Book Review: What You Are Looking For Is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama

What You Are Looking For Is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama, Hanover Square Press 2020

Just like Ms. Komachi, every time I ask my readers coming into the library, “What are you looking for? What do you need?” I know the question is never just about books. It reaches beyond the information each book holds. It is a deeper, expansive question that can touch the reader in ways that ripple across their lives.

In this sense, the library becomes more than a place of borrowing; it transforms into an essential institution of the community, a space where people can find themselves or uncover new facets of who they are becoming.

If I were teaching in a Library and Information Science program, I would certainly make this book a required text. It beautifully illuminates the intersections of human interaction, meaning-making, and self-discovery that take place in the library; reminding us that the librarian’s work is not only about access, but about connection.

Rating: 5/5

A Day at Net 25 with Love and Everythaaang!

Will make more kuwento in the coming days. 

@djahjumma

Nood tayo! Will be on Love and Everythaaan! https://fb.watch/ko82sUTFRB/

♬ original sound - TitaZee

Trese, the Spin Offs that Spawned from the Creative Bellies of Fans and the Lack of Libraries

At the beginning of 2021, my copy of Trese Bloodlines arrived in the mail. My kids and I, hubby included, were glad to read another spin off of the Trese series (Tan and Baldisimo, 2005). Yes, we are fans and we enjoyed how its creators have engaged readers and the fandom for years. 

This engagement is something I admire among the Filipino comic creators and the creative community that populate every Komikon and Komiket events and the book fairs big and small.If your aim is longevity, then, relate with your audience. Listen to their stories as you share yours. The creative process will continue and a legacy is established. So, I was not surprised to hear the news of an animated version a few years back. It's about time. On June 11, 2021 Trese, the animated series will drop on Netflix.

 

Tingnan ang post na ito sa Instagram

Isang post na ibinahagi ni Zarah Gagatiga (@zarah815)

I can only imagine the spike on sales for copies of the original source when the animated series starts streaming. 

Around March 2021, copies of Trese Bloodlines were all sold out. Filipino fans based abroad were complaining that their local public libraries have yet to buy a copy. In one of the groups on Facebook where Trese fans convene, a thread about the dearth of libraries in the Philippines came up. How Trese and its printed spin offs would benefit readers from all ages if there are public libraries to access copies in print and or digital format. Of course, our library system was compared once more from the Western  model of library operations.

I could not help but reply in the thread.

I am a school librarian and though I do not work in the public library system in the Philippines, please allow me to share what I know based on experience and professional practice. Our library system is actually based on the US model. 

However, the US has the money to support the public library system especially in acquiring books and resources that interests the public. The US also has a more developed perspective and theoretical framework on collection and content development especially on the variety of literature to curate, gather, document and circulate. Advocating for books, reading and libraries is another reason why the US has a strong library system. For a library system to grow strong, the community must look at it as an institution of human rights, empowerment and social justice. Libraries are venues for civic action. Lastly, the US book industry is very much connected to the the library system. The yearly book awards in the US like the Newbery and Caldecott are organized not by writers or critics but by librarians. When winners are announced, publishers are ready the following day for copies to be bought by libraries. Book dealers have bundles to offer libraries. 

Not many librarians in the PH will circulate the international edition of Trese, but I will because we have readers in our school community who read graphic novels; our faculty use graphic novels for teaching and instruction; and we have a book club/literary club who reads and creates graphic novels. What I can contribute to the matter at hand is to recommend the acquisition of Trese to librarians and associations of libraries. What others can do to support readership of Trese is to ask their public library to buy copies and circulate it to readers.

Lastly, there is a republic act/law requiring LGUs to construct, develop, manage and grow public libraries. The National Library of the Philippines has a Public Library Division that supervises 1,500 libraries in the country. Why aren't they all functioning like the public libraries in the US, some may ask. I think I have lent answers to this question. The system can be set up but it requires people and political will to grow and to make it move.

Here's hoping that, despite limitations for the growth, advocacy and support for libraries in the Philippines, communities can help establish reading centers and book corners. And allow these literacy spaces to have copies of comic books by Filipino comic creators!

Library Bulletin Board: On Reading

LibTalk 2017: Reading as Socio-Cultural Equalizer

And here is another screen capture/recording of my presentation on Reading as Socio-Cultural Equalizer. The app I used for this capture is Screencastify which is downloadable as a Chrome extension. A videocam can be embedded in the screen so the audience can see the speaker when they watch the presentation.

