A Message of Thanks

My heart is still full of joy from the success of the recently concluded NCBD Book Fair.

It was a success because the fair was well attended. It was a success because in three weeks time, PBBY, the Rizal Library people and librarian volunteers were able to put together and pull through a children's book fair that included seven book sellers and publishers, two groups of college students studying children's literature and young adult literature, one indie comic book publisher and a Filipino book club. If attendance and this coming together of reading advocates and book lovers is an indicator of success, there is the sales report to look at as another measure of it. More than the kaching-kaching of the  cash register though, it is good to remember the purpose of staging a children's book fair.

Here is my letter to the exhibitors a few days after the fair.

Dear friends,

Congratulations! 

 

Our NCBD Book Fair was a success! There were 576 visitors to the fair last Saturday. The booth activities you set up and conducted during the fair were all enjoyable. We in PBBY hope that you were able to know, or at least, got an idea about Filipino young readers of today - your audience. To see your authors, illustrators and storytellers interact with children, their parents guardians and teachers at the fair was a delight. Thank you for making the book and the reading experience come alive in the eyes and hearts of children and teens who visited the fair! Even the young at heart had fun!

As a librarian, I am happy to have done this activity with you in partnership with the Rizal Library librarians and librarian volunteers. Our job as librarians is to create mechanisms that will bring books closer to children and young adults. Your participation in the NCBD Book Fair helped this become a reality. I hope that your sales people were able to establish networks with school personnel, meet parents and NGOs working for the welfare of children and teens. May this experience of the book fair inspire you to create meaningful materials and resources in the coming years. 

We look forward to your produce! We will harvest your books and resources and make them accessible and available to young readers in our communities, as well as to the adults who care for them in one way or the other.

Maraming salamat!

          Zarah C. Gagatiga
          PBBY Board Member and Book Fair Director