JENDELA ILMU PROMOTES A CULTURE OF DONATING AND SHARING BOOKS WITHIN THE CAMPUS COMMUNITY

NIBONG TEBAL, 26 August 2026 - The Office of the Director of the Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Engineering Campus (KKTSS), Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), in collaboration with the Musa Mohamad Library, today launched the Jendela Ilmu: Book Donation and Sharing Campaign at the Musa Mohamad Library.

The programme was officiated by KKTSS Campus Director, Professor Ir. Dr. Mariatti Jaafar @ Mustapha, as an initiative to encourage a culture of reading, knowledge sharing and the reuse of quality reading materials among the campus community.

According to Mariatti, the seemingly simple initiative has the potential to create a meaningful impact by allowing books that are no longer used by their owners to be shared and benefited from by other readers.

“Sometimes, a book that we have finished reading may no longer be used on our shelves at home or in the office. However, when shared, the same book can become a source of knowledge and inspiration for someone else,” she said.

“It may be just one book to us, but to someone else, it could be the reference material they have been looking for or the catalyst for a new idea,” she added.

She said the spirit of sharing formed the basis of the Jendela Ilmu initiative, which aims to give books that are still in good condition an opportunity to continue serving readers, while extending the benefits of knowledge to a wider audience.

According to her, the initiative is also aligned with the aspirations of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by expanding access to reading materials, encouraging the reuse of quality books and fostering a culture of mutual support within the community.

The Campus Director also expressed hope that the campaign would receive continued support from the KKTSS and wider USM community, making the practice of donating and sharing reading materials an integral part of campus culture.

Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Librarian Sukmawati Muhamad said that Jendela Ilmu carries the message that knowledge becomes more valuable when it is shared.

She said the campaign not only encourages the campus community to cultivate a reading habit, but also provides an avenue for them to share reading materials and extend the benefits of knowledge to others.

“May the books we donate today become a source of knowledge, inspiration and benefit to the next reader,” she said, while calling on the entire campus community to support and contribute to the success of the initiative.

The Jendela Ilmu programme is also expected to become a continuous effort to nurture a culture of reading and knowledge sharing, while strengthening bonds among the Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Engineering Campus community.

Text: Siti Faizah Abd Halim/Photo: Muhammad Taufik Abdul Rahman