Implementation of national standards for elementary school libraries at the state elementary school 5 Bengkulu city library

An integral part of a school is the library, which is an essential element in the educational environment. To support the teaching-learning process in schools, students and teachers can utilize the library as an educational resource containing a collection of library materials, both book and non-book formats, systematically arranged in a dedicated space (Bafadal, 2015). By utilizing relevant collections, students and teachers can broaden their horizons and enrich their learning resources through reading activities and independent research. The school library functions not only as a learning resource center but also as a platform for independent learning, where students can engage in the process of searching, finding, analyzing, and synthesizing [or: concluding] information from various available learning resources. As a learning resource center, information center, hub for information literacy activities, and a center for creativity, the school library plays a crucial role (Suherman, 2024). The presence of these functions establishes the library as an effective educational tool in supporting the achievement of school educational goals. For library functions to operate optimally, library management must be conducted professionally and in accordance with the Standar Perpustakaan Nasional (SNP). This management encompasses aspects such as collection, services, human resources, facilities and infrastructure, and the utilization of information technology. When these standards are met, the library becomes not merely a supplement to educational facilities, but an integral part of an active and meaningful learning system. The library holds a strategic position in supporting the education and learning process. It can be a center for literacy activities, character development, and student creativity. By holding a strategic position in supporting and facilitating the education and learning process in schools, the library is expected to function as an effective educational tool to achieve various educational objectives. In realizing an effective library as an educational tool for students and teachers, there are two main approaches. First, building a new library that fully adheres to ideal criteria according to the National Library Standard. Second, gradually developing and managing existing libraries to meet prevailing ideal standards. The school library is a learning resource that helps students understand and solve problems in the learning process, given that learning is not confined to the classroom (Akbar et al., 2021). The National Library Standard is a nationally established reference or guideline within the Republic of Indonesia, set by the Head of the National Library of Indonesia, to be used for managing, processing, organizing [menyelenggarakan], and all forms of activities and operations within libraries (Setiyawan, 2021). Regulation of the Head of the National Library of Indonesia No. 10 of 2017 pertains to the National Standard for Elementary School/Madrasah Ibtidaiyah Libraries (Perpustakaan Nasional Republik Indonesia, 2017). The aspects covered in this standard include collection, facilities and infrastructure, services, library staff, organization, and management of elementary school libraries. Elementary school libraries that meet national standards can have a positive impact on students and the school as a whole. The National Standard for Elementary School/Madrasah Ibtidaiyah Libraries serves as a reference framework for Elementary Schools or Madrasah Ibtidaiyah in the management and improvement of library services. This standard serves as a reference for every elementary school library, including State Elementary School 05 Bengkulu City. State Elementary School 05 Bengkulu City is an ‘A’ accredited school that aims to provide quality basic education for its students. One of the important components in achieving this goal is the availability and adequate management of a library that complies with the Standar Perpustakaan Nasional. However, several sub-standards have not yet been met in the library of State Elementary School 05 Bengkulu City, including the lack of annual collection additions, the absence of a reference collection, and the qualifications of library staff. The non-fulfillment of these standards will impede the library’s function as a learning center. Limitations in collection, facilities, services, and library staff result in low information access and a weak literacy culture, meaning the library’s role in supporting education is not yet optimal. A school library that complies with the Standar Perpustakaan Nasional (SNP) can undoubtedly provide relevant, complete, and up-to-date learning resources for students and teachers. An ideal library, at a minimum, is one capable of meeting certain criteria, such as serving the needs of its users, optimizing its function as an educational tool, keeping pace with developments in science, technology (iptek), and information, being a learning resource for students, and applying automation systems (Hidayati, 2014). Based on the background above, the research problem is: to what extent does the library at State Elementary School 05 Bengkulu City comply with the National Standard for Elementary School/Madrasah Ibtidaiyah Libraries as stipulated in the Regulation of the Head of the National Library No. 10 of 2017? This research aims to investigate the implementation of the National Standard for Elementary School/ Madrasah Ibtidaiyah Libraries at the library of State Elementary School 05 Bengkulu City, covering the standards for collection, facilities and infrastructure, services, library staff, organization, and management. By identifying these standards, it is hoped that this research can provide input and recommendations for improving the future implementation of national library standards. This is also important so that the Standar Perpustakaan Nasional (SNP) can be implemented throughout Indonesia, achieving optimal management quality.

