Strengthening Islamic Learning Centers Through The Provision of Religious Books in Paya Gaboh Village, North Aceh

Abstract

Community-based Islamic learning centers play an important role in supporting religious education and character development. However, some institutions continue to face limited learning materials and educational facilities. This community service program aimed to provide religious books for teachers and students and to strengthen the partnership between Universitas Malikussaleh and Islamic educational institutions in Paya Gaboh Village, Sawang District, North Aceh Regency. The program employed a participatory approach involving team coordination, assessment of book needs, supplier and price surveys, procurement, distribution, documentation, and evaluation. It was implemented from September to December 2023 and involved three target institutions: Dayah Assyufa Al Azziziah, Al Ikhlas Islamic Learning Center, and Tarbiatul Islamiah. The results showed that religious books aligned with the institutions’ learning needs were distributed to all three partners. The program also strengthened communication and social ties among the community service team, leaders of the Islamic learning centers and dayah, village figures, and students. The activity directly improved access to religious learning materials and established a foundation for further mentoring in institutional governance, facility maintenance, and sustainability. Program evaluation indicated the need for follow-up activities involving monitoring of book utilization, improved asset recording, and the development of medium-term impact indicators.