The Demise of School Libraries in the Philippines

Yvy C.

The reports said, The Philippines emerged as the country were most people rely on the Internet for educational, leisure and recreational purposes. Search engines such as Google, Yahoo and the like makes it easy and convenient for people to find out what’s new and what’s not. The Internet makes it possible to share information quickly and that is why social media platforms have evolved (such as social networks, blogs, photo/video sharing, etc.).

A Grade 12 student like me is undeniably guilty of using the Internet as a resource or reference tool. I find it very convenient for me since we have access to the internet at home. In addition, I can easily interact with my classmates and friends while learning and gaining new information as well. For some reason, the internet helps me save time and effortlessly submit my School works on time. Yet, I never thought that using the Internet takes over the importance of Libraries especially when it comes to providing reliable references and reading my favorite story books and novels like The Little Mermaid, Harry Potter series, Hunger Games, John Green and so much more.

The Internet can give you hundreds of different kinds and quality search results.  It only takes few clicks to get information and accessible with the help of modern technology like smartphones and microcomputers. While the Library will always be the place where it gives you few but dependable, true, and accurate information in different formats. (magazines, newspapers, journals, monograph etc.)

The Internet is maybe one of the most amazing things the world has created in order to connect us. However, we should be responsible to the things we share especially with our opinion, false information, judgement that may cause harm, confusion and misunderstanding.

School Libraries are not dying, it is simply going with the flow where information can be more accessible, accurate, brief and clear. It will never perish due to the advancement of technology rather it grows, adapt and evolve since Libraries are like growing organisms. 

Sa Susunod Marunong Kang Magbasa! (Next time, Learn to Read!) : A Famous Filipino Line

article will be posted soon.

Go to the Library and Read! 2018 Newly Crowned Miss International promotes Reading Awareness in Young Children

As part of the competition, the Top 8 beautiful ladies were called to make a speech for their aspirations and desires if they win the title to be crowned as our next Miss International.

Miss Venezuala was crowned Miss International 2018, after that heartwarming speech she gave to promote free access to books for every children in the most unfavorable places.

Here's Mariem's winning speech: 

It’s a very special day for all Miss International delegates, but for me, it’s doubly special as today I am also celebrating my birthday. In my country, we have the custom of not revealing our birthday wish, but today I want to make an exception. My dream, my birthday wish is that if I were to be privileged enough to be your next Miss International, I can continue to stimulate children around the world to read. In Venezuela, I have devoted a great part of my time serving as a storyteller for less favored populations, and I’m living proof that reading is the way towards knowledge. My goal as Miss International is that every child around the world have access to books that speak about tolerance, respect, and happiness. I firmly believe in the power of dreams to change societies and think if everyone of us takes on the duty of reading a story to a child, that child will be more educated and the world will be happier. That is my birthday wish. 

source : https://www.rappler.com/life-and-style/specials/216347-miss-international-2018-top-8-speech, also please check out : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PfwHfdiN9C0

THE NEWLY CROWNED MISS INTERNATIONAL 2018 BIRTHDAY WISH HAS TO DO WITH READING BOOKS

Mariem Claret Velazco Garcia, Venezuela

Miss International 2018

Miss International is a Tokyo-based international beauty pageant organized by The International Culture Association. The pageant was first held in 1960. Miss International is the fourth largest pageant in the world in terms of having crowned national winners to participate in the international contest.
source : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miss_International

As part of the competition, the Top 8 beautiful ladies were called to make a speech for their aspirations and desires if they win the title to be crowned as our next Miss International.

Miss Venezuala was crowned Miss International 2018, after that heartwarming speech she gave to promote free access to books for every children in the most unfavorable places.

Here's Mariem's winning speech: 

It’s a very special day for all Miss International delegates, but for me, it’s doubly special as today I am also celebrating my birthday. In my country, we have the custom of not revealing our birthday wish, but today I want to make an exception. My dream, my birthday wish is that if I were to be privileged enough to be your next Miss International, I can continue to stimulate children around the world to read. In Venezuela, I have devoted a great part of my time serving as a storyteller for less favored populations, and I’m living proof that reading is the way towards knowledge. My goal as Miss International is that every child around the world have access to books that speak about tolerance, respect, and happiness. I firmly believe in the power of dreams to change societies and think if everyone of us takes on the duty of reading a story to a child, that child will be more educated and the world will be happier. That is my birthday wish.https source : https://www.rappler.com/life-and-style/specials/216347-miss-international-2018-top-8-speech

please check out : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PfwHfdiN9C0

Yes or No : Should School Libraries allow Third Gender Orientation Related Books

Some parents said their children came home questioning their gender after school.

