The NLP's 2nd Summer Workshop for Kids

Posting this info on the 2nd Summer Workshop for Kids of the National Library of the Philippines.

The National Library of the Philippines- Children's Section, will hold the 2^nd “Summer Workshop for Kids” on April 25-26, 2013 from 9:00am- 4:00pm at the NIDO SCIENCE DISCOVERY CENTER (NSDC), SM MOA which aims to promote reading and love for books to children through storytelling and puppetry.

The NLP invites children ages 6-12 years old. Each participant shall be charged a registration fee of Two Thousand Pesos (Php 2,000.00) to defray the expenses for 2 lunches, snacks and materials needed. The fee is inclusive of gallery tour at NSDC and a Planetarium Show. Proceeds of the activity will be used in the renovation/acquire materials that will be use by our readers.

For further inquiries:
 please contact us at 3105033 / 5281972 or 3105035 loc 207-210; 09178718225;
 e-mail: childrenslibrary@nlp.gov.ph
 you may visit our website http://web.nlp.gov.ph

Skw program from Zarah Gagatiga

19th Children's Month @ the National Library of the Philippines

Photos from the Opening Ceremonies of the 19th Children's Month at the National Library of the Philippines. More details in the next blog posts.

The ribbon that opened to the exhibit of an ideal children's library/reading center set-up.

The program for this morning's activities. I cut the ribbon alongside CLAPI (Children's Literature Association of the Philippines) President, Ms. Emi Villanueva.

Trap banners that highlight the event and celebration of the 19th Children's Month.

The strategy used by NLP to drum up the event's theme is storytelling as a means to strengthen and empower the child.

Congratulations to Dir. Antonio Santos and librarians and staff of the NLP!

New Director of the NLP

The National Library of the Philippines has a new "acting" director.

Congrats to Atty. Antonio Santos for the new appointment. PAARL Wikispaces has his profile. Read it here.

Atty. Santos joins the roster of Filipino male librarians who've made contributions to the growth of Philippine Librarianship.

On the Wings of Literacy

Been riding on the wings of literacy the past few weeks and here are some pics to share with you!

At Hope Christian High School's preschool department during the opening of Literacy Week. There were storytelling sessions by Jay Menes courtesy of Adarna House.

Visiting storyteller, Gcina Mhelope-Becker, of South Africa gave a workshop on telling folk tales, personal and family stories, and contemporary stories at Museo Pambata. She was riveting! Her experiences of growing up in a Zulu tribe in South Africa provided exotic setting to her stories. Her version of the folk tale, The Tortoise that Fell From the Sky is insightful and moving because it speaks of the success of a fallen leader. 

From a cautionary tale, Gcina fashioned the folk tale to a modern story of leadership and facing up to one's mistakes but, with the wisdom on what to make of the failure into a learning experience. 

The Scholastic Warehouse in Pasig City opened its doors to the public via a sale that offered big, big discounts. I was fortunate to see their new showroom/library. I had the opportunity to meet their new team of Book Fairs specialist and exchanged ideas with them on the importance of reading and libraries.

A teacher from Valenzuela shares her Reading beliefs in a seminar I conducted on libraries being an agency of literacy development.

And just yesterday, I had a long, but substantial lecture on Literacy Campaigns at the National Library of the Philippines with teachers, teacher-librarians and school librarians from the National Capitol Region. Most of them came from the public school system and are no stranger to literacy activities and strategies. So, I presented collaborative and integrative literacy campaigns done by Sambat Trust, Sa Aklat Sisikat, Room to Read, the PBBY, MyLibrary Project of Filipinas Heritage Library, Early Readers Online, etc. The forum was sponsored by the Children's Literature Association of the Philippines. 

The UN declared 2003-2012 as the Literacy Decade. What have you been doing to encourage reading and the understanding of literature to kids and young adults?

Filipino Librarians: Librarians of the NLP

Kudos to the librarians of the Filipiniana and Rare Book Collection of the National Library of the Philippines (NLP). The privileged viewing they afforded the PBBY of rare Rizaliana was an awe inspiring experience.

From L-R Ms. Rosette Crelencia; Ms. Malou Go; my daughter, Zoe who wants to be a nurse, a librarian and a writer when she grows up; and Mr. Narciso Cruz.



The PBBY went to see Jose Rizal's manuscripts -- the two novels, The Monkey and the Tortoise, his travel journals, Mi Ultimo Adios (which was written by hand on thin paper like tissue), Makamisa and more journals where his sketches and doodles appeared -- in line with the celebration of our National Heroes' sesquicentennial next year. PBBY is going Rizaliana for the 2011 National Children's Book Day!

Rare Books & Rizaliana

Dear Librarian: Baking At The National Library

This month's Dear Librarian feature is a blog post from Barefoot Baklesa. He does not need any advice, but his blog post on the state of the National Library of the Philippines is worthy of discussion. Here is an excerpt from his blog post ( which can be read below). The full article is linked here.

