unknown, yet it has become a shared understanding among humanity on how to position a book within the realm of world civilization.

The definition of a book according to UNESCO in 1964 explains that a book is a printed publication, not periodic, that has at least 48 pages; if it has fewer, it cannot be considered a book. Our two founding fathers had their own views on the meaning of books, among them:

"I am willing to be imprisoned as long as I am with books, for with books I am free." - Moh Hatta,

"I enter into books, I read many books, in fact, I say, 'in the world of the mind, I met the great man. In the realm of imagination, in the realm of thought, I encountered great people.'" - Ir. Soekarno

National Book Day, celebrated every May 17, was first proposed by the Minister of National Education Abdul Malik Fadjar in 2002, coinciding with the establishment of the National Library of the Republic of Indonesia on May 17, 1980. Regarding the birth of the National Library, President Soekarno, in the National Development Planning draft of 1961-1969, placed the Development of Mental and Spiritual Fields, which includes Religion, Culture, and Education, as the top priority scale, where one of its main projects was to establish the National Library. The plan for the establishment of the National Library at that time was to meet the people's need for reading materials, to collect the nation's intellectual works, which could accommodate up to 4 million books.

Initially, National Book Day aimed to increase reading interest and literacy culture among the Indonesian people, who at that time had very low levels of literacy. Additionally, the existence of National Book Day was expected to boost book sales in Indonesia and improve literacy rates among the Indonesian population. Reading habits will go hand in hand with educational development. Therefore, to improve the quality of education, we must first enhance literacy levels. We can imagine what happened 23 years ago; to increase public interest in books, the government had to declare a special day to boost reading interest.

Reading a book is akin to reading the times. How authors express their ideas and perspectives is certainly aligned with the conditions of the era when the book was created. Thematic discussions may seem to address the same themes across generations, but the perspectives of authors in each generation will differ depending on the social, cultural, and political aspects that vary in each period. These ideas and concepts are what should be studied through reading books. Books are not merely sources of information that can also be obtained through other media in accordance with the times, but the soul of the author cannot be found through the internet, for example.

According to a survey by CEOWORLD magazine in 2024 conducted among book readers in 102 countries, Americans read an average of 17 books per year, and Indians read 16 books. Meanwhile, Indonesians rank 31st with an average of 5.91 books per year. Another interesting fact is that both Americans and Indians prefer printed books over electronic or audio books, even though digital trends are starting to penetrate book products.

A country will develop rapidly if its citizens have a high interest in reading, because the more we read, the more knowledge we gain, and our horizons broaden (Fhadillah, 2020). The reading interest of early childhood has become a common topic widely studied as it reflects the issues faced by Indonesian society (Mail, 2020). Various studies published through journals, theses, and other formats discuss strategies to enhance public reading interest. After 80 years of independence, 45 years since the establishment of the National Library, and 23 years since the declaration of National Book Day, the issues remain the same, and the challenges are still revolving around the same points.

Should we start planning a National Book Museum now if the literacy culture and interest in reading books are becoming increasingly concerning? Technologies that have become outdated, items that have transformed into more modern forms will ultimately only be found in museums. Will there come a time when books are no longer found in libraries but instead in museums? It is indeed true what our founding father Tan Malaka said about books: "As long as bookstores exist, libraries can be rebuilt. If necessary, and it really is necessary, reduce clothing and food."

Happy National Book Museum Day… oh, National Book Day

References

-          Fhadillah, Maya Nurul. 2020. The Importance of Increasing Students' Reading Interest Through Libraries. Al Adzkiya International of Education and Social

-          Mail, Siska Putri. 2020. Storytelling Methods to Enhance Reading Interest in Early Childhood at Raudatul Athfal Ummahat DDI Cappa Galung Parepare City. Thesis. State Islamic Institute of Parepare.