Legal Issues on R.A. 9246

If any of you are wondering whatever happened to the Crash Program that was supposed to be held earlier this year, you should take a look at "PGLL Round Table Discussion on RA 9246" (pdf; SLIS Newsletter, Jan-Mar 2007, p. 2). The way I read it, the Crash Program was contrary to the provisions of Republic Act No. 9246 (or RA 9246), and that's why the UP SLIS faculty was "bothered with doubts" about conducting the program.

Another matter tackled in the article is the rumor, which has been going around since R.A. 9246 was enacted in 2003, that students with master's degrees will not be allowed to take the licensure exam after five years. Not true. Those with master's degrees in library and information science (or MLIS) are allowed by R.A. 9246 to take the licensure exam after 2010 (see also "Who Can Take the Librarians' Licensure Exam?"). Only those with degrees other than MLIS (e.g., MA Library Science) will be disqualified from taking the exam. A Task Force was formed to look further into the matter, but I haven't heard any news on whether its position paper has been submitted or that the Board for Librarians (BFL) has adopted its recommendations.

Which brings me to the point for this post. I really wish that the BFL had a better way of communicating with the members of the profession. The BFL page on the PRC website is quite useless because PRC hasn't even updated exam results for all professions in more than a year. Occasionally, emails from BFL members will circulate in mailing lists, but not everyone has access to those lists. And in fact, not everyone has email. My suggestion? The BFL should start blogging, and post copies of board resolutions and other official issuances. This way, even those who don't have email will know that they can go online to see official documents for themselves.