Live Blogging: The 2nd Library Link Conference Part 2

The three hour session I conducted earlier has come to a close. We're enjoying lunch now and light conversations fleet from one person to the next. The conference is spearheaded by the Filipinas Heritage Library (FHL) focusing on preservation of library resources. Seeing that e-books and e-readers are new formats of library resources, they included these topics for this year's conference. The National Commission for Culture and the Arts supported the FHL. Suzanne G. Yupangco, deputy director of the FHL, was present to oversee and hand over the certificate to invited resource speakers.



Earlier, we had a group discussion on the future of publishing. Majority believe that publishing in the Philippine context is alive and well. Given the needs of young children to learn literacy skills, most of the librarians believe that traditional skills in acquiring reading skills must be taught through books, then technology. One group mentioned the importance of establishing connections with book vendors and publishers. Librarians are conduits and mediators of information and knowledge so awareness on current issues, like the topic on discussion, is necessary. While e-books and e-readers are gaining popularity, the challenge on costing, updating of technology and readership of these formats are issues that participants identified. It's good to note that there were a good number of male librarians in the conference. The gender divide is starting to fall now. A good sign.

I was expecting for questions from the participants at the end of the three hour session. There was none. I got affirmations from the participants afterwards -- from my wardrobe and make up, to the structure and style of my presentation. It's a good session. The food is great and the venue is perfect for a small delegate such s this. The best part is, I was given a perk! I got free pass to the Ayala Museum!

Initial Thoughts on Mockingjay

The Hunger Games enthralled me back to reading Young Adult literature. After my disappointment on the Twilight Saga, I lost appetite reading YA novels until I discovered Suzanne Collins' riveting book. Of course, when Catching Fire was released in October 2009, I scraped whatever was left of my personal budget just to get a copy.

Yes, both are satisfying and exciting reads. It offered me perspectives to the complexities of human nature. Needless to say, HG and CF characters showcased the best and the worst a person could become in grave and dire circumstances.

In the third book, Mockingjay, Collins continues to unnerve and disarm her reader. She is ruthless and unafraid. I cried out for the characters who died and suffered in the war. Like Katniss, I felt confused and used by those who hold and abuse power. Yet, in the end Collins offers her readers hope through the boy with the bread.

I would have not survived reading Mockingjay if not for Peeta Mellark. I'm writing his name in my long list of well loved characters. My formal and proper review of the book will follow as soon as I'm done with another round of reading. And yes, for the second round, I would know what will hit me in every turn of the page.

Job Opennig: Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism

From Ms. Karol Ilagan of the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) --

The PCIJ, a nonprofit media agency that specializes in investigative
reporting, is looking for a librarian who can manage and maintain its
resource center. Applicants must have a degree in library science,
relevant experience and an interest in current affairs. The position
has a particular emphasis on database management as well.

Interested applicants may send their resumes to kmilagan@pcij.org. Or, call
410-4769 for more information.

After the Storm: Stories on Ondoy

Last year, I wrote an essay on my Ondoy experience. I sent this to Elbert Or who was then putting together a collection of essays on the disaster. Almost a year after, he sends an email bearing good news!

The book, with the final title of After the Storm: Stories on Ondoy has been printed by Anvil Publishing, and should be in stores by...next week! There will also be a soft launch during the Manila International Book Fair.

Proceeds, as mentioned before, will all go to charity, with a focus on community rebuilding and livelihood programs to help those who are, up to now, still recovering from last year's typhoons.

The soft launch in the Manila International Book Fair sounds delightful. I just hope it won't coincide with the storytelling gig I scheduled for librarians of Lucena, Quezon.

I implore you to buy the book. It's for a good cause. Besides, it's my first book out as contributor.

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?

Railway Tales: Storytelling In the MRT

SLIA's Reply to Public School Librarian In Koronadal City

Madame Fe Angela Verzosa gave a verbose but inspiring message to our letter sender, Arvin Tejada of Koronadal City. Allow me to say my piece as another Dear Librarian series draws to a close. I'm a believer of sweet and short things, so here goes --

Dear Arvin,

Thanks for reading my blog. I'm motivated to continue blogging every time I get feedback like yours. It's amazing how this medium can bridge distances and fill gaps. On top of this, blogs and the act of blogging has allowed us to inspire each other.

And that's my reply to you -- keep inspiring people and keep your self inspired. I have seen many young librarians lose steam on the job. I myself experienced burn out sometime ago. It's a natural cycle, I suppose. But when you know your passion it becomes your mission. In the end you will realize that life has rewarded you because you followed your heart desire.

Good luck to you and to the endeavors you've planned with your colleagues. As you said in Facebook, it's for the love of the hub!

Best,

Ms. Zarah

Working Outline for Lib Hub Workshop

In between writing and consultancy work, I'm squeezing the workshop module for the Lib Hub workshop in my schedule. The Lib Hub is one project of the DepEd where I have always wished to be a part of. At least, in my own little way. Thanks to Adarna House for giving me the opportunity.

Klasrum Adarna
Library Hub Seminar-Workshop
Working Outline

9:00 – 9:15 – Introduction/Perking Up
9:15 – 10:00 - What is a library?
- literal and dictionary definition
- a. A library is a culture
- b. A library is a community
- c. A library is a learning and information center
- d. A library is composed of systems and processes
- e. A library is a discipline
The Role of the School Library
☺ DepEd School Library Guidelines Or. No. 6
☺ Board for Librarians School Library Standards
☺ IFLA-UNESCO School Library Guidelines

10:00-10:15 – BREAK

10:15 – 12:00 – Models of School Library Development (Singh, 2003)
The School Librarian as Library Hub Coordinator
School Library Management 101
SWOT Analysis

12:00 – 1:00 - LUNCH

1:00 – 3:30 Presentation of SWOT Analysis
SWOT Action Plan

Prevailing Challenges:
☺ Leadership (Totanes, 2005)
☺ Budgeting and Financial Support
☺ Library User Education

3:30 – 4:00 Open Forum

Lib Hub Workshop by Klasrum Adarna

I have prayed for this. God indeed answers prayers.

