PLAI Congress 2021: School Librarians Responding to Change During the Pandemic

 

Book Review: From Manila with Love: A Balikbayan Story

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Isang post na ibinahagi ni Zarah Gagatiga (@zarah815)

Book Review: Nina Inocente

 

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Filipino Librarian of the Month: Manuel Tamayao

My staff and I have been working on our library's migration project. Moving from one library management system to another requires careful study and collaboration with partners within the school and community resources. This transition requires agility, patience and openess between partners. And so far, it has been a learning experience for us.   

One of our key partners in this new and exciting challenge of migrating from one system to another is  none other than Mr. Manuel Tamayao. He is the blog's featured Filipino Librarian. This is his interview.

1. What is your librarian origin story?

I’ve been asked this question so many times but now I can say that It is because of God’s grace that I became a librarian. I was a late enrollee in 2000 in PUP Sta. Mesa and because of that, I could not enter the Computer Engineering course I wanted. But thankfully my friend’s mother was the head of the Admissions Office and she offered me the course Bachelor in Library and Information Science. “Ano yun? Sige nalang, magtransfer nalang ako after a year,” I told myself. But during the orientation, some graduates visited and gave a talk and it opened my eyes to the opportunity that the competition was less because there were very few librarians and very high demand. And then, I became a father when I was in 3rd year so I need to stop studying.

Thankfully, after 3 years I was able to come back and with the help of our hardworking professors in PUP, I was able to finish the degree in BLIS. My first library-related job was to sell and support library software named Maelisa. Because of that, I was exposed to different library software. After 6 months, I was hired as a one-man librarian in a church library where I did my internship. Then a year after, I became a licensed librarian. In 2009, the door closed at the church library but a window opened to another institution. They were looking for a library and archives Head, only one position is available. I applied and did not get the position but by God’s grace, I was hired to be part of the team. And until today, I am thankful for my work as a librarian and archivist of SIL Philippines. 2. What has been the most challenging library task or work for you during the pandemic? I can say that managing my time working from home during the pandemic is the most challenging task. At first, it was going well since we were all adjusting to the situation. Since I would like to be productive, I spent a lot of time working in front of my computer answering emails, attending workshops, meetings left and right, and doing other work-related tasks which resulted in extended working hours. It was overwhelming that it affected me physically, emotionally, and mentally. 3. How were you able to manage this challenging task? I am grateful that I still have the privilege to work from home until today. I learned to manage the challenging task of working from home by having a schedule and setting a limit of my working hours. I already established my routine like having my morning devotion with God, making sure to spend time with my wife and kids, doing my cardio exercise at night, these among others helped me manage to keep myself grounded, focused, and be more productive. A very strong family support system helped me a lot in dealing with all of life’s challenges.

4. As a library consultant/programmer/IT specialist, where do you see PH Libraries are going post-pandemic times? As a library consultant, I see that we will continue to integrate our library workflow online. This pandemic shows that librarians are not bound and limited only in the four corners of the library. We can do our job and serve our clientele physically or remotely. During this time, it became more evident that having the right tools helps a lot. Librarians use different technological tools to reach and provide services to our clientele. Having an online catalog, providing access to digital collections, and using messaging apps are some innovative ways we used to serve our clients. For some, they were successful in implementing these services but others struggled. For those who are successful, they have someone in their team capable of implementing these technological tools. One of the tools I love is Koha, an open-source integrated library system (ILS) that has a complete module and powerful features to serve your clientele. The OPAC can be your website, and can promote your library online. It is mobile-ready, you can share your digital collections, it can link to your different databases, and you can integrate a third-party messaging app into it. These are some of the things you can do with it. Though not all librarians can implement it and this is where we can be of help as a consultant and support specialist.

