The 2015 NBW Blog Event: Filipino Librarians and the Essentials of Reading Books

This write up is part of the  2015 NBW Blog Event aimed at celebrating and drumming up the 81st National Book Week happening on November 24-30, 2015. With the theme, the Filipino Reader in the Era of ASEAN Integration, guest bloggers write, share and ruminate on being a Filipino librarian and reader in this age of ASEAN Integration. 

Today's topic is about Filipino Librarians and the Essentials of Reading Books. Our guests bloggers are Igor Cabbab and Iyra Buenrostro. They approached the topic in a he says / she says format. Together, they lend insight and informed opinions on the shaping of the identity of Filipino Librarians, the relevance of knowing the interest of readers in the context of library services and their dreams of the ideal library in the Philippines.

Prof. Cabbab mentions a few websites where audiobooks can be downloaded. Take note of these recommendations, peruse them and if you find them worth your time, download!

    •    What/who is a Filipino librarian for you?

Iyra: This is somewhat related to a research problem I and Dean Kate Obille of UP SLIS raised in one of our ongoing papers on defining Philippine librarianship. If we look at the legislation and policy standards already in place as regards Philippine librarianship, and the qualifications and skill set that Filipino librarians must possess, these mostly entail the need to adhere to the internationally accepted practices in librarianship and assimilate or employ them in the Philippines by the Filipino librarians. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that kind of definition or characterization of what Philippine librarianship is or what a Filipino librarian should be. But I believe that there is more to Philippine librarianship or what a Filipino librarian can do than adhering to standards and own professional development. Alongside his/her own professional development as a librarian, a Filipino librarian must let him/herself grow with the library clients – be the library is a public, special, school or an academic one. A Filipino librarian can go back to his/her roots and serve a community that truly needs the help of a librarian. A Filipino librarian is the one who can serve the country, even in a simple way of promoting the value of reading through the use of Filipiniana literature. 

 Igor: I'm taking a different side to this. The usual definition revolves around the person with the corresponding skill set and citizenship, maybe we should also define based on other factors. For me it may not be about citizenship, since we're going global and all. I remember mixed martial artists of Filipino descent yet not of Philippine citizenship who proudly refer to themselves as Filipino and carry the flag in every battle.

    •    What do you feel Filipino librarians should know about their users and their reading interests?

Iyra: Filipino librarians should be aware that the reading interests of users are constantly changing. And since I really believe that going back to the roots is important, Filipino librarians can inject innovative ways of introducing books and other materials written by our own Filipino authors especially that most of the widely read books nowadays are foreign titles.

Igor: In terms of service, the client is changing. In terms of content, the audience is also changing. Together with preservation of local sources we must also look outward and consider global resources. Roots are important, so are leaves that touch the branches of other trees. Of note would be the obvious shift in attention and interest, this generation of users are visual more than textual, hence the probability of materials for them being more graphic and audio-visual than textual.

    •    What about your reading interests nowadays?

Iyra: My reading interests now are related to my dissertation…and I have no choice. Hahaha. But I’ve always interested reading about Philippine history and culture.

Igor: My reading has been related to my dissertation proposal too. Noooo escape. XD  I must admit, my  recreational reading is very low these past few months. Other than articles from FB links I barely read other stuff. Due to my hectic schedule I still find time to escape.  One time I found my way to several public domain audio resources,

http://www.thekatnisschronicles.com/

Unofficial audio drama rendition of the Hunger Games.

https://archive.org/details/IsaacAsimovFoundation6Of864kb

Isaac Asimov's Foundation Trilogy by BBC

https://librivox.org/collected-public-domain-works-of-h-p-lovecraft/

The Collected Public Domain Works of H. P. Lovecraft

https://archive.org/details/oldtimeradio

Old Time Radio Shows

So what I do is download Old Time Radio programs and audiobooks from archive.org and librivox.org and other sources and load 'em up on the car stereo on the way to work. So what I am trying to say, is… there will always be a way to learn. All Hail Cthulhu! XD

    •    In a perfect Philippines, how should things in a library be?