Title: Klasrum Adarna: Library Improvement Workshop for Library Hubs in NCR
Date and Time: September 4, 2010 - Saturday - 9am-4pm
Venue: DepEd Main Office in QC
Maximum no. of participants: 60 pax
Target profile: 16 Lib Hub Coordinators and the rest will be teacher librarians from public schools who borrow from these hubs

Objectives:

1. To prepare Lib Hub Coordinators for the 3-month long Most Improved Library Hub Campaign which will run from September to November of this year. The competition will be funded by Adarna House and the top three library hubs with the most number of borrowers during the competition period will be awarded on Dec 6, 2010. The prizes are a computer package, an audio visual system, and a document projector.

2. To be one of 2 workshops that will give lib hub coordinators and teacher librarians of public schools tips on how they can improve their hubs. There will be a storytelling workshop by Jay Menes for the same group on Sept 11.

3. To help address Library Hub issues through the help of Pasig's Lib Hub Coordinator, Ms. Digna Aquino. She will be allowed to give a 1 hour talk during the workshop.

The major issues that discourage teachers from borrowing books from the Library Hub are:

1. Difficulty in transporting books from the Hub to the schools. Each title comes in a crate. They will have to own or rent a big vehicle to be able to borrow more titles.

2. Lack financial support for transporting books and creating library activities to encourage kids to read.

3. Penalties for lost and damaged books.

Filipino Librarian: Romy Sebastian

Romy Sebastian of the Miriam College library looks like your typical librarian: soft spoken, unassuming and low profile. But hold the stereotype. The man is a genius.



I met Romy a few years back when LIBRO was in its fledgling stage. Now, it's undergone several revisions with a web scripting program to boot. It carries all the library functions from acquisition to cataloging; indexing to inventory; circulation and reader's profile; reports and statistics -- the works! No wonder, commercial IT corporations have been after his heel with proposals to buy his brain child. Romy would simply shush them away, holding on to the belief that he developed the system as an advocacy to help Filipino librarians and their libraries.



He claims he has no programming background. He learned Visual Basic through self studying. Over the years, tracking the feedback given to him by patrons and friends who uses LIBRO, he was able to improve and add functions like archiving and Web 2.0 features. One challenge that faces him in this time of rapid technological advancement is piracy. There have been cases when LIBRO's programming language was acquired with his permission. He dismisses this to fate and continues on undeterred.

I was privileged to view his newest creation, PLATONICXZ, a web based library integrated system. Impressive. Again he shrugged his shoulders and humbly told me that it's not perfect. In this world that's being flattened by technology every bit and byte, the word perfect no longer exist.

Picture! Picture!

Dear Librarian Reply to Public School Librarian In Koronadal City

The venerable Fe Angela Verzosa of the De La Salle University provides response to Arvin Tejada who wrote me about the plight of the DepEd Library Hub in Koronadal City. Madame Verzosa gives an inspiring and encourage reply to Mr. Tejada.

Dear Arvin,

The state of our public school library system is sadly dismal and discouraging. So reading your letter to School Librarian in Action about your plight as a public school librarian brought me back to the reality that stabs at the core of school librarianship in this country.

As librarians, we know that the heart of a school is its library. But do our elected and appointed government policy-makers acknowledge this as a fact? A library in every public school was, is, and will never be high on the political and educational agenda of our country for as long as these policy-makers and even our local school officials are under the misguided direction that focuses only on shortages of classrooms, teachers, and textbooks. Do they realize that there are acute shortages of libraries and professionally-trained librarians too?

It is not enough that we pay lip service to the promotion of the value of reading among the young. The order of the day is to ensure that every primary and secondary school has a library with a trained librarian. That a school library is an absolute “must” (just as important as a classroom with a trained teacher) is crucial to the economic, political and social progress of every nation, and the sooner our government accepts this as a reality, the better for our country if it has to survive, prosper, and compete in the 21st century global information society.

If it’s any consolation to the present challenges and difficulties confronting our school librarians, the ongoing 5-year old Library Hub project of DEPED is now doing well in providing assistance to our public school libraries. Let’s just hope that the project will go beyond its present objective of providing “a transitory warehouse for books waiting to be loaned to public schools on a rotation basis” (borrowing the words of Mindanaolibrarian). There is more to learning than having a room filled with books.

They say that “in the middle of difficulties lie opportunities.” With more Arvin Tejadas among the ranks of our school librarians who are doing “missionary work” as teachers and librarians, we can look forward to greater reading opportunities for our young children.

So Arvin, I take my hat off to you and the many “unsung” hero-librarians who, despite great odds, persevere in their commitment and dedication to make a difference. “READ TO LIVE” (Flaubert)

Fe Angela Verzosa
De La Salle Univeristy

Librarians in Literature: Here Lies the Librarian

Once in a while I stumble upon a book with librarian characters that veer off the stereotype.

Oh, you know what I'm talking about! Most of the time, librarians are portrayed as boring and the job (we do) is far from exciting and essential. The Vilma Santos movie, In My Life, is one example. Santos' turn into a librarian was fueled by miseries that life had dumped upon her. From an exuberant PE teacher, she became the unglamorous librarian who resists change. Through this characterization, the librarian's role as enabler and agent of change dissipates. The librarian's indispensable contribution to literacy development and enlightenment is extinguished.

It must be an artistic bent on Olivia Lamasan’s part to use the job of a librarian as metaphor for Santos’ character’s surrender from the zest of living. It would have been better if Santos’ character discovered healing and a zen like approach to life’s many whippings through the books a librarian reads every so often in the library. Or, the routine and systematic work that librarians do would have offered her (Santos’ character) safety and refuge from the unpredictable dictates of fate. Next to the church, the library is a sanctuary for the lost and the confused. Sadly, Lamasan does not know her Library and Information Science. Her writers should have at least did a bit of research.

History and literature has many exciting librarians to be proud of! Such is the case in Richard Peck's Here Lies the Librarian.

In the young adult novel, Peck presented not one, but five librarians. Four lively, spirited, head strong, young and RICH library science students and one dead public librarian. Such contrast! Peck buries Electra Dietz, public librarian of Hoosier County, for good reasons. She doesn't like children and arranges the books on the shelf according to its sizes. On the other hand, the four library science students of Brent University possess the qualities and characteristics of the ideal librarian.

Irene Ridpath, leader of the pack, is confident, outspoken and fearless. Boy, do we need librarians like her. Grace Stutz, poised and pretty, daughter of an automobile scion is well organized. She loves working with and for children too. Lodelia Fulwider is proud of her academic preparation. She knows how expensive library resources are so she values preservation and conservation. Geraldine Harrison is the group’s technology and innovations expert. Note that these young women carry one or two endearing qualities of a librarian. Peck did not lump them all in one person.

