Day 3 of 3rd Lib Link: Copyright, IPR & Library Services for Children

Day 3 of the Library Link Conference focused on copyright, Intellectual Property Rights (IPR), the National Book Development Board's Readership Survey and a response from Children's Literature advocate,  Dr. Lina Diaz de Rivera.

The copyright and IPR session and panel discussion provided librarians with substantial information enough to keep them out of legal danger.  The Philippine Copyright Act is a mouthful. Indeed, it's a document that needs fleshing out and careful reading for the uninitiated (like me) as far as law and legal jargon are concerned. Thanks to Mr. Alvin Buenaventura, Atty. Mark Herrin, Ms. Debbie Tan and Ms. Ime Morales for a watered down presentation and sharing real life examples of plagiarism and exploitation. Seriously, librarians need this fundamental information since they are at the gateway of information access and are allies of writers, publishers and artists who all create and produce art and information in a variety of formats. The creation of provisions for information access in virtual and physical settings is a librarian's role and function. At the same time, the librarian safe guards the intellectual access to information making sure that its facility is fair for both creator and consumer.

In the school setting, librarians offering services and programs for children and teens can attack the issues on IPR and copyright through the conduct of read aloud and storytelling sessions. These activities help young children understand the idea that a book undergoes a process of creation and that, it is a product of the knowledge and the creativity of the author, illustrator and the publishing team.  For children to see an adult, a librarian for this matter, hold a book and read out loud the author's and illustrator's name, the publisher and the title of the book makes for a good example of the reading habit. This is just one of the many benefits of a read aloud and storytelling session. When done regularly, young children will be exposed to different perspectives and art forms. It is also a strategy to develop fundamental literacy skills that will aide young children in learning more complicated ones in the future.

At this juncture, I congratulate the librarians and staff of the Filipinas Heritage Library for staging an informative conference. My only suggestion is that, the next time they plan for another conference, it would be cool to see best practices, exemplars of library services and programs that worked. If not exemplary, at least, models and samples of library services and programs in special, private, public, school, academic and research libraries that librarians can immediately identify with. I picture in my mind a Library and Information Science Fair where participants can come together in plenary sessions, and break out in sessions of interest to them.

And more authors, illustrators and publishing people please. Maybe an author or illustrator or publisher to inspire librarians in their role as mediator between content, information and the end user.

Day 2 of the 3rd Library Link Conference

It was Web 2.0  on day 2 of the 3rd Library Link Conference. Leigh Reyes of Lowe Philippines gave a digested presentation on Information Overload and Social Media. I liked the videos she showed and the stats she presented. The focused group discussions which Lowe Philippines organizes piqued my interest as a feedback mechanism in gauging the success of library services and programs, especially, among teenagers. I took note of the books she recommended on the different ways of thinking, psychology and the Internet all seem valuable titles to add in the library's collection.

JV Rufino was next to promote Inquirer Mobile. Many librarians in the conference asked questions and availed of the promo that Mr. Rufino offered -- a tablet that can be purchased or paid off via salary deduction.

There was Zumba as energizer at the start of the PM session. Maria Ressa talked on Advocacy and Social Media cum book signing and Bebang Siy brushed on Library Services for Kids and Teens in the Digital Age.

Live Blogging: Day 1 The 3rd Library Link Conference

The 3rd Library Link Conference, Beyond Librarianship: Information as a Way of Life, commenced this morning with Atty. Antonio Santos as keynote speaker. Atty. Santos, being the director of the National Library of the Philippines (NLP), shared services and programs of the NLP that are open to the public. From the facilitation of ISBN to Children's Library Services and services for the handicapped, many Filipinos can now access ideas and information from the NLP.

The second resource speaker, Myra Brown, Information Resource Center from the US Department of State showed samples and examples of the many activities that librarians can start up and continue to support the changes brought by the Digital Age. This afternoon, Leo Almonte of FILCOLS presented the history of libraries. How I wish that there's a specific talk on the development of Philippine libraries.

Open forum has just started and a common concern is the transition of physical library to a virtual one.

For the meantime, I'm thrilled on the conference kit's contents!

Beyond Librarianship: Information as a Way of life

I am not a speaker in this conference, but I'm helping it get more promotion. For one, I am attending the conference since it has a line-up of speakers that are non LIS professionals. It would be interesting to listen to them speak of issues close to the heart of LIS professionals. Indeed, the business of information is a concern of all.

Two areas I am keen on learning more are the copyright and intellectual property. Academic honesty is a pressing concern in my practice of school librarianship. Acquiring reproductions of texts, digitization and use of media in the classroom are guided by fair use. But, I want to listen to the speaker from FILCOLS.

For more information, go to the Filipinas Heritage Library's website.