I Love Libraries: The Book Stop

Of course!

So, for today's post (because this is supposedly a Valentine feature) I am featuring The Book Stop. It is a pop-up library where anyone and everyone is welcome to browse, read and engage in a book exchange program. This idea is not new, of course. I have heard about The Little Free Library, and seen one in a corner of the Glorieta Mall in Ayala, Makati, as well as the Book Exchange Project of Papemelroti Roces Ave., branch in Quezon City.

Be still my book loving heart.

Such out of the library box ideas are pleasant news. Access to books and reading materials are now within the community's reach. It does break the stereotype of the one building library, often looking isolated and intimidating, and puts the library at the hub of people's businesses and traffic.

The Book Stop, though not the first to adapt the book exchange concept, is unique in its own design of a reading space. Instead of bricks and cement for walls, there is none at all. Only shelves of steel (forgive me if I am wrong) and columns that hold up the shelves. The flooring and the seats are made of wood giving it a homey feel. At the Dai des Libro last April 2016, I first saw its novelty. It was such a pleasant surprise to find one in Molito in Alabang last year in December.

If you think that The Book Stop is something you wish to support, click the link I included in this post. Or, visit the Facebook Page of WTA Architecture and Design Studio. Yup. This community reading center is run by an architecture firm and design studio. It only goes to show that art and technology must work for the people who use them. The same idea goes to libraries. Technology is a big factor in managing and running a library. But, a library is also about the arts and humanities, where people matter a lot!

I'm tossing these ideas on how "traditional" libraries and book lovers can further enrich and partake in the reading community through The Book Stop.

a. Volunteer to do storytelling sessions and literacy activities. When I posted my selfie with The Book Stop, I got a PM from another volunteer if I wish to help out and do my bit.

b. Donate books. All sorts and different kinds of books.

c. Write about them on social media: FB, Twitter, Pinterest, blogs

d. Librarians' associations and organizations can try inviting the proponents of The Book Stop to run talks about developing reading centers in communities. We can learn a thing or two from the architects and the designers who set it all up.

e. If you know that The Book Stop is in your community, or near your neighborhood, go visit! Read! Bring your kids, your partner, lover, friend and colleagues!

Today is the last day of February. The month of hearts and the arts draws to a close. But let our love for books, reading, culture and the arts last the whole year through!

In Search of Heroes: What Literature Tells Us About Heroes (and some Villains)

I am invited once again to speak about reading. It is for a library conference in Central Luzon. I choose to talk about books, reading (of course) and the heroes (and some villains) we find there. Here is my prepared introduction. This is still a draft, so, it may change in a week or two from now. 

Before becoming an award winning author, I was, first of all, a lover of words and songs and a reader of books. Thank God, I was blessed with a lola who told me stories and sang me songs from the mother tongue. Sadly, I did not learn Bicol, but my lola’s love for stories and music remained in me to this very day. As a child growing up, my mother, who is also a librarian, read books to me that fed my imagination, encouraged my curiosity and sense of wonder. Now you know why I pursued a career in school librarianship. My writing life came in later when I could no longer hold the desire to write my own stories. I felt I needed to write. So, I did. 

 

As an afterthought, I can say that my lola and my mother are my heroes. I didn’t know it then, but I claim it now. If not for their efforts and their own way of loving, I wouldn’t be what I am today. My lola and my mother are not perfect. But, I know they tried their best to uphold the values that have been my moral compass since the day I was capable of spreading my own wings and became my own person. And they did it through instilling in me a genuine love for books, reading, literature and the arts. 

By doing so, they have introduced me to many heroes present in myths, legends, ballads and folktales. The tortoise in the Tale of The Monkey and the Tortoise is still a favorite of mine. The trickster Pilandok and Anansi the Spider from the African folk lore are fascinating characters I pull out when I do storytelling with children. From Lam-Ang to Mariang Makiling, Hercules to Athena, Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew, the Little Red Hen and that child who shouted that the emperor has no clothes fueled my imagination and inspired me to aspire for what is good and kind in this world that riddles with chaos and confusion most times. 

And so, I am going to talk about modern day heroes we find in books and literature (including movies and animated films) to find out what makes them so. In the process, we will find ourselves in them since they are as imperfect as you and me. Despite themselves, they made choices and decisions that are difficult. They chose to rise above challenges and sought the path that is not easy but the right one to take. 

