Implementation of School Digital Libraries in Indonesia: A Systematic Review

Digital libraries or electronic libraries have become a global trend in various educational institutions, including schools in Indonesia. Digital libraries refer to software or platform that provides services for users to read, write, and interact with other users using the application (Bala, 2020). Digital library provides services to enhance learning and teaching by delivering content through a mobile interface connected to the internet without time constraints (Brueck et al., 2019). Khomo et al., (2023) state that mobile devices allow users to access services and information without limitations on time and location, mobile users consider efficiency and availability as the primary benefits of digital libraries. The emergence of various types of digital libraries in Indonesia is supported by the government in various ways, one of which is by providing digital books that can be accessed by teachers and students through the web portal https://buku.kemdikbud.go.id/ or iOS and Android-based digital applications (www.kemdikbud.go.id, 2023). Introducing digital libraries in schools is a proactive step to overcome the problem of students' difficulty in accessing learning resources, which can hinder their understanding of the materials being studied. Digital libraries provide various services tailored to users' needs through mobile access devices such as smartphones, tablets, personal computers, and other portable communication devices. The idea of the emergence of digital libraries is due to the information explosion and the increasing use of digital devices such as mobile phones and laptops (Chisita and Chiparausha, 2019). However, there are several factors that need to be considered in the development and use of digital libraries. These factors include hindering factors in the implementation of digital libraries in schools. To date, studies on the implementation of digital libraries in schools in Indonesia are still very limited compared to the implementation of digital libraries in higher education. This systematic review aims to describe the implementation of school digital libraries along with inhibiting factors in their execution. This systematic review can be used as a reference for determining further research agendas and considerations for schools in Indonesia that will implement a suitable digital library system.

This research uses a systematic review method with a qualitative approach. The data collection method consists of planning, executing, and reporting stages based on Klassen et al.'s (1998) search process. 1. Planning In the planning phase, the researchers established research boundaries and formulates research questions using the PICOC approach (Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcomes, and Context) by Petticrew & Roberts (2008). Research boundaries are necessary to ensure that the reviewed journal articles can specifically address the research questions. The research boundaries for this study are the implementation of school digital libraries along with inhibiting factors in their execution. 2. Executing This research uses the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) approach to help determine keywords and alternative terms related to the current study. The researchers utilized two databases, namely Google Scholar and Portal Garuda, to identify systematic reviews related to digital libraries published in the last ten years, from 2013 to 2023. The search was focused on scholarly journals as they were considered the most relevant source. The researchers identified keywords related to digital libraries and the influencing factors in their implementation. Relevant journal articles were saved using the reference management software tool, Mendeley, to facilitate the elimination process. Search terms are a combination and integration of vocabulary with synonyms using Boolean search operators, such as OR, AND, and NOT. The search terms for this research are: (Implementasi OR Penerapan OR Pelaksanaan) AND (Perpustakaan digital OR Perpustakaan Elektronik OR Perpustakaan Virtual) AND (SEKOLAH) AND (Hambatan OR Kendala). The inclusion and exclusion criteria are used to filter journal articles that are suitable for answering the research aims (Handayani, 2017). The inclusion and exclusion criteria for this study can be seen in Table 1. Table 1. Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria Inclusion Criteria All journal articles published in Indonesian language on the Google Scholar and Portal Garuda databases All journal articles published between the years 2013 and 2023 Exclusion Criteria Journal articles focusing on library automation Journal articles focusing on digital library information systems (IT) journal articles focusing on the implementation of digital libraries in schools, and the factors hindering their implementation Journal articles focusing on training/ socialization for the use of digital libraries Gray literature After applying the above criteria, the selected articles are evaluated. The assessment of the search results aims to evaluate the quality of journal articles and the usefulness of the obtained data. The supporting questions for evaluating the search results are presented in Table 2. Each question has three answer choices: Yes = 1; Uncertain = 0.5; No = 0 (Adrian, et al., 2016). Table 2. Assessment Criteria based on Search Results Quality Level Criteria Questions Answers Q1 Is there a clear description of the purpose and objectives of this research? Yes / Uncertain / No Q2 Is this research based on a case review? Yes / Uncertain / No Q3 Is this research a "lesson learned from a case" or a report based on expert opinion? Yes / Uncertain / No Q4 Does this research explain the implementation of the library along with its inhibiting factors? Yes / Uncertain / No 3. Reporting The main objective of this stage is to analyze and evaluate various research findings from different literature and to select the most appropriate method to integrate explanations and interpretations of those findings (Salleh et al., 2011). The main stage before conducting the synthesis is to conduct literature mapping. The data is mapped using an analysis table consisting of the author, article title, journal/year, and research results. After mapping with the table, the data is organized in a sequence of words according to the findings in each article. The next step is to draw conclusions inductively, resulting in interesting and useful research findings for all stakeholders involved.

