Filipino Librarians of the Month: Librarians of the Filipiniana Section, UP Diliman Main Library

Dahil Buwan ng Wika noong Agosto at International Literacy Day naman sa Sabado, Setyembre 8, 2018, mga librarians ng Filipiniana Section ng UP Diliman Main Library ang tampok na Filipino Librarians sa blog. Pinangungunahan ni Mr. Rhoel E. Rondilla, ang grupo ng mga librarians na ito ay naghahandog ng mga kuwento sa estilo ng Sabayang Pagbigkas o Readers' Theatre. Basahin at alamin ang kanilang mga kuwentong buhay sa panayam na ito. Higit sa lahat, malalaman nibyo ang mga paborito nilang aklat! 

Sino ang may sabi na hindi nagbabasa ang mga librarians?

Sila ay binubuo nina Mr. Rhoel E. Rondilla, Reslyn Espino, Eliza May Jayag, Thergie Ablin, Maria Ester Cruz at Elmer Tolentino.

Bakit kayo nagtayo or nag-organize ng isang readers’ theatre group?

Ang FI Books Section Readers’ Theater group ay itinayo hindi lamang upang kumatawan sa UP Diliman libraries sa mga storytelling activities kundi pati na rin makapagbahagi ng aming kaalaman, ng aming oras at ng aming talent. 

Ano ang kinalaman nito sa pagiging laybraryan ninyo?

Bilang Filipino, nais naming makatulong upang iangat ang mga gawa't likhang pinoy. Adhikain naming na ipadama at ipaalam sa lahat na ang likhang pinoy ay mayroong katuturan at yaman. Bilang mga laybraryan, ito ay aming ambag sa komunidad ng unibersidad at sa pamayanan na aming kinabibilangan.

Paano kayo nagsimula bilang isang Readers’ Theater?

Hindi sinasadya ang pagkakatayo ng Readers’ Theatre group namin. Nangyari lamang ito noong nagkaroon ng forum ang aming aklatan na inorganisa ng Filipiniana Books Section na kung saan kami ay nabibilang.

Mukhang seryoso kayo sa inyong advocacy. Ano pa ang balak ninyo sa mga darating na panahon?

Ang pagkukuwento bilang isang grupo ay aming karangalan, kuewntong lahat ay may aral, aral na dadalhin ng mga nakikinig. Sa mga darating pang panahon, nakahanda kami at  tutugon sa mga imbitasyon at makikilahok sa mga programang naglalayong makapagtaguyod  ng pagbabasa ng mag akdang pinoy.

Maari bang magbigay ng bawat miyembro ng kanilang mga paboritong aklat at dahilan kung bakit?

Rhoel Rondilla 

– Alamat ng Pinya. Ito ay patungkol ito sa mag-ina na si Aling Rosa at Pinang. Patunay na dapat sa lahat ng bagay at anuman oras, kinakailangan ng mahabang pasensya. 

- Hunger Games. Ito ay tungkol sa pagpapakasakit para sa pamilya at sa anumang uro ng relasyon. Ito ay patungkol din sa pagtutulungan. Nagpapaalala din ito na ang kasamaan, kailanman ay hindi nagtatagumpay.

Elmer Tolentino

- Marami-rami na din naman akong aklat na binasa ngunit mabibilang lang sa mga ito ang aking natapos.  Marahil dajhil na din sa kakulangan ng oras . Ilan sa mga paborito ko ay ang mga aklat ni Bob Ong. tatlo sa kanyang mga obra ay meron ako. Ang Abnkkbsnplako ay ang unang aklat na binili at naibigay sa akin ng aking asawa na kasintahan ko pa lamang noon.  Kaya may sentimental na halaga ito sa akin. Nasundan pa ito ng Bakit baligtad magbasa ng libro ang mga Pilipino.  Nagustuhan ko ang estilo ni Bob Ong (di niya tunay na pangalan) sa pagamit niya ng humor sa pagtatalakay at pagpapamulat sa ang mga bagay-bagay sa pang  araw-araw na buhay at kultura ng mga Pinoy ito man ay positbo o negatibo. 

- Isa rin sa aking paborito noon pa man ay ang mga Pabula ni Esopo.  Naalala ko pa noong akoy bata pa na lagi akong binabasahan at kinukwentuhan ng aking ina. Kahit pay itoy paulit-ulit nang naikwekwento. Ngayon dahil  sa akoy may sarili ng pamilya at may sarili na ring mga anak ako na ang siyang nagkukwento ito sa kanila.

