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Kajian Dalam Bidang Ilmu Perpustakaan dan Informasi: Filosofi, Teori, dan Praktik

as better public services (Fithri, Adnan, & Syahmer, 2018; Wiratningsih,
2018). In major cities, libraries are constantly upgrading. The layout of
the libraries is designed in a way that it will increase visitors’ comfort and
enjoyment. Although still struggling to keep up with the library condition
in developed countries, the libraries are making an improvement in quality.
Although it must be admitted that the restriction in funding support
has confined libraries’ latitude in significantly enhancing its service
quality, librarians managed to maintain their passion and creativity
to improve library services quality. An array of strategies have been
developed by Indonesian librarians to revitalize librarianship role and
profession in global and national contexts (Rifai & Makarim, 2018).
Although various library development programs have been implemented
in many regions of the country, librarians are still unceasingly making
new creative efforts. In various excellent librarian competition events,
new innovations for improving library services are introduced, starting
from establishing synergy with teachers (Romadon & Salim, 2017), to
establishing community libraries using proactive strategies (Håklev, 2008,
2010), to establishing a reading corner at school to cater for students’
needs (Laksono & Retnaningdyah, 2018; Megawati & Wulandari, 2017).
However, the most important to be prepared is how librarians continue to
develop creative ideas that produce change-oriented librarian practices.
This paper attempts to offer a critical perspective as an alternative
viewpoint in understanding how the efforts made by libraries can be
regarded as a contribution to change that is meaningful to the community
so that library and librarian professionalism development can be
achieved. Adopting a critical perspective, librarians are expected to be
able to transform library image by deconstructing and reconstructing
old structure through assorted innovative endeavors of library service
improvement. Amid differing perspectives of librarian profession, it must
be acknowledged that promoting innovative library development programs
does not go unchallenged. However, by deconstructing and reconstructing
librarianship role through critical librarianship practices, it is hoped
that novel ideas, strategies, and programs will emerge and benefit the
community living around the library.

A. Deconstruction and critical perspective: A reference framework
In social sciences, critical perspectives that offer fresh ways of
understanding subjects or social realities are a relevant frame of mind to
be taken as a preference for librarians to develop innovative programs for
rendering services for the community. Unlike structuralist theories which
assume that subjects are subservient to structure as well as the norms and

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