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View all search resultsWhere reading finds a home: Grassroots efforts lead Indonesia’s literacy revival
Now increasingly visible in Jakarta and other cities, independent libraries and reading communities have become new hubs for readers, taking the lead in promoting reading culture as government initiatives continue to fall short.
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Visitors enjoy books and the garden ambiance on Oct. 25, 2025 at Anjangsana Reading House during its launch in Bogor, West Java. (Courtesy of /Anjangsana Reading House)
D
espite the heavy rain, Anjangsana Reading House felt warm as its carpets and sofas were visited by a dozen readers chatting over hot drinks, while the home’s walls were lined with shelves of books.
This Saturday afternoon scene in November was exactly what Ryan Rinaldy hoped to create when he finally fulfilled his long-held dream of opening a small library, or “reading house,” as he calls it, in Bogor, West Java.
“I hope this place can become an alternative space for Bogor residents and anyone nearby who wants to read,” Ryan told The Jakarta Post. While “improving literacy” feels like an overreach to him, the 36-year-old aims to make reading easier to access and provide a place for strangers to connect through books.
Anjangsana’s over 1,000 book collection grew through contributions from visitors, neighbors and family, support Ryan says has turned the space into a communal project.
The push to make books accessible has also taken root among three women in their 20s: Nara from Yogyakarta, Ichan from Jakarta and Jojo from East Java. Concerned that the literacy landscape remains exclusive and benefits mostly those with stable access to books, they founded Kolektif Membaca Melawan (the Read to Resist Collective) in March.
“We are trying to shift Indonesia’s literacy climate and make reading more inclusive,” Nara told the Post on Sunday. “We want readers to have access to alternative book references that challenge hypermasculine narratives, because literacy spaces are still dominated by cisgender, heterosexual, able-bodied men.”
Read also: Lively libraries, bookshops defy ‘myth’ of low reading interest