Thergie Ablin

- Aklat na akin ng nagamit sa pagkukuwento, “Bakit matagal ang sundo ko" ni Kristine Canon, dahil ito yung first story na aking ikinuwento sa mga kabataan ng GAwad Kalinga. Hindi koi to makakalimutan dahil nagkuwento ako para sila ay maaliw at hindi hanapin ang kanilang ga magulang o tagapag-alaga na masipag at tulong –tulong na nagtatayo ng mga kabayanan sa Gawad Kalinga sa ilalim ng matinding sikat ng araw.

- Aklat na paboritong basahin noong ata pa until now siguro, Cinderella kase, the story itself teaches us how to dream, belive and achive our dreams and also, true friends regardless of the sizes and looks they will help you because they love you.

Ester Cruz

- Ang paborito kong aklat sa ngayon ay Charlotte’s Web dahil sa konsepto ng pakikipagkaibigan

Elizza Mae Jayag

- Every day by David Levithan at Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. Mahilig kasi akong magbas ng novels, mg love story and comedy. Sa local naan is yung “Mass” ni F. Sionil Jose and “Para kay B” ni Ricky Lee.

Ang larawang ito ay kuha noong July 29, 2018 sa Museo Pambata kung saan, naghandog ang grupo ng isang pagtatanghal ng Ang Matandang Mananahi (De las Casas at Gagatiga, 2011).

A School Library and Art Building Grow in Quezon City (2 of 2)

One of the many pleasant experiences Zoe and I had last summer was the visit we had at the College of Fine Arts in the University of the Philippines in Diliman. Super thanks to Ruben "Totet" de Jesus, who patiently and proudly showed us around the CFA compound as well as the new building.

The CFA compound is art. It speak, breathes and lives ART!

Works of students, teachers and professors are all around. I couldn't tell the difference. Imagine studying and learning alongside your peers and mentors, how enriching this environment could be. Totet de Jesus made this even more evident when he showed Zoe the art works exhibited in the gallery at that time. A true mentor, Totet listens and guides. The trip to the old CFA compound ended with a visit to its college library.

Heading to the new CFA building which was still in construction at the time, I could not help but feel nostalgic. The new building was spacious and very modern. The main entrance opens to a big hall. Isang malaking bulwagan! The new building offers and promises a lot of spaces for art to do and to fill in. The glass panelings and open doorways to a view of the main road from Philcoa inspires creative minds to wonder and think of possibilities.

In this time of conflict, art finds a way to show solutions to problems, to inspire and dream, to protest and to chronicle history, past and present. Here's wishing the CFA all the best! May their community of creatives, dreamers an innovators increase! 

Museums and Art in Public Spaces 3 of 3

To complete our tour of museums and art spaces, Zoe and I headed to the Vargas Museum in UP Diliman. Currently on display that week were art works by various artists on lines and human rights. It is the later exhibit that hooked us, line and sinker.

The Karapatan Art Exhibit gave us many things to think about. I was deeply disturbed by the images and graphic metaphors on human rights as conveyed by the artists. I was particularly struck by the woven rug in the image of a young boy. It was even positioned at the entrance door of the exhibit hall. In this day and age, children's lives are dispensed as easily as a piece of old, unused clothing. I dared not step on the rug at all.

Zoe took everything in and gravitated towards Liza Flores' art work. She was inspired to create. She wondered how visual artists come up with ideas and what are at stake to make art. A lot of time, tons of effort and patience so I told her.

As for me, I was disturbed until we got home. 

I think it didn't help me at all to have seen Uplift first of all. There was nothing uplifting about it. At least for me. The sculpture was well made however, it did not speak to me of affirmation and oblation. There was nothing spiritual about it. Whose god and what kind of god is the woman, in prone position, being offered to?

There is this story of St. Francis of Assisi. He took of his clothes and ran naked because he had been awakened. Enlightened to a truth, a revelation. And so, he did an oblation and offered everything of himself in service to God. Sadly, I did not get this revelation of truth in Ferdinand Cacnio's opus. Sayang.

Gulliermo Tolentino's masterpiece is still the One!

So. That's art. There are artists and there are artists. Some relay a message using the best medium possible. A few use art to push a personal agenda. Artist or participant, both are witnesses to the dynamic process of creation.

Museums and Art in Public Spaces (2 of 3)

And so, our visit to the Ayala Museum was a rich experience of Philippine art, culture and history. The affordable fees allowed me and my daughter to view permanent exhibits with new additions in multi-media format and current ones that are relevant and accessible to visitors of all ages. An ongoing exhibit is Revolutionary, showcasing the talents and masterpieces of Julio Nakpil and Nick Joaquin. Don't miss it if you are in the neighborhood. Entrance is free for this exhibit in the Ayala Museum.

And now, we go to Quezon City.