5. What tips and advice can you give to young librarians who are eyeing to venture into this sector or area of LIS? Being a consultant and support specialist is a high learning curve. I am still learning and I'm thankful to my colleague who helped me a lot and taught me where I am today. I can still bug him and pissed him off whenever I am stuck on something. And for those young librarians who would like to venture to this area of LIS, here are some tips that may be of help. 1. Be part of the community and be engaged with them. 2. Look for a mentor who can help you. 3. Ask, ask a lot and don't forget to share it also to others. 4. Don't be afraid to make mistakes. 5. Provide quality service and build relationships. Mr. Tamayao is online. Visit his website and social media sites.

Website: tulongaklatan.ph Twitter: @tulongaklatan Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/manny.tamayao

Let's POP It: Mga Tula ng Kapayapaan Students' Edition

Let's POP It: Tula ng Kapayapaan Grown Ups Edition

Let's POP It: Poems of Peace by Students - English Edition

BA Library Online Author Visit: Writing About Science with Ms. Natasha Vizcarra

And it is done! Ms. Vizcarra's visit in the Academy was cool and fun!

Here is my short reflection and thank you message to our learning community, most especially to the teachers and the students who helped make the activity possible.

The Online Author Visit of Ms. Vizcarra was very informative. She covered important aspects of the writing and the research process. Sharing what she learned from real practice and building on skills overtime was precious. We learn by doing, indeed! We hope that her input and the sharing of her thinking process allowed us to reflect our own approach and style.

I am still munching on this line from her talk: My editor frequently challenged me. So I ask myself, how open am in accepting challenges from peers and readers of my work? As a Teacher Librarian in BA, I think about the research services we provide students if these are relevantly challenging to them. With just about the right amount of support. 

Feel free to reach out to us for responses, questions and insights on this activity. 

Do consider donating a copy of Spikeys, Prickles and Prongies to our partner public schools. 

You can also buy a personal copy for your child, pamangkin or inaanak. Once again, thank you! Your participation is also a great help for the local book industry.

View and read my previous posts about Ms. Vizcarra's Online Author Visit by following these links.

Online Author Visit Plan and Proposal 

Priming Activity: Getting to Know Ms. Natasha Vizcarra

How to plan an Author Visit? Here are tips in planning and hosting an Author Visit in the School Library.

Reading @PandemicTimes (1 of 3): Reading books opens the door to acts of creation.

Good morning to the learning community of the Jose Rizal College. This is my first time to join you as a resource speaker. It is truly an honor to speak before you about books, reading, its joys and challenges during a most memorable moment in human history. For who would think books and reading are essential for survival a time like this? Today, I am going to present three ideas about books and reading, as well as the joys and the challenges they bring, as necessities in life in whatever circumstances we find ourselves in.

Books and reading are essential for survival because:

1.      Reading them opens the door to acts creation.

2.     Books provide a structure that develops disciplined thought/thinking.

3.     Books and reading builds community. 

1.      Reading books opens the door to acts of creation.

 I am going to show/mention some book covers. Let me know who among you have read them: Demian. Into The Magic Shop. The One Who Walked Away from Omelas. Human Acts. Kafka on the Shore. These books are special to me. Of the five, I have only read two namely, The One Who Walked Away From Omelas (which is actually a short story) and Kafka On the Shore. I am currently reading Into the Magic Shop. Can you guess why these books mean a lot to me?

Kim Namjoon, BTS’ leader has read all those books. (I am ARMY and he is my bias). Apart from that, being the lyricist and poet, he is on top of conceptualizing the songs and albums that they create, produce and release on a regular basis. All four books and one short story are inspirations and references of their songs and music video. Since BTS debuted in 2013, they have never stopped creating and producing singles, albums, MVs and reality shows. They have been very prolific. When COVID-19 took the world by surprise, they were the first group of artists who released a single, staged an online concert, performed remotely and continued on doing so until their live concert this month.