He also knows how costly libraries are so he made the librarians rich not only in the pockets but in their hearts as well. The six hundred dollars annual salary was shared among the four. The job entails a lot of heart and a fullness of spirit. What a positive portrayal of the stereotyped librarian! Idols to emulate, right?

The characters are all works of fiction, products of the imagination. In general, they are reflections and representations of our beliefs and who we want to be. We’re not sure how the young reader will turn out to be when he or she reads the novel. One consolation is that, after closing the book’s they may hold on to hope. That the future may be strange and unfamiliar, but with role models to look up to, real or imagined, facing up to life’s challenges is a part of living it to the fullest.

Collection Development: What's In? What's Out?

I am always pleased to hear news of donors giving books to libraries; of NGO's who support library development; of projects and initiatives by private and government agencies that develop libraries, its collection and its physical space. Once my pleasure simmered down, I think of continuity and sustainability for the new or renovated library. Setting up a room full of books is one thing. Building a learning center is another.

Ordinary folks are so eager to advocate reading. Build a library. Create space for reading. Acquire books. And then, what? One reading campaign I know donated books to a public school in the rural area. Less than a year after, the books were nowhere to be found. The library looked like a bodega! There is nothing wrong with donating books and advocating books and libraries to establish a reading culture. The lack of a trained professional librarian aggravates the situation.

If you build it they will come, so they say. But the library is not your local mall.

There are aspects of library services and operations that, like plants, need pruning and tending. From collection development to readers services; information management to creating and communicating new knowledge a trained professional librarian is necessary for the library to grow.

As much as being a cultural heritage, a library is both a system and a science. Let's take one core program of the library: collection development.

There is a science to library collection development. Since the blog is a school library blog, the focus of collection development is geared to school libraries.

Big school. Small school. Traditional school. Progressive school. Public school. Private school. There exist in every school a library. Whatever the size of the collection is, it is essential to begin with an assessment and an evaluation of the existing collection. To do this, it would require the following: 1) a set of school library standards that identifies the requirements of a robust collection; 2) the school's vision, mission and goals; 3)records pertinent to collection development and; 4) a knowledge of the demographics. It would help if there exist, on record, a set policy and procedures for collection development. If there is none, a written document, in black and white, as they say, must be made.

For school library standards, the DepEd Standards for School Libraries c. 1998 is still a good document to use. The Board for Librarians' standard for school library operations, upgraded from the DepEd Order, is another. And then there's the American Library Association standards and the IFLA-UNESCO School Library Guidelines. I am partial to the later because it was contextualize for school libraries in developing countries. The librarian working on collection development may use any of these instruments.

As for the rest, the school and the library must have these documents ready and on hand. In my next post, I'll be writing procedures to assessing and evaluating a school library's collection.

Librarian Seminars and Workshop (August-September 2010)

I got several invites last month as resource speaker for a series of librarian seminars and workshops.

On 27 August 2010, I will be at the old Nielsen Tower for Filipinas Heritage Library's Library Link Conference to speak of the end of publishing (what?!) and the future of books, reading and libraries. On 4 September 2010, I'll be with NCR teacher librarians for an Adarna House sponsored workshop on the Library Hub project of the DepEd. A day before this event, I might be in Vigan, Ilocos Sur for the annual conference of the Philippine Public Librarians League, Inc. to tackle on the topic of reading in the digital age.

Exciting topics! The burning questions I have right now are these: How can participants' learning or insights be measured? What feedback mechanisms can organizers use to assess and evaluate the effectiveness of the workshop or seminar? My point is such that, while these professional growth activities flourish, some concrete products of learning or change in behavior can be identified. PAARL, for one, is giving away awards for librarians and libraries who can create programs and activities from their workshops. Cool, huh?!

The 31st MIBF

It's book fair season again!

The Manila International Book Fair opens on 15 September 2010. More information on the website. The Filipinas Heritage Library has the list of activities during the five day book fair.

Interview by Rocket Kapre Part 3

Here is the last part of Rocket Kapre's interview where I talk about PBBY, Young Adult and children's literature.

Interview by Rocket Kapre Part 2

Rocket Capre unravels my mind scape and process in storytelling, writing and blogging. In the part 2 of the interview, Tales From the 7,000 Isles: Filipino Folk Stories is mentioned. Dianne de Las Casas, my co-author, friend and a great influence in my storytelling and writing career is featured as well.

Poetry Reading: Racing The Rain

It is already a custom. The winning Salanga Prize is told or read aloud during the celebration of the National Children's Book Day. This year, the winning poems by Raymond Falgui were read out loud and performed.

Jay Menes followed the dictate of tradition reading Green Leaf. He then moved on to beat box as I read Racing The Rain. The short clip can be viewed here.

Special thanks to our dear Diannne de Las Casas for the beat box. It has been initiated!

Interview by Rocket Kapre

Paolo Chikiamco, writer and blogger, is posting a series of my interview via his blog, Rocket Kapre. It's a three-part feature that chronicles my life, so far. I feel so old and institutionalized. Haha! Then again, it's just me.

The first part appears today. Click the links!

A Literacy Packed July

The National Children's Book Day (NCBD) celebration and the awarding of the National Chidlren's Book Awards (NCBA) last month are highlights for the reading and children's literature advocate. "Winners" are still in cloud nine. I can tell from their Facebook statuses. Among the 131 entries, only six were proclaimed as BEST READS. This only goes to show that there is still a big room for growth and development in the book production of the industry we call as Philippine Children's Literature. But I'm smiling a big one since it's a BIG one!

Apart from the NCBA and NCBD, other notable literacy events spiced up the busy month of July.

Candy Gourlay launched her book, Tall Story, at Powerbooks last July 21. Fans, family and friends were all present to celebrate the success of its publication abroad and in the country. I've read the book and it's a joy ride of laughter and tears. Will post a review soon.



Another writer launched a book too last month. Rica Bolipata-Santos, teacher and essayist, unraveled to her avid readers (I'm one of them!) Lost and Found, a new collection of essays, ruminations and reflections on parenting, motherhood and the mundane. Though I did not make it to the launch at the Ateneo De Manila University, she shared excerpts from the book when we met in a training workshop. It's a perfect gift for all my girl friends this Christmas!