Our visit to the Ateneo Art Gallety was accidental. We went to the Rizal Library in the Ateneo de Manila University campus (ADMU) for a different reason all together. Our walk to Gonzaga Hall at lunch time led us to the Gallery. That day, Manga Hokusai was on display! Zoe reads manga and watches anime. How can we resist this opportunity? 

Katsushika Hokusai created manga using block prints and the pages were stitched together by hand. His prints of the wave over Mt. Fuji is already an iconic image not only in Japanese manga but also in pop culture. Known as The Great Wave, it is a piece of work that is both magnetic and kinetic. The wave has a character of its own, like a water monster with claws ready to seize anyone and anything on its path. 

Before leaving ADMU, Zoe and I took pictures of the installation art in the campus. She particularly liked the cluster of bamboo poles. It looked perfect for a game of hide and seek. I liked the animal sculptures and the bench in between them. It seemed to invite me to sit down, to play with my imagination and to wonder. But, I didn't. 

Looking back, I think that is the whole point of the art works. I have been to the ADMU campus many times and I always get that feeling of youthful abandon each time I see these art pieces. Pause. Sit down. Breathe. Imagine. Wonder. Live.

Plet Bolipata Borlongan, thank you!

When I visit the ADMU campus again, I will take the artist's invitation to simply be. 

Museums and Art in Public Spaces (1 of 3)

In three weeks, Zoe and I will be back at school. She begins year 10 in the Academy and I carry on as teacher librarian. We are ticking the list of to do's one at a time and counting the days till the first day of school begins.

One of the activities we have ticked off our list is to visit museums. We have been to the Vargas Museum in UP Diliman, the Ateneo Art Gallery in Ateneo de Manila University and the Ayala Museum in Makati. All three museums are accessible to us with affordable entrance fees. As a matter of fact, I only paid Php 125 for Zoe and I went in for free in the Ayala Museum. 

Teachers only need to present their school IDs for free entrance to the Museum. So, if you are a teacher or a librarian with a faculty status, just make sure your ID says so, bookmark Ayala Museum's web page and follow the Museum's Twitter, Instagram or Facebook accounts for updates on workshops and new exhibits. The permanent displays never fail to mesmerize. The current ones are just as amazing. 

I have seen the Gold of Ancestors three times and this recent experience of looking and viewing at the artifacts made me more proud of my history, my heritage and my place in the world. Pre-colonial Filipinos (is there a better word or a term that is historically appropriate?) were already trading with the rest of the world and making art! The exhibit on textiles and indigenous weaving touched me so because the Gaddang people were part of it. One of my cousins in my father's side medntioned to me ages ago that we trace our lineage to the Gaddang. I will definitely go back and spend more time in that part of the Museum. Something about weaving, the meeting of the warp and weft, and the idea that man is a bridge between heaven and earth appealed to me. I find it strange how pieces of woven cloth moved me in ways I can't fully explain yet. I will keep this feeling on tab and park it in memory. In time, I will be able to connect the dots.

Another permanent display that engaged us was the Diorama Experience. I don't know about Zoe, but this exhibit is perfect for amplifying concepts in history like timelines and cause and effect, as well as human nature and the changing thought processes of each age and era. We missed the virtual reality on Rizal, but Arturo Luz's paintings and sculptures delighted us. It was simple but elegant. Unpretentious but classy. Less is more, indeed!

We went in at 11AM and came out at 1PM. Our minds and hearts were full. Our spirits lighter. We were hungry at the end of the visit that's why we had a heavy snack right after. That's the good thing about Makati. It makes everything accessible for everyone. 

Next post is about the exhibits in Vargas Museum and the manga exhibit in the Ateneo Art Gallery.

Academic Book Fair 2017 at UP Diliman

First ACADEMIC BOOK FAIR for 2017 to be held at the Univeristy of the Philippines

The first major book fair of the year will be held on March 1-3 at the UP Bahay ng Alumni.  Organized by the Academic Booksellers Association of the Philippines (ABAP), the ACADEMIC BOOK FAIR is titled ENHANCING ACADEMIC ESSENTIALS THROUGH PRINT AND TECHNOLOGY. No less than the Chairman of the Commission of Higher Education (CHED) Patricia Licuanan will be the guest speaker during the opening program.

The exhibition highlights the latest titles for school and institutional libraries foremost among which are titles that are needed for the new GENERAL EDUCATION CURRICULUM for Colleges and Universities. The new GE curriculum is meant to prepare students for  workplaces anywhere in the world and for jobs that have yet to be invented.  CHED has emphasized that learning resources , both printed and digital, are a vital tool in the new curriculum and HEIs need to be adequately stocked with these materials. 