This study employed a qualitative research method. Qualitative research is a research procedure that produces descriptive data in the form of spoken or written words and the behavior of observed people (Bogdan & Biklen, 2016). Qualitative research seeks to understand phenomena in their natural context, without manipulation of the observed object (Helaluddin, 2019). The approach used in this research method is a case study. A case study is research in which the researcher explores a specific phenomenon (case) within a certain time and activity (program, event, process, institution, or social group) and collects detailed and in-depth information using various data collection procedures over a specific period (Creswell, 2022). The case study approach is conducted by positioning the researcher as central to the research and thoroughly understanding the implementation of research activities (Maulana, Rohanda & Perdana, 2023). A Case Study focuses attention on a specific object treated as a case to be studied in depth, thereby uncovering the reality behind the phenomenon (Assyakurrohim et al., 2022). The research location is a place or social area characterized by the presence of elements such as actors, places, and observable activities. The research was conducted at the Library of State Elementary School 05 Bengkulu City, located at Jalan Asahan, Padang Harapan, Bengkulu City. This research was conducted over a period of six weeks. The informant selection technique in this study used a purposive technique. From this technique, the informant was determined to be SH (Informant 1), the librarian at State Elementary School 05 Bengkulu City. In-depth information regarding the implementation of each National Library Standard was elicited from this informant. The data collection techniques used were interviews, involving a direct question-and-answer process between the researcher and the informant. Additionally, the researcher conducted observations by directly observing the research object, documenting findings, and collecting online data obtained from the informant. Observation involves the systematic observation and recording of visible elements of a phenomenon in the research object (Widoyoko, 2014), while documentation is a method used to obtain data and information in the form of books, archives, documents, written text, numbers, and images, such as reports and statements that can support the research (Sugiyono, 2015). The collected data were then analyzed using qualitative data analysis techniques. The purpose of data analysis techniques is to process and analyze the gathered information so that it becomes systematic, orderly, structured, and meaningful data. Qualitative data analysis in this study was conducted by analyzing the content of the National Standard for Elementary School Libraries and comparing it with findings obtained during the observation process. Qualitative data analysis process included the steps of data collection, data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing. The collected and processed data were then analyzed using a qualitative descriptive technique and presented in narrative form. To test the validity of the data, the data analysis results were then validated using triangulation techniques.