In the art scene, Totet de Jesus opened his second one man exhibit at the Filipinas Heritage Library. News is that, nearly all of his art works were already sold! Congrats to Totet, Rica and Candy!



And of course, I conducted a series of workshops on Storytelling at De La Salle Taft, St. Theresa's College Quezon City and Miriam College. August has unfolded and yes, I still have a manuscript to finish. This early, my calendar is filling up but the book with Dianne de Las Casas must be done -- SOON!

Happy Birthday, Harry Potter!

Picture! Picture!

The People Behind the 1st NCBA

L-R Totet de Jesus; Dr. Nina Lim Yuson; Sally Labanda; Atty. Andrea Pasion-Flores (NBDB); Dr. Dennis Gonzales (NBDB); Rayvi Sunico; Dean Dina Ocampo; Zarah Gagatiga; Dr. Luis Gatmaitan.

* Karina Bolasco and Emily Abrera attended the awards ceremony but they had to leave for another appointment. Neni Sta. Romana-Cruz is currently abroad.

The 1st NCBA: Celebrating the Book & The Child Reader

I did not know the winners of the first National Children's Book Award until I signed the certificates ten minutes before the awards ceremony last Saturday, 24 July at The Mandarin Hotel. Bookblogger superstar Tarie Sabido, being one of the judges, blogged about the winners. It was a great event, a celebration of books and the child reader.

I'm still gathering up the photos so it won't be up until the next few days. For the meantime, I share with you my message during the ceremony.

National Artist Virgilio Alamrio; Professor Emeritus Amelia Lapena-Bonifacio; members of the board, NBDB and PBBY; members of the board of judges of the first National Children’s Book Awards;

Aren’t we all excited, if not anxious, to know who the winners of the 1st National Children’s Book Awards are? Please bear with us for a few more minutes as we follow the dictate of tradition. Dennis and I are required to give our staple message. This will be short, but sweet. Promise.

There’s a song used to spice up read aloud sessions with preschoolers. It goes like this –

The author writes the book
The author writes the book
Hi-ho! Library! Oh!
The author writes the book

The illustrator draws
The illustrator draws
Hi-ho! Library! Oh!
The illustrator draws

The publisher puts it together
The publisher puts it together
Hi-ho! Library! Oh!
The publisher puts it together**

Pretty cute, huh? Cuteness aside, the song has a serious message specially tailored for children who are beginning to discover the many wonders of words and the worlds that these words could open. Such is the power of books! Great is the influence and inspiration of those who create and keep them!

Today, we recognize them – authors, illustrators, publishers and the professionals who provide access to one of humanity’s greatest creations, the book. Today, we award the books that they painstakingly labored for. On top of the bookmaking troupe, however, is the child reader who, I believe is the reason for the NCBA’s inception.

The winners of the first National Children's Book Awards will definitely be delighted and honored. We share in your euphoria. As you receive your award today, you have etched your name in the annals of Philippine Children's Literature. No doubt that the award will make a good addition to your resume, a feather on the cap as the old idiom goes. Congratulations!

Then again, let us not forget, that the best award a book can get is the affirmation from its child reader and the enjoyment it gives its intended audience. Enjoy the ceremony! Thanks to all who made the first National Children's Book Day a reality!

** From Judy Freeman's Hi-ho! Library-oh!

NCBD 2010 Post Partum

I'm still high from the celebration of NCBD yetserday. Tarie Sabido did a great cover of the event. Read her blog! Thanks so much, Tarie! And then there's Teacher Jerson who didn't make it but he blogged about setting up NCBD activities in school. Galing! (Great!)


The PBBY Board (L-R Back row)Karina Bolasco; Zarah Gagatiga; Dr. Nina Lim-Yuson; Rayvi Sunico; Roseette Crelencia; Hermie Beltran (L-R Front row) Ani Almario; Dr. Luis Gatmaitan; Sally Labanda; Candy Gourlay (Guest Speaker); Emily Abrera; Totet de Jesus

Sticks and Stones of School Library Automation

Automating the library operations poses numerous challenges for the typical school library. Regardless of the collection’s volume and the school’s population there are requirements and preliminary tasks to undertake before jumping in the library automation bandwagon. These would include the following: 1) library needs assessment; 2) administrative support; 3) confirmation of a working budget; 4) stable and robust IT infrastructure; and 5) competitive manpower. Except for the first, all four must be in place, if not, at least existing in the school system. The library needs assessment can cover other features lacking in the four areas. This way, recommendations for addition budget or manpower, software requirements and blessings from the administration can be included.

Library Needs Assessment

Assessing the needs for a library automation project in a school would mean identifying existing structures of operations and services. Interviews may be done as well as consultation meetings. Defining the library workflow and current problems encountered by library users and the library staff who provide services is a good starting point to contextualize library automation in the school community. A review of the library’s role and goals is essential as library automation implicates changes in systems, work skills and paradigms. Developing a library automation project may begin in a variety of approaches and may be followed through by different strategic plans. One way is to begin from the ground up, thus the important role of a library needs assessment. Then again, top-level management may take the lead in an institutionalized approach. Either way, the status of the library must be assessed in preparation for automation.

Library automation is a huge and challenging project but with careful planning it is an endeavor worth all the time and effort.

Some essential questions to consider when assessing the needs of the library (Kreger 2010):

• How does automating your library help educate and inform the public?
• How does library automation fit into your overall technology plan?
• How does library automation fit into your technology budget?

Kreger further enumerates the following areas when assessing library needs for an automation project: demographic statistics; environmental considerations; collection assessment; budget assessment and equipment assessment.

a. Demographic statistics – This would include the population of the school namely, teachers, staff, students, parents and alumni.

b. Environmental constraints – Refers to the physical conditions of the library and its capability to accommodate new hardware requirements: cables, servers, computers, etc.

c. Collection assessment – The volumes and titles of the library collection must be assessed to see how many materials are for conversion and automation. Records of acquired titles (print, serials, online and AV) for the past three-five years are important data to have on hand. Since encoding and conversion per title and volume is costly, a decision must be made as to what to keep and weed out.

d. Budget assessment – There is an existing library budget in a school year and if budget for a library automation project is included, well and good. Vendors of library information systems software can provide quotations that can be used as basis for budget proposals. Library information system that uses open source is an option too. While the system may be free, there are operational costs as well. Besides, other peripherals for library automation like bar code, scanner, printer and supporting software must be bought. This is just the start since library automation must be sustained. Funding may be a problem if the school could not raise library fees or pool sources for the project. Grants are available, however, so it is critical to plan long term.

e. Equipment assessment – Since library automation is technology driven, availability and purchase of hardware, site preparations and network infrastructure is basic to the project.