Responding to the CHED challenge, the ABAP Academic Book Fair exhibitors also assist professors and librarians in accessing academic journals and highly specialized publications from around the world.  Among the exhibitors are Philippine publishers  C&E Publishing, the UP Press, Ateneo de Manila University Press and Rex Publishing, foreign publisher Cengage Learning Asia, and booksellers CD Books International, F&J de Jesus, Golden books Services, IBC Book Consolidators, Megatexts Philippines, Goodwill Bookstore and Forefront Book Inc.

UP PRESS MARKS 52ND ANNIVERSARY IN ACADEMIC BOOKFAIR

The venerable University of the Philippines press celebrates its 52^nd year at the 21^st Academic Book Fair to be held on March 1-3, 2017 at the UP Bahay ng Alumni. The fair is organized by the Academic Booksellers Association of the Philippines which provides quality references for libraries and schools.

For its anniversary, UP Press is releasing a number of important titles in the social sciences such as : Patrick F. Campos’s THE END OF NATIONAL CINEMA , which features a new scholarship on Philippine cinema that links classic celluloid cinema to the emergence of digital filmmaking in the 2000s, Musika ng Kasaysayan ng Pilipinas, a study of music in history, as history, by scholar Raul C.Navarro, a collection of new fiction in Filipino entitled WAGI SAWI edited by Dean of UP IMC Roland Tolentino and Prof Rommel Rodriguez, and DIVIDE BY TWO  by  professor of Mass Communications Luis Teodoro which studies the distinction between the dominant media (often mistakenly labeled the mainstream) and the alternative media. As an anniversary offer, the press will offer a 20% discount for purchases of their books during the fair.

The ABAP book fair also includes other Philippine publishers Ateneo de Manila University Press, C&E Publishing, EDCA Publishing and Rex Publishing and foreign publisher Cengage Learning Asia. Other ABAP member exhibitors are CD Books International, Claretian Communications Foundation, F&J de Jesus Inc., Golden Book Services,  Fastbooks Educational Supply, IBC Book Consolidators, Linar Educational Materials and Megatexts Philippines Inc, among others.

Books on history and martial law at the 21^st Academic Book Fair

The controversial bestseller THE CONJUGAL DICTATORSHIP OF FERDINAND AND IMELDA MARCOS by Primitivo Mijares is being re-issued with annotations by the Ateneo De Manila University press and will be highlighted at the 21^st Academic Book  Fair on March 1-3 at the UP Bahay ng Alumni in Diliman.  Forty years after its first publication, the book, in this revised and annotated edition, reminds Filipinos of their past that remains a present threat. 

This book reports on the imposition of martial law in 1972 and the schemes that built and held its infrastructure. Drawing data from his work as Marcos’s media adviser before his defection in 1975,  Mijares exposes the massive corruption and military abuses under the regime. Also available are other books on history and social sciences such as columnist Randy David's Understanding Philippine Society, Culture and Politics,  UP professor Athena Casambre's The Discipline of Political Science, Life in the Philippines by anthropologist Niels Mulder, among others.

The new Basic Education curriculum emphasizes the teaching of history as crucial to the development of a future generation of responsible, socially aware and law-abiding citizens.  Responding to the this challenge, the ABAP Academic Book Fair exhibitors  assist teachers and librarians in accessing the most current and relevant publications for the HUMSS (humanities and social sciences)  and STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) strands of the Senior High School curriculum.  Among the exhibitors are Philippine publishers  C&E Publishing, Ibon Foundation, the UP Press, Ateneo de Manila University Press and Rex Publishing, foreign publisher Cengage Learning Asia, and booksellers CD Books International, F&J de Jesus, Golden Books Services, IBC Book Consolidators, Megatexts Philippines, Goodwill Bookstore and Forefront Book Inc.

Insights From UP FLIPP's New Professionals Series Seminar & Unconfenrence

The young and the restless: UP Flippers, Mdme Salvacion Arlante & me.

I wish to congratulate the officers of UP FLIPP (Future Library and Information Professionals of the Philippines) for a successful LibSpeak 2016. I have had the pleasure of being invited several times over by this vibrant and young group of students. Every engagement is a different experience but laden with learning and insights as always.

This year, LibSpeak 2016 had two simultaneous events, a conference graced by three esteemed UP SLIS alumni and the "first" New Professionals series seminar and unconference. The former follows tradition. Something tried and tested. The later deviates a bit from the path more traveled. That was where I found myself yesterday.

It suited me just fine.

