Analysis of School Library Utilization in Developing a Literacy Culture for Elementary School Students at SDN Bendelan 1

Background: The cultural climate of literacy for elementary school students is intricately linked to the crucial role played by school libraries. Recognizing the significance of this connection, the research delves into understanding how school libraries contribute to the development of a robust literacy culture among elementary school students. Purpose: The primary aim of this research is to analyze the role of school libraries in fostering a literacy culture among elementary school students. Employing a descriptive qualitative research method, the study seeks to investigate the extent of library utilization, focusing on aspects such as book variety, literacy programs, and strategies designed to captivate students' interest in reading. Additionally, the research aims to explore collaborative efforts between librarians and teachers in enhancing students' literacy culture. Design and methods: The research employs a descriptive qualitative research method, utilizing interviews, observation, and documentation to collect data from school principals, teachers, and students. The data analysis focuses on evaluating the extent of library usage, the adequacy of book collections, and the effectiveness of literacy programs and strategies. The design also incorporates an examination of collaborative initiatives between librarians and teachers to attract students' interest in developing their literacy culture. Results: The findings of the research highlight the current state of the library collection at SDN Bendelan 1, indicating its adequacy but emphasizing the need for improvement in alignment with the Merdeka Curriculum. The results underscore the importance of ongoing development to ensure the relevance of library materials to the curriculum, ultimately meeting the evolving learning needs of elementary school students. This research provides valuable insights for educators, librarians, and policymakers to strategically enhance literacy initiatives in elementary schools through focused library collection development.


Introduction
According to the National Education System Law No. 20 of 2003 Article 3, education must be aware of its importance and planned systematically to optimize the learning atmosphere and learning process (Republik Indonesia, 2003).By optimizing the learning process and atmosphere, students' talents and interests will be actively developed according to their respective potential.In this way, religious and spiritual strength, self-control, personality, intelligence, noble character, and the skills needed by society, nation, and state will be possessed and can be implemented well by students.Article 3 of the National Education System Law no.20 of 2003 means that national education aims to form a dignified civilization.Developing the potential and character of this generation of people can shape civilization.One of the foundations of a nation's progress is education.Referring to this, the main foundation of education is a culture of literacy.In line with current developments, everyone must always meet information needs that continue to grow rapidly (Agnes, 2021).Literacy includes the ability to read and write and a deep understanding of various aspects of knowledge.In an increasingly competitive world and the rapid development of information technology, literacy skills have become very important for every individual.(Ratnawita, 2022).Therefore, basic education ensures students acquire strong literacy foundations, especially at the elementary level.
The overall quality of human resources in Indonesia is still behind the human resources of developed countries and neighboring countries, such as Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand.According to Hakim (2015), the superiority of a nation no longer relies on natural wealth alone but on the superiority of human resources.This is due to one of the reasons for the low literacy culture.Low literacy culture can occur not only because of student factors but also because teachers play an important role in improving literacy culture (Magdalena, 2019) The school library is one of the main sources that can influence the literacy culture of students in elementary schools.Various types of reading materials, from story books to reference sources, are available from here.However, the extent to which school libraries play an effective role in developing students' literacy culture needs to be better explained.
Several previous studies have highlighted the importance of school libraries in increasing students' reading interest and literacy development.However, there is still a need to analyze further the extent to which school libraries are used by students, as well as how these libraries impact their literacy culture.The existence of libraries that provide various kinds of reading and information that students need is certainly in line with the function and benefits of libraries to improve the cultural literacy climate, especially for elementary school students.
This research aims to analyze the use of school libraries in developing a literacy culture for elementary school students.The main aim is for the school library to be one of the facilities that can support learning.According to Law (UU) of the Republic of Indonesia Number 43 of 2007, Chapter I Article 1 Paragraph 1 and Article 3, a library is an institution that manages collections of written works, printed works, and recorded works professionally with a standard system to meet educational needs, research, preservation, information and recreation for users.The library functions as a vehicle for education, research, preservation, information, and recreation to increase the intelligence and empowerment of the nation.Meanwhile, Khafifati and Hadiapurwa (2023) said that the school library is a place for students to find sources of information related to learning activities.Students use the library to fulfill their information needs with the available collections.Always having a library, 2 educators and students will be helped in fulfilling the required teaching materials with the book collections contained therein, evaluating the extent to which the library plays a role in influencing students' reading interest and literacy development.This research will also look at collaborative efforts between librarians and teachers in designing literacy programs that can attract student interest.
Collections are all library materials accommodated and stored in libraries to be distributed to users to meet their information needs (Wijanaraga, 2022).Meanwhile, Yuliani (2020) states that library collections consist of books, magazines, journals, and other publications that are collected, processed, and stored by the library so that they can be found and recalled (retrieved) repeatedly for users in creating services for maximum user needs.Providing library collections aims to support the implementation of the parent institution's programs (Wahyuni & Rahmah, 2012).From the explanation above, collections can be said to be various teaching materials stored in the school library, which can be found and read by students and teachers at any time to support their learning needs.
Library collection development is an activity that aims to develop existing collections in the library so that the library can provide collections that are in line with current developments and technological developments (Hikmat, 2019).Meanwhile, Wijanaraga (2022) stated that library collection management is important because it can provide usefulness for the collection when it is served to users.So that libraries can provide services in providing optimal information materials, planned collection development needs to be carried out.Good information is appropriate to the user's field, in this case, educators and students, and by current developments, namely the current curriculum, the Merdeka Curriculum.The collection of Merdeka Curriculum learning materials is still unavailable in the SDN Bendelan 1 library, so it still needs to support the teaching and learning process that can meet users' needs.To provide collections that suit users' needs, it is necessary to carry out collection development activities.Based on the descriptions outlined above, this research was carried out to know the library collection development process carried out at SDN Bendelan 1 in meeting users' needs.The results of this research can be used as a theoretical basis for further research regarding library collection management.
Through this research, deeper insights will emerge about the role of school libraries in creating a strong literacy culture among elementary school students.With a better understanding of library use, schools, and related parties can take more effective steps to advance students' literacy and help them become more competent and knowledgeable readers.