The processing of search results begins with data selection and extraction involving researchers in the screening and assessment of all articles. The researchers gather relevant studies, and the initial screening process is conducted using the PRISMA methodology. After removing duplicates and applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, the final set of articles to be analyzed in this study is obtained. In Figure 1, the PRISMA flow diagram below presents the selection procedure followed. Based on the search results from Google Scholar and Portal Garuda databases, a total of 169 articles were found. After removing duplicates, the number reduced to 139 articles. Following the application of inclusion and exclusion criteria, a total of 9 articles were selected for review in this research. Among the 130 eliminated articles, the majority discussed library automation and digital library information systems. This is a serious concern as there is a misconception regarding digital libraries and library automation. Many academic publications in Indonesia still equate the concepts of digital libraries and library automation. Based on the data collected and the quality assessment of the search results using the criteria, the assessment revealed the lowest score (Table 3.) for the article with the code S02 and S06. The following is an overview of the quality scores of the selected articles. Table 3. Quality Assessment of Selected Articles ID Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Total Score Explanation S01 0,5 1 1 0 2,5 Qualify S02 0,5 1 1 0,5 3 Qualify S03 1 1 1 1 4 Qualify S04 1 1 1 1 4 Qualify S05 1 1 1 0 3 Qualify S06 0,5 0,5 0,5 1 2,5 Qualify S07 1 1 1 1 4 Qualify S08 1 1 1 0 3 Qualify S09 1 1 1 1 4 Qualify Next, the researchers conducted a literature mapping. Based on the elimination results in Table 4, the following are the mappings of 9 literature sources analyzed in this study: Table 4. Quality Assessment of Selected Articles ID Author(s) Title Journal/Year Findings S01 Hadiapurwa et al. Pemanfaatan Perpustakaan Digital sebagai Sumber Belajar Elektronik pada Masa Pandemi COVID-19 di SMA Negeri 3 Batam Jurnal Penelitian Pendidikan/2021 A website-based Digital Library with features that offer integrated content with Google Sites, BSE, I-Pusnas, and a collection of exam questions. S02 Damayanti et al. Digital Library: Upaya Mewujudkan Perpustakaan Sekolah Berbasis Teknologi Jurnal Pendidikan dan Konseling/2023 It was implemented starting in 2021, providing electronic books. iBerau is an application-based digital library. The funds used to establish iBerau were sourced from the BOS fund. S03 Adriani et al. Pengelolaan Perpustakaan Digital pada Perpustakaan SMA Negeri 4 Kendari Jurnal Literasi Perpustakaan dan Informasi UHO/2021 Its implementation started in 2018. Ibra is an application-based digital library that provides electronic collections such as books, journals, and magazines. The funding comes from BOS and the school committee's funds. The obstacles in its implementation are the lack of competent human resources, slow computer search systems, virus disruptions (malware), and limitations in available digital collections. S04 Kurniawan Pengelolaan Perpustakaan Digital di SMA Negeri 1 Yogyakarta Jurnal Hanata Widya/2016 Its implementation started in 2012. Ibra is an application-based digital library that provides electronic collections such as books, journals, and magazines obtained from free sources, downloaded, and then uploaded to Ibra. The funding comes from the BOS and BOP. S05 Niari Pelaksanaan Program Perpustakaan Digital Sekolah Methodist 2 Palembang Jurnal Inovasi Pendidikan dan Pengajaran/2023 Its implementation started in 2020. It is a website-based Digital Library with features that offer e-catalogues and e-books presentations. S06 Adi et al. Kualitas Pelayanan Perpustakaan Digital pada SMA Negeri 2 Banda Aceh Jurnal Intelektualita/2015 It is a website-based library. The development of the digital library at SMA Negeri 2 Banda Aceh is currently limited to expanding the collection of electronic school books, rather than utilizing services that meet user expectations. The obstacles in its implementation are budget constraints for adding digital collections and the availability of competent human resources. S07 Wuryantini & Purnami Manajemen Perpustakaan Digital di Sekolah Menengah Atas (SMA) Negeri 1 Temon Kabupaten Kulon Progo Jurnal Media Manajemen Pendidikan/2023 It is a website-based library. The services consist of providing e-book collections and collections of media conversions. The funding comes from the BOS and BOP. The obstacles include inadequate tools for media conversions, budget constraints for digital library development, limitations in the capabilities of human resources, and the lack of networking and collaboration in acquiring digital collections, both with publishers and other libraries. S08 Astiti et al. Pengembangan Perpustakaan Digital Berbasis Website sebagai Fasilitas Sumber Belajar di Sekolah Dasar Jurnal Kajian Informasi & Perpustakaan/2023 Its implementation started in 2022. It is a website-based library with features that offer integrated content with