Librarian-Storyteller: Ann Grace Bansig

Librarian-Storyteller Ann Grace Bansig shares her answers to my questions before we had our storytelling session in Sambat Elementary School with Sambat Trust scholars.

1. What motivated me to volunteer? 

Volunteering is my passion. It was intensified during my college days where I was a member of a socio-civic organization that visit institutions. Now, this passion is being sustained by the many volunteering opportunities in La Salle through our Social Action Office, Book mobile project and other personal endeavors. So, in short, its within me. 

2. What is my personal goal as a storyteller? 

My personal goal is to foster love for reading and develop life-long readers. It is my advocacy now to spread awareness about the many benefits of storytelling to children. 

3. What is my volunteer-storyteller experience prior to this activity? 

I have a lot of storytelling experiences prior to this activity. I usually do storytelling whenever we do Bookmobile project. I also volunteered in ATD Fourth World Philippines in the previous summers. And being a Reading major, storyelling is very essential as we advocate for a literature-based reading program.

4. What are my expectations from this experience?

I don't really expect much but I do hope that the students that we catered during the small group storytelling session realized how reading can make a difference to their lives. 

Librarian-Storyteller: Martin Julius Perez

Martin Julius Perez shares his answers to my questions before we had our storytelling session in Sambat Elementary School with Sambat Trust scholars.

1. What motivated me to volunteer?

 At first I’m reluctant to join due to a busy schedule, but then I decided to volunteer. As a librarian and an advocate of reading and learning, I think I can help and contribute to this activity. I’m thankful that when I was younger, there are people who would share to me stories that inspired me and touched my life. This time, it is my chance to return the favor to the younger generation. I hope to inspire them with these little acts of mine.
 

2. What is my personal goal as a storyteller?

 When telling or sharing stories, I just want to put smiles in the faces of these children and to inculcate in their minds and hearts positive insights, values and lessons that will, in some way, have an impact in their lives. I want to promote reading for learning and for leisure, and to make them appreciate every story, whether it is short or long, simple or complicated. I want them to realize that in every story there’s something to learn and there’s an idea to capture for the development of their imagination and outlook in life.
 

3. What is my volunteer-storyteller experience prior to this activity?

I think the last time I volunteered for a storytelling activity was in an outreach program for patients of a children’s hospital in Quezon City. Also, aside from this, I love to share children’s stories to my little cousins at home.
 

4. What are my expectations from this experience?

I just wanted to have fun and to share what I have to these children. While they are learning, I think I will also learn from them and from their stories too.

Librarian- Storyteller: Gee Ahne Kathrine dL Giray

Librarian-Storyteller Gee Ahne Katherine dL Giray shares her answers to my questions before we had our storytelling session in Sambat Elementary School with Sambat Trust scholars.

1. What motivated me to volunteer? 

I was motivated to join when I saw your last bibliotheraphy for the Yolanda survivors. Ever since, I want to do a storytelling outreach not only for experience but also for the positive effects that it could do to the children. Reading/ listening stories are not only for leisure since it could instil such golden values that could hone their moral being; such values that they could keep while they are growing up.

2. What is my personal goal as a storyteller? 

My goal as a storyteller is to give food for thought and sparkling smiles. I want to touch the hearts of the listeners with the story and the way I’ll be delivering it. I also want them to realize the essence of listening to good stories that will eventually lead them to appreciate reading. I’ll feel very fulfilled if anyone of them shall become a book lover 

3. What is my volunteer-storyteller experience prior to this activity? 

I am a Grade School Librarian. We are required to have monthly Library Instructions for each grade level. We usually conduct storytelling sessions for Kinder and Grades 1 and 2.

4. What are my expectations from this experience?

A very moving experience that I could remember for the rest of my life

Librraian-Storyteller: Cocoy Pineda

Librarian-Storyteller Cocoy Pineda shares his answers to my questions before we had our storytelling session in Sambat Elementary School with Sambat Trust scholars.