Other areas to look into would be the specific number of holdings the library has per division; circulation information and readers’ profile; selection and acquisition cycle; conversion and operation costs. In library automation, it is best to see the big picture. Once the results of the assessment are generated, deciding which software or system to purchase is the next step.

PBBY & NCBD Fast Facts

Here are some fast facts about PBBY and NCBD being that it is its 27th year of existence.

* The first Chairperson of PBBY was National Artist for Music, Lucrecia Kasilag. Dr. Serafin Quiason, from the National Library was Vice-Chairperson.

* In 1983 PBBY was then a mere idea. A year after, on August 8, 1986 the Articles of Incorporation was approved by the Securities and Exchange Commission.

* The first PBBY Writers Prize was awarded in 1984 to Wynstan Dimalanta for his retelling of Mga Pakikipagsapalaran ni Pilandok and to Susan Baclagon Borrero for her adaptation of the folktale, Ang Tatlong Magkakaibigang Palaka.

* The PBBY Writers Prize in 1984 had a Category B for original stories written for children. The winner was Rodolfo Mallari for his story, Malikoban.

* Former First Lady Imelda Romualdez Marcos was the guest of honor of the first NCBD in 1984.

* The NCBD is celebrated every 3rd Tuesday of July under Presidential Decree 2365.

Kindred Spirits

Bodjie Pascua, storyteller par excellence, has only these words to say for storytellers:

Know your moments so you can land on your moments, and make your moments land!
– Bodjie Pascua

Dear Librarian: Public School Librarian From Koronadal City

Our Dear Librarian sender for this month is Mr. Arvin Tejada, a public school librarian from Koronadal City. He narrates his plight and experiences working as school librarian there.

Dear Ms. Zarah,

Thank you for inspiring us through your blog site. I often visit your site and it always gives me hope that we can make a change in the field of librarianship. How I wish you can also help us in our advocacy. I'm a Division Librarian of Koronadal City Division - Library Hub, Region 12.

I was hired as Division librarian just last December 2009. Before I decided to transfer in the library hub, I worked as academic librarian at Notre Dame of Marbel University for 13 years. But when I was told by one of the Supervisors of the Koronadal City Division of the new item (librarian), I began to weigh things. First, I enjoyed working in an academic environment. Second, I was trained and developed as a librarian. And lastly, I am working with a dynamic support from the administration. But these were the things I am also contemplating on why I should cross the bridge.

Basically, I want to make a DIFFERENCE in our Division, in helping change the image of public school libraries. Next is to initiate programs and activities that will promote libraries in the public schools, and finally, for the reason of security and tenure… government can assure of my future, somehow.

I tried to figure out what will be my role in the library hub since the concept of it is opposite to a real functional library. With my 6 months stay, I realized that I need to re-educate and provide more training to our school librarian-designate since they don't have that formal education in Library Science.

I already gave them orientation about the Library Hub operations as well as a short idea on how to develop their school library last June 2010 but sad to note that most of them really don't have library materials. I learned from your blog, and it’s true, they simply stack all textbooks inside the small room and call it their library.

[Quoting from a previous post]
“…Librarians can establish learning communities through the provision of learning resources and information…”


In our case, there were librarian-designate who have the will but were not supported by the local administrators

“…They can work with teachers to further one's professional growth. They can act as team "teachers" who lend support in teaching and instruction. Librarians can model the reading habit to children and guide teens on making decisions on simple to complex school projects. Librarians, just like teachers, can effect and affect change as he/she preserves the heritage and legacies of a culture and a nation…”

Maybe, if the higher DepEd authorities will realize the importance of a full- time librarian, public schools can certainly help school children develop the love of books and reading at an early age. I think the Philippine Association of School Librarians, Inc. (PASLI) can help on this matter. Submit a proposal to the DepEd. I don’t know, it’s just my idea.

We already started the ocular visit in every school to check the status of their library. The loaning of books to the schools through their librarian-designate is now an ongoing activity. There are so many plans that I need to do both for the library hub and for the school libraries. Maybe one of these days, we can invite you to conduct seminars for our teachers and school librarians. Thank you ma’am for spending your time...

I will reply to Alvin in the next couple of days. I have invited a guest blogger as well to lend encouragement and inspiration to Arvin. Keep visiting!

PBBY Chair On Jollibee-PBBY Partnership

Yesterday, PBBY signed a MOA with Jollibee as major partner in the celebration of the 2010 National Children's Book Day. Museo Pambata was the perfect venue for this event.

To start with, the NCBD poster is sponsored by Jollibee. Activities celebrating books, reading and children's literature is scheduled until December. What I'm looking forward though is the chance of meeting AGA MUHLACH! Dear me, my childhood crush. PBBY and Jollibee will be working together to make MaAGA ang Pasko more meaningful by donating more Filipino children's books to its many donors. This does not mean though that the PBBY members who are in the publishing industry will sell or donate the books. Book donation is open to the public, especially, Jollibee loyalists. Since PBBY is a multi-sectoral and non-profit organization, other sectoral members can help in determining good titles for donations. As it is, we have a teacher, a researcher, a book reviewer and two librarians who can do this.

For the occasion, I was asked to give a staple speech. I've prepared something, of course. Read the piece below:

We all know what Jollibee is. In fcat, Jollibee is everywhere. In the nooks and crannies of Manila's congested cities you'd find an orange bee smiling at you, inviting you, your family and friends to partake a meal of Chicken Joy and Jolly Spaghetti. You go up north to Santiago, Isabela and there you'll find the bee. You fly to Catarman, Samar and the bee is present still. Down south in Cagayan De Oro, the bee's ever-jolly presence is there. It is in TV, in print ads, in the movies and yes, even online. I checked the website. It's highly interactive.

