Two staff members of the Library and Archives of Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), Dr. Herman Setyawan, M.Sc., and Wasilatul Baroroh, S.S.I., have officially published a book titled Masa Depan Pengetahuan: Transformasi Perpustakaan dan Arsip dalam Ekosistem Pengetahuan Baru through Nasmedia Publisher in December 2025. This work serves as a reflective contribution that explores how libraries and archives must transform amid rapid digital acceleration and the changing global knowledge ecology.
The book consists of ten chapters featuring strong ideas on the paradigm shift in information management—from material-based to immaterial, from storage-oriented spaces to collaborative spaces, and from document managers to knowledge curators. It covers strategic issues such as semantic metadata, artificial intelligence ethics, digital archive preservation, green libraries, as well as libraries as social spaces and archives as collective identity.
“Libraries and archives must become living knowledge organisms. Our role is no longer just to safeguard collections, but to manage knowledge in innovative, responsive, and relevant ways,” said Dr. Herman Setyawan.
The second author, Wasilatul Baroroh, expressed that this book is expected to become an essential reference for librarians, archivists, researchers, and policymakers. “Technology is merely a tool. Behind every innovation, it is humans who remain the curators of meaning. This book seeks to broaden perspectives on a more adaptive and humanistic future for information professions,” she said.
The work received direct appreciation from Dr. Djoko Utomo, M.A., Honorary Member of SARBICA and Head of the National Archives of Indonesia (ANRI) from 2004–2009. In his testimony, he stated, “One of the strengths of this book lies in its rhetoric, reflecting the discourse on library and archival reform in Indonesia. It is a concise, dense, and substantial work, filled with contemporary theories and ideas, supported by 269 references including the latest from 2025. This is a spectacular contribution and highly recommended for librarians and archivists seeking new insights.”
The book is also supported by notable figures in the field of archives and librarianship, including Prof. Dr. H. Nandang Alamsah Deliarnoor, S.H., S.A.P., M.Hum. (Chairman of the Indonesian Higher Education Archives Association/PAPTI), Dr. H. Andi Kasman, S.E., M.M. (Chairman of the Indonesian Archivists Association/AAI), Ida Fajar Priyanto, Ph.D. (Lecturer at the Graduate School of UGM), and Hani Qonitah, S.S., M.IMS (Chairwoman of the Indonesian Records Management Professionals Association/P3RI).
The Future of Knowledge marks a significant milestone, demonstrating that impactful ideas can emerge from the daily work within libraries and archives. Beyond serving as an academic resource, the book also supports the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goal 4 on Quality Education and Goal 16 on Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions.
More than that, the book reminds us that technology can accelerate data, but it is humans who preserve meaning. Amid the vast digital stream, libraries and archives remain the foundation of civilization—spaces that store memory, cultivate knowledge, and guide the direction of the future.
Contributor: Wasilatul Baroroh