Days 2-3 of the 7th Rizal Library International Conference: Connecting Libraries, Information & Community Knowledge

Congratulations to the Rizal Library, to Dr. Vernon R. Totanes and his competent and dependable staff for a successful celebration of its 50th year! The celebration was indeed, golden!

They launched a time train exhibit highlighting innovations and innovators that set the Rizal Library as a modern academic portal with an efficient and professional staff that continuously relate to its learning community with a love and loyalty akin to Rizal's relationship with the Philippines. I thought I have seen a good looking library mascot in its arch rival school, but Rizal Library's "Pepe" has to be the better looking one. Sorry, Jolibee, I know you have cool dance moves, but a young Jose Rizal mascot is my choice at the end of the day.

They conducted the 7th Rizal Library International Conference with paper presenters from the US, Singapore, Indonesia, Barbados, Australia and of course, the Philippines. The cadre of keynote speakers, the majority of them are non-librarians, are true lovers of books, libraries and the written word.

Dr. Reina Reyes, Ph.D. dazzled! She glowed as she spoke about the stories that lie beneath big data and how librarians can mine them to its potential. She bubbled with joy and I wondered about the books she read as a child. Dr. Nikki Carsi Cruz, Ph.D. is a historian and she knew the power of stories and when to appropriately use them. A friend from the book industry, Christine Bellen, took participants, visitors and guests to Calamba and back to Manila in her musical, Batang Rizal. Respect to Jerry Respeto for the accessible music that delighted everyone in the room. My favorite, so far, is the Kuwento Rap with Monkey and Tortoise dancing about, enacting the famous Tagalog folktale that launched a thousand Filipino tales and storybooks for children.

Paper presenters were a mix of young and seasoned researchers, academicians, dreamers and visionaries. Where else can you find an interdisciplinary conference with an international appeal, but in the Rizal Library International Conference. Pioneered by Hon. Lourdes T. David, her former team of librarians stayed true to her mission and legacy of fostering academic research in Library and Information Science by staging a gathering of curious, critical and creative thinkers in one big hall. Only this time, the younger set of librarians in the Rizal Library showed more - magis, by crossing content and accepting research subjects that will enrich the practice of LIS and the production of research in the discipline.

In the process, the Rizal Library library and staff succeeded in creating a research community beyond Katipunan and Loyola Heights.

I came. I saw. I CLICKED. See you in the next Rizal Library International Conference!

Full Paper: Project LEARN Revisiting History and Creating New Narratives for Young Filipino Readers

Revisiting History and Creating Narratives for Young Filipino Readers from Zarah Gagatiga

Day 1 of the 7th Rizal Library International Conference

As I write this post, participants of the 7th Rizal Library International Conference (RLIC) are out in the garden at the back of the Social Science complex having their morning break. I am in Leong Hall blogging away.

Reina Reyes' presentation on Big Data X Information Science has just ended. More on her talk next blog post.

Now, for Day 1 of the RLIC, here are some reflections I wish to share.

- Big data is the name of the game and librarians are in a good position to mine, curate, analyze and develop a body of knowledge that impacts communities.

- There has been an expressed need for training and continuous professional development on data mining and analysis. Me thinks: begin with information literacy.

- Librarians conserve and preserve information, knowledge and media. They create them too.

- Media and technology are thinking tools which librarians can use in creating, communicating and conserving information. There are limitations in technology and media access and availability, but through partnerships and collaboration objectives can be met. An example is the Community Archiving Workshop and Valerie Clarke's oral history, preservation project in Barbados

- Opportunities to imagine and create abound in our libraries and the communities where we belong and serve patrons. You only need to look closely to make things happen and to solve problems.

Next post is Day 2 of the RLIC!

Joining Rizal Library's 50th Next Month

November 16-18, 2017 is the 7th Rizal Library International Conference. This year, I am presenting a paper I co-wrote with Darrel Marco and MJ "Xi Zuq" Tumamac. Our paper, “Project LEARN: Revisiting History and Creating New Narratives for Young Filipino Readers” has been accepted for presentation under the sub-theme “Culture and History: Philippine Studies and Libraries, Jose Rizal and Libraries, Evolution of Cultures in Literary Texts, Reading Customs and Practices”.