What motivated me to volunteer? 
 I am fond of helping children and wanted to learn how to effectively engage them through storytelling. 

What is my personal goal as a storyteller? 
To be the best! loljk. I just want to be that person who can inspire/motivate others.

What is my volunteer-storyteller experience prior to this activity? 
No “formal” experience yet. But I’ve tried storytelling before for LIS classes and library/community outreach.

What are my expectations from this experience?
Teach, learn and have fun.

Librarian-Storyteller: Michelle Arispe

Librarian-Storyteller Michelle Arispe shares her answers to my questions before we had our storytelling session in Sambat Elementary School with Sambat Trust scholars.

What motivated me to volunteer? 
I don't get to do library/literacy related volunteering anymore so i'd love to do it again. And it's different when you get to share what you can do without getting paid for it or whatever, feels fulfilling. 

What is my personal goal as a storyteller? 
There's nothing like being able to make kids happy after a storytelling, to make them enjoy a good story, to be able to provoke thoughts, and to be able to look at things from their perspective as every child is different in how his thinking is molded by his experiences at home, in the community, etc.

What is my volunteer-storyteller experience prior to this activity? 
None. Only read-aloud storytelling at work to kids from preschool to the second grade.

What are my expectations from this experience?
Every experience is unique, so i'd just love to be surprised and learn something new.

Librarian-Storyteller: Mennie Ruth Viray

Librarian-Storyteller Mennie Ruth Viray shares her answers to my questions before we had our storytelling session in Sambat Elementary School with Sambat Trust scholars.

What motivated me to volunteer?
Love for children especially how they see and embrace the world with such innocence and amazement.

What is my personal goal as storyteler? 
With stories, I'm hoping to inspire children to continue seeing the good things in our world, to hope and believe in the power of imagination.

What is my volunteer-storyteller experience prior to this activity?
 Before, I was invited to be a storyteller in our preschool unit. When I volunteer as yaya to my neices and when there were opportunities to do outreach programs involving children.

What are my expectations from this experience? 
Love!

Librarian-Storyteller: Darrel Marco

Librarian-Storyteller Darrel Marco shares his answers to my questions before we had our storytelling session in Sambat Elementary School with Sambat Trust scholars.

What motivated me to volunteer?
I really want to share stories as I know how powerful they are. They can touch and transform lives. They can even build a nation.
. 
What is my personal goal as a storyteller?
More than the telling of stories, I want those who will be able to hear them, to share and pass on those stories. At the same time, I also want them to create and share their own stories. Stories are power that everyone has and anyone can afford.

 What is my volunteer-storyteller experience prior to this activity?
I've been telling stories to LG and EED students for 5 years now! Usually read-aloud, but now I'm trying to venture into ala-Ms Z-style and digital storytelling. I also love to do volunteer storytelling to communities especially the minorities.


What are my expectations from this experience?
 FUN!

School Libraries in Teaching and Learning for All

This is part two of the paper I read during the ASDAL Conference's special session for Adventist school librarians.

 

Literacy Development through School Libraries: The Sambat Trust School Library Project

Sambat Trust is a UK based charity whose project on school library development in Tanauan, Batangas has benefitted seven schools in the town. Since 2007, Sambat Trust has involved the community, barangay officials and parents, in setting up a school library for the children in seven barangays in Tanauan. School leaders speak of the impact the libraries have made in the lives of pupils and students, so far. 

Dr. Carandang (District Supervisor, North Tanauan) believes that libraries develop confidence among students. She notices that students become confident if they see that their school has a library and other facilities. She narrates that a few years ago, she could tell which kid is from the bukid (farm) or mountain by examining their appearance. The bukid (farm) kid usually looks down and has diffident eyes. But now, students from the bukid (farm) can look straight and has more confidence. She attributes this to Sambat Trust Foundation’s project of installing libraries. She also recalls that before, the students and the teachers hide during school visits, announced or unannounced. But now, they have the confidence to say that they have a new library and other facilities.

