KOTA BHARU, 10 May 2023 I More than 4,000 visitors enlivened the “Semarak Ilmu” Carnival with the theme of "Cultivating Lifelong Learning" held for five days at the Dewan Keusahawanan, Universiti Malaysia Kelantan (UMK) City Campus, Pengkalan Chepa, Kelantan.

Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic and International), Prof. Dr. Nik Maheran Nik Muhammad, stated that the three-day carnival organised by the UMK Office of Library and Knowledge Management (PPI) from May 7 to May 11, 2023, provided an opportunity for the public to access a wide range of book collections and reading materials from 32 exhibition booths. These booths included 12 Members of the Malaysian Scholarly Publishing Council, such as University Press, DBP, and MAIK, as well as renowned publishers like Kata Pilar, Jejak Tarbiah, Biblio Press, and Iman Publishing.

"In addition, there were 11 Book Contractors and several library technology providers showcasing the digitization facilities used at the UMK Office of Library and Knowledge Management.

"Alhamdulillah, we are grateful for the encouraging response received as various exciting programmes were organized throughout the carnival, including food stalls, a Book Truck, and lucky draws.

"The organization of the programme this time highlights the role of PPI as one of the hubs of the university community and one of the main players in the flagship aspiration of the idea of ​​a University for Society," he said at the opening ceremony of the “Semarak Ilmu” Carnival, today.

Also present was the Chief Librarian of UMK, Mr. Azman Bin Hashim.

According to Prof. Dr. Nik Maheran, this carnival has significantly shown that UMK Office of Library and Knowledge Management (PPI) has openly engaged with all stakeholders, including providing support and catering to the needs of PPI's customers.

He mentioned that the three main functions of UMK Office of Library and Knowledge Management (PPI) are Reference Information Services through UMK Library, Records and Archives Management through UMK Archives, and Academic Book Publishing Management through UMK Publishers. These functions were highlighted through the organization of the UMK PPI Open Day programme, which took place throughout this week.

“This is also a response to the mandate given by the Minister of Education, YB Dato Seri Khaled Nordin in his opening speech at the RMK12 TWG Workshop last February where he emphasized the importance of sharing the facilities and collections in university libraries with the community in an inclusive manner, rather than exclusive," he said.

Various exciting programmes have been organised through this initiative, including Book Review Programme, Battle Reading and Rhythm, Writing Workshop, Children's Colouring Contest, and Basic Bibliotherapy Workshop, involving more than 450 participants from Pre-School, Primary School, and Secondary School students, as well as university students, teachers, counsellors, and prison wardens.