EVERY year on July 7, Indonesian Librarian Day is celebrated. This is an annual celebration used as an opportunity to appreciate the importance of the role of librarians in library management.
In addition, the aim of commemorating Librarian Day is to increase public awareness of the importance of the librarian profession.
Because, in the world of literacy and information, librarians have a very important role in its development.
So what exactly is a librarian? What is the history of National Librarian Day? And what are the duties and responsibilities of a librarian?
A Brief History of National Librarian Day
The history behind the celebration of Indonesian Librarians Day on July 7 cannot be separated from the birth of the Indonesian Librarians Association (IPI).
IPI is an organization under the librarian profession in Indonesia.
Also read: Innovative and Creative, Librarian Capacity in Library Services
Quoted from the website of the Bogor City Library and Archives Service, Librarian Day began with the birth of IPI on July 7, 1973 at the Indonesian Librarian Congress.
This congress was held on 5 to 7 July 1973 in Ciawi, Bogor.
Considering this, since 1990, July 7 has been designated as Indonesian Librarian Day by the Head of the National Library of the Republic of Indonesia.
Also read: Commission X of the Indonesian House of Representatives Approves the National Library’s Indicative Ceiling of IDR 721.1 Billion
Therefore, every July 7th is commemorated as Indonesian Librarian Day which is also the birthday of IPI.
What is a Librarian?
The definition of the librarian profession is regulated in Law Number 43 of 2007 concerning Libraries.
According to the law, a librarian is a person who has skills or competencies obtained from library education and training and is a person who has the task and responsibility to manage and provide library services.
Also read: Desy Ratnasari Hopes There Is ‘Medicine’ to Overcome Indonesia’s Reading Literacy Challenges
Indirectly, librarians also play an important role in increasing the level of public knowledge.
Although the profession of librarian is not yet widely known, in other countries this profession is in demand by many people.
According to the website of the Central Java Provincial Archives and Library Service, Indonesia is ranked 2nd with the most libraries in the world following India.
However, the number of librarians is still very small and without librarians, library management may not be able to run effectively.
Main Duties of Librarians
In carrying out their duties, librarians have several main tasks. According to the Regulation of the Minister of State for Empowerment of State Apparatus Number 9 of 2014 concerning the Functional Position of Librarians and their Credit Points, the following are the main tasks of librarians:
1. Library Management:
Librarians plan the implementation of various library activities and monitor and evaluate the implementation of these activities.
2. Library Services
Librarians are responsible for providing technical services such as developing library collections as well as library services such as providing collection lending and return services.
3. Developing a Library Science System
Librarians conduct library research, library development, analyze library rich results, and conduct research on the development of library science systems.
Along with their main duties, librarians are also responsible for supervising the operations of various types of public libraries, school libraries, or law libraries.
Librarians manage library databases and help people find documents and resources. Their responsibilities vary depending on the library where they work.
For example, in larger libraries, librarians often specialize in a particular area such as administration, IT management, or children’s libraries. (Z-10)
#July #7th #Indonesian #Librarian #Day #Check #History #Explanation #Duties #Explanation