Iyra: I see Filipino librarians serving a community that actually reads. Filipiniana materials are widely circulated and more and more Filipinos are more aware of their own roots – their culture, history, and the story of their being as Filipinos. Love your own!

Igor: A community of service with no backbiters, no thick-headed self-serving people operating in the guise of “for the greater good”. So sorry, but that's how I really feel.

 Asst. Prof. Iyra S. Buenrostro (BLIS 2005, cl; MLIS 2010, specialization in Archival Studies) is a full time faculty member of the UP School of Library and Information Studies since 2006 and she teaches courses on Library and Information Science, Records Management and Archives Administration. She is currently on study leave while pursuing her PhD (Communication and Information) at Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information, Nanyang Technological University (Universiti Teknologi Nanyang) in Singapore.

Asst. Prof. Johann Frederick A. Cabbab (BLS 1994; MLS 1999, specialization in Information Systems, and Literature for Children and Young Adults) is a full time faculty member and former Dean of the UP School of Library and Information Studies. He is currently the Deputy Director of the Human Resources Development Office of the University of the Philippines Diliman Campus. He is also pursuing his Doctor of Literature and Philosophy in Information Science (DLitt et Phil) via distance mode at the University of South Africa (Universiteit van Suid-Afrika).

They are both members of PLAI, PATLS, SFA and SEAPAVAA. They last presented a paper together at the IFLA 2013 via “Reliving the Filipino classical music heritage: preservation and restoration of Philippine art music manuscripts of the University of the Philippines-Diliman College of Music“.

The 2015 NBW Blog Event: Filipino Librarians and Their Reading Habits

Hey Jude! A book is a gift of friendship.

This write up is part of the  2015 NBW Blog Event aimed at celebrating and drumming up the 81st National Book Week happening on November 24-30, 2015. With the theme, the Filipino Reader in the Era of ASEAN Integration, guest bloggers write, share and ruminate on being a Filipino librarian and reader in this age of ASEAN Integration.

Today is my turn to write on the topic Filipino Librarians and Their Reading Habits. I am coming from a personal experience of reading as compared to Jing Hernandez's piece which shows a bigger picture on the topic. In her blog article, she describes the result of her mini-survey on what and why Filipino librarians read. Allow me now to focus on the personal impact of reading and how a book can develop and grow a friendship.

Two weeks ago I met Jude Gorospe at the FUSION 2015 Conference in Southville International School and Colleges. He had been on hiatus. Being in the FUSION 2015 Conference was his first public appearance as a resource speaker. At the conference, he talked about web based library services and best practices. It was good seeing Jude back in action. While we know each other in the profession, given that ours is a small one, we didn't really click immediately. But the mutual respect is palpable.

I admire him for his steadfast leadership and systematic way of thinking. Such qualities are evident in his decade long assignment as Miriam College's Head Librarian in the High School department and former president of PASLI.  He had his fill of activities in the PLAI National Book Week celebrations in the past years and it involved rounding up people and events all together. He has invited me as resource speaker and storyteller in many school librarian related functions. For this, I am grateful and humbled.

In August 2013, we attended the International Association of School Libraries (IASL) Conference in Bali, Indonesia. He was a paper presenter. I was there as workshop facilitator. Amazingly, our trips going there to Bali and back to Manila are the same schedule and flight. Conversing with Jude was like talking to a long lost brother. This former PASLI president is full of stories about his family and work life. His thoughts always wandered to his kids and wife during lull sessions in the conference. He is also a wonderer. Curious of new experiences and eager to partake in conversations with colleagues in the school librarianship network. He is a solid EdTech guy. He was on fanboy mode when we met Blanche Wools in the IASL Session on Guided Inquiry.

During our brief stay in Bali, I learned about the well-being collection he set up in the library. This was a perfect example of a Bibliotherapy Collection. Thus, I used it for my workshop. I also learned about his interest in pastoral care and how he used a book to help a colleague bounce back to life. That colleague survived the life crisis and went back to him, thanking him for recommending the book since it helped in the healing process. He told me about Leo Buscaglia's book, Living, Loving & Learning (Fawcett Columbine, 1982) and how this book made a dent in his life. Sadly, I am not in the position to tell. Perhaps I can invite Jude to write about it one of these days. Who knows? If his spirit is ready to share, then we are privileged to listen and respect his story.