State Elementary School 05 Bengkulu City is one of the elementary schools in Bengkulu City that has been accredited ‘A’. In the organization and learning process at school, a school library is necessary. The school library must be well-managed to provide good services to members, library staff, and leadership (Purnamayanti & Oktaria, 2022). Hartono (Putri et al., 2022) explains that the objectives of a school library include: a) providing information services that satisfy its users, and b) supporting the achievement of the vision and mission of its parent body/organization/institution. State Elementary School 05 Bengkulu City has twenty-four study groups, from grade one to grade six, with each grade having four study groups. The library of State Elementary School 05 Bengkulu City should be able to meet the standards in its organization to serve these twenty four study groups. In Undang-undang No. 43 of 2007 Article 23 Concerning Libraries, it is stated that every school that organizes a library must meet national library standards by paying attention to Standar Nasional Pendidikan. In organizing a good elementary school library, it is necessary to pay attention to its guidelines, one of which is the National Standard for Elementary School/Madrasah Ibtidaiyah Libraries. This standard includes standards for collection, facilities and infrastructure, services, staff, organization, and management of the library. Professional library management is carried out in the areas of collection, services, facilities and infrastructure, and human resources, so that through management in these areas, the role of the library can be optimally utilized by users (Artana, 2019). At the library of State Elementary School 05 Bengkulu City, based on findings in the field, it has not fully adhered to the aforementioned national standards. Further findings will be discussed under each of the standards mentioned above. Library Collection Standards The school library collection comprises all library materials that are in accordance with the needs of students or teachers and can be used by school library users (Afrizal, 2019). Various types of collections, such as textbooks, curriculum support books, reading books, and reference books, are included in the library collection at the Elementary School. Periodicals such as magazines and newspapers, as well as audiovisual collections, sound recordings, video recordings, and electronic resources, are also part of the collection. However, based on the findings, the types of collections available at the library of State Elementary School 05 Bengkulu City do not fully meet the National Library Standards (SNP) for Elementary Schools. The existing collection only includes printed works and periodicals, while audiovisual collections, sound recordings, video recordings, and electronic resources are not yet available. The minimum number of titles an elementary school with thirteen to twenty four study groups must have is two thousand titles, with a ratio of 60% for non-fiction collections and 40% for fiction collections, to adequately meet the needs of all students. Based on the findings, it is known that the number of non-fiction titles is 1,634 and fiction titles is 1,104, with a ratio of 59.68% for non-fiction and 40.32% for fiction. The ratio between the number of non-fiction and fiction collections in this library is already close to the standard. The total number of titles owned, which is 2,738 titles, already meets the standard minimum of two thousand titles. Elementary school libraries are expected to add to their collection by 6% per year for collections with 2,000 (two thousand) titles. However, at the library of State Elementary School 05 Bengkulu City, collection additions are made annually, but there is no definite data on the percentage of annual collection additions. Thus, it can be determined that the annual collection additions do not yet comply with the applicable standards. Increasing the quantity of the collection is a constraint for school libraries, as it is related to the school’s budget allocation for library development. Public and school libraries are limited in expanding their collections due to limited budgets, with about 25% of public libraries having inadequate collections (Maulidiyah & Roesmaningsih, 2020). Furthermore, elementary school libraries should subscribe to at least 1 (one) magazine title and 1 (one) newspaper title each. However, the library of State Elementary School 05 Bengkulu City does not yet subscribe to magazines; there are only magazines from donations. As for newspapers, they used to subscribe, but currently, newspapers go directly to the school principal and are therefore not in the library. Based on these findings, it can be determined that the library does not yet meet the standards for subscribing to magazines and newspapers. The reference collection that an elementary school library must have should at least include an Indonesian dictionary, a regional language dictionary, a foreign language dictionary, an encyclopedia, a directory, an atlas, maps, biographies of figures, and holy scriptures. A reference collection is a collection of library materials in the form of referential works, compiled as consultation tools or pointers to specific information (Afrizal, 2019). The library of State Elementary School 05 Bengkulu City has almost all types of reference collections, with only regional language dictionaries and holy scriptures not found in the library. Collections need to be described, classified, assigned subject headings, and systematically arranged in the management of library materials. The processing of library materials aims to ensure all library materials are well-organized, so that books can be grouped based on their characteristics and content. However, at the library of State Elementary School 05 