Here are our heroes: Frodo the Ring Bearer, nephew of Bilbo the Hobbit; My Neighbor Totoro;

Joy and Sadness; Baymax; Ramona Quimby; Matilda; Geronimo Stilton; Phineas and Ferb; Gru and his minions. 

It is my hope that, by knowing them as heroes, we continue to search for the likes of them in

books and in mainstream literature.

Story Corps: The Bookmobile

Here is a short video clip about the impact of books, reading and libraries to the poor and the marginalized.

PPT for Panel: Reading Everywhere: Scanning the Reading Environment

2nd readercon ppt from Zarah Gagatiga

Librarian In the News: On the Digital Divide

And so the Manila Bulletin interview I had last February finally made it to print. Some friends sent a message via text congratulating me on the feature article. Many contacts in Facebook linked and shared the article on their wall.

Thank you very much.

I tried my best to answer all the questions as best as I could but going through the article several times over made me realize I have not answered some topics or issues sufficiently. For example, the question on digitization of books and how, if I were not a librarian, would I use the library. I did answer the question, but there's an implied thought to the question being this: Let’s pretend for a minute that you were involved in the world’s biggest book digitization effort. How do you personally use the library? How do you search for and access information in general? How do you read books?

This is what I would like to add: Book digitization is the trend, but using the library is still essential in this age of digitization because, libraries close in the gap of the digital divide. The digital divide is not on technology alone, but also on how these tools are used to make life better; to arrive at well informed opinions from the use of technology; and to comprehend the technological environment that surround us, deriving meaning and constructs of knowledge from it. For a country that is forever developing, functional libraries are crucial to develop thinking skills and self empowerment.

Google, Wikipedia, social networking sites are all cool stuff. I love technology and yes, I blog. But these tools, fancy and fast, as they seem to be can only be accessed by those who can afford to have an Internet connection at home or the budget to be called technologically advanced. The library has structures and systems that allow for an INFORMATION COMMONS. The library's use of technology to virtually upload this information commons online would mean going the extra mile for library patrons who do not have access to technology at home but can freely do so in the library nearest them.

I hold the same belief on ebooks and in developing an ebook collection. The existing marketing strategy for ebooks is very aggressive. I fear that by being so hot and gung-ho on ebooks and the acquisition of ereaders, the industry leaves behind a great number of people who also have the RIGHT TO READ and deserve ACCESS TO INFORMATION.

Again, I am not against ebooks. I do not own an iPad or a Kindle, but technology has taught me to be resourceful and ingenuous. I have a Kindle app and an Adobe Shockwave in my MacBook. I keep a directory of free ebook providers. I read electronically given the means I could afford to have.

But I am a librarian.

And one of my many roles is to narrow the gap between the haves and the have nots through effective and efficient library services and programs. It is not an easy job, I tell you.

I choose to do it.

And I will die trying.

The Power of the Printed Word

This is my pledge.

I have nothing against e-books and digital formats of information. I love them as much.

But the printed word is a culture that must be preserved. Printed matter, especially books, are products of human ingenuity and has great contributions to humanity's intellectual evolution. It is through books that man affirms himself as a social being, one whose personal experience touches others, thus elevating singularity to the common and on to the universal level. Books are an art form in itself. I respect this tradition. I respect this art.

I pledge to read the printed word.

As a librarian, reading printed materials, keeping a collection of such in the library, managing and sustaining them, providing accessibility for its use, educating and training kids and teens in reading the printed format is one of my many roles.

What about you? In this age of digital conflagration, what do you pledge to do?

Libraries and Transliteracy

Loving Books and Libraries in the Time of ICT

January is done.

Hello February! It's the love month and this blog will be featuring that one word - love. And books and libraries.

And the people who love both.

So let me start with Book Drum. There's a book tournament going on there and the people behind it pay some good cash. But really, blogging and creating a profile of your favorite book and sharing it with others is the cake. The reward is the icing.

I've joined already and my book of choice is The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Borrows.

Neil Gaiman: Libraries Are the Future

November is here.

I am inundated with workshops and talks on storytelling, bibliotherapy, books, reading, why libraries and the printed word are still important in this day and age, and blogging. Not that I'm complaining, but it's another busy month.

So, for the first post of November, being Library and Information Services month, here's a link on Neil Gaiman's acceptance speech on winning the 2010 CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway award. His book, The Graveyard Book, was conferred winner as well.

