Useless Again

I could not let this rest, in fact, I am still fresh from last night's post. Bugsy's comment from my post last night summed up what Cristobal's point was. To quote Bugsy, "He was complaining about the government's lack of attention and interest to public libraries" and it was terribly wrong to compare the 105 accredited librarians to 101 dalmatians. If there is anything that Cristobal must do, he must publicly apologize to librarians for this comparison. He has insulted many a Filipino librarian, more so, the laws that governing the professionalization of librarians in the Philippines.

It is enoughto say that public libraries lack the support of local government. To say that librarians are useless in this case is downright inhuman. PLAI should do something about this writer's lack of sensitivity.

On the otherhand, I am firm on my stand that librarians should muster all their courage and rise above the challenges they encounter. Vonjobi, the Filipino Librarian wrote about lack of leadership among librarians. I agree with him. I share his observations. Teachers of LIS should review the course offerings and look at the strategies, techniques and approach on delivering instruction. School librarians should focus their attention on programs that impact instruction, likewise, deliver and provide library services that support the curricular and developmental needs of their clients. Public librarians should be resourceful -- raising funds, looking for sponsors, seeking donations to develop their collection and services are important tasks. Academic and research librarians should do something about the studies and reaserch they have in their "treasure chest". Share the wealth! Let's use ICT to reach our goals and objetcives. It's not just about organizing and maintaning teh collection anymore.

Wake up! Rise! Let's smell the coffee!

If you support libraries, literacy, books and learning, feel free to give your suggestions on this issue. It may be a way that will help us "educate" the likes of Cristobal, or means on improving Philippine librarianship in general.

Have a wonderful weekend.