The New Professional Series is meant to foster mentoring, build networks and linkages, and open up opportunities for continuous professional growth and development. Sounds familiar? Same objectives that many professional organizations have. What made this different was the format in which the seminar and "unconference" was conducted. The methodology went like this: a resource speaker gave an input on the theme; two senior colleagues gave a response; a breakout session followed and in each group, a sub-topic that was related to the theme was talked about; next was the feedback and reporting; open forum; and then, a closure. For some, this may look like a small scale PLAI Congress or a format done by organizations off shore in conferences too. Not entirely new, but it was modified to fit a particular context.

What I really liked about the format and method employed by the Flippers was that, it surfaced many voices. Participants were given choices of groups to belong to. Voice and choice. Two important features of instruction that is centered on the learner. The design of the seminar and unconference also lent for discourse, though, this kind of conversation needed refinement of thought and thinking processes.

I think we need meaningful discourse to prepare us for more difficult and challenging cognitive tasks: reading, writing and research.

Joseph Marmol Yap was in top form. The young LIS professional I met in Bacolod in 2012 is not the same man I listened to yesterday. Congratulations to the UP Flippers for a job well done! I am sure your mentors are proud of you. Thank you once again for bringing me along in the journey of the path less traveled by. It was not a lonely walk, but an interesting one where conversing with the future LIS professionals gave me hope to keep on doing what I have considered as my life's mission. It was an inspiring morning!

Celebrate the Teacher With In! Happy World Teachers' Day! Part 1 of 2

L-R: Teacher Hazelle, Me, Miko, Jerson, Michelle and Teacher Portia

A week ago,  I was given the opportunity to train teachers and future teachers by conducting a storytelling workshop at the Benitez Hall, College of Education, UP Diliman. I was able to do this with the help of teacher friends from the UP Reading Education Area. Together with student led organizations, the said department and reading advocates sponsored the annual A Day with Weavers of Magic. This day of magic weaving is already a tradition in the UP "Eduk". What Lina Diaz de Rivera started back in the 90s lives on through the effort and zeal of teachers Portia Padilla, Hazelle Preclaro Ontengco and Maita Salvador. Their students and leaders of student organizations in the college lent valuable support and manpower.

During my workshop in the afternoon, I met teachers from different parts of the metro and nearby provinces. Students from the UP Reading Education Area were also in attendance. One of the teachers who attended the workshop, Mr. Norman Tabios, tagged and mentioned me in this Instagram post:

I had the pleasure to meet Zarah Gagatiga last Saturday during the seminar-workshop "A Day with Weavers of Magic" at UP Diliman College of Education.

I wish that our country have more teachers like her. Her love for teaching, reading, and writing is something that every teachers must emulate. Long live Ma'am Zarah Gagatiga!

Continue inspiring more teachers and students to love reading and learning. Mabuhay po kayo!

Mr. Tabios teaches at the Our Lady of Fatima University. In his return to the university, he immediately shared all the wonderful things he took away from the Weavers of Magic workshop. He shared the wonder of books, reading, writing, book making and storytelling to his students in the college level.

Thank you Mr. Tabios for the good wishes! Your response is truly heart warming. I am inspired to continue on!

To all the teachers who have inspired us and are continuing to help us become better persons, happy World Teachers' Day!

Filipino Librarian for January 2014: Elvira Lapuz (2 of 2)

Here is part 2 of Ms. Elvira Lapuz's interview. SLIA is privileged to have her voice heard through the blog since hers is one that has been seasoned by time, professional practice and experience. May young librarians who read this post, as well as the previous one about Ms. Lapuz, find inspiration from her library and librarian story.

What is your area of expertise in LIS? 

I have been with the U.P. Library close to 23 years and I have been assigned to a number of sections and units. I was first assigned at the Humanities and Reference Section now two separate units, the Arts and Letters Library and the General Reference and Electronic Resources Section. I had a stint at the Indexing and Bibliography Section. I was the Acquisitions Librarians for more than ten years and was also assigned at the Social Sciences Library for three years. I should say that I could claim expertise in Library Management, Collection Management and Reference and User Services. 

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

More than the degree in LIS and the PRC registration and license, it should be a given that an LIS professional should be someone with keen interest in people. Librarianship despite all these ICT developments is still very much a people oriented profession. It is not one for those who are not in any way able to relate, sympathize and empathize. Short of saying that a Librarian should have the bedside manner of a healthcare professional, mindful of vocal tones, body language and has the ability to communicate and deal with all types of personalities and age groups. 

Today’s LIS professionals should also be one who could easily adapt to fast changing information technologies. Librarianship gives no leeway for those who continue to live in the Dark Ages or under the rock. There is no excuse for not being able to be in the know, be it about the current trending topic or the latest mobile gadget, an LIS professional should be someone who could embrace technology and all its benefits and tricks. 