There are many factors that attribute to this productivity namely, a system of government that feeds and supports the creative industry of SK; a production outfit that allows them artistic freedom; and the given nature of BTS or Bangtan as brilliant, talented and authentic artists. However, Kim Namjoon’s penchant for reading books, I believe, play a big part in keeping the creative juices flowing.

Let us watch the MV of SpringDay, where The One Who Walk Away from Omelas is referenced and its themeintegrated into the concept of the MV.

Omelas is a short story by Ursula Le Guin. It tells of the story of an ideal society that depends its existence on the suffering and oppression of another, in this instance, a child. Those who cannot live with this reality leave Omelas. Taking this message of the story into the theme and concept of the song and its MV, Spring Day has become one of Bangtan’s compelling works.

 At the time of its production, Bangtan’s popularity was on the rise not only because they are made up of seven gorgeous boys but they also sing and perform songs replete with socio-cultural issues relevant to the society. One such example is Spring Day as it touches on a real-life tragedy that involved the drowning of 100 plus SK students who had a trip off to sea. It is known in SK modern history as the Sewol Tragedy. How the authorities handled and resolved this tragedy was very controversial. Bangtan chose to pick this up and merge it with the theme of Omelas which resulted to a powerful song and MV that portrays the loss, grief, guilt and uncertainties of growing up and dying young either figuratively or realistically. In the end of the video, the boys left an inn/dorm called Omelas, rode a train into an unending winter where they stopped at a leafless tree. A hopeful sign as they gather together stating their choice to leave a place of sorrow and regret.

In Spring Day, we see a combination of themes taken from a work of fiction and from events in real-life, as well as the feelings and the personal experiences of the boys/Bangtan. Imagine taking away Omelas in the equation? The lyrics, as well as the music would have played out differently. The visual images may not have the same gravity if Omelas was removed from the MV. What the story did for the the MV was to amplify its message and themes. The viewer or the audience can now access the MV from various channels, metaphors, sounds and images. Omelas, in this process of creation, is not an accessory but a vital link to the different parts of the MV in general. Books and literature for this matter become tools for creation. Literature was created as a form of art and by reading them, it moves the reader to create one too, or another art form if we take the example of BTS.

Kim Namjoon is continuously inspired by the books he is reading and we see these books and their message, themes and even technology permeate the art and music of Bangtan. It is a gateway to acts of creation as well as a component of the art that is being created. What is amazing is that, KMJ, including Suga, V and JK are known to be active readers. We see them reading in the recently concluded season of In the Soop.

READ to be better at something. READ to create. READ to live.

 

Preparing for an Online Author Visit: Ms. Natasha Vizcarra

GET TO KNOW OUR GUEST AUTHOR, MS. NATASHA VIZCARRA!

We are excited to watch and listen to Ms. Natasha Vizcarra share her experiences as a Science writer and editor on Assembly this Wednesday, November 17, 2021 at 2PM. She writes interesting topics on science that are grounded on sound research and integrated into different subjects and disciplines.

Here is a sample of Ms. Vizcarra's article on fermentation. The storytelling voice is strong but the history and cultural background of fermentation to Asian cuisine and its relevance to health, wellbeing and a nation's economy are given emphasis. How can non-fiction sound so, ah, literary?

"In early March, Filipino writer and plant-based cook Mabi David plunged her hand into a vat of a bright red purée, Chinese cabbage, julienned carrots and radishes, and chopped green onions. She was mixing a fresh batch of kimchi, a fermented side-dish from Korea. Sharp scents of ginger, garlic and hot pepper wafted in the air as a crowd of vegetable farmers watched and jotted down notes.

David was teaching the class in Bauko, in the Philippines’ Mountain Province, where the high altitude and low temperatures allow farmers to grow temperate weather crops – like cabbage, carrots and salad greens – in the country’s hot and humid climate.