Below is the abstract:

Project LEARN: Revisiting History and Creating New Narratives for Young Filipino Readers

This paper describes the creative process that went through in revising a thirty-year-old series of illustrated children’s books by the Nutrition Council of the Philippines Publishing Corporation (NCPPC), the Bulilit Books. It is a series of books written in English and in Filipino for children age 0 - 12. The series tackles issues and concepts on physical and mental development, home and family life, art and culture, including stories from Philippine folklore and mythology.

The revision project is named Project LEARN: Linguahe ni Juan Para sa Kabataan and has three phases: (1) research and development; (2) production stage; and (3) post production, publishing, distribution, and marketing of the books. The project is already in stage 3 having published all three titles in Filipino, Cebuano and Hiligaynon in July 2017. Plans for distribution and marketing strategies are on-going.

The goal of the Bulilit Books was to improve the health and well-being of the child, however, the language use, prevailing political thought and socio-cultural climate of the 70s were evident in the stories. To simply reprint the originals would prove out of context for the young readers of the 21st century. Significant revisions include changing some elements of the story to create a narrative that is relevant to the experience of the new target readers; adding a guide for teachers and parents that address pedagogical methods; updating the language register and orthography and translating into other languages to cater to a larger audience of parents, educators, and learning communities; and providing new illustrations and design to reflect new trends and methods in illustrating and producing books for children.

Authors: Zarah C. Gagatiga, Darrel Marco, Michael Jude Tumamac

Topics: Culture and History: evolution of cultures in literary texts; reading customs and practices

 

 

Call for Papers: The Rizal Library International Conference 2017

Fifty years ago, when the Rizal Library first opened, students were required to remain completely silent inside the premises, research was done by searching typewritten 3x5 cards and print indexes, and there were no computers on campus.

Fifty years later, the Rizal Library allows students to hold group discussions in designated areas, research can be done using print and electronic resources, and assignments can be written and printed on PCs and Macs.

The Rizal Library—along with other libraries in the Philippines, Southeast Asia, and the rest of the world—has changed with the times during the past five decades but its mission remains the same: to
facilitate learning.

This year, the Rizal Library International Conference, with “Click!” as its theme, aims to cultivate discourses on librarians' roles in expanding their network within the larger community, through culture and society, and in the field of communication and technology.

CALL FOR PAPERS

On its 50th anniversary, the Rizal Library invites librarians, professors, and enthusiasts to submit papers that explore the enrichment of library management and experience in Southeast Asia and
the rest of the world.

Suggested topics include:

Community: institutional collaborations, library partnerships,
librarian empowerment and capacity building, knowledge development

Culture and History: Southeast Asian studies and libraries, evolution
of cultures in literary texts, reading customs and practices

Communication and Technology: social media, source preservation,
accessibility, big data, data mining

Proposals should include the following:

Author/s
Title
Topic (choose from those enumerated above)
Paper abstract (maximum of 250 words)
Curriculum vitae with photo (indicate achievements and/or publications
within the last 5 years)

Please email proposals to rl.internationalconference@gmail.com  by 15 May 2017.

Please see the call for papers below and/or the website: http://rizal.library.ateneo.edu/7rlic/public/.

Important dates

15 May 2017 - Submission of paper proposals
15 June 2017 - Notification of accepted proposals
1 September 2017 - Submission of full paper
30 September 2017 - Deadline for early bird registration
16-18 November 2017 - Conference proper

For more information you may contact the following

Engracia S. Santos
Conference Chair
Ateneo de Manila University
 +[632] 4266001 ext. 5559/5564
 esantos@ateneo.edu

Rosalyn Santos
Conference Co-Chair
Ateneo de Manila University
 +[632] 4266001 ext. 5559/5564
 rsantos1@ateneo.edu

Kareen Banal
Head, Promotions Committee
Ateneo de Manila University
 +[632] 4266001 ext. 5554
 kbanal@ateneo.edu