The Indonesian Community Literacy Volunteers, or RELIMA for short, are the spearheads of literacy efforts across their assigned tasks. Activities such as advocacy reports, literacy activities, and inventory programs are conducted to record the activities of literacy communities. Through advocacy activities, the RELIMA Team conducts audiences with several institutions, including schools, government policymakers, village governments, literacy activists, and literacy community partners within West Sumbawa Regency, West Nusa Tenggara.
An interesting and good practice I implemented as part of the West Sumbawa Relima Team was to invite students from the Al-Ikhlas Taliwang Islamic Boarding School on a literacy tour, a transfer to the Regional Archives and Library Service (ARPUSDA) of West Sumbawa Regency. This program was attended by students in grade 4 of the Islamic Boarding School, equivalent to grade 1 students at the Islamic High School level.
This literacy tour, a program of the West Sumbawa Regency Library and Library Service (Arpusda), aims to provide literacy access to educational institutions, teachers, and students within the regency. The Relima team welcomed the program, citing its ability to provide literacy access to students, teachers, educational institutions, literacy activists, and literacy communities in West Sumbawa.
The literacy tourism program I conducted with students at the Al-Ikhlas Islamic Boarding School aims to increase and foster reading interest among the students. Literacy is the foundation of education and key to developing individual potential. It also serves as a means of direct interaction between the students and the literature collection, enriching their knowledge.
The visit to the Regional Library and Archives of West Sumbawa Regency was a reflection of my good practice while teaching fourth-grade students at the Al-Ikhlas Islamic Boarding School. One of the students asked, "Can we read books in the new library at KTC?"[1]" He said enthusiastically.
After teaching, I immediately contacted the Regional Library management and sent a letter requesting a visit and transfer of students. The Head of the Library responded, inviting us to come on Wednesday, September 17, 2025, at 9:30 a.m.
I saw the enthusiasm and eagerness of the students when I arrived at the West Sumbawa Regional Library. After filling out the guest book, on line, they immediately rushed to find reading materials neatly lined up on the library shelves. This literacy activity is highly relevant to the Islamic boarding school's vision of producing intelligent and virtuous students. During this visit, the students were also invited to discuss the books they had read, allowing them to concretely reflect on their reading experiences.
After conducting a literacy visit to the West Sumbawa Regional Library, as Relima, I concluded several positive impacts and good practices from the literacy visit. These include: First, What is visible is a change in students' attitudes toward reading. Many students are showing a greater interest in books and literature, which they may not have previously explored in depth.
Second, increasing the knowledge of students in various fields and the genre of books they read. With direct access to the library and the opportunity to discuss with librarians, students gain broader insight into various topics.
Third, It stimulates students' curiosity and inspires them to explore further, thus fostering good learning habits. This is evident when students are taken on a tour of the library.
Fourth, The students' curiosity was piqued after reading books with intriguing titles. Certainly, if this program is consistently scheduled and properly nurtured, it has the potential to shape the students' character and provide them with the tools they need for future success.
Final, After witnessing the enthusiasm and passion for reading of the students as Relima, I continue to encourage anyone, whether students, communities, literacy activists to build communication and collaboration between educational institutions and libraries in creating more innovative programs in order to increase interest in reading and awareness of literacy.
Thus, I have written this program of good practice activities. As the Relima Team, I am committed to continuing advocacy activities, literacy programs, and inventory, while always involving communities and partners in collaboration with the Relima RI Team.
Greetings of Literacy, Greetings of Relima
[1] KTC stands for Kemutar Telu Center, a regional government office in West Sumbawa Regency, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB).
