School librarian experience as an agent in fostering a reading culture

• Published in: IFLA journal 2024-10
• Main Authors: Irawati, Indira, Laksmi, Laksmi, Rahmi, Rahmi, Wijayanti, Luki, Kristiningsih, Theresia
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0340-0352; 1745-2651
• DOI: 10.1177/03400352241254542

This study examines the role of school librarians in Indonesia in encouraging reading habits among young people. Employing a phenomenological approach, it seeks to understand librarians’ personal experiences and their interpretations of these experiences. The research highlights how librarians’ childhoods and family backgrounds influence their motivation to promote a reading culture. Their interactions with school management and efforts to encourage teachers to model reading behaviours are critical. The librarians also challenge the policies and organizational norms they believe hinder reading promotion. As agents of change, they possess a strong commitment to developing innovative programmes. In conclusion, their experiences serving as agents have given them a heightened sense of discursive awareness and intentionality. Although these efforts have successfully instilled regular reading habits, enhancing critical thinking and interpretive skills remains an ongoing challenge. The study suggests that the librarians could further enrich the reading culture by enhancing intersubjectivity, thus improving collective understanding and practices.