To my surprise, Jude gave me his favorite book, the book that made a difference in his life, during the FUSION 2015 Conference. The context is that, I accepted an on-the-spot speaking engagement which he missed for some reason or another. Giving the book to me was his way of saying thank you. How precious! As a book lover, I know what it feels like to part with one's favorite book.

Upon reaching home, I opened the book randomly and in a page I read this:

 The paragraph spoke to me in volumes at a time when I am reflecting on how to take care of myself and my relationships. I think about love, friendship, couplehood and marriage, family life and communities. I wonder what Jude saw and experienced reading the book. I will read the book and I will definitely go back to Jude to tell him my experience of it. By doing so, his and my reading experience of the same book is enriched. We shall come out of the experience as richer persons. I now see Jude, not just a curios and thinking librarian but also as a friend who listens and reaches out, unselfishly sharing his talents and skills for others.

Books bring people together.

Reading amplifies this togetherness.

I think this is the call of the time. In the era of ASEAN Integration, librarians must come together to share common experiences and continuously learn from each other.

Filipino Librarian of the Month: Candy May N. Schijf

Candy May N. Schijf is a graduate of Saint Louis University in Baguio City. Her work experience for over a decade now made her a well-rounded professional not only in the different areas of librarianship but also in documentation. She is currently affiliated with the De La Salle University Library where she has been entrusted with several positions, each of which she has shown commitment to and excellence. She is also a member of various professional organizations. Her research interest is in collection management, program assessment and information literacy. She endeavors to finish her masters degree the soonest and pursue further studies afterwards.

What's your lib story? Describe how you made the choice of majoring in LIS and what college life was like for you as an LIS major. You can cite challenging stories and success stories while studying the course. 

I dreamt of being an architect when I was a little girl because I used to tag along with my Tatay in construction yards. I wanted to become an architect to fulfill my Tatay’s dream of me becoming one.  In my fourth year in high school, it was then that I realized architecture won’t be happening due to my family’s financial standing. Because of these constant financial shortcomings I was deprived of books during my childhood as well. I remember how I loved reading them, but I wasn’t able to have any books myself. As a little girl, I felt sad not to be able to have any books.

 My Nanay then suggested that I should take up a bachelor’s degree in Education.  So there I was, thinking, why would I study to become a teacher when I have this eternal love story with stage fright not to mention practice teaching in an all-boys high school.  That was a dilemma I had to face and I desperately wanted to be saved.  And then Sonny Boy Manalo happened.  

It was one afternoon while I was in a long queue of students borrowing textbooks from our Library. When finally it was my turn, I gave him the list of books I needed to borrow. He started the conversation by asking, “Anong course mo?” I replied,”Education po.” Then he said, “Magmajor ka na lang ng Library Science, kaunti lang kumukuha nun makakahanap ka agad ng trabaho pagkatapos mo grumaduate.” He continued telling the advantages of taking Library Science, I listened, took my books and left. Little did I know that he was the savior, I was looking for.  

I was 16 years old then, fresh from high school and, to be honest, I really didn’t take any of what he was saying seriously because I heard the word LIBRARY.  I imagined boredom instantly. I remembered those librarians in my school who often scolded us in the library and I remembered that they never lend us the books we needed because the cabinets were locked and they didn’t have the keys. On days that they had the keys and we were able to borrow books they would say that the books are for room use only.  

On my second semester at the university, I was accepted as a Library Working Scholar. It was just a matter of time before I would meet Kuya Sonny again because, like me, he was also working in the Library. It was around this time that I decided to take a fork in the road and study Library Science. 

