Yogyakarta, July 2024 - The Mantrijeron Sub-district of Yogyakarta City once again became a space for academic collaboration when a team of lecturers from the Department of Educational Administration, FIPP UNY, chaired by Dr. Slamet Lestari, S.Pd., M.Pd., consisting of Dr. Deny Setiawan Wayoi, S.E., M.Pd., Dr. Drs. Udik Budi Wibowo, M.Pd., Dr. Meilina Bustari, M.Pd., Dr. Drs. Sukirjo, M.Pd., Dr. Dra. Maria Dominika Niron, M.Pd., and also involving several students including Refiana Dwi Retno Wulandari, Moch Iqbal Januarinsyah, Rio Wahyu Nugroho, Rif'at Irfani, and Perdaning Widyanti. Within this collaborative space, a Training and Mentoring program for Elementary School Library Management was conducted on Tuesday, July 2, 2024. Twenty-five elementary school library managers, ranging from teachers to educational staff, who have been given additional responsibilities in managing school libraries, participated in this activity. The training was conducted in-person, supplemented by hands-on practice, followed by two weeks of mentoring at their respective schools.

Based on the situation analysis, most elementary school libraries in Mantrijeron still face fundamental technical issues, ranging from disorganized inventory, unclassified collections, and a lack of creativity in library design, which leads to low student engagement. Through this training, participants received comprehensive materials covering reading development, inventory techniques, classification, cataloging, collection completion, and an introduction to the library automation system using the SLiMS application. The participants' enthusiasm was evident in the 100% attendance rate, interactive discussions during the training, and measurable knowledge gains through evaluations. Data showed that 60% of participants considered the materials highly relevant to their schools' needs, while 68% stated that the training was very beneficial. Visits by the community service team to participating schools revealed tangible changes, from more organized collection shelves to the introduction of simple programs to increase students' reading interest.

The community service team recommended further training to ensure library managers' competencies continue to develop in line with school needs and technological developments. Furthermore, this activity provides an opportunity for UNY to strengthen ongoing collaboration with the local government and schools in Yogyakarta City, particularly in realizing school libraries as truly "the heart of learning." With the right collaboration, libraries can become more than just a place to store books, but also a space for the growth of a new literacy culture in elementary schools.