He drums up the importance of libraries in his speech. In the end, he shares his sentiments at the closure of many libraries worldwide due to budget cuts.

GLEE for the Library!

The Glee cast participate in the Members Project - American Express's corporate social responsibility initiative. The banking corporation did lots of campaign ads with the Glee cast from water conservation to recycling. This on is my favorite as they help out clear the library of books for donation.

Artie and Tina mention their favorite books! And Sue Sylvester, coming around with her trademark sarcasm. Did she just call the Glee kids "READiots"?

When One Library Is In Trouble

Here's a searing advocacy that US librarians have set up for libraries in their country.

Save Libraries is a grassroots effort to compile information about libraries in need of our support. Save Libraries will aggregate information about current advocacy efforts, archive advocacy efforts, and provide links to resources for libraries facing cuts.

This project is being run by Lori Reed and Heather Braum. We can’t do this alone and are looking for additional help creating and maintaining the content on this site.

Please email us at savelibs (at) gmail (dot) com for questions, comments, or concerns.

Please tag your Web content with savelibraries to make it easier for us to find and collect it.

Laudable efforts go to Lori Reed and Heather Braum on going online to promote the advocacy and to gather enough awareness that would eventually pave the road for this initiative to reach US Congress.

Patron Saint of Libraries & Librarians

St. Jerome, pray for us!

Creative Expression Through Storytelling

Rebecca Pierce of the Childen's Media Center, IS Manila sent me a link of photos from the the wonderful workshop I had with the grade one students there. It was my first time to handle a workshop on storytelling for kids as young as grade one. It's definitely a workshop to remember!

Go tho the CMC blog and see the fun we had last Friday, February 5, 2010.View the photos here.

Book Review: Library Mouse

What is it with men and mice that stories about them and their uncanny relationship litter in our literature? Flowers for Algernon. Of Mice and Men. Ben. A Mouse Called Wolf. The Tale of Desperaux. Ratatouille. These are but a few books and movies that fill our fancy for these seemingly benevolent creatures. Perhaps the fondness lies at the smallness and tenacity of these gnawing mammals. Considered pests, mice and rats posses enough smarts and a good level of adversary quotient to survive this cruel world. And they seem to prosper and thrive amidst the harshness of the ages. 

  In Daniel Kirk’s delightful picture book, Sam, the library’s resident mouse read everything and anything he laid his hands on. His reading choices were varied and diverse. Thanks to the many books in the library! He had a wide array of choices of books to read from facts to fiction. This led him to an attempt at writing his own book. Gathering pieces of paper from the librarian’s desk and forgotten pencils that rolled from underneath the shelves, Sam went to work on his first book, Squeak! A Mouse’s Life. It was hard work. But it all paid off in the end because children in the library were able to read his books. 

Thanks to the librarian who shared his books to the kids during story time! Since the kids enjoyed his books so much, the librarian invited him for an Author Visit. Sam had other ideas though. And it was an excellent one! 

 You have to read the book to know what it is. Kirk's Library Mouse scores a perfect ten in my record book. It's simply wonderful! It's empowering! It celebrates the power of the written word and the essential role that libraries and librarians play in literacy development. I further suggest you get a copy and READ it aloud to every child you know. Sam, the Library Mouse, endears to children. Cheers to the triumph of the little one!

Lifting Book Duties

In a previous post about the The Great Book Blockade of 2009, I mentioned the silence that pervaded Filipino librarians on this side of the issue. While it is good to note that Filipino blograrians were up in arms to blog about TGBB 2009 in their individual capacity, there was no collective voice from professional associations or teachers of LIS to rally or petition the lifting of book duties. Unless, of course, I have not been looking at the right places. I can be wrong.

iRead2 put a fullstop on my musings through this post --

Now even if the duties were scrapped the common man would not be able still to get or even buy a book. There is still a need to develop other avenues by which everyone can avail of the book and one of this is develop our public library system. Promote and develop them.

Not everyone can afford to buy a book. Not everyone has a credit line to buy a book. This is where or this where a library, public or otherwise can fill the gap.

I'd like to think that most Filipino librarians are battling their own professional issues and problems that to make a noise on the TGBB is just too much to do for now. I would like to think that somewhere out there, Filipino Librarians are quietly transforming their libraries into places where the public can freely access information from printed and online media.