Bengkulu City, library materials have not been described and systematically arranged. The activity of recounting the library’s collection, known as stocktaking, aims to determine the number of items in the collection. The effort to remove library collections that are considered no longer relevant is called collection weeding, which is due to book stock undergoing stocktaking because it has never been read or touched. Stocktaking and collection weeding in elementary school libraries should be done at least once every three years. However, this library has not routinely conducted stocktaking and collection weeding at least once every 3 (three) years, resulting in a rather disorganized collection and frequently encountering items that are no longer fit for use. Preservation of library materials is an activity carried out with the aim of preserving the informational value of the library materials themselves from damage and to extend the lifespan of these materials. To ensure library materials remain well-maintained, the library must perform maintenance by controlling room conditions, such as ensuring sufficient light and air humidity, and repairing damaged library materials at least once a year. At the Library of State Elementary School 05 Bengkulu City, sufficient light is achieved with windows as a light source. However, repairs have not been carried out, so damaged and unusable collections are often found. Damage to the collection is a consequence of direct exposure of the collection to sunlight which contains ultraviolet rays. Figure 1 shows that the interior arrangement of collection shelves is directly exposed to sunlight. UV rays can fade the color of paper and can even cause paper to become brittle (Ilfa & Zein, 2022). Library Facilities and Infrastructure Standards According to the National Library Standard for Elementary Schools/ Madrasah Ibtidaiyah concerning facilities and infrastructure, to ensure the continuity of library functions and comfort for users, the library must provide facilities appropriate to its collection and services. To realize adequate facilities and infrastructure, it is important to follow the Regulation of the Head of the National Library of Indonesia Number 14 of 2017 concerning Elementary School/Madrasah Ibtidaiyah Libraries, which regulates the facilities and infrastructure that must exist in elementary school libraries. This is important because a lack of visitors can be caused by a library not having good facilities. The facilities and infrastructure standardized for elementary school libraries include: (1) Library Building, (2) Library Area, and (3) Furniture (Alpian & Ruwaida, 2022). The library should be in a separate building with a minimum area of 216 m² for 19 (nineteen) to 27 (twenty-seven) study groups. However, the library of State Elementary School 05 Bengkulu City only has an area of 56 m², which is far from the applicable standard. However, a multimedia area is still lacking, while the library area already includes a collection area, reading area, and work area. The division of library rooms according to their respective functions is called the library area (Kristiadi, 2016). Based on Table 1, it can be seen that most of the equipment in the library of State Elementary School 05 Bengkulu City is in poor condition. To optimize library operations, good facilities and infrastructure are needed. The facilities at the library of State Elementary School 05 Bengkulu City almost meet the standards, such as work furniture, storage furniture, and other equipment, while multimedia equipment is not yet available. The library location should be at the center of learning activities and easily visible and accessible to students, educators, and staff. However, the location of the library of State Elementary School 05 Bengkulu City is not suitable as it is at the back of the school and difficult to see and reach. Facilities and infrastructure are a challenge for Elementary School libraries, especially if the library is required to implement an automation system. Although school libraries have been trained to implement automation in their libraries in a training session, in the field, many schools are not technically supported by the school for hardware procurement (Safii et al., 2021). Library Service Standards In library services, the minimum opening hours for the library are 6 (six) hours per working day. At the library of State Elementary School 05 Bengkulu City, the library’s opening hours adjust to the school schedule, opening from 07:00 WIB to 12:00 WIB. The opening hours at this library do not yet comply with the applicable standards. Circulation services, reference services, and information literacy services are the three types of services found in elementary school libraries. Circulation services refer to services provided by the library for lending and returning library collections that will be used or read. Reference services function to provide comprehensive and in depth information references, derived from various available library materials, to meet users’ information needs. Information literacy services, on the other hand, aim to offer guidance programs that teach users efficient and effective methods for obtaining needed information. This aims to enable users to utilize the information facilities provided by the library and access information efficiently. The Library of State Elementary School 05 Bengkulu City only has one type of service, namely circulation services, while reference and information literacy services are not yet available. This means it does not yet meet the standard of having a minimum of 3 (three) types of services: circulation, reference, and information literacy. The school has a compulsory reading program in the library. The library of State Elementary School 05 Bengkulu City has implemented this program by