Methods
This study uses a descriptive qualitative research method approach.Data collection techniques are carried out using interviews, observation, and documentation of school principals, teachers, and students by describing the conditions that will be observed in the field more specifically and clearly, which will explain the use of school libraries in developing a culture of literacy among elementary school students.
Researchers also interviewed the same respondents: students, teachers, and library staff.This in-depth interview aims to gain deeper insight into their experiences and views regarding school libraries.Questions related to students' motivations for using the library, positive experiences or barriers, and how teachers and library staff work together to improve a literacy culture may also be addressed in these interviews.Data from surveys and interviews will be analyzed qualitatively to identify themes and patterns that emerge from respondents' narratives.
A case study is a method carried out intensively, in detail, and in-depth regarding a matter being researched through a program, event, activity, or others to obtain in-depth knowledge or information about a matter (Baxter & Chua, 1998).In line with Baxter and Chua, Creswell et al. (2003) argue that case studies are qualitative research in which researchers explore one or more people's programs, events, processes, and activities.The exploration carried out in research related to book collections and their development in the library of SDN Bendelan 1.The object of this research is the library of SDN Bendelan 1, Bondowoso Regency.Data collection techniques are carried out through observation, interviews, and documentation.Finally, the data that has been collected is then analyzed using descriptive analysis.
The data analysis techniques used in this research are descriptive analysis, data presentation, and concluding/verification (Kurniawan & Sadjiarto, 2013;Megawati, 2016;Rosa, 2015).In qualitative research, the form of a short description is a step in presenting data.By displaying data, it will be easier to understand what happened and plan further work based on what has been understood.Furthermore, in displaying the data, researchers used narrative text (Riswani & Widayati, 2012).The third step in qualitative data analysis is concluding and verifying.The initial conclusions found are still temporary and will change if strong supporting evidence is not found at the next data collection stage.

