Filipino Librarian of the Month: Apolo Martinez Patron (2 of 2)

Here is part 2 of the Mr. Apolo Martinez Patron's blog interview where he gives tips for future exam takes and looks forward to learning more bout law, literature and life.

3. How did you prepare for LLE? Tips for LIS students to share? 

Read.

It all comes down to familiarization with the concepts, principles or scenarios that will be the basis of the board exam. Just like what Hon. Lourdes T. David said, the exam tests our mettle, our preparedness or awareness on what should be done, or what should we know about Library and Information Science. This is crucial to our performance as Librarians & Information Specialist.

I actually spent so much time reading than answering reviewers or quizzers given by review center (centers), previous test papers accumulated during our 4 years of studying, and those gathered online. The curriculum or the specification of terms of all the things Library and Information Science students must understand are quite easy to study. These are all given. We have resources for that and the years of accumulated previous board exam reviewers or materials given by my seniors helped in my preparation (which is why it helps to know the "ate and kuya: for tips like what I’m doing now).

What is difficult was guessing the trend of questions that will be asked or what part of librarianship will the Board focus on. Board for Librarians examiners are pillars of our profession, they’ve done a great work to Philippine Librarianship and they know a great deal compared to us newly graduates and the re-takers facing the LLE (Librarians Licensure Exam). This is why I never limit the scope of materials I’m studying, reading or reviewing to those accumulated inside the class lectures. It does help yes, because it is the basic, and you have to be learned enough on the primer before advancing to more complex and confusing materials. I used various resources both local and foreign. You never know what might be asked so everything must not be taken for granted. I’m used to creating my own set of data bank of trivial facts. I write them all down.

Writing also reinforced the retention of what I’ve read as well as going over and over them just like my favorite novels read countless of times. Read till you drop. Drop Everything And Read (DEAR). Don’t even antagonize reading - but rest and reward yourself as well to ease the tension. Just like the usual tips, eat healthy, sleep well and prepare not only your mind, your body, your will and most important your spirit through prayers to slay the dragon which the board exam is.

4. Is being a male librarian in a female dominated profession an issue to you? Why or why not? 

Time magazine had a recent issue about great women who contributed a lot to the world significantly to the US and one of the featured women there is the 14th Librarian of Congress, Carla Hayden. The first woman and Black American to hold the position, since from the start, it was given to men.

Admit it or not, being a man in this profession is a big deal. Our professors do share anecdotes of how their previous students, our "kuyas" who are easily hired or asked by schools or institution because it is quite “rare” to this profession of ours to find a man working as a librarian. Time said it is one of the 4 womanized professions, and there’s no denying about that.  Starting back to Melville Kosouth Dewey and other proponents, men are typically mentioned or upheld. I will confess that I would sometimes fanboy whenever I meet or read somewhere that Mr. this or Sr. that is a librarian of this institution, or an officer of a certain librarian association or have done something great for the betterment of our profession.

Nevertheless, I never disregard the huge contribution women did and continuously doing for librarianship. It is quite fitting that Carla Hayden is now the Librarian of the US Library of Congress, the most coveted position and the most known library in the world. It only shows that in a patriarchal society, everyone matters. Women, people of color and even gay people. It is not about who or what you are anyway because it is about what you can do to help your patrons, to the profession, to the betterment of society. 

5. From here on, where are you going next to? 

This year is quite eventful for me. Which is why I might go “lowkey” for quite some time, but one thing I’m surely doing is BLOGGING! Which is why I’m dazzled at the how timely this interview is, I’ve been curious to know about the tricks of the trade when it comes to creating and sustaining a blog for quite a while now.

Continuing Professional Development or Education is something I’ll take seriously, and now that I’ll have means to get myself to study those I want,like Law or Literature. I’m thinking of taking Master of Library and Information science in UP. I also would like to take the April PhiLSAT next year for Law School. I will trust God’s will to put me in the most perfect or right path for me. All these things I could do or will do is all for His glory that is why I’m pretty confident the next part, the next chapter of my life will be better, more challenging and surely be exciting.

I might try reading more adult fictions this time because I’ve dabbled Children and Young-Adult since from the start. Try to gain some maturity, because I still see myself as “adulting* in this big scary world. Try other things I haven’t tried before due to lack of time or means for it like going to places or learning new hobbies aside from reading for hours or watching for hours.

Thanks once again Ms. Zarah Gagatiga! Hope to see you again on another literary event or just casual librarian to librarian tee-a-tee!