SURABAYA – The Sepuluh Nopember Institute of Technology (ITS) Library played an important role in the ITS Technology History Exhibition held on the 1st floor of the ITS Rectorate Building. Taking place from November 7 to 11, 2025, this exhibition was an opportunity for the ITS Library to showcase its historical collection through a unique “mini museum” concept.

This exhibition aims to invite the entire ITS academic community to reminisce and understand the evolution of technology, especially that which is closely related to the world of information and library services.

Visitors can see firsthand various technological artifacts that were once the backbone of services at the ITS Library in their heyday. This collection provides a vivid picture of the transformation from the manual era to the digital era.

Historical Collection on Display

In this “mini museum,” the ITS Library displays a variety of rare collections, including:

• The Evolution of Communication Devices: Various telephone models, from the iconic coin-operated telephone to the once-popular card-operated telephone.
• Manual Catalog System: A card catalog (old-fashioned catalog) that served as the main gateway for library users to find collections before the era of the Online Public Access Catalog (OPAC).
• Legacy Storage Media: Various formats of data storage media such as microfiche, microfilm, tape cassettes, and video cassettes that store data and audiovisual collections.
• Special Reader Device: A micro reader, which is a device specifically used to read and enlarge the display of data stored in microfiche and microfilm formats.

Witness to the Transformation of Knowledge

The ITS Library’s participation in this exhibition is not merely to display ancient items. Each collection on display tells a story about how knowledge has been managed, stored, and accessed from generation to generation within the ITS environment.

This Technology History Exhibition is a collaboration between various units, including the Archives, the Directorate of Technology and Information Systems Development (DPTSI), and ITS’s proud innovation teams such as Bayu Caraka, Nogo Geni, and Sapu Angin.

For the ITS academic community who want to see firsthand what a card catalog looks like or try out the sensation of using a coin-operated telephone, this exhibition is an opportunity not to be missed to better appreciate the technological journey at this pioneering campus. ( onemore ITS )