Dear SLIA: LIS, Getting Lost and Bibliotherapy

A few years ago, I received this question from a young LIS professional, "I really want to pursue Children’s/YA lit and Bibliotherapy and the like. So given a career wise choice, is it okay to move to MA psych?"

The question was coursed through Messenger, so I replied back, "What is holding you back?"

The reply was immediate. "Actually wala naman po. I just feel lost right now since I didn’t make it for MA Comp Lit."

This was my reply.

We all get lost sometime, somewhere. It’s a scary place to be. But, not knowing where to go may be an opportunity to pause and examine the path you have taken, so far; to retrace the steps that led you to where you are right now, before moving forward. 

I have read Neil Gaiman’s The Ocean at the End of the Road and it is all about loss and being lost. What the main character did was to go back to his roots. To that place where he first realized his sense of being, his own self. The journey was both difficult and delightful. But for the main character, it was a way of relinquishing the self he lost. It’s alright to feel lost. Maybe I can say this because I have lost, been lost and felt at a loss. It’s a vulnerable place to be, but it’s where real courage and faith surface. Now, I welcome being lost as I may discover a new part of myself I did not know exists.  

If you have a strong LIS background, Psychology will help you better understand your readers and your learners from all walks of life and of all ages. It’s a good theoretical anchor for the practice of bibliotherapy. 

Find your core. What makes you happy? What pushes you to do good? What is that one thing that has given you the greatest challenge and yet, you feel determined to continue?  

Good luck! I will pray for you!

I share this in full confidence and permission was given by that young LIS professional who I believe is in a happier state of being.

Dear Ms. Z: Please Help Me Plan for a Talk on Storytelling

To continue from last Monday’s post, January 14, 2019, here are my tips and advise for Ms. Sheila Joy Bañares on planning for a talk on storytelling.

An outline may look like this;

1. Objective of my session

2. Professional Sharing: My Storytelling Experiences in the Library

a. Why do I conduct storytelling session for kids

b. What books and stories do I read aloud and share

c. How do I tell stories and read books aloud ( do a demonstration)

3. Storytelling pa more!

Here, you can show some of my videos when telling stories

Feel free to use my videos, but do cite and attribute as required. I don’t mind sharing information and skills, but courtesy matters a lot to me.

Read Aloud Sampler - one of my favorite stories to read aloud is George Shannon’s Lizard’s Rock. This wonderful story book talks about the songs we sing and the places we call home. Palyfully illustrated and colored by Jose Aruego and Arianne Dewey. 

Joseph and His Overcoat is storytelling with the use of paper tearing. I love telling this story because it speaks of creativity as a crucial set skill needed for survival. Also, the use of paper when telling this story in the oral tradition is a simple but effective way of driving the point home.

To all librarians out there telling stories, go and multiply! Stories keep us alive!

Dear Ms. Z: Please Help Me Plan for a Talk on Storytelling (1 of 2)

Last week, I received a direct message from Ms. Sheila Joy Bañares via Instagram. Sheila is a librarian from Isabela. 

This is her query:

Ma’am Z, librarian po ako sa school namin. And they (College of Education) are inviting me to give some tips po pano mag story telling. Education students po ang tuturuan ko po. Pano gawin? Thanks po.

I further asked her for details. When is the schedule of the workshop and if she is the school librarian of their institution. She said that she got the invitation a day before the workshop. She does storytelling for the elementary grades but conducting a workshop makes her nervous. The least she can do, according to the inviting party, is to share her experiences when reading aloud and telling stories to children. 

Still a tall order. Preparing for a talk or a workshop takes time, even for seasoned facilittaors. Then again, this is an opportunity for the librarian to step up her game and show how she can be an asset to the learning community.

So, I this was my reply:

What are you confident in sharing to your colleauges as far as storytelling and reading aloud is concerned? It’s good that you are nervous and excited. This means, you know you can do it!

Maybe setting one objective of your session will help you. Know your purpose. Bakit ka ba magsheshare ng storytelling experiences mo?

Your audience are college students. You were once a college student. But now, you have experience. So, share your storytelling experience. After knowing your objective and your experiences to share, draft an outline.

This is a two-part post, so come by the blog again this week for the tips I sent Sheila in planning for a talk on storytelling.

Dear School Librarian in Action: Research and Pressing Issues in LIS

I received an email from Mr. Vin del Rosario who is a School Librarian and pursuing his masters in Library and Information Science in The University of Sto. Tomas.


Hi Ms. Zarah,

I have a terminal paper to work on as a requirement for MLIS. You came to my mind. If I may, I wish to know what you think are the pressing issues, current concerns, and/or info gaps in our profession.

I chose to ask you because I look up to you. Salamat po sa oras.

I will post my response and exchanges between emails in the next few days.