Book Donation at SM Aura Book Nook

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It's a Good Day for Book Donations

We are welcoming the 2nd Quarter with books donated by a friend of the BA Library, Prof Heidi Eusebio-Abad. She donated books written by Ceres Alabado, the Mother of Philippine Children’s Literature.

@titazeeh7

We’re always happy to recieve book donations!

♬ Good Day - BTS

Review: Book Donation Campaign

Kristle Mae Cavero, a senior from the College of Saint Benilde asked me to look at her media project. It is a multimedia production on book donations and a campaign for support. The production can be viewed through in the Bookmarked.ph website and their growing community of book lovers and donors of books has a Facebook Page.

This is the link, https://web.facebook.com/bookmarkedphofficial/ so check it out.

It is a well thought out media production and the website is neatly designed. Trust Wordpress to help any blogger and web developer to achieve the sleek, smooth and professional look. Hands down, the technology works as medium of communication.

As for the content, I gave Ms. Cavero these comments.

It lacked information on specific reading demographics. While there was an attempt to relay the message of book matching and context based book donation, this was done in sweeping strokes. The Philippine literacy landscape is varied, multilingual and regional. A reading center or school in an urban community has different needs compared to centers and libraries in rural and indigenous communities. The community's needs to be addressed when donating books. 

A book is a technology. For many, formal instruction on its use and purpose is necessary to appreciate reading books. The same can be said in learning to read. Reading development begins in the access of books, but to sustain its continued growth and development formal teaching and pedagogy can contribute to the success of reading skills acquisition as well as lifelong learning.

Book lovers donate books because they have discovered the benefits and many advantages of reading and learning from the experience of opening the pages of a printed book. But, there are communities where, book and reading culture are not of their experience. Bring them books, but teach them first, how to read and how to understand the book as a technology.

Book Donations and Library Outreach Activity

Back in November 2016, I received an email from Mariecar Fernando of the Ayala Foundation (AFI). In charge of the education and teacher training arm of AFI, Ms. Fernando asked for books that we could possibly donate to their #MagingMagiting campaign. Looking at the old and grown out books donated by our students, teachers and parents that our library has gathered for donation to libraries who need it, I thought of giving them all to AFI's campaign.

One of the letters by a CENTEX grade 5 student

AFI has an immediate recipient of the books. One of their projects is the CENTEX schools where the books will stay. They have the staff and the manpower to deliver the books to the CENTEX public schools. They also have training programs and operational structures to make sure that the books will end up in the libraries of the CENTEX schools. So, AFI sent their people to get the books from us last January 2017.

A week ago, I received an envelope full of letters from grade 5 students of CENTEX Batangas. Each letter contains words of appreciation, gratitude and prayers of goodwill for me and for the school I work at. I do not know who these children are, but their letters speak of the wonder and the magic that our book donations brought them. In a school community where books and reading resources are scarce, this act of generosity goes a long way.

This inspired me to formally launch the library's classroom library project for a public elementary school and put together a catalog of recommended reads during our school assembly.

The catalog will contain book reviews by our Griffins.

Last 2016, during the Beacon academy Fair, we had a book fair that earned us 30 titles of books to start a classroom library for a K-3 class in a public school. This year, we earned enough money from the school fair to buy 30 more books. But donating a classroom library does not begin and end with a box or a bin of books to a class. It entails knowing the readers who will read the books, the teachers who use the books for instruction and the issue of sustainability needs to be addressed as well.

There is much work to be done.

UP College of Fine Arts Conducts Outreach and Book Donations

FA Library doing outreach program

Today at 2PM, the UP College of Fine Arts Library is set to do an art and storytelling workshop with Ruben 'Totet" de Jesus and Rey Bufi as workshop facilitators. Organized by Roselily A. Medrano, FA Librarian, she chose the students of San Vicente Elementary School as participants who will be interacting with Mr. de Jesus, an award wining illustrator and with dynamic storyteller, Kuya Rey Bufi. This is in the college library's outreach activity in line with the celebration of Arts Month.

Ms. Medrano has headed and organized book drives and book donations that benefited public schools and institutions in Cagayan Valley and recently, in Najuan, Mindoro. It was in 2011 that they started reaching out to schools and children. Their donations have reached daycare centers in Lasam Central School and Lasam Academy in Cagayan. Book donations came from CFA Faculty and staff, alumni, students and friends of Mr. de Jesus.

Roselily Medrano donating books at Lasam Academy, Cagayan

In line with this, she has coordinated with Anvil Publishing house and the UP Diliman Main Library for the forum on Philippine Children's Literature in the 21st Century on February 23, 2016 at the UP Main Library Lobby. The forum begins at 2PM. The objectives of the forum are:

 · To deepen our understanding on the importance of children's literature in the development of their reading skills; 

· To foster children's appreciation on the different literary genres;  

· To acquaint students on the current trends and development of children's literature in the Philippines.

