Analysis of Students' Interest and Reading Passion in the Library

Abstract

Reading interest among elementary school students remains a persistent challenge in Indonesian primary education, as reflected in the country's low PISA 2022 reading literacy score of 359 points. This study aims to identify the factors contributing to students' low reading interest and to examine the library service innovation strategies implemented to address them at Tanjung Mas Public Elementary School, East Ogan Komering Ulu Regency, South Sumatra. A qualitative case study design was employed, with data collected through in-depth interviews with the school principal, classroom teachers, the library administrator, and students, supplemented by structured observation and document analysis. Data were validated through source and technical triangulation and analyzed using the Miles, Huberman, and Saldaña interactive model. The findings reveal that low reading interest is shaped by internal factors—including low reading motivation, inconsistent habits, limited reading fluency, and a preference for illustrated materials—and external factors, including manual library management, limited facilities, the absence of a dedicated librarian, low home reading support, and disconnected literacy program implementation. The school has responded through pre-lesson reading routines, reward-based motivation, curriculum-linked library visits, storytelling programs, and a peer literacy ambassador initiative. However, these strategies remain fragmented and insufficiently integrated. This study contributes evidence that reading interest is an institutionally mediated outcome and recommends the development of coherent, integrated library-based literacy systems as a prerequisite for sustainable reading culture in elementary schools.