What rewards have you reaped from being a LIS professional? 

The greatest reward that this profession has me given is the opportunity to fulfill a life-long dream of being able to travel and study outside the country. The trainings, conferences and seminars I have attended made it possible for me to visit institutions of higher learning in countries like Belgium, Austria, New Zealand, Vietnam and Singapore.  And because I was able to participate in these programs I was also able to share new knowledge to students and colleagues as I have also had the opportunities of being a lecturer and speaker in conferences and seminars conducted locally. 

I was able to fulfill academic requirements when I finished my BLS and then my MLS. I passed the licensure examination. I have had opportunities for continuing professional education and development through grants and scholarships both here and abroad. I have served in a number of professional organizations which also enabled me to do outreach and extension services.  At this stage of my career, I could say that I have reaped ALL the possible rewards one could easily think of.  

The profession has been good to me.

Note: Apart from being the head librarian at the Reference Section of UP Diliman's Main Library, she is also a Senior Lecturer at the UP School of Library and Information Studies. She earned her BLS and MLS from the UP SLIS. She is a past President of the Philippine Association of Academic and Research Librarians, Inc. (PAARL) in 2009 and Vice-President of the PLAI-NCR 2011-2012.

Looking for Andoy: A Conference and a TV Show

Kwentuhan Tayo: Storytelling Tips & Strategies

Up slis lecture series program invitation from Zarah Gagatiga

Jose Aruego & Albert Gamos Tributes

Last September, the UP College of Education Reading Department, otherwise known as REGALE, conducted the annual MILES, Manhit Institute of Language Education Seminar series, in honor of Jose Aruego and Albert Gamos, two dearly departed Filipino illustrators for children. The tribute is in part of the Weavers of Magic forum of MILES.

 PBBYers, Karina Bolasco, Ani Almario and yours truly gave tribute to Albert Gamos and Jose Aruego respectively. Dr. Lina Diaz de Rivera spoke well of Jose Aruego too, given that she personally knows him and has studied and taught about his works.

Russell Molina, Jomike Tejido and Robert Magnuson gave a talk on their craft and body works to the delight of participants and smitten fans.

Aruego and Gamos, both known for their unique and exceptional skills as well as wholesome personalities, paved the way for Filipino children's illustrators. There are many talented ones to continue on what they've started out. Here's hoping that they remain humble and sincere as their illustrious lolos.

Love a Librarian: Staying On! Staying Strong!

I have met many Filipino Librarians who became librarians by chance. Ann Grace Bansig is one of them. In this post, she reflects on the many rewards she had been given by being a school librarian.

Grace has been to Belguim to complete a scholarship grant for young LIS professionals. She is now working as the Upper Grades Readers’ Services Librarian in De La Salle Santiago Zobel School. Currently taking Master’s in Reading Education and a volunteer for the ATD Fourth World Philippines. She just started blogging at ispyalibrarian@blogspot.com.  

Becoming a librarian never entered my mind when I started my college education. While filling up the UPCAT application form, I chose the following courses: Chemical Engineering and Journalism, very far from librarianship! I forgot the courses I chose for another campus though. Luckily, I passed and even got in at the College of Engineering! Two years after, I don’t want to stay at the college anymore but I didn't know where to go?

I only submitted applications to two other colleges, or rather school as I tried to shift direction in my future career path.  One was the School of Social Work and Community Development and second, the School of Library and Information Studies (SLIS), then Institute of Library and Information Science (ILIS).  That was the time that I discovered the course. So, to make it short, I made it at the SLIS and right now, I work as a school librarian. Phew! What a way to discover my career. I’d say I am an accidental librarian, but I don’t regret it. During those times, many engineering students are shifting out from Engineering and trying their luck in ILIS. So, thanks to ILIS for accepting me as a shiftee student and for giving me the chance of becoming one of the librarians today. While I was a LIS student, I discovered simultaneously what a paradise the library is and what a joy reading is! Well, that happened maybe because I was deprived of books in public schools that I have attended before. Still, it was never too late to catch up on reading. One can say that I read a lot because of my profession. But the thing is, even if I’m not in this profession I will still read for leisure.

Why I love the profession and still practicing it until now? For one, I really enjoy being a librarian. I like helping children in the library, assisting them if they need a particular book, suggesting books and acquiring books suited for their level. Doing storytelling sometimes is also one of the jobs that I like to do. It is always a joy to interact with kids and discuss some books. I even moderate a book club. In the library, whenever the kids learn that I also read the book that they borrow, they really got amazed! So I can say now that my relationship with books gets deeper and wider the more that I stay in this profession. And I know that I will never get tired of doing my job like selecting books, reading them and sharing them with the patrons. With the emergence of technology, I also take the challenge of encouraging children to read and imparting with them the importance of reading and books. Not only as a profession, but personally I also advocate spreading the love for reading and developing life-long readers. For as long as books exist and there are readers that use the library, I will stay in this profession!

