IPB Islamic Book Fair Promotes Youth Literacy
The development of sophisticated technologies that makes humans easy to work will never be able to replace the role of books as a need to improve the literacy of a nation. However, nowadays there are many young people who are diverted by various offerings on the internet so that Indonesian literacy culture is declining, especially young people who are currently dominated by generation Z.
The culture of literacy that has developed in Indonesian society is now quite bad. Based on data from the national library last year, the average frequency of reading for Indonesians was only three to four times per week. While the number of books brought was only five to nine books per year. The lack of reading interest in Indonesia is a big problem, because the lack of knowledge and self capacity will make this nation hampered to prosper.
The urgency to improve national literacy encouraged the Campus Da'wah Institute (LDK) of Bogor Agricultural University (IPB), Al Hurriyyah, and the Student Islamic Spirituality Agency (BKIM) to conduct the IPB Islamic Book Fair (IIBF) held at Graha Widya Wisuda (GWW), IPB Dramaga Campus, Bogor (1-2/12).
"We want this IIBF to be able to enhance the culture of literacy in people's lives so that they can be smart, wise and selective towards changes that occur in this era. Not only being intelligent in worldly aspect, but we also want to instill Al-Qur'an and As-Sunnah in community life. All of this will certainly be difficult to realize if there is no knowledge which is supported by the richness of literacy," explained Ahmad Syauqi as Chairperson of IIBF.
The series of IIBF activities included seminars or talk show, book review, book bazaar and grand tabligh. On the first day, the talk show was filled by activists from universities in Indonesia, namely AlFath Bagus (Student President of UGM 2016), Ahmad Wali R (Student President of ITB 2018), M. Sigit Susanto (Student President of IPB 2013) and also Muslim entrepreneur namely Andreas Senjaya (Founder of IGROW). This talk show was also supplemented by a book review by Zaky A. Rivai who is the author of the book titled #mncrgknskl.
On the second day, IIBF invited Robi Afrizan Saputra (Author of the Book titled Jangan Jadikan Masa Mudamu Sia-Sia-Don't Waste Your Youth), Prof. Dr. Muhammad Firdaus (IPB Economics Professor) as well as Grand Tabligh by Muzammil Hasballah (CEO and Founder of @Imammuda) and Alfath Hibatul Wafi (National Hafidz).
"The speakers we present provide a lot of images and motivations about how to be a real young man and woman and be ready to deal with changes in technology flow smartly and wisely. We hope that this event will continue to be well organized to create superior knowledgeable young people. Hopefully this activity can be beneficial for all the community in IPB and its surroundings and can have an impact on the community for a better and more dignified Indonesia," he concluded. (SM/Zul/ZSP)
