Beyond uniform standards: Rethinking libraries for marginalised regions in the Global South

Abstract

This article examines how library standards and literacy policies are enacted and negotiated in geographically remote settings in Indonesia. Drawing on qualitative research in three remote villages in Nagekeo Municipality, Flores Island, eastern Indonesia, the article analyses how teachers, volunteers and community activists organise reading opportunities in conditions marked by distance, limited connectivity and uneven school resources. Data was drawn from interviews, observations and field notes, with reflexive attention to the author's dual role as researcher and programme facilitator. The findings indicate that libraries are most effective when they operate as bridging institutions – close to children, supported by adults who mediate reading, and organised flexibly rather than through uniform infrastructural models. Children showed increases in motivation, decoding and basic comprehension, although progress remained uneven and context-dependent. The study suggests that challenges stem less from the absence of policy than from misalignment between standardised expectations and the realities of remote communities. The article argues for interpreting standards contextually, prioritising readable print collections and guided pedagogy, and recognising the work of local actors while ensuring sustained institutional backing. The policy implications point to child-centred indicators and context-responsive approaches aimed at realising the right to read in substantive, not merely formal, terms.