PBBY on the other hand is the opposite. But, for the past twenty-seven years, it has not ceased its passionate effort to develop and promote books, reading and children's literature. Every year, PBBY leads the nation in celebrating National Children's Book Day the best way it can. With awards honoring the best written (Salanga) and illustrated (Alacala) story for children; storytelling sessions, arts and book exhibits in malls and the National Library; workshops for teachers, librarians and parents and professionals in the allied disciplines; recognition of people who've made a dent in the Philippine Children's Literature and institutions whose projects support the advocacy, PBBY is also cognizant of the necessity to bring all these closer to the Filipino child.

It is for this reason why PBBY partners with Jollibee. It is the concern on the Filipino child's growth and development that PBBY and Jollibee have in common. In this time and age when we live dangerously, if not, with more risque than we can handle, values and literacy skills are tools we need to equip our children with.

What better way to do this but soak Filipino children in books written for them. Books that promote Filipino culture and values. Books that speak of the changing influences and dynamics of the Filipino family. And books that mirror issues relevant to their experiences.

In this coming together, PBBY and Jollibee collaborate to nurture and nourish the Filipino child. May this collaboration fuel greater activities and projects that foster a lifelong love for books and reading so that the Filipino child may grow responsible, culturally rooted yet globally competitive. Good morning to one and all!

Simpleng Buhay, Simpleng Kulay

Ruben "Totet" de Jesus will be having a one-man exhibit of pen and paper artworks on 23 July 2010 at the Filipinas Heritage Library. It's a loaded July!

Children's Books as Instructional Materials

In the recently concluded Teacher Training Workshop of the Sa Aklat Sisikat (SAS) Foundation at UP Diliman, teacher participants eagerly listened to their group facilitators (GFs) during a session on the Framework of Reading. The GFs presented one activity each for Pre-reading, During Reading and Post Reading.

These activities help in establishing a purpose for reading; arousing schema; making connections; building meaning; and creating constructs. What's cool is that local books by Filipino writers for children are used in the program. There's more to these books than mere enjoyment. These books can be used as instructional materials too.


GF Rommel shows the cover of The Crying Trees to his group. He is a public school teacher of Kalawaan Elementary School, Pasig City. He's been with SAS since 2006.


GF Cynthia explains the many values embedded in the book, Alamat ng Ampalaya. She shares how research into writing stories and a side trip to the back story of a book help in understanding the story as a whole. Cynthia teaches Reading-Grade 7 at the Grade School Department of Miriam College. She is a writer and moderator of Merry Pens, the school newspaper of Miriam Grade School.


GF Mariecar enunciates the beautiful play of words and symbols in Bruhaha! Bruhihi!. Mariecar is the coordinator of CENTEX (Ayala Foundation), a program for public school students who are identified as gifted.

Was it ever the author's intent to write stories for use in the classroom? I don't think so. A book is one of the best instructional materials in town. Textbooks, however, are another story.

Book Launch: A Tall Story

I missed Candy Gourlay give a talk last year. I will definitely meet her on NCBD. And yes, fortunately, I can drop by and buy her book on the 21st of July. See you!

School Library Development at the Grassroots

Sambat Trust, a UK Charity, has been involved in the development of school libraries in Tanauan, Batangas. Since 2007, it has successfully set up four libraries in the following schools: Sambat Elementary School, Talaga Elementary School, Santor Elementary School and Banadero Elementary School. Its current project is the development of the Wawa Elementary school library.

Alongside the renovation of the physical library, its collection of books for instruction and pleasure reading is in the works. To start off, a good set of Filipiniana books is in review for acquisition. For its general collection, the UK based charity is partnering with Scholastic Philippines to further beef up the school library's book collection. As a prelimenary step to this endeavor, a reader's needs survey is being formulated for teachers and students, the primary users of the school library.

Insite these efforts, donations are welcome! Reply to this post if interested or send an email via zarah.gagatiga@gmail.com.

The 2010 NCBD Fever

Invites have been sent to friends and affiliates of PBBY for this year's NCBD celebration. PaperTigers has run a blog post on this year's NCBD. Many thanks to Corrine Robson and the many dedicated individuals who make the core of Pacific Rim Voices. They continue to lend support in spreading the news, and the love, on Philippine Children's Literature.



At the home front, Tarie Sabido will be covering this year's NCBD and a host of blogger-writers too!

Impressive

The news is so flattering!

This blog is included in Walt Crawford's book, But Still They Blog,, that presents how liblogs has changed and evolved since 2007. Crawford has posted a sample data of what to find and expect in his book via his blog, Walt at Random. Clicking this link, you'd see this blog's profile based on Crawford's survey/study. What's more, he described this blog as "impressive". Probably due to its "reaction" lines? I hope it's for the over all impact.

If anything, this bit of good news will encourage me to keep on blogging!

Storytelling @ Miriam Child Study Center

I got back to where I started. In preschool education, I mean.

I was at the Child Study Center of Miriam College yesterday. After a day's house arrest for colds and fever, I was back on my feet for storytelling to preschool children. It was like wearing an old skin that fits so comfortably. Only a few know that I began a career in preschool before plunging into the librarianship. I was a Nursery teacher until 1995 when I started organizing Xavier School's Early Education library. The rest, as they say, is history.

The "gig" I did for Miriam preschoolers was in line with their first library visit. The librarian, Teacher Portia, was very warm and welcoming. She's a one-man librarian in the preschool department catering to six hundred, more or less, preschoolers in Miriam College. The library was spacious and child friendly. It's one of the better preschool libraries I have seen. Will post photos soon!

So, for this event, I did a bit of library orientation for preschoolers.

Apart from the staple read aloud, I introduced to the preschoolers their library. And of course, a majority of the kids know what goes on in the library. Though it caught me by surprise to hear one preschooler say that a library is found at the mall. How can you differentiate a library from a bookstore now? Books in the library are borrowed, of course, while books in the store are bought. Interesting contexts, see?

After this brief introduction, I showed the kids my first library card and memories of my first library visit as a grade one student of Pateros Catholic School. From there I injected the library rules and expectations I "learned" from my teacher-librarian. Soft Voices; Quite movements; Reading books and returning them in their proper place; Greeting the teacher-librarian using polite words. These are but a few of the things I shared with the preschoolers. Of course, my years as preschool librarian helped a lot in crafting these library rules for preschool users. I kept to the basics. Too much information will clutter the concept of library use. Besides, these kids are first timers in the use of the library.