Parents angry after book about transgender girl read to kindergarten class

ROCKLIN, Calif. (KCRA) —

Hundreds of parents packed the a school board meeting for the Rocklin Academy Family of Schools Monday for a passionate debate about gender identity and its place in the classroom.

 read more: http://www.wcvb.com/article/parents-angry-after-book-about-transgender-girl-read-to-kindergarten-class/12272685

*****************************************************************

Should School libraries include books about transgender???

Have you read or heard the story "I am Jazz"? If not,  check- out this link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BF5D2lsPfsU

The Librarian's Reaction : .

Disclaimer: My views and opinion should never be taken seriously.

As a Librarian, It's our duty and utmost responsibility to evaluate the collections we display in our Library... As a Librarian we make big impact and reflection for the School's Image. 

The Library offers accessible medium of information for students and faculty  . The fact that most of the collections are recommended by Librarians, it's important that we suggest and promote collections that are highly integrated with the School's curriculum, objective, mission, vision and the like.   

We should also understand that the School primary stakeholders include the Parents. The tuition fees they paid , the trust they give and unending voluntary support for the School.

Going back,"Is it okay to put books with highly controversial and debatable topic?"

My answer is No!!!

If the following criteria will be affected in the book selection:

1) Religion, beliefs and moral understanding of the School

2) A Parents Committee suggested to...

3) Library Manual for Acquisition Policy is at risk

4) The School Admins or Management disagrees to...

My answer is Yes!!!

If the following criteria will be affected in the book selection:

1) In accordance to School's curriculum, objective, mission and vision.   

2) Treated as Special Collections with Supervision 

3) It promotes moral and Humanistic Approach

PRC HIGHLIGHTS : Librarian Licensure Examination Results

LIBRARIAN LICENSURE EXAMINATION (LLE) RESULTS FROM 2012-2016 
Exam Date:

LLE November 2012
LLE  November 2013
LLE April 2014
LLE April 2015
LLE September 2016
LLE September 2017

Participating Schools -w/ No. of Top Passer :

ATENEO DE NAGA UNIVERSITY-1
BICOL COLLEGE-1
BALIUAG UNIVERSITY (BALIUAG COLLEGES) -1
COR JESU COLLEGE (HOLY CROSS OF DIGOS) -1
CENTRAL PHILIPPINE UNIVERSITY-1
HOLY CROSS OF DAVAO COLLEGE , 2
LORMA COLLEGE - 1
LA SALLE UNIVERSITY -
PHILIPPINE NORMAL UNIVERSITY MANILA -2
POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES-MAIN-STA. MESA-1
UNIVERSITY OF BATANGAS -1
UNIVERSITY OF THE EAST  -4
UNIVERSITY OF NUEVA CACERES -1
UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES-DILIMAN -34
UNIVERSITY OF SAN CARLOS -1
UNIVERSITY OF SAN JOSE RECOLETOS -2
UNIVERSITY OF SAINT LOUIS TUGUEGARAO -2
UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS - 5
SAINT LOUIS UNIVERSITY -2
SAINT MARY'S UNIVERSITY -1
SAINT PAUL UNIVERSITYTUGUEGARAO-1
SILIMAN UNIVERSITY - 1