As I went into the reading rooms, and through the stacks to look for what I needed, I could not help but stare at the state that place was in. The place was clean as libraries go, but the disrepair, the poorly maintained stacks, and the general atmosphere of the place akin to that of a backwater town that government funding forgot.

As I walked those halls, It did not seem to me that this was the place that held almost everything about the world since the first movable type. What is this place to be for some impressionable youth seeking to fuel himself in the arts and sciences? One could argue that what really matters is what is inside those books and not the place that hold them. But if the place lacks the very books that can take them onto this journey -No, that the one that sends Bastian into Fantasia but you get my drift- then what?

BUT IS NOT THE STATE OF A COUNTRY’S BIBLIOTEQUE A REFLECTION OF WHAT IT IS?

Is this neglect associated with the priorities of every government that came and went? In the middle of my research I composed a text message that I sent to my mentors in the hopes that they may at least help me make sense of the experience.

“Sitting here at the National Library, a week after elections and just before the new come to take office, I wonder what will a new president really do for the Arts? To be specific, what does it matter to my art now that the people seem to have found hope and change in a man who is also of the old order?”

And this was the most disturbing reply

“Anak, ano ba naman ang alam niya sa Sining natin? The Arts have always been the least of any leader’s priorities since I can’t remember. If anything, the Arts to him may be just like tonight’s latest “gossip” that would be replaced with another juicier one by tomorrow. Palibhasa gossip rin lang naman ang alam ng kapatid niyan and I’m afraid they may play the Arts card when it is to their advantage like a badly acted teleserye”

And there I was, sitting on one of the wooden tables at the end of the Filipiniana section telling myself once again, that a place such as this should be the beacon for those wide-eyed youth seeking to be inspired, seeking to understand the world, and be fueled to contribute to the Sciences and most especially the Arts. No matter how disheartening that text message was.

Watch out for my reply and a guest blogger's response in the next few days. I have invited a librarian from the National Library of the Philippines to do so.

PLAI Reaches In

I was at the The National Library (TNL) the other day for some book week concerns and PBBY business. What made the visit extra special though was the effort of the Philippine Librarians Association, Inc. (PLAI) to "reach in" members who were affected by Ondoy (Ketsana) and Pepeng (Parma). A couple of days before, Madame Susan Pador of the Ateneo Rizal Library sent me an email about a gift which PLAI has prepared for me. Who would not feel special with such an email? Apparently, Ms. Pador heads the Outreach Committee of of the PLAI.

There were around twenty people in the PLAI Office. The officers of PLAI even prepared snacks for us, Ondoy and Pepeng survivors and sure enough, stories of the great floods filled the room. One TNL staff could not help but mention how, in this time of loss I could still manage to smile. I'm alive and so are my loved ones. Friends have been very supportive with their prayers, donations of cash and kind, and all the help they can give our way. The communities we belong to were selfless in hearing us out and asking how we can be assisted in the recovery and rebuilding process. Our Ondoy ordeal made me see the best in people and the Filipino in particular. There are so many reasons to keep a smile. I'd like to think that the TNL staff meant it as a compliment.

In behalf of my husband and two kids, we thank the PLAI for their donation and financial assistance. The joy of giving was very palpable in the faces of the PLAI Officers that day. I could only accept this act of generosity with gratitude and humility.

Mabuhay ang PLAI!

WEB TECHNOLOGIES

Training for Development of Library and Teaching Resources

Philippine eLibrary Partners:
1. Commission on Higher Education
2. Department of Agriculture
3. Department of Science and Technology
4. The National Library
5. University of the Philippines

Target Audience:
1. Librarians and other Information Professionals/Specialists
2. Faculty members of colleges and universities

Objectives:
At the end of the Training, participants are expected to:
1. Know the information products and services of Philippine eLibrary
2. Create a library/teaching site integrating various web resources
3. Gain familiarity with web technologies and web resources

Pre-Requisite for Participants
Participants must be computer literate

Methodology
1. Lectures
2. Hands-on training

Duration
3 Days


Tentative Schedules and Venues:
June 17 – 19, 2009
Baguio City

June 24-26, 2009
Naga City Library, Naga City

July 15-17, 2009
Venue: Cagayan de Oro City

July 29 – 31, 2009
Cebu City

Registration Fee: P 5,000 per participant. For registration or details, contact:
Ms. Melody Madrid 02 5281972 or Ms Tina Diaz 02 5253196

Be a Pinoy Storyteller!

ALITAPTAP STORYTELLERS PHILIPPINES, whose mission is to promote love for reading through the art of storytelling will have the

ARTIST WORKSHOP
(Acting and Reading Techniques In StoryTelling)
on April 21-22, 2007, 9 am – 5 pm at the Executive Lounge, The National Library of the Philippines

Join in as the best storytellers in the country conduct this two-day affair of lectures, exercise – activities and get a chance to tell your own favorite story.

Workshop fee is Php. 500.00
For more details, please contact
Mobile No. 0917-5392630
Office no. 535.4639
Email us at alitaptap_storytellers@yahoo.com

Pag nagkuwento si tatay, mga Kuwento’y nabubuhay!