In the future, I would like to blog about books and other interesting stuff about libraries and librarians. I also believe that there are things I can contribute for the betterment of librarianship.

More power to all Filipino Librarians! 

UP FLIPP's LibSpeak 2011: Evolve. Engage. Energize

Live Blogging: LIS Congress 2011

Here's a working outline of my lecture for today's LIS Congress at UP Diliman.

School Libraries Are Cool! School Librarians Rule

A. Storytelling – The Library Mouse

- What was Sam’s great discovery in the library?
- Where did this lead him to?

B. The Process of Creation

- Reading / Writing / Speaking / Listening

These four translate into one word – literacy. Sam, the library mouse discovered literacy in the library. He may be shy in the speaking department, but he was able to influence others the way the library and the librarian inspired him to become an author.

Authorship – may refer to writing a book or an article, but in a bigger sense, it means involvement in the process of creation (not limited to creating a book)

The process of creation is a very HUMAN act. For the process of creation to happen, it has three fundamental things –experience, imagination and literacy.

The library is one of the many venues where children grow in life experiences and take flight in imagination.

The library is one vehicle for children to develop reading, writing, speaking and listening skills thereby, helping them exercise their right to LITERACY.

How are these things translated to library services?

a. Library programs and activities
b. Library collection
c. Collaboration with teachers
d. Communication with administrators and stake holders
e. Linkages with the community – parents, alumni, local, national and international

C. School libraries are cool

-Because they are part and parcel of a child’s development into becoming a human being.

Candy Gourlay’s story – I was a Librarian’s Pet

Innovate. Collaborate. Revolutionize!

I'll be speaking in this year's LIS Congress on the topic of School Libraries and Career as School Librarian. The congress is organized by the University of the Philippines Library and Infromation Science Students Association (UPLLISSA). This will be my second speaking engagement with the organization having presented a talk on Storytelling in 2009.

Below is a description and objectives of the 2011 LIS Congress -

The field of Library and Information Science (LIS) is diverse. As with any idea that branches out from its roots, it starts to develop and eventually becomes its own field of specialization. It is necessary that these fields be introduced and represented to aspiring LIS students so that, with common interest, their efforts would lead to the emergence of new ways in dealing with information. The theme "Innovate. Collaborate. Revolutionize." shows how librarianship evolved - innovations bring new fields of specialization, and collaboration among these fields revolutionizes the profession. This 2011, the University of the Philippines Library and Information Science Students' Association (UPLISSA) presents a bigger and better Library and Information Science (LIS) Congress.

Objectives:

To provide a venue for the further academic growth of LIS students.

To foster the scholastic, professional, and socio-cultural development of LIS students, educators, and library professionals.

Provide a venue for LIS students, educators, and professionals to network.

To introduce the profession and its respective fields of specialization to aspiring LIS students.

There are many conferences and lectures conducted by various professional organizations on the subject of librarianship and information science in the country. But sometimes, these lectures can be cost prohibitive for students. The UPLISSA in 2009, as part of its contribution to its beloved field, organized the first ever congress for the Library and Information Sciences for students by students.

The LIS Congress is envisioned to be the premier gathering of students of Library and Information Science in the Philippines. A gathering that would allow students to learn about the latest trends in their field, and to network with fellow students from different schools and some of the country's leading information professionals. LIS Congress is a learning opportunity which is the key towards the development of our profession.

I hope to see you there! Would love to meet readers of this blog in person. Don't be shy! Say hi!

Dear Librarian Reply: Storytelling Program for the Library

For this month's Dear Librarian guest blogger, I have invited Ms. Ann Grace Bansig, School Librarian from the De LaSalle Santiago-Zobel School in Ayala Alabang, Muntinlupa. Ms. Bansig is off to Flanders, Belgium next month for a scholarship grant via the STIMULATE 10 Program. Before she leaves Manila, I asked her to participate in this blog's Dear Librarian series which she so willingly accepted.

She lends advise to Mr. Augie Ebreo's question on the planning and implementation of a Storytelling Corner at the library.