Once done with the basics, I proceeded to the story of the "hour". I read aloud Margaret Read MacDonald's Mabela the Clever. This book is precious to me a sit was given by a dear friend, Dianne De Las Casas! What's more, it's autographed! I ended the session with two handmade tales. The Handkerchief Man and The Great Enormous Turnip using a string to tell it. Again, thanks to Dianne for these wonderful storytelling ideas and strategies! The whole event ended successfully.

Miriam College's Child Study Center gave me a call back on another storytelling session for their Kinder students in August.

A Comment On A Commentary Part 1

I came across Mike Luz's Reform Agenda for Teachers over the weekend. I read it several times. On my third reading, I was pretty impressed with Luz's vision for the Filipino public school teachers. Having worked with public school teachers via the Readathon Prpgram of Sa Aklat Sisikat Foundation over the past years, Luz has hit the nail right smack on the head. Our teachers need to go back to the basics to be effective and efficient.

I agree on all his points: from the improvement of teachers' salaries to their working conditions; pre-service and in-service training; upgrading of competencies in the communication arts and computer literacy. Teacher development is one key to an improved educational system.

Here's what made me fall from my seat though --

All non-teaching assignments should be reviewed and minimized. Non-teaching assignments (e.g., librarian, bookkeeper, property custodian, etc.) take a teacher away from teaching. If these jobs can be done by volunteer parents, this would greatly improve “time-on-task” of teachers.

While I agree that teachers should focus on teaching, primarily because it is their job to TEACH, I beg to differ when Luz pointed out that the work and the job of a LIBRARIAN be given to parent volunteers. Teachers are given non-teaching assignments like library duty because there is a dearth of librarians in the public school system. Parent volunteers as LIBRARIANS is not the lesser evil. What can librarians do that parent volunteers can't?

Librarians can establish learning communities through the provision of learning resources and information. They can work with teachers to further one's professional growth. They can act as team "teachers" who lend support in teaching and instruction. Librarians can model the reading habit to children and guide teens on making decisions on simple to complex school projects. Librarians, just like teachers, can effect and affect change as he/she preserves the heritage and legacies of a culture and a nation. These are but some of the few things that librarians can do in a school. Build as many libraries as possible. That's good. Set up mini-libraries and literacy centers in the classroom. That's great! But with out the help of a librarian to manage the library as well as support the teacher in these endeavors, literacy instruction is incomplete.

Sadly, public school librarians are item-less in the Philippine public school. Besides, keeping a library and honing librarians to become partners in teaching and learning is an idea that has struggles to take flight in the Philippines. The eternal optimist in me is inspired to look for success stories and then some. More on this in future posts.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Official Movie Trailer

Librarian On TV Part 1

Here's a video of the TV guesting I did last April. The interview was soooooooo impromptu. I was not even given a list of questions before going live. But I enjoyed it big time!



The TV guesting is courtesy of the National Book Development Board's campaign for reading and literacy development.

Celebrate National Children's Book Day (NCBD) 2010

On 20 July, 2010 PBBY will once again commence the celebration of National Children's Book Day. This year, we're awarding the Salanga to Raymond Falgui for his beautiful poetry and the Alacala to Aldy Aguirre for his dreamy and whimsical illustrations of Falgui's poems. Ms. Candy Gourlay, fresh from the successful publication of her Young Adult novel,Tall Story, in the UK, will deliver the keynote address. The opening of the Albert Gamos Retrospective and the presentation of published children's books and YA novels are part of this year's NCBD as well. Three days after, PBBY and the National Book Development Board (NBDB) will announce the Best Reads of 2008 and 2009 at the Mandarin Hotel in Makati.

The NCBD is a one day event that will transpire at the Museo Pambata (for 2010). This, however, does not stop schools, learning communities, libraries and families from celebrating NCBD. This July, a host of NCBD related activities can be organized by individuals and groups of people who love books and the children who read them.

Here is my top ten NCBD activities for schools and libraries:

1. Conduct storytelling sessions in the classrooms and in the library

2. Organize a Filipino book characters on parade

3. Invite a Filipino Author and/or Illustrator to speak to kids

4. Display winners of the Salanga and the Alcala winners in the library with their accompanying authors and illustrators. The PBBY website has the list of winners

5. Stage your own Best Reads by parents, teachers and students. Remember to focus on Filipino books for children and young adults

6. Drum up the theme by showcasing Filipino books that carry this year's slogan: Ang Nagbabasa Ng Libro Laging Panalo! (A Book Reader Is A Winner!)

7. Hold contests on story writing and illustrating. This can be a follow-up activity from the author and illustrator visit

8. Publish or display reviews of Filipino story books by students online or in the school paper

9. Invite parents, school officials, teachers and other members of the learning community to talk about books they grew up with

10. Read a Filipino children's book or YA novel.

The NCBD celebration is not exclusive to PBBY. Bring it to your schools and families. After all, we are all here to celebrate reading, books and the Filipino young reader.

Ako'y Isang Mabuting Pilipino

Dear Librarian: Reply on Baking at the National Library

This month's Dear Librarian guest blogger is Ms. Anne Rosette G. Crelencia of the National Library of the Philippines (NLP). Ms. Crelencia is the section head of the NLP's Rarebooks and Manuscript Collection. Since NLP is an institutional member of the PBBY, Ms. Crelencia is the institution's representative to the PBBY board. She lends her opinion for this month's Dear Librarian post.

TO BUILD OR NOT TO BUILD
Anne Rosette G. Crelencia

Whenever I get orders from my superiors to write something, be it answers to research queries and requests, project proposals, business letters, and articles for the newsletters, most frequently those are accomplished in no time. But this time it’s different. Weeks passed by quickly without writing an answer to the challenge posted for our organization.

I am tasked to write an answer to a very big challenge posted not only for the managers of the National Library of the Philippines but also to the latest leaders in the government who are to run the country in the following six years. I have managed to resolve complaints and requests about our library’s services and collections from clients through e-mail and phone calls, but to manage a challenge as big as acquiring or renovating or transferring the current National Library of the Philippines building to a one is something else.

The thing is, I had a hard time identifying if it is really the building that calls for change just so we can say that our library is no decade behind the Library of Alexandria or is it just the way the structure is being handled. I mean, even a nipa hut has lots of possibilities to be something else other than being the plain and simple shelter for s small family. I believe change is never confined to physical developments but it’s about setting priorities.