BSE, literacy, and numeracy modules, storybooks, and instructional videos. S09 Prabowo & Heriyanto Analisis Pemanfaatan Buku Elektronik (e-book) oleh Pemustaka di Perpustakaan SMA Negeri 1 Semarang Jurnal Ilmu Perpustakaan/2013 The website-based library presents content in the form of e-books obtained by downloading free sources from the internet. The obstacles in its implementation are that some e-book collections require passwords to access. Based on the selected literature mapping results, it can be observed that publications regarding the implementation of digital libraries have significantly increased from around the year 2021 onwards. It is important to underline that the majority of these articles were published in educational journals, with only 3 articles appearing in specific library science journals. This is significant because the implementation of digital libraries should be a specialized subject within library science to be considered for evaluating the creation of effective digital library services. The majority of digital school library implementations in Indonesia are website-based, with only 3 out of 9 schools using an application-based library (Kurniawan, 2016; Adriani et al., 2021; Damayanti et al., 2023). This preference is due to cost-effectiveness, as libraries do not need to purchase digital collections; instead, they can integrate the digital library with electronic sources provided by the government (Damayanti et al., 2021; Hadiapurwa et al., 2023; Astiti et al., 2023), upload freely downloaded electronic sources from the internet (Prabowo & Heriyanto, 2013; Kurniawan, 2016; Adriani et al., 2021), and upload media conversion results (Wuryantini & Purnami, 2023). The analysis of the 9 selected articles shows that all digital libraries in schools primarily offer access to digital collections. The funding for digital libraries mainly comes from the BOS or BOP. Only two articles described the development of a library based on Research and Development (R&D) (Hadiapurwa et al., 2021; Astiti et al., 2023). The obstacles in the implementation of digital libraries are the lack of competent human resources (Adi et al., 2015; Kurniawan, 2016; Adriani et al., 2021; Wuryantini & Purnami, 2023), insufficient funding for adding collections (Adi et al., 2016; Adriani et al., 2021; Wuryantini & Purnami, 2023), inadequate infrastructure (Prabowo & Heriyanto, 2016; Adriani et al., 2021; Wuryantini & Purnami, 2023), virus disruptions (Kurniawan, 2016; Adriani et al., 2021), and a lack of collaboration in school digital library services (Wuryantini & Purnami, 2023). The limitation of human resources significantly affects the productivity of the digital library. For example, when only one staff member is available to search for free digital collections, it will take a longer time since that staff member also has other responsibilities in the conventional library (Kurniawan, 2016; Adriani et al., 2021). As a result, the addition of collections becomes very slow, and many recent sources cannot be utilized because they are not yet available in the school's digital library database. The limited budget for developing digital collections has an impact on the completeness of the collection, as librarians have to look for substitutes from free sources. However, this is also highly limited when there are not many competent librarians available in this area (Kurniawan, 2016). Actually, for obstacles related to the budget, it can be overcome by collaborating with various parties in acquiring digital collections. However, the fact is that cooperation between libraries and publishers and book authors is still very limited, making it difficult to obtain digital collections of their works (Wuryantini & Purnami, 2023). Based on the analysis conducted by researchers, very few schools in Indonesia have implemented a digital library system, mainly due to budget and human resource constraints. The 9 schools that were the focus of the selected articles received full support from various parties, enabling the implementation of this agenda. The integration among stakeholders, teachers, and students played a crucial role in the successful establishment of digital libraries in these schools. Schools allocated specific funds for digital libraries

The implementation of digital libraries in Indonesia has significantly increased since around 2021. Most digital libraries in Indonesian schools are website-based, with only a few using applications. The preference for websites is due to cost-effectiveness and easy integration with electronic sources provided by the government or freely available on the internet. Obstacles in the implementation of digital libraries include a lack of competent human resources, budget limitations for adding collections, inadequate infrastructure, virus disruptions, and a lack of cooperation in school digital library services. The nine schools focused on in the selected articles received full support from various parties, enabling the implementation of digital libraries. Integration among stakeholders, teachers, and students plays a crucial role in the successful establishment of digital libraries in these schools.