---

Constitutional Court Chief Registrar Muhidin officially closing the focus group discussion on “E-Book and Digital Library Management in the Constitutional Court.”

JAKARTA, Public Relations of the Constitutional Court—Constitutional Court (MK) officially closed the focus group discussion on “E-Book and Digital Library Management in the Constitutional Court” on Wednesday afternoon (20/11/2019) in Jakarta.

"Today we [learn from you] from various institutions working in the library. When we handle cases, we need a lot of things. Not only laws, but also other aspects in the form of books because constitutional issues are not only a matter of the law," Muhidin explained to librarians from ministries and agencies. 

Muhidin said that FGD activities like this should continue to be improved in the coming years. The event was expected to produce a very useful formula as the Constitutional Court literature needs a lot of references. 

"When the Court is preparing a ruling, there is a pause before the ruling hearing, [which] is used by the Constitutional Court [staff] to prepare data and information for the nine constitutional justices as a material for the deliberation meeting," Muhidin stressed. 

He revealed that the Constitutional Court (MK) partners with various universities throughout Indonesia by building video conference facilities for long-distance hearings. "Indeed, the Court needs partners as friends of the Court," Muhidin added. He also revealed that for case registration, the Court now applies the E-BRPK or the constitutional case registration book electronically to record complete petitions. 

The focus group discussion (FGD) on "E-Book and Digital Library Management in the Constitutional Court," which lasted for two days, presented speakers who had long been involved in library management, such as Acting Head of the Center for Research, Case Review, and Library Management Wiryanto. He stressed the importance of supporting systems in the Constitutional Court and that the Court must be responsive, respond, and balance the needs for ICT. 

"That is why the Constitutional Court library as an integral and supporting system of the Constitutional Court is directed as a technology-based library, both as a system and infrastructure," said Wiryanto next to the Court’s librarian Hanindyo as moderator. 

"In this context, in 2019 the Constitutional Court library will begin to develop a digital corner, which is expected to be completed by mid-December 2019. Furthermore, in 2020 there will be a development of a library that is representative, friendly, responsive to technology," Wiryanto added. 

Also present was the Head of Law and Planning Bureau of the National Library Joko Santoso, who presented "Development of the National Digital Library in the Disruptive Era." 

"When we talk about digital libraries, we look at how access various possibilities. First, not everyone lives in the city. Some live in the mountains, forests, and others and legally have the same right to get library services," said Joko. 

Second, Joko added, not everyone in Indonesia is always healthy, but sometimes experiences physiological and psychological obstacles. They also have the same rights to obtain library services. "We view that the digital library is ultimately about reaching those who live far away and have obstacles. They must be visited," said Joko. 

Joko said that Article 12 Paragraph (2) of Law Number 23 of 2014 on Regional Government states that the library is a mandatory government affair unrelated to basic services. "That is, library services by the central and regional governments are as important as other services such as education, health, and others," said Joko. 

Thian Wisnu Isnanto from the DKI Jakarta Provincial Library and Archives presented "Management of Digital Collections at the DKI Jakarta Provincial Library and Archives." 

Thian explained that based on a survey of the Indonesian Internet Service Providers Association (APJII) in 2018, Indonesian internet users increased by 10.12 percent compared to the previous year. 

"In total, internet users reached 171.17 million of 264.16 million population. This potential is what the DKI Jakarta Provincial Library and Archives looked at in developing an electronic-based library as stipulated in Law No. 43 of 2007 on libraries, where each library is developed in accordance with advances in information and communication technology. Thus, there is the need to organize a library based on electronic information technology. The goal is to expand the library service areas, provide convenience to users, and utilize the potential of internet users and social media in developing public interest in reading," explained Thian. 

Head of the Library of the Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT) Eka Meifirina Suminarsih delivered a presentation on “Building Indonesian Government\'s Special Library Network." She explained, "Our library is directed toward virtual library, and we have been doing digitalization since 2010. We also built a cyber library," she said. 

Eka also outlined the definition of the Government\'s Special Library according to Law Number 43 of 2007. "A Special Library is a library that is limited to users in government institutions, community institutions, religious education institutions, houses of worship, or other organizations," she explained. 

A special library provides library materials in accordance with the needs of users in their environment and provides services to users in the environment and limited service to users outside of the environment. Special libraries are organized according to national library standards. 

Head of the Library and BI Institute of Bank Indonesia Shiddieq Adhityarahman delivered a presentation on "Bank Indonesia the Digital Transformation Library." Yogyakarta State University librarian Wahyudiati delivered a presentation on " E-Book and Digital Library Management." (Nano Tresna Arfana/LA)

Translated by: Yuniar Widiastuti

---