Panelists are:

ANI ALMARIO – is a Board Member of the Philippine Board on Books for Young People (PBBY) and former President of the Reading Association of the Philippines. Ani is on the Management Team of Adarna Publishing House Inc. and she also the Directress of the Raya School.

ZARAH GAGATIGA - is a Children’s book author and Chief Librarian of Beacon Academy in Laguna and former President of the Philippine Board on Books for Young People (PBBY).

RAYVI SUNICO-is a children’s book author and publisher and Board member of the Philippine Board of Books for Young People.

RUBEN DE JESUS -is an award winning children’s book illustrator, founding member of Ang Ilustrador ng Kabataan (INK) and Board member of the Philippine Board on Books for Young People (PBBY). He is also a faculty member of the College of Fine Arts, University of the Philipiines Diliman.

PORTIA PADILLA - is a member of the Reading Association of the Philippines and a faculty member of the UP College of Education, University of the Philippines Diliman.

For details visit: https://www.facebook.com/events/1033448366697599/ 

The Binan Public Library and Museum

The stained glass reminds me of my lola's house.

I made the visit to the public library of Binan, Laguna last week. Thanks to Dr. Merlene Alon who accommodated me that afternoon. Dr. Alon is a proud Binanense who volunteered to help develop the library and the museum. The public library is housed in the old municipal hall which is flanked by the public market on the left and the church on the right. There is an azotea overlooking the town plaza and the skeleton of the old Alberto House. That afternoon of my visit, I was given an application form for a library card!

The library has a spacious reading room; a viewing room; an Internet station; and a working area for its staff and volunteers. That afternoon, the reading area was empty but there were teenagers who were using the computers for research and, yes, Facebook.

This poster about Rogelio Limaco is found in a room dedicated for Binan's World War II hero.

There is also a museum on the second floor. It was impressive since it has a gallery of photographs that show Binan's industry and trade since the time of the Spanish conquest. There is a room dedicated for Roger Limaco, one of Binan's local hero as well as past mayors and the memorabilia that are marked by each's term of office. I learned from Dr. Alon that more and more, family members of past mayors have contacted her to donate more memorabilia from their collection. This is good news indeed and the local government unit better take good care of these archival and historical objects, documents and donations.

As a librarian, visiting this library is already a treat. As a member of the community, I feel I need to do more. So, the extra books we have identified for donation in our school library will be having a new home in this public library inside a heritage house. More photos on my next post!

February 14 is International Book Giving Day

Tarie Sabido, PBBY rep for book reviewers, spreads the book love to bloggers and readers all!

International Book Giving Day. There's an official website where you can check the details. To sum up, the event can be celebrated simply, but with sincerity it can be pretty special.

International Book Giving Day’s focus is on encouraging people worldwide to engage in simple acts of giving. We will invite individuals to: 1) give a book to a friend or family member, 2) leave a book in a waiting room for children to read, or 3) donate a book to a local hospital, shelter or library or to an organization that distributes used books to children internationally.

 I'll be doing all three! What about you?

Update on My Book Donation Project

At the start of August, I began a campaign for a book donation project. I posted this in Facebook for local donations and registered in JustGiving for friends abroad. So far, I got book donation pledges from Gwenn Galvez of Anvil Publishing and Blooey Singson, book blogger superstar and true blue Potterite.

The books will go to Sambat Trust's current library project, the Pantay Bata Elementary School. I've been helping the UK based charity as library consultant. Though books come from generous donors abroad, the library must be stocked with enough books to meet the 1:10 ratio set by the DepEd School Library guidelines. Visit my JustGiving page and Sambat Trust's blog to see the development of the school library project there.

It's the end of August and I am still keeping it open. There are so many children out there who need books. Pitch in and help a bit! It will go along way!

Book Donation Project

I have registered in JustGiving for my Books for My Birthday project. Click the badge below to see what JustGiving is all about.



This fundraising is for the school library project of Sambat Trust. The UK based charity's current project is the development of the Pantay Bata Elementary School library. As of writing, the library needs more books! So I'm pitching in a book donation effort.

There are two ways to help. One, you can donate old books and we can meet for pick up. I can also send a drop box address for this purpose. Two, go to my page in JustGiving and donate a few bucks. Your donation will go along way!

Books for My Birthday

August is my birthday month. I'll be turning 37 on the 15th. To celebrate, I've decided to come up with a book donation project that will benefit Sambat Trust.

Sambat Trust is a charity based in the UK but establishes school libraries in Tanauan, Batangas. It also runs a scholarship program for grade school, high school and college students of the locality. It started in 2007 and so far, it has set up five libraries in the area.

Visit the website of Sambat Trust. I'll be posting procedures on how books can be donated beginning today until the end of the month.

The Gift of Literacy is a Gift of Love

I have written about Sambat Trust in a previous post. It now has a spankingly new website by David Millward.

The charity is on it's way to building its next school library. People around the globe are making a donation. Giving is a gift of love. Give love to literacy development. Check Sambat Trust's website for donation procedures.