MEDAN — The Undergraduate Program in Agribusiness, Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU), held an information session on the use of the PS-AGB USU Digital Library application on Friday, October 16, 2026, at the Agribusiness Computer Laboratory. The event was attended by lecturers and students as part of efforts to introduce and encourage the use of digital technology to support learning, research, and knowledge development within the academic community.

The event was opened by the Head of the Undergraduate Program in Agribusiness, Dr. Sri Fajar Ayu, S.P., M.M., accompanied by the Program Secretary, R.B. Moh. Ibrahim Fatoni, S.Pi., M.P. The information session on the application was delivered by a lecturer from the Agribusiness Study Program, who introduced the functions, features, and uses of the digital library to support the academic needs of the university community.

The application, introduced under the name D-Lib AGBUSU (Digital Library of Agribusiness USU), is a digital service innovation developed by the Undergraduate Program in Agribusiness to expand access to knowledge resources and support the development of an academic culture that adapts to advances in information technology.

Exploring the Features and Benefits of D-Lib AGBUSU

During the information session, participants were introduced to various key features of D-Lib AGBUSU, including a digital catalog, access to electronic books (e-books), a repository of scholarly works, and various other digital information resources available through the application.

The digital catalog feature is expected to help users browse collections based on the available information. Meanwhile, access to electronic books provides an alternative source of digital reading materials to enrich learning references. The scholarly works repository is also an important feature in supporting academic needs, particularly when searching for scholarly works relevant to the field of agribusiness.

These features are expected to help lecturers and students obtain information resources more conveniently and systematically. Their use can support various academic activities, ranging from lecture preparation and assignment completion to paper writing, research proposal development, and final project preparation, depending on the available collections and services.

For Agribusiness students, access to relevant knowledge resources is essential because the field of agribusiness encompasses various areas of study, such as agricultural business management, agricultural product marketing, entrepreneurship, consumer behavior, food supply chains, and the digital transformation of the agricultural sector. Adequate references can help students develop more in-depth analyses and produce academic work based on reliable information sources.

Application Demonstration and Hands-on Practice

The information session was conducted through feature introductions, application demonstrations, and hands-on practice in using the digital library services. Through the demonstrations, participants were introduced to how to access the application and identify features that could be used to meet their academic information needs.

The hands-on practice provided participants with the opportunity to understand how to use the application directly. Thus, participants were not only informed about the availability of D-Lib AGBUSU but were also expected to be able to use it as a supporting resource for learning and research activities.

The event also included a question-and-answer session, providing participants with an opportunity to raise questions about using the application and its features. This interaction was part of the effort to build users' understanding so that the digital library services could be utilized more optimally.

Through demonstrations and hands-on practice, the information session is expected to strengthen lecturers' and students' understanding of the benefits of digital technology in supporting their daily academic activities.

Participants took part in a demonstration on using the D-Lib AGBUSU application as a digital library to access various academic reference resources.

Building a Digital Literacy Culture within the Agribusiness Community

Developments in information technology have changed the way academic communities access, manage, and utilize knowledge. In higher education, the ability to search for references, evaluate the quality of information sources, and use them critically and responsibly is an essential part of academic literacy.

The presence of D-Lib AGBUSU is expected to support the strengthening of digital literacy culture within the USU Undergraduate Program in Agribusiness. For students, the digital library can serve as a resource for independent learning and the development of academic competencies. For lecturers, this service is expected to help meet their reference-search needs in teaching and research activities.

The use of digital libraries should also be accompanied by the habit of using information sources responsibly, citing references correctly, and respecting intellectual property rights. In this way, digital technology not only provides easier access but also supports the development of an academic culture that upholds scientific integrity.

Commitment to Transforming Academic Services

Through this information session, the USU Undergraduate Program in Agribusiness encourages lecturers and students to become familiar with and utilize D-Lib AGBUSU as part of the development of a digital learning ecosystem. The successful use of this service is expected to be supported by the active participation of the academic community and the continued use of the application.

This event also represents a step toward strengthening the connection between technological innovation, digital literacy, and improvements in academic quality. By utilizing knowledge resources more effectively, the academic community is expected to continue developing learning, research, and innovation capabilities that are relevant to the dynamics of the agribusiness sector.

The USU Undergraduate Program in Agribusiness is committed to continuously encouraging the use of technology to support academic services and build a learning environment that is adaptive, innovative, and oriented toward excellence.

The D-Lib AGBUSU information session also supports the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goal 4: Quality Education, through improvements in digital literacy and the strengthening of the academic community's ability to access and utilize knowledge resources. This activity is also relevant to Goal 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure, through the introduction and use of technological innovations to support academic services. Through this initiative, the USU Undergraduate Program in Agribusiness seeks to promote an academic culture that adapts to technological developments and is oriented toward lifelong learning.