Confidence brought about by the libraries sums up her program: Read Today! Lead Tomorrow! She insists that reading contributes positively to every child’s self-esteem and confidence. To reinforce Sambat Trust library installations, she has also launched programs that promote reading such as putting up mini-libraries inside each classroom. Elementary students also have DEAR (Drop Everything and Read) time, where each student is expected to grab a book and just read. They also have DEAS (Drop Everything and Share) time, where students share to their classmates what they have read during DEAR time. It ensures that students did read and would have a meaningful learning after reading.

The former school principal of Sambat Elementary School, Mrs. Emelinda Delante, mentions that the school library is one of the many factors that contribute to the school’s high achievement scores and students’ increased confidence to compete in local, regional and national academic contests and sports competitions. She said that the donated school library of Sambat Trust has been instrumental in this endeavor. Her teachers used the books in the library on top of the required textbooks.

Teachers do a variety of reading comprehension strategies from guided reading, silent reading, read-alouds and one-on-one reading activities. Low performing pupils are given priority. Teachers would call for them at lunch break and do a fifteen to twenty minute reading intervention. This happens from Monday to Friday until exam week comes in. The books in the library are materials used for such cases. During recess and dismissal, pupils could freely go to the library for reading time. Here, they get to choose books and a reading material of their choice and simply enjoy a quiet time reading.

There is no full time librarian assigned in the school libraries set up by Sambat Trust, however, school leaders supervise their teachers closely enough to use the resources of the library.

Librarians are Teachers Too. And more!

Madeleine Rex wrote in her blog, Word Bird, an essay that explains the necessity of school libraries in high school. I thought I was reading an essay by an experienced school librarian, but no, Madeleine is a teenager who loves books, reading and libraries. She cites sources and quotes experts in the field of school librarianship to justify her belief in school libraries as essential to the development of functional literacy and the enjoyment of reading fiction. 

Below is an excerpt of her essay which I took from her blog.

...librarians are almost as important as the libraries themselves. They are teachers just like any other….By giving librarians sufficient funds, schools are also giving them the means to buy the books and tools that complement the curriculum. In my experience, the librarian has been a friend. They listen to what students have to say about specific books or series, and they work to serve the students by stocking the library with the books they know the kids like to read.

We need more students like Madeleine Rex who will rally behind us. Who will campaign for us and the important roles librarians play in the school community. We can not do it alone. We need to look at teachers and school leaders who value the benefits that school libraries bring to the teaching and learning experience because they are the immediate partners we can work with. By working together, we can actualize the library services and learning programs we have for children and young adults. We need to see how library services for children and teens make a difference in the life of the young people it serves; that what we do now for them has a stake in their future. By being aware of the impact of school libraries and the services it provide children, teens, teachers, school leaders and the learning community, librarians and school libraries are must haves.

The stories I presented are personal in nature. Let us look at what research has to say about school libraries and the impact they have to the community they serve.

Reaching Out & Reaching In

In my last visit to Tanauan, Batangas for Sambat Trust's library project there, I had the chance to meet its scholars in Sambat Elementary School. There were around fifteen of them from the grade school level. I met them at the library that Sambat Trust had set up, one of the first libraries that grew in the community. Mrs. Delante, principal of Sambat Elementary School was so thankful of this donation to the learning community there.



When the scholars arrived, I asked them their favorite book. One girl replied, Sleeping Beauty. I could not help but fracture the tale from this well loved classic. Rousing herself to sleep, apparently the wicked witch died of a heart attack and the curse was broken, she fixed up her castle and freed the dragon in the dungeon. The prince came and proved himself worthy to stand as her equal by taming the dragon himself. The kids were amused. They waited for more so I rendered stories from my repertoire.

I realized my formal Tagalog is very rusty. Filipino that's spoken in Manila is a convoluted mix of English and Tagalog. Nevertheless, I knew the kids had fun from their authentic smiles and waves of goodbye. I came to Sambat to assess the status of the library and to continue its out reach activities there. I came back to Manila with the realization that there really is a reading problem in the country.

I ask myself where to begin.