Findings & Discussion
This research was conducted to determine the development of book collections in the library at SDN Bendelan 1. Library collections can be built and maintained well through development activities planned and carried out systematically.Library collection development includes all activities to expand existing collections in the library, especially those related to evaluation and selection.Selection is the process of identifying information that will be added to existing collections in the library.Therefore, developing library collections is an important activity in libraries.
The SDN Bendelan 1 Library always tries to provide the best service to all visitors, including educators, students, and school administrators.One of the efforts is by providing various learning support collections totaling 5,476 copies.Another effort made to improve library services is by developing library collections.Through collection development, the SDN Bendelan 1 library can find out what collections users need.The currently available collections are still in print collections and need electronic collections.This is due to the need for more information technology devices in libraries.So, the focus of collection development is only on developing the print collection.
The stages of developing the library collection at SDN Bendelan 1 include user analysis, selection, procurement, weeding, and evaluation.The user analysis stage is carried out to map out what library collections need to be provided in the library.Based on interviews with school principals, user analysis was carried out by asking users who visited the library directly, including educators and students.The questions are in short conversations with students, asking what kind of book collection they would like in the library.Meanwhile, the questions asked of educators relate to the required learning support library materials and their availability in the school library.
From the results of asking teachers directly, it was found that the library materials supporting learning that still needed to be available in the SDN Bendelan 1 library were books related to the Independent Curriculum.Meanwhile, the need for Independent Curriculum teaching materials is important because SDN Bendelan 1 is one of the schools implementing the Independent Curriculum.
The second stage is selection.Selection is a continuation stage of the previous stage.After the entire list of collection needs has been collected, the library manager will select the list.Librarians or library managers select collection needs based on the most requests and consider suggestions from educators by looking at whether the collection is according to the current curriculum and the collection's usefulness in improving student achievement.This is because there is no policy regarding library collection selection.Next, the results of the collection selection will be submitted for approval from educators and school principals.
The next stage is procurement.At the procurement stage, the school treasurer will order the booking agent to purchase a collection of books according to the results of the previous selection.Book purchases are made using BOS budget funds.Apart from purchasing, the SDN Bendelan 1 library procures collections through gifts and grants.Procurement of book collections through gifts is usually provided by the Regional Library and Archives Service or other parties who contribute.While procuring books through grants, educators usually donate their books.
Next is the weeding stage.Along with the arrival of new book collections that have been purchased or received, the SDN Bendelan 1 library carries out a weeding of the collection to empty the bookshelves so that they are available to accommodate the new book collections that arrive.Old, irrelevant collections will be removed from the bookshelves and replaced with new book collections.This weeding was done because of the limited collection shelves available.
The last is the evaluation stage.At this stage, the SDN Bendelan 1 library evaluates the collection by receiving suggestions from educators and students regarding existing collections.Then, the school principal, educators, and library managers will deliberate to determine the steps needed for the library's future progress.
This study aims to analyze the extent to which school libraries are used in developing students' literacy culture, especially students in elementary schools.From the results of the research carried out, the following things were found:

Level of School Library Utilization
The difference between students who do not use the library and students who come to use the library can be seen from long-term library use.The results obtained cannot only be seen in a short period but must be sustainable.Because the school library is a vital tool in the teaching and learning process, the library is therefore seen as the heart of the educational program.(Rohmansah, 2013)

Frequency of Student Visits to the Library
According to Sabilal Muhtadien (2016), the factors that cause students' low interest in visiting the library are internal factors due to students' lack of love for the library.This is due to the unattractive layout and appearance of the library or other factors.

Available Book Collections
According to Riska (2021), the availability of collections and interest in reading are related.The availability of the collection itself is a supporting means for increasing interest in reading.Interest in reading is a strong desire accompanied by a person's efforts to read.
The availability of book collections in libraries also influences student use.Visitors, especially students at the elementary school level, for example, lower grades aged 1 to 3, tend to be more interested in reading material that contains more pictures and color.This differs from children already at the upper-grade level who are used to reading books with minimal pictures and colors.Students tend to use libraries with diverse and interesting collections more often (Darmono, 2001).Therefore, libraries must provide various books that can attract students' reading interest at all levels, especially in elementary school.

The Influence of Library Use on Literacy Culture
According to Bafadal (2009), "the organization of a school library is not only for collecting and storing library materials but with the existence of a school library it is hoped that students will gradually have the pleasure of reading which is a fundamental tool for learning, both at school and outside of school."This aligns with the library's use to attract and create a cultural literacy climate for students.It is, hoped that the knowledge gained by students by reading in the library can support students' knowledge not obtained in classroom learning.

Conclusion
In summary, this research shows that the use of school libraries has an important role in developing student literacy culture in elementary schools and is the main means of increasing student literacy.From the results of the analysis of the use of school libraries in developing student literacy culture in elementary schools, it can be concluded that library use has a significant influence on the level of student activity in utilizing library facilities.Libraries are considered an important element in the educational process.The low interest of students in visiting the library can be caused by internal factors, especially students' lack of love for the library.The availability of book collections in libraries is closely related to students' reading interests.Libraries with diverse and interesting collections are used more often by students.Organizing a school library is not limited to collecting and storing library materials.However, it also helps students to develop a pleasure in reading, which is a fundamental skill for learning.
The implementation of collection development at the SDN Bendelan 1 library has implemented several collection development concepts, such as carrying out user analysis, selection, procurement, weeding, and evaluation.Even though the SDN Bendelan 1 library does not yet have a collection development policy, the selection stage for collection needs 6 is based on the most requests and considering suggestions from educators regarding the suitability of collection requests with the curriculum used and its usefulness in increasing student achievement.Efforts are made to develop collections oriented toward library needs to meet the needs of students and educators to support learning, especially regarding the curriculum used.