Like other Asian cuisines, Philippine cuisine is rich with well-loved fermented foods, turning local fruits, vegetables and seafood into dishes and condiments such as pickled green papaya and permutations of fermented rice, fish and shrimp pastes. Many evolved decades before the age of refrigeration, subsequently passed on from generation to generation

But David is expanding traditional practices by borrowing from other Asian cuisines to take advantage of new market demands for fermented foods as well as reduce food waste; as the Korean migrant population in the Philippines has grown since the 1990s, so too has Filipinos’ taste for Korean food. “We wanted to introduce [different] fermentation techniques to help the farmers deal with surplus harvest,” says David.

Barely a week after the kimchi-making class, however, the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 outbreaks a pandemic on 11 March. A few days later, the Philippine government placed Manila under lockdown, keeping people home from shopping in stores to avoid infection. By late March, lower demand for their produce began forcing farmers to give away much of their harvests or dump them by roadsides.

Had David’s students explored kimchi-making as a side-business much earlier, tons of produce would not have gone to waste."

~ Excerpt from HOW FERMENTATION’S NEW HEYDAY IS BENEFITTING HUMAN AND PLANETARY HEALTH, April 29, 2020

You are highly encouraged to read the article on the topic. What piqued your interest? What did you observe on the handling of language and the rendition of facts to an intended audience? Imagine the amount and time of research the writer invested on a piece such as this. Visit Ms. Vizcarra's website for more interesting non-fiction.

See you all on Wednesday!

PS - Ms. Vizcarra has a new book, Spikeys, Prickles and Prongies: A Corona Virus Story published by Ilaw ng Tahanan. The publisher will sell copies!

Let's POP It: Poems of Peace by Grown Ups - English Edition

 

PPT: Pursuing Persephone

Planning for an Online Author Visit

I am really excited planning this Author Visit of Ms. Natasha Vizcarra. I am sharing some parts of my plan and the poster which our Communications Associate made for this event. Here is the link to a blog post I wrote a few years back on how to plan and organize an Author Visit.

Author Visit: Writing About Science During COVID Times with Natasha Vizcarra

DESCRIPTION AND OBJECTIVE:

This Author Visit is contextualized around research and its value to meaning making, to the responsible communication of facts and information and in the creation of knowledge for readers, young and old. Ms. Natasha Vizcarra, a seasoned writer and editor, has been researching and writing about Science even before the dawn of the COVID age. The kind of writing she does, apparently, takes on greater relevance when Ilaw ng Tahanan published her book, Spikeys, Prickles & Prongies: A Coronavirus Discovery Story (2021), a children’s book about the coronavirus.

 In this visit, we are curious to find out from Ms. Vizcara how a topic as lethal as the coronavirus can be written creatively for children. With the proliferation of fake news, misinformation and disinformation, we are eager to know how she  approaches the selection and curation of information, especially topics concerning Science when preparing for a writing task or project. As a learning community, we are interested to listen to her sharing of experiences as a Science writer in an age of unprecedented change.

TARGETED CORE VALUES:

Adaptation

●      By understanding the story of a science writer creating a book about the coronavirus, we are able to gain confidence in braving the pandemic as individuals and as a community.

Bayanihan

●       The Author Visit has a book donation drive for students of our partner public school in coordination with CAS Coor, BASC and UPServe (?) A minimum of 30 copies shall be bought for book donation to public school students.

●      The Author Visit is open to the BA Community and teachers from our partner public schools will be invited to attend.

Connection

●      Concepts about the creative process and skills on research shared by the guest speaker connect to tasks and projects in the subject areas.

●      This event may inspire more students to begin CAS projects related to the Sciences and consider pursuing a career integrating the humanities to the sciences.

Let's POP It PASLI Version

Virtual Opening Ceremonies of the 31st Library and Information Services (LIS) Month

 

Pursuing Persephone: School Library Advocacies That Keep Me Alive (2 of 2)

 This pushed me to seek what is out there to further my advocacies. What I discovered are an abundance of blessings and miracles big and small. I have learned to take the good with bad and which ever came my way, there is always grace. Allow me to tell you three short stories of recent advocacy activities and campaigns I pursued before the pandemic and during the pandemic.