Life in the university was rough; I had to juggle work and studies. Time management was essential.  Financial limitation was a constant thing.  Being a working scholar, I also needed to keep my grades afloat to prevent losing my job thus my education in turn as well.  That was also a challenge, considering that Ms. Thelma Kim, the only Library Science teacher at Saint Louis University, has a reputation to uphold (ha-ha sorry Ma’am Kim).  Kidding aside, she trained me very well. Thank you, Ma’am Kim and Kuya Sonny for being instrumental, for motivating me and inspiring me.

A huge blow during my studies happened in September 2000.  That’s when I lost my Nanay.  I wanted to stop going to school.  I was grieving.  My Nanay was my greatest inspiration in finishing my studies, without her I thought of not moving on.  My grades were at an all-time low, but luckily I still managed to pass all my subjects that semester. With a lot of encouragement from my family and friends, in 2002, after 5 years in the university, I graduated. The first place I went to after the graduation ceremonies was my Nanay’s grave where I dedicated my first success in life to her.

The year 2002 was the beginning of a new adventure. I soon realized that what started out as a half-hearted decision in taking up Library Science turned out to be one of the best choices I made as it brought me new challenges in life.  

What has been the greatest challenge you've faced so far as a licensed and working librarian? Why do you say it's a challenge? 

During my first year working professionally as a librarian, I was an idealist.  Fresh innovations, new ideas and information technology up my sleeves; I was ready to be one epic librarian.  I wanted to be the contrary, to the “serious” stereotype that often dogs our profession.  

Like any other profession, librarianship is not a walk in the park.  It is also a cutthroat profession, where some librarians resort to spreading false rumors just to advance themselves and pull others down. Usually they do this out of fear for the person they debase because they feel threatened to be outperformed. It is not a “silent” profession; politics also come into play.  I was on the receiving end of this phenomenon.  It became a challenge for me to stay in the profession because of this experience.  I want to believe that I am a survivor, I am always eager to push my limits in search of new opportunities to learn, grow and face new challenges.  

After that bad experience, I decided to leave my hometown Baguio City and brave the often times chaotic life in Manila. I ventured into the nonprofit sector when I was hired by the Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances (AFAD) in 2006. Trained in the academic setting, AFAD, a human rights non-government organization, was a whole new world as a librarian for me. It was hard to fit in. I was thrust into social and political issues that made me become more aware and sensitive to the world’s history of human rights abuses that persist to this day.  The position also broadened my skills and capacity. Moreover, the experience also brought me to see the world outside of my comfort zone.

Going back to the academy in 2011 was again another challenge for me.  I went back to the world of academic librarians which I had a break from in my 5 years of stay at the nonprofit sector. Nothing had changed, I remember one blog entry that said some librarians are really unhappy with their jobs; they attend seminars only to “catch up” on their former colleague’s life, escape the sessions to go to tourist spots and to shop. All breaks loose; they need to get their certificate just to “prove” that they attended the conference/workshop. 

I am not generalizing all librarians because that includes myself as well but this is a situation that needs to be addressed.  Getting rid of the stereotype of us just being a custodian of books in the library is already a challenge, taking an effort in advancing the profession is another story.  The institutions they are a part of are not sending them to these trainings and seminars just for the free travel and leisure time.  They are being sent to advance their knowledge in their profession and to become an even bigger essential part of the community.  As librarians there is a need to embrace improvement and take these trainings seriously.  Take the challenge!

Librarians should be at the forefront of research, innovation, education, development and information dissemination. Librarians need to take a step up in all these areas. As information providers, librarians should be indispensable partners in the community – to promote reading, writing and learning. Education is the key to a better future for all mankind, and librarians should be fighting at the forefront of that.

What is your area of expertise in LIS? 

In my 13 years of being a librarian (I feel old haha!), I have had my fair share of working for special libraries, academic libraries and school libraries. I am a master of all and none at the same time! (Yes, that’s an honest assessment of myself haha.)

I enjoy being surrounded by kids and I love being with them.  This is just my second year in a school library setting and it has been a lot of fun so far.  The big challenge is that I need to be a teacher and a librarian at the same time. I am coming into terms with my stage fright, but it is still there, being a teacher-librarian helps me overcome my fears of being on a stage.  It is another experience for me to enjoy, a new adventure for me to conquer, another challenge to overcome as a professional.