Summary: 
1st- UP-34
2nd - UST-5
3rd- UE-4


2017 HIGHLIGHTS:
* Top 12 Passers
* Top 1 gets 90.85
*https://www.prc.gov.ph/uploaded/documents/LIB0917-FT_p.pdf


2016 HIGHLIGHTS:
*Top 11 Passers
* TOP 1 gets  89.90
SOURCE: http://www.prc.gov.ph/uploaded/documents/LIB0916t10_j.pdf

2015 HIGHLIGHTS: 
* 9 of 12 - UP Students top the Board Exam

* TOP 1 gets  89.60

SOURCE: http://prc.gov.ph/uploaded/documents/LIB0415t10.pdf

2014 HIGHLIGHTS: 

*TOP 1 gets  86.05

SOURCE: http://www.prc.gov.ph/uploaded/documents/LIB0414t10.pdf

2013 HIGHLIGHTS: 
*Top 12 Passers
*TOP 1 gets  88.05

SOURCE: http://www.prc.gov.ph/uploaded/documents/LIB1113t10.pdf

2012 HIGHLIGHTS: 
*Top 11 Passers

*TOP 1 gets  87.55

SOURCE: http://www.prc.gov.ph/uploaded/documents/LIB1112t10.pdf

CREDITS: PRC WEBSITE  -NOTHING FOLLOWS-

The 21st Century: Students Are More Interested Going to Libraries

I'm part of the Millennial generation,  I live in the 21st Century and I love visiting Libraries.

Here's My Top 5 Things to do in the Library.


1. I visit the Fiction collection.

"I would love to stay in a place where the shelves divide reality and fantasy".

Most libraries are encourage to display a massive number of fiction books in different genre (adult, romance, comedy, adventure,etc.) Not just it helps in the marketing strategy of most libraries rather millennials are fond of reading this kind of material.

2. I admire the beauty of Libraries

Have you ever wanted to stay in a very calm spot and do nothing.

Just admiring the beauty of the furniture and secretly observing the people around you is a fun thing to do.  I'm hoping for something to happen unexpectedly.

3. Have some fun talk with the Reference Librarian

Most library visitors find it more interesting to have a conversation with the 

Reference Librarian.  As much as I wanted to explain why? Reference Librarians are mostly front liners. They are very familiar with the collections, library sections, and services the library has to offer. They keep themselves updated to any kind of reference matter.

4. Visit the Library Archives/ Little Museums

This is so far my favorite thing to do!

A lot of people might not know about the hidden museums inside their school campus.

Library is like "A taste of the past and full of adventures"
Library Archives are repositories of unpublished and published stories of the organization. Artifacts are also kept here.

5. I Take Selfies!

If you're a Millennial, I would like you  to agree with me on this, 

Raise your hand if you ended up taking selfies as a souvenir!

School Talk : Expensive Library Usage In Miscellaneous Fees

"A library is an institution that falls under business category which is likely to have more expense than gain profit."

Understanding the Role of Libraries

Guaranteeing Access to Knowledge: The Role of Libraries

August 2012

By Ben White, Head of Intellectual Property, British Library

As gateways to knowledge and culture, libraries play a fundamental role in society. The resources and services they offer create opportunities for learning, support literacy and education, and help shape the new ideas and perspectives that are central to a creative and innovative society. They also help ensure an authentic record of knowledge created and accumulated by past generations. In a world without libraries, it would be difficult to advance research and human knowledge or preserve the world’s cumulative knowledge and heritage for future generations.

Why do we need money to run the Library?

Developing the Library Budget

by Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction - Public Library Development, March 2012

The library budget is a tool for turning library dreams into reality. The budget determines the services that will be offered by your library and the resources devoted to each library program. A carefully developed budget will ensure that available funds are effectively utilized to realize your library’s service objectives.

The board may need to make budget changes if the funding needed to balance the budget is not secured. Budget changes may also be required during the budget year if, for example, certain expenditures are higher than expected, or costs are lower than expected.

Desirable budget characteristics

There are four practical characteristics that your budget document should include.

Clarity: The budget presentation should be clear enough so every board member, every employee, and every municipal governing body member can understand what is being represented.

Accuracy: Budget documentation must support the validity of budget figures, and figures must be transcribed and reported carefully, without variation from the documentation.

Consistency: Budget presentations should retain the same format from period to period so that comparisons can be easily made. All budgets are comparative devices, used to show how what is being done now compares with what happened in the past and what is projected to happen in the future.

Comprehensiveness: Budget reports should include as complete a picture of fiscal activities as is possible. The only way to know the true cost of the library operation is to be certain that all revenue and expenditure categories are included within the budget.

How big is the expected Library Budget?

What Are the Major College Budgets?

The funds that pay for the day-to-day operations of the college (academic programs, student services, library, media support, computing & science labs, plant maintenance and administration) are called the Operating Budget ($113.9 million). Revenues come from state appropriations (39%) and from student tuition and fee collections (61%).