With the very little budget allotted for our national library and the public libraries attached to it, it is tough to prioritize the architecture of libraries than the acquisition of good quality materials for library patrons’ use. However, this does not mean that initiative towards development of architectural structure of libraries in the country should be hindered by the lack of budget. A good proposal coupled with diligent plan of action to implement development might do the talking. That always depend on the priorities set by leaders in government, I guess.

I have seen beautiful and sophisticated libraries in other countries such as Singapore and Germany. We are no doubt too much behind them, but then again, that does not mean these countries are not experiencing difficulties in terms of working conditions and library collections and services just because they have the most sophisticated or modern buildings and resources. They do have their own dilemma just like us.

What exactly am I saying? I would like to believe proposals for a new library building has been initiated several times by the present and past library managers, only that nothing yet happened. But despite government’s inattentiveness to the requests, the National Library of the Philippines continued to persevere in performing its role in the society. It is challenging to meet the changing needs of library users in this age of technological advancement with very ample budget, but the staff who dedicated their craft and even lives in the name of service to the public is more valuable than any amount of money for the improvement of the library is available.

Perhaps a little more effort to open the eyes of our leaders in government on the value of books and libraries in the country is needed to be established first before anything else. I am dreaming of a national library flooded by people not because of the great architecture but because it is filled with resources where vast amount of knowledge and information can be acquired any time.

Tomorrow, June 30, 2010, we will officially have the new President of the Republic of the Philippines. Just as the whole nation anticipates for a great change in the current status of the society, I am as well crossing my fingers that somehow the President will make a difference in the field of libraries and education in the country.

For now, as I cannot just wait for the president to act on our needs as a government, education, culture and research institute, I will continue to do the best I can to serve the public with utmost diligence and integrity even if the fading architecture and facilities of the building remained unnoticed. National Library of the Philippines will be the priority in time…

Dear Librarian: SLIA's REPLY for Baking at the National Library

Here is my reply for Barefoot Baklesa's lament on the state of the country's biblioteque. I will make this short and sweet.

One can't change a system that has been damaged and neglected over the decades. The state of art and culture, and yes, education and library system included, in this country is in a dismal condition. We can cry and bewail to the heavens; gnash our teeth and pull our hair. At the end of the day, it remains as is.

What one can do, despite this, is to continue working on ways to uplift the dismal status of arts, culture, education and library system in the country.

The duly elected President of the Philippines will be inaugurated on Wednesday, 30 June 2011. I like to believe that he won by a stroke of great hope set upon him by many of us. His ascension to the presidency is influenced by a choice of character over competence. We all need to dig deep into our own character and find strength there in order to continue pushing for the advocacy we support in -- arts, culture, education, socio-civic development, library system in the country, etc.

Book Blockade Over

The outgoing Philippine President has done a bit of good for this country.

Head on to this link for the official press release. Read the highlighted link for more information on the signed EO85.

Link Love

Found out something simply great today! The post on an Information Literacy class I did a few years back got linked in Schoollibs.

I suddenly longed to work in a school library again.

PAARL Forum on Bibliotherapy

Bibliotherapy

View more presentations from eruannie.

2010 Alcala Prize Winner

Congratulations to Aldy Aguirre for winning this year's Alcala Prize! Aguirre rendered playful and whimsical illustrations for Raymond Falgui's poetry.

Zeus Bascon, Serge Bumatay III and Rommel Joson made it as honorable mention. See you at the NCBD 2010, Museo Pambata!

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.

Picture! Picture!

National Children's Book Day 2010

The Writing Journey

Teachwriting

View more presentations from eruannie.

Basic Teacher-Librarians Workshop

I was invited by the Rizal Library and Pathways To Higher Education for a talk on school library reading programs last month. The one hour lecture is part of the Basic Teacher-Librarians Workshop organized by the Rizal Library to re-orient and start off the teacher librarians who will run and manage the libraries in their schools.

For my talk, I gave the participants an overview of Reading. In planning and implementing library reading programs, the librarian (for this context it is the teacher-librarians who are concerned) needs to see the bigger picture of Reading. This would help him/her in organizing relevant and meaningful literacy activities for students in particular and the school community in general. I included an array of reading activities that teacher-librarians can do. The activities range from individual to group and community wide initiatives. Lastly, I presented a framework for them to use when planning the proposal for a library reading program.



This initiative may seem to run opposite the ideals of RA 9246. But one has to see the bigger picture. Due to the dearth of licensed librarians as well as work items for librarians in the public school system, most school administrations resort to assigning teachers to man the school library. On top of their teaching loads, teachers become officers-in-charge of the school library.

The need to apply and implement this law is great, indeed.

The Empty Room

Watch! This room will undergo a transformation.

Visiting the Paglaki Ko Room at Museo Pambata

I missed the launching of the Paglaki Ko Room (When I grow up I want to be...) of the Museo Pambata in April. Nonetheless, I was able to visit the career options area of Museo Pambata last Saturday during the Batang Bayani series launch. Earlier today, the PBBY board made a quick tour right after its monthly meeting. Nina Lim Yuson, the gracious host, allowed us to be kids again.



It's an interactive area, as every thing else at Museo, of course! The walls cover a mystery-investigatory approach to knowing the writers and illustrators featured in the exhibit. The comics on the wall is very engaging. Sadly, I failed to ask Nina or Teacher Noreen the artist who made them. The room is littered with curiosities from the featured writers and illustrators, memorabilia, quotable quotes and their definitive masterpieces.


Larry Alcala's Slice of Life was an inspiration that allows visitors to look for well loved Pinoy children's book characters.


And definitely, Jose Rizal's The Monkey and the Turtle earned a space in the exhibit.



My daughter Zoe enjoyed the area where creative play and theatrics were encouraged. She wore the Ibong Adarna head dress cum wings.



The Paglaki Ko Room is the first interactive museum that features Filipino writers and illustrators who've made a mark in Philippine Children's Literature. Jose Aruego, Albert Gamos, Jo-Ann Bereber, Beth Parrocha, Robert Alejandro and Kora Dandan Alabano are the featured illustrators. Augie Rivera, Rene Villanueva, Dr. Luis Gatmaitan, Carla Pacis and Russell Molina and Rhandee Garlitos are the writers who made it to the esteemed list.