Jakarta, October 5, 2026 — Data management is one of the strategic steps the industry needs to take to transform workflows, not only to streamline work but also to simplify the management of various database collections or files. In light of this, to strengthen the transformation of library data management, the Dian Nusantara University (UNDIRA) Library, in collaboration with the Senayan Library Management System (SLiMS) Community, held a meetup and discussion at the UNDIRA Tanjung Duren Campus in West Jakarta on October 3, 2026.

Under the theme “SLiMS Beyond Basics,” this event was organized to build an ecosystem and provide in-depth insights into the use of SLiMS, as well as the proper utilization of plugins, to optimize library collection data management at both the higher education level and the elementary and secondary education levels. The event, attended by 25 participants, included not only representatives from UNDIRA and the SLiMS Community but also several librarians from the Tedja Institute of Tourism (IPTI), the Open University, and representatives from various other elementary and secondary schools.

Kicking off the series of activities, the Head of the UNDIRA Library Bureau, Mr. Rengga Sendrian, M.Hum., stated that amid the accelerating use of information, librarians must certainly be adaptive in how they best support collection management and circulation.

“SLiMS is very comprehensive, all-in-one, and easy to use. Before SLiMS, we used to manage the system with PHPMyAdmin, XAMPP, and other tools, which were quite complicated and had to be downloaded one by one. Sometimes, when we used an older version and wanted to migrate to a new one, we faced challenges or feared losing collection and library data. Now, managing library data and circulation has become incredibly easy, and I’m confident that through this training, everyone will become more proficient in managing basic features, configuring plugins, and handling various other features that are of mutual concern to us. “I also hope that through this joint learning event with the SLiMS community, all of us librarians can foster collaboration in data management—both now and in the future,” said Mr. Rengga Sendrian, M.Hum.

Sharing similar sentiments, Mr. Andrian Prayudho, S.IP., Chair of the Jakarta SLiMS Community, added that learning about SLiMS and its plugins is a strategic step. He explained that before the option to use plugins existed, users had to add features by hard-coding them directly into the SLiMS software.

“This time, we’re going to explore some of the plugins commonly used in SLiMS, everyone. Essentially, SLiMS is compatible with various plugins that can help expand and manage library collections. One of the plugins we’ll discuss today is SIBI, which is frequently used to support the process of adding to and managing collections,” said Mr. Andrian Prayudho, S.IP.

Following the official opening remarks from both parties, participants were allowed to download the latest version of SLiMS and receive hands-on guidance on installing the plugin directly from the SLiMS GitHub repository, led by Ms. Putri Dwi Novia, S.IP., a librarian at the Digital School. She explained that the SIBI plugin, developed by the Ministry of Education and Culture, essentially serves to integrate metadata for digital books (e-books) and other learning resources into each library’s SLiMS system.

Following the installation session, the event continued with a technical presentation by Mr. Arif Syamsudin, a librarian at Bhayangkara University of Greater Jakarta and a member of the SLiMS Developer Community. He then explained how the plugins work. Each plugin is placed in the “plugins” directory and has a main file containing metadata, such as the name, description, version, and various other advanced catalog features.

In addition to providing insights into several other plugins from various members of the SLiMS community, he also explained some aspects of SLiMS’s security mechanisms. Essentially, any inactive plugin will be removed from the SLiMS plugins directory to prevent exploitation and hacking by malicious parties, even though SLiMS itself has a fairly robust security system with CAPTCHA and two-factor authentication. Mr. Arif Syamsudin also emphasized several precautionary steps to take before installing a plugin, namely backing up the database, ensuring the plugin is compatible with the version of SLiMS being used, and only downloading plugins from official sources.

The UNDIRA Library’s participation in this event demonstrates its commitment to enhancing librarians’ technical skills. Moreover, the event brought together librarians from universities, elementary and secondary schools, and the Jakarta SLiMS Community in a spirit of mutual learning and collaboration. This collaboration serves as a foundation for strengthening the ecosystem of information digitization, records management, and librarian competencies amid rapid technological advancements. Moving forward, it is hoped that “SLiMS Beyond Basics” can be held regularly to support the library profession as a whole.