What do you think are the requirements and preparations necessary for becoming a LIS professional? 

One basic requirement I guess is being ready to embrace improvement.  I say improvement, not change, because by changing things you don’t necessarily improve them. Look at it like this, if you have a red door with a hole in it and you paint it blue, you have changed. If you fix the hole in that door you have improved. I believe that we, as librarians, should always strive to improve things.

Loving the profession is a close second.  You won’t be able to help advance the abilities of your patrons, to educate them and to provide them with the knowledge they are looking for if you despise being in that profession.  If you are now in the field and you’re reading this and you hate your job, do all readers a favor and quit.  That’s one less person pulling the patrons and the profession itself down. 

Also, in this time and era where most customers are technology literate, librarians need to be the guide for them to become information literate.  Librarians should have unconventional skills, skills that would help further the profession and increase the knowledge of their readers. We should start reinventing the profession and change the stereotype of being a librarian.

The ability to think outside of the box is essential to be able to do this. Outside of the box thinkers are truly one of a kind. Around the year 600 BC the Greek Pythagoras, a truly one of a kind philosopher and mathematician of his time, was the first to prove the Pythagorean theorem to be correct and the theory still stands today. As librarians, we should take it upon us to provide readers with enough knowledge to become out of the box thinkers. They might be the next Pythagoras, Aristotle, or more recently, Alan Turing or Albert Einstein.

What rewards have you reaped from being a LIS professional?

• Warm hugs and smiles from little kids
• To be able to increase the willingness of children to read books and become more information literate
• Seeing kids with their noses in books
• Loads of thank you and appreciation from patrons
• Free books to read and be one of the first to read popular books  (hey hey, don’t judge me on this, I need to be able to explain the merits and the weaknesses of all the books to readers and be able to recommend them, right?) 
• The opportunity to say “I’ve read that book” to people who are telling me about the movie or TV series they have seen

This profession has led me to live some of the best experiences and meet some of the most wonderful people in my life today.  Being a librarian is a wonderful, constant adventure which brings a lot of joy and challenges in my life.

Filipino Librarian of the Month: Willian San Andres Frias

Willian San Andres Frias is in her 20th year of being a librarian. She finished her bachelor’s (1992) and master’s (2002) degrees in Library Science in UP Institute of Library Science, now School of Library and Information Studies. She has worked in several positions in De La Salle University Libraries, namely: periodicals librarian, collection development librarian, technical services coordinator, public programs librarian, assistant director for support services, and currently, head of DLSU’s Law Library. Her strength as a librarian lies in collection management, particularly collection assessment. She has produced close to 30 assessment studies that were instrumental in developing collection development programs of different academic libraries. She has also been invited as resource speaker by PAARL, PLAI-STLRC, PNULISAA, SMEC, and the like. She is now focused in honing her skills in law librarianship and sharing her advocacy, which is sharing collection management skills with fellow librarians.

What's your lib story? Describe how you made the choice of majoring in LIS and what was college life like for you as a LIS major. You can cite challenging stories and success stories while studying the course.

Being a librarian was never an option for me when I was young. In fact, I spent most of my idle time in high school sleeping inside the library instead of doing research and observing how librarians provide service to their students. That's why I got used to the "why's" of my former classmates when I tell them I am a librarian.

I started college in Leyte (Visayas State College of Agriculture, now Visayas State University) taking up Bachelor of Science in Experimental Statistics. But due to health reasons, I was forced to go home to Muntilupa and transferred to UP Diliman, where I was offered three possible courses, Public Administration, Mass Communication and Library Science. A typical promdi that I was, I chose the course which did not entail facing people that much – which is library science.  I planned to shift back to Statistics after a year, which did not happen, because I fell in love with my teachers who treated their students like their own children, my classmates who became life-long friends and my course, which promised a lot of possibilities during that time .  The passing of RA 6966 made my final decision to finish the course and become a librarian.