Building a storytelling corner in the library is like putting up a playpen for kids in the house. You have to select a very good spot in the library where kids could comfortably read. You also have to select nice bookshelves and additional furniture like carpet and bean bags to make the atmosphere more relaxed and conducive to reading. You could also put a decoration around it. Of course, after that, you have to select books to be displayed in that area. If your purpose is to read aesthetically (leisurely), you could have storybooks both in English and Filipino in that corner. If you have big books, you could also add those. Given all these, your storytelling corner is almost ready.

Now, how are you going to do the storytelling? Storytelling is mostly done with the Lower Grades pupils specifically Kindergarteners up to Grade 3. But sometimes, it is being conducted with the Kindergartens only. To start, you have to coordinate with the Team Leaders (level coordinators) regarding the sessions and schedules. What you can do is to incorporate it with the Library Instruction Program (LIP) if you have one.

In Zobel, the LIP is very much observed and done in the Lower Grades. We conduct it once in a month per level. Coordination is the key word here and also your willingness to implement it. In the beginning, it will look complicated and a little difficult because you have to put a lot of energy and effort to it but once you started, you have to keep it going. The kids will always ask you when they are going to have it again.

Practice and exposure in storytelling also help in honing the art of doing it. Our practice is done during outreach program with the Social Action Office where a librarian is asked to do a storytelling with the kids usually in Calatagan, Batangas. Another exposure for me personally is during transfer of our Book Mobile Project in public school where I am mostly tasked to do this. Attending seminars in storytelling also adds confidence and knowledge on techniques and strategies. Be sure to arm yourself with the necessary tools, the wit and the energy to tell stories once you decide to start. Good luck and have fun in implementing your wonderful plan!

Ms. Bansig loves to run, read and do volunteer work. She is currently enrolled in the Master's Degree Reading Education at the University of the Philippines Diliman, Quezon City.

Mother Tongue & An Integrated Children's Literature Course

The two hour bus ride from Manila to Tanauan, Batangas with Teacher Portia Padilla of the REGALE, UP Diliman was peppered with conversations, insights and views on topics and issues we both hold dear -- books, reading, children's literature and literacy instruction, off course!

Some bits and pieces:

a. There is talk of legislation on Mother Tongue instruction in the education and political circles these days. As things are, there's the All English Instruction block and the Mother Tongue Instruction block. It's going to be one long process of debates and lobbying but conversion of curricular offerings, scope and sequence and lesson plans in the first language is on going.

b. The Reading Department at UP Diliman has taken an integrated approach to teaching Philippine Children's Literature. The undergraduate program will commence next semester. What does this mean? There will be five professors who will teach the course to education majors of the department. These professors are from the different colleges in the university -- Education, College of Arts and Letters, Filipino, Reading, School of Library and Information Science and a practitioner in the discipline who is into children's book publishing.

I'm wondering if I'll be allowed to sit in sessions?

Multilingual Education

The College of Education in UP Diliman is churning out one great lecture after the other.

You're invited to the Francisco Benitez Memorial Lecture of Dr. Jose Lalas on

Teacher Education and Multilingual Standards in the Philippines: What, Why, and How

on March 18, 2010, 4:00 pm at the Benitez Theater of the College of Education,
University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City.

Dr. Lalas is a Professor of Literacy and Director of Teacher Education at the University of Redlands in California, USA.

Registration is free. The venue can comfortably accommodate only 150 persons so a first come, first served policy will be adopted.

BESRA & the Need for Higher Education Reform

Prof. Dina Ocamp sent this invite to a forum via our PBBY Yahoogroup. Since I missed last year's forum on Educational Reform by the UP Diliman, I hope to attend this one to live blog and micro blog as well.

I'm not sure if it's an open invitation. There's a set of contact numbers below though.

The University of the Philippines
Office of the President
Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs
College of Education, College of Law and the
Center for Integrative and Development Studies (UCIDS)

Cordially invite you to a forum on

The Promise of Redemption: BESRA and the Need for Higher Education Reform

Maria Serena I. Diokno
Convenor

Ma. Cynthia Rose B. Bautista
Allan B. I. Bernardo
Dina Ocampo
Panel Members

Arguing that Philippine education should be treated as cohesive passageways to learning, the panel examines the philosophical and practical underpinnings of current reform plans and proposals. The nature and pace of reforms already in place will be analyzed. Despite its rich and progressive content, for example, why has the Basic Education Sector Reform Agenda (BESRA) not moved fast enough? The panel also extends its analysis to higher education and proposes guidelines for reform in the tertiary sector.

Tuesday, March 9, 2010, 2:00 – 5:00 pm
NISMED Auditorium, UP Diliman Campus

Beamed live to UP Baguio, UP Los Baños, UP Manila, UP Mindanao, UPOU, UP Visayas at Iloilo, Cebu and Tacloban

For inquiries please call 4359283 or fax 9293540