The Evergreen State College Office of Operational Planning and Budget April 14, 2015

https://www.evergreen.edu/sites/default/files/budget/docs/Budget101_2015.pdf

How your Library Budget Stacks up 
by Dick Kaser

At the 1,200 libraries surveyed, budgets ranged from $315,000 to $3.15 million. The size of the budget varied not only by library type (public, academic, or special) but by whether the library was a single, independent unit or part of a larger system (and whether it was a branch or the main library in the larger system).  

Not according to The Library of Congress, 

Google results

School library budget

It's essential that you know how much money you've spent and how much you still have to spend. Funds allocated to the library but not spent within the budget time frame may be unavailable once returned to the school’s general accounts. This may make it hard to justify requests for funding in following years.

You may decide to spread spending across each term to ensure there is a flow of new materials throughout the year. Talk to teachers to find out if you’ll need to schedule spending at different times. For example, you might plan to have materials on hand to coincide with topic or curriculum needs.

Keeping records

You may find it useful to use a spreadsheet for recording expenditure against your budget. Maintain a separate sheet for all budget categories or accounts, such as subscriptions and printing — not just items added to your collection.

END

References:

http://www.wipo.int/wipo_magazine/en/2012/04/article_0004.html

http://www.infosciencetoday.org/library-science/the-role-of-libraries-in-education.html

https://www.thebalance.com/the-5-types-of-customers-2948073

http://www.webjunction.org/documents/webjunction/Developing_the_Library_Budget.html

http://www.infotoday.com/cilmag/mar11/Kaser-On-Average-How-Your-Library-Budget-Stacks-Up.pdf

I Fell In Love with a Librarian

   

Every time when I open that door ,

I always wish that you're the first person I see,

the more that I can't wait  to hear your Shh! Shh! Shh!

Those are the sweetest words that I can't wait to hear,

after I slept those subjects that I can't stand and fear.

I don't know but there's something different about her looks,

that made me pretend to read these Harry Potter books.

So I can stay longer...

long enough to see you more,

maybe someday you will realize,

I'm the one you're looking for.

I got very jealous  with that guy flirting you,

which makes me punch the person next to me.

And then you came to scold me!

because this nerd beside me shouted that I'm a bully.

Promise not bring me to the Discipline Office, 

"Please I'm begging you not to do that,"

Because I was hoping our first date would be in a Mountain Park,

where we can sit down and talk a lot.

So I can get to know you even more!

A girl behind those glasses,

Would make me believe in Forevermore.

Suddenly that nerd push me hard and ran abort,

accidentally my body pushed you and we fell.

I caught your head with my arms and shoulders,

I was so afraid that you might get hurt.

I heard you whisper, "Thank you"

And then I said, "I love You".

Out of nowhere, my mouth uttered those three words.

I wish to say sorry,

But how can I hide this feeling anymore,

When this time you make me worry.

I want to check on you, be with you, and surrounded by you.

But yesterday you replied nothing and left,
My heart cried that day, you stole everything like a theft.

I never came back to see you until Graduation Day has come,

I was hoping to sneak on you for the last time.

So I open that door once again to check if you can still be mine.

I love what I saw,  everything has never change.

You're still that girl that catches everyone's attention.

It seems that time never came to age.

Luckily you came to my direction...

I have waited for this event to happen again...

So I can say sorry and apologize...

And ask you question that made me realize...

Excuse me! You're blocking the way, she said.

but I told her to use the other door...
Even though I wanted to tell everything,
The things that revolve in my head.

Who are you? She asked.

I whispered, (Well you and me are the main cast)

I wanted to return something I have just borrowed,
My most precious heart for you cupid has arrowed. 

She excused herself,

but before she left,

I looked at her face closely,

I can't accept suddenly she became sad and lonely.

My heart melts to see her like that,

I wanted to kill the person that made you feel that way.

I thought who would not beg you to stay?

I looked back and saw her eyes locked at me,

Tears are falling and it feels very heavy

It's between I couldn't say anything or
I couldn't think of anything right,
 so I ran after her so fast
and started to hug her so tight.

I told her that everything is going to be fine,

because I'm here to give you Sunshine!

I will try to make you happy everyday,
until I make sure you're feeling okay.

That moment was the most memorable,

because that very special moment with my dear,

She whispered those words I longed to hear❤

-end-