In college I was just a typical UP student. I joined rallies (anti-US bases was very active then), watched frat wars, engaged in organizational activities, and the like. I was helpful in UPLISSA activities especially in fund-raising activities like selling flowers on Valentines' Day and playing Bingo before Christmas Party. I was not able to join most of the students' activities because I had to go home to Muntinlupa every single day of my student life. Maybe that was why I often used the maximum number of absences per class and was always ready to miss the final exams if my tentative grade would at least be 2.5 - I believed it was enough for me to pass for I do not know what to make use of the rest -aanhin ko pa ang sobra? (This is a self-philosophy which is well-kept from my children). It was also the reason why I was already on my last semester in UP when I enjoyed being a college scholar.

I was a summer graduate of 1992, a semester late in taking the first librarian licensure examination.  Thus, I worked without having a license at first. It only took a referral letter from Dr. Ursula Picache for me to be accepted in De La Salle University as an assistant librarian.  Whatever Dr. Picache wrote in her referral letter must have impressed Ms. Perla Garcia, then the DLSU Library Director, to accept me, even without experience, with not-so-outstanding grades, and dressed with the typical tattered jeans during the interview.

Because I know I have to redeem myself, for Dr. Picache and for the rest of the faculty and staff in ILS, I tried my very best to be a good librarian.

Photo source: P Rex M. Molina

What has been the greatest challenge you've faced so far as a licensed and working librarian? Why do you say it's a challenge? 

I could say that my road to professional career had been smooth. I successfully passed LLE without enrolling for a review class, while master’s degree was handed to me like a silver platter via DLSU’s nomination for a fellowship grant from DOST.

Being an information professional for 20 years, I have been through many challenges – job rotation, being an administrator, program/project/committee headship, etc. But I think it is only now that I am facing the greatest challenge in my career: the shift from being a traditional service-oriented information specialist to a full-fledge research professional.  As DLSU shifts to being a research university, we, DLSU librarians, have to go with the flow – and thread our way towards scholarship by conducting and writing researches.

This is a challenge because we do not just do research overnight. Research is a skill that we hone as days pass by. Added to it, we, librarians, are paid to primarily to do library service and not to conduct researches. Meaning, we have to perform our librarian duties first, and do research after office hours.

What is your area of expertise in LIS? 

I spent about 8 years of my professional career as a collection development librarian. I started as such even when college classes for collection development were still called “Selection and Acquisition”. In fact, I could claim that I am the first full time collection development librarian in the country.  I would say that my expertise (I got goosebumps using the word expertise) is a part of my work as collection development librarian – Collection Assessment.

I love conducting collection assessment. In fact, I have accepted some consultancy and outreach work (with my superior’s blessings, of course) on assessing collection.  Through it, I get to know the collection strengths of the libraries, assess, and gauge their capabilities in providing for the information needs of its clients. Through collection assessment, I get the chance to recommend various strategies in strengthening weak collections, and maintaining the strength of those already strong. And because it involves working with quantitative and qualitative data, collection assessment gives me a chance to get closer to my first love, which is statistics.  

What do you think are the requirements and preparations necessary for becoming a LIS professional? 

Aside from innate service-oriented quality and knowledge in LIS, additional/advanced knowledge in IT should give an LIS professional an edge.  Reading is also a basic requirement, because reading broadens knowledge on the field, and prepares one to tackle what lies ahead.  An LIS professional should also be flexible and willing to reinvent professional self, for there are so many possibilities the profession can offer. Lastly, in the midst of ASEAN integration, an LIS professional should be research-oriented.

What rewards have you reaped from being a LIS professional?

I reap rewards everyday as an LIS professional. The “thank you” of every client, commendations from faculty members, and even just the nod of appreciation of DLSU administrators are the rewards I reap everyday.  

But the more tangible rewards that I reaped were the (1) nomination for fellowship grant which led to earning my master’s degree in 2002, (2) written commendation letters from big bosses which I usually receive once a year; (3) research incentives that I usually receive once a year; (4) attendance to conferences and trainings; and recently, (6) my nomination and election to PAARL office (I am the 2015 PAARL Secretary-elect). I know my good performance as an LIS professional made it possible for me to reap such rewards.