For this part of my presentation, I will use the ROADS as framework. I invite you to listen and to think with me. Let’s do this together.

Advocacy Campaign 1 – Storytelling Festival @ the Children’s Book Summit 2017

Proponent: Zarah Gagatiga, PBBY Board Member Representing Librarians

Goal: To promote children’s literature, reading and literacy skills development

Objective: To gather volunteer storytellers who will tell stories to children

Partners: PBBY and NBDB, Publishers of Children’s Books, the UP Diliman Community

Readers	School aged children in K-6; public school students; volunteer storytellers
Opportunities	Build a community of readers and storytellers
Advocacy	Promote children’s literature, reading and literacy skills development
Development	Contributes to the growth of the book industry; the readership of PH children’s literature and the support needed by teachers and parents through the participation of storytellers
Sustainability (human capacity)	Long term investments on children’s literacy through partnerships with PBBY, NBDB, publishers and learning communities

 

Advocacy Campaign 2 – Storytelling for Growth and Healing Workshop for Volunteers of the Taal Evacuees

Proponent: Zarah Gagatiga, member PLAI-STRLC

Goal: To aid and assist first responders helping evacuees of the Taal volcanic disaster

Objective: To instruct and facilitate basic skills and know-how in the conduct of a developmental bibliotherapy session

Partners: PLAI-STRLC (Dr. Lindie M and Ma’am Rose V), DLS Zobel Librarians, The Nook, Co-working Space

Readers	Families with young children (K-6)
Opportunities	Learn basic developmental bibliotherapy; partake in community and empathy building
Advocacy	Promote children’s literature, reading and literacy skills development; Developmental Bibliotherapy
Development	Skills in developmental bibliotherapy; the readership of PH children’s literature; pakikipagkapwa tao
Sustainability (human capacity)	Strengthen skills and competencies of librarians and allied professionals in storytelling and bibliotherapy

 

Advocacy Campaign 2 – Reading Gives Hope! Books Bring Sunshine

Proponents: Zarah Gagatiga, Triccie Cantero, Enoy Ferriol

Goals: To promote and uplift the book industry especially the creators of children’s literature and to spread the message of BTS and what they stand for: inclusivity; hope; diversity and loving oneself

Objective: To conduct a book drive and book donation campaign for Ayta children of Sapang Uwak, Pampanga

Partners: Pearl ARMY; Peace Kamp; Dear Books; Volunteers from the PH Children’s Book Industry

Readers	Ayta Families with young children (K-6)
Opportunities	Learn about the culture of the Aytas; partake in community and empathy building; break the prejudice on ARMYs as 15-year-old screaming fan girls
Advocacy	Promote children’s literature, reading and literacy skills development; Understand an IG, marginalized groups as well as ARMYs
Development	Readership of PH children’s literature; growth of the PH children’s book industry; pakikipagkapwa tao
Sustainability (human capacity)	Spirit of volunteerism

 

These advocacy activities and campaigns are not perfect but I learn many things from the process and the people I meet and work with. Planning and implementing them is exciting and yes, labor intensive. Evaluation is essential especially in an operational or logistics level. Financing such advocacies are crucial too. Amazingly, when you work among and with like-minded groups, the money is enough but the gains in terms of relationships is limitless. My number one take away from all these experiences is that, the causes I believe in never grows old. They are always new and fresh but I consider them as constants.

I now have my eyes set on mentoring young school librarians or at least inspiring them to advocate for children’s books, reading, storytelling for growth and healing towards peace that is nurtured internally. Please wish me luck and do pray for me as I do same to you.

 

Maraming salamat! Borahae!

Source: What is Advocacy? American Association of School Librarians: Transforming Learners. https://www.ala.org/aasl/advocacy/definitions. Retrieved November 3, 2021.