Digital transformation is no longer just a discourse but a tangible chievement marked by the Library and Archives of Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM). Through AI-driven innovations, the Library and Archives of UGM successfully won two awards at the Indonesian Academic Librarian Award (IALA) and Academic Library InnovationAward (ALIA) 2025, held under the theme “AI-Driven Academic Libraries: Innovation, Ethics, and the Future of Knowledge Management”. The competition was organized by the Indonesian Higher Education Library Forum (FPPTI) Yogyakarta.
In the Academic Library Innovation Award (ALIA) category, the UGM Library and Archives team, led by Lilik Kurniawati Uswah, S.E., M.Si., with members Barid Budi Wicaksono, S.TP., M.A., Delta Ira Anggreanie, S.IP., Stevanus Deni Nur Prasetyo, S.Kom., and Wasilatul Baroroh, S.S.I., secured second place. Their innovation, “Siniar Pustaka-Kintaka: Echoes of the Past, Voices of the Future”, is a podcast program developed with Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology integrated into every stage of its production, creating a more adaptive and innovative digital literacy format.
Meanwhile, in the Indonesian Academic Librarian Award (IALA) category, Desy Natalia Anggorowati, S.IP., M.A., a librarian at the Faculty of Dentistry (FKG) UGM, won third place with her innovation “Expert Video ‘Book Review’ on Instagram: Innovation in Knowledge Curation at FKG UGM Library”, which was recognized for its creative approach in enhancing the visibility of library services.
The innovation presentations were held at the Library of UIN Sunan Kalijaga, Yogyakarta, on Tuesday (August 26, 2025), while the announcement of winners and award ceremony took place at Universitas Islam Indonesia (UII) on Tuesday (September 2, 2025).
Yulistiarini Kumaraningrum, Head of Data and Information Systems at the UGM Library and Archives, who accompanied the team, expressed her appreciation for the achievement. “This accomplishment proves that UGM librarians are not only information managers but also innovators capable of delivering creative breakthroughs relevant to the times, including the integration of AI technology,” she said.
Team leader Lilik Kurniawati Uswah emphasized that the innovation stemmed from the spirit of bringing the library closer to the community. She highlighted that today’s generation prefers more visual learning methods. “The podcast we developed represents the library’s transformation to enhance literacy while adapting to the learning styles of today’s generation,” she explained.
This achievement also aligns with the commitment of the UGM Library and Archives to supporting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 4: Quality Education through digital literacy enhancement and inclusive learning access, and SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure through the development of library services adaptive to new technologies.
More than just an award, this success marks the strategic role of academic libraries as centers of innovation, ethics, and knowledge management in the digital era. Moving forward, this recognition is expected to inspire the emergence of more librarians and innovations that address the challenges of information transformation both nationally and globally.
Contributor: Wasilatul Baroroh