creating a library visit schedule over the 6 (six) school days. In Table 2, the school library visit schedule is divided into six days, with each day having a visit schedule from a different class each week. In addition to the compulsory reading program in the library, there is also a user education program conducted at least once a year and an information literacy program held twice a year. A routine library activity aimed at introducing users to the collections, facilities, and services available in the library is called a user education program. However, in this library, this program has not been implemented as it should be. Student visits to the library are not without obstacles; the use of library services will be optimal when students engage in activities outside of class hours or are directed by teachers to visit the library, or even due to a lack of awareness in utilizing library collections, which will impact the optimization of library service utilization in Elementary Schools. A barrier for libraries to improve student services is a lack of awareness about the benefits of the library (Susilorini, 2021). The Library of State Elementary School 05 Bengkulu City has not yet carried out any form of promotion, even though school libraries need to conduct library promotion. Library promotion is a series of library activities designed to make users aware of the benefits of a library through its collections, facilities, and the products and services it provides (Kurniawan & Madeten, 2018). In promoting the library, this can be applied to introduce the school library, the services available in the library, and the benefits that can be obtained from the library. In addition, this library has prepared library service reports in the form of monthly and annual reports. “For reports, we make monthly and annual service reports. For example, for the number of visitors, we will make a report every month and year to monitor the development of the number of visitors to this library.” (Informant 1, Interview, April 3, 2024). Collaboration is needed for library development. No single library can fully equip itself in terms of information, so library collaboration is very important. The Library of State Elementary School 05 Bengkulu City has not yet established cooperation with any party, including public libraries, other school libraries, librarianship organizations/library forums, and Foundations or corporate institutions. “Not yet, we haven’t done any collaboration, neither with the city library nor with other school libraries.” (Informant 1, Interview, April 3, 2024). Furthermore, the library also carries out activities connected to the school curriculum, such as encouraging reading activities, teaching library subjects, teaching information literacy programs, participating in planning learning tools, assisting teachers in accessing and utilizing public information, and identifying reference sources. In addition, the library also organizes activities for reading electronic books and information technology-based learning. Based on the findings in the field, only a few have been implemented, such as activities to encourage a love of reading and involvement in planning learning tools. Library Staff Standards According to the National Library Standards (SNP), every school library must have at least one staff member. Schools are required to have two library staff members if they have more than six study groups. The minimum qualification for school library staff is a two-year diploma (D-II) in library science. Academically, the minimum qualification for a librarian is to have a two year diploma (D-II) in library science from an accredited higher education institution. Prospective staff with a minimum academic qualification of a two-year diploma (D II) not from the library field can become librarians after completing education and training in the library field. Based on the interviews conducted, the library of State Elementary School 05 Bengkulu City has four library staff members, of whom three are teachers and one is library personnel. Each of the four individuals has their own tasks, such as one person as Head of the Library, one person in services, one person in procurement, and one person in processing. Of these four library staff members, only one person meets the qualifications stated in the National Library Standards and is involved in library management, whereas for a library with twenty-four study groups, it must have at least two library managers, while in this library only one is involved in library management. Thus, it can be concluded that the library staff at State Elementary School 05 Bengkulu City [does not meet the standard]. “Actually, only one person is really working, because the others are not library staff but teachers. So, what’s in the structure is just a formality, the reality is different.” (Informant 1, Interview, April 3, 2024). Problems with library staff, especially school library staff, are crucial issues experienced by various schools, ranging from the availability of the number of library staff, academic qualifications, competency qualifications, to staff development. This will certainly impact the performance of library staff in library management. Library staff face several problems in managing the library, including human factors such as a lack of ability from the library staff. To resolve this, library staff must attend special training to develop their library skills (Fauruza & Rahmah, 2015). Library Organization Standards Every school organizes a school library. Based on the findings, it was found that the Library of State Elementary School 05 Bengkulu City was established in 2005. It occupies one room measuring 7 x 8 meters, located at Jl. Asahan, Padang Harapan, Bengkulu City. Then, every school library must obtain a Library Principal Number (NPP), whereas the Library of State Elementary School 05 Bengkulu City does not yet have this Library Principal Number (NPP). “For the NPP, we have tried to register through the Bengkulu City Library and Archives Office. However, until now, there has been no further news from them.” (Informant 1, Interview, April 4, 2024). The organizational structure, based on Figure 2, for the school library includes the head of the library, technical services, user services, and information and communication technology under the auspices of the school principal. The following is the organizational structure of the library of State Elementary School 05 Bengkulu City. The Library of State Elementary School 05 Bengkulu City has four personnels, three of then are teachers, and one library staff member as the library manager. However, findings in the field show that only the manager performs the tasks/ work. Furthermore, this structure does not include the types of services according to applicable standards. To run the organization, the school library prepares an annual work program that refers to the school’s work program for the current fiscal year. This work program is in accordance with the library objectives and related institutions to achieve the main goals of establishing the organization, institution, agency, or company. The work program in the form of activity implementation, policies, or regulations. The following is the School Library Work Program for the 2022/2023 Academic Year, Semester II, presented in Figure 3. In the work program, there are three components with fifteen types of activities. These components consist of preparation, implementation, and evaluation. Each of these components has several activities carried out from January to July. Furthermore, of these three components, in the evaluation section, the activities carried out are very minimal compared to the other components. Library Management Standards The elementary school library must have a clearly written vision, mission, and development policy. The library’s vision refers to the related school’s vision, while the mission aims to realize that vision. Figure 4 shows the vision and mission of the library of State Elementary School 05 Bengkulu City. Based on Figure 4, the vision of the library of State Elementary School 05 Bengkulu City is “Realizing a Culture of Reading, Innovation, and Creativity.” Meanwhile, the missions of the library of State Elementary School 05 Bengkulu City include: (1) Encouraging students and teachers to enjoy reading; (2) Fostering and developing a reading culture; (3) Making the library a learning resource; (4) Fostering and developing the creativity of students and teachers; and (5) Producing a State Elementary School that is high quality, intelligent, and devout. The objectives of the library of State Elementary School 05 Bengkulu City are both general and specific. In general, the purpose of this library, especially for students, is that the library can increase faith and piety to God Almighty, intelligence and skills, enhance moral character, and strengthen national spirit and love for the homeland. Thus, it can create individuals who can build themselves and be responsible for the development of the Indonesian nation based on Pancasila and the 1945 Constitution. Specifically, the objectives of this library include: (1) Developing interest, ability, and reading habits. (2) Developing the ability to find, process, and utilize information available in the library. (3) Educating students to maintain and utilize library materials appropriately and usefully. (4) Laying the foundations for self-reliance. And (5) Fostering and nurturing students’ interests and talents. Furthermore, the library of State Elementary School 05 Bengkulu City has the task of providing various information resources needed by users, both students and teachers, to provide optimal services. The Library of State Elementary School 05 Bengkulu City functions as: (1) An information source; (2) An educational medium or tool; (3) A place for research; (4) A place for recreation, where the library strives to provide refreshing reading materials for users. In organizing the library, the elementary school ensures the availability of a library budget each year of at least 5% of the total school budget. Based on interview results, it is known that the budgeting for the library of State Elementary School 05 Bengkulu City is 5% of the BOS (School Operational Assistance) funds. Based on the findings, the budgeting does not yet comply with the applicable standards, which require a minimum of 5% of the entire total school budget, not just the BOS funds. “Yes, that’s correct, our library budget is 5%, and its source is from the BOS funds.” (Informant 1, Interview, April 2, 2024).

This research indicates that the implementation of the Library of State Elementary School 05 Bengkulu City has not yet fully adhered to the National Standards for Elementary School Libraries. Although several aspects, such as the number and types of collections, staff, facilities or furniture, as well as organization and management, are approaching the applicable standards, there are still several elements that need improvement, especially related to the quantity of the collection which is not yet in accordance with the standards. Therefore, it is crucial for the library management to pay more attention to and be guided by the existing National Library Standards, so that the library can meet all the required criteria and function optimally as an educational support facility in the school. Based on the results of this research, suggestions for further research include conducting a comparative study with other Elementary School Libraries in the Bengkulu region or other provinces, and developing a school library management model based on National Library Standards.