It used to be that I'd find out about library and librarian blogs from other countries by chance. And most of them were usually from North America. Well, finding other blograrians around the world just became easier.
Libworld is "a series of postings in which guest authors introduce the library and library related blogs of their particular country." Just about every continent is now represented, except for Africa and Antarctica. Asia, it turns out, has blograrians in Iran, and not just Singapore and the Philippines.
The map above shows some interesting omissions—where are the United States and India?—but since the people behind Libworld just started their project last April 2007, I'm sure that they've already begun work on filling the gaps.
Showing posts with label Biblioblogosphere. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Biblioblogosphere. Show all posts
Libworld: Library and
Librarian Blogs of the World
Labels:
Biblioblogosphere
Carnival of the Infosciences 81
Labels:
Biblioblogosphere
Mabuhay! Welcome to the October 15 edition of the Carnival of the Infosciences (COTI).
In the Philippines, a "carnival" will bring up memories—depending on age and geographic location—of Fiesta Carnival, Enchanted Kingdom, the local karnabal, perya (fair) or peryahan. The video above gives a flavor of the Filipino perya, not to mention the Filipinos who ride them and what they do with their phone cameras. The views it provides from above and from below also indicate the international character of this particular carnival post, which is probably the first posted from Asia. Note: Unless otherwise indicated, authors are librarians from the Philippines.
If you have time for only one post at this time, do read the one by Juned Sonido, who asks "What is the technoweenie?" and proceeds to differentiate between the Technophile, Technophobe and Technoweenie (aka Technosexual!), and even pokes fun at GOD and GAS. Other Filipino librarians all seem to have chosen to write about their personal experiences, which reveal quite a lot about the situation of libraries and library education in the Philippines.
Igor Cabbab recalls the numerous humorous—and not-so-humorous—events that happened to him in "My Life in the SLIS: UP SLIS ca. 1990 to 2002"; Eimee Lagrama reviews her alumni association's accomplishments and her frustrations during her term as its president in "Giving something back"; and Zarah Gagatiga writes about the prejudices she encountered while still a student in "A School Librarian's Pride (and Prejudice)." Meanwhile, Melchor Cichon looks to the future and shares his dream as a new university librarian in "My Vision of a University Library." While Charles Tan, a library user, notes that libraries in the Philippines do not differentiate themselves well enough, especially on their websites, in "Specialized Libraries."
Submissions from around the world included those from Ivan Chew (Singapore), who, in "Facebook at work: Address the cause, not hide the symptom," tackles an issue that librarians who are into social networking will encounter sooner or later. Daithi Mac Sithigh (Ireland), a lawyer, expresses misgivings about a pending bill that would make a library's public lending rights a "Public Lending Wrong." And John Dupuis (Canada), in an "Interview with Richard Akerman, Technology Architect at CISTI," presents a techie's thoughts on the relationship between techies and librarians. Finally, Larry Ferlazzo (USA), an ESL teacher, shares links to websites that may be used to prepare new English speakers for trips to "Libraries"; and John Miedema (Canada), a library student, who reviews "Balanced Libraries by Walt Crawford," and writes that, "It could be the bible of the Slow Library movement."
Well, that's it for this edition of COTI. If you have no idea what COTI is all about, its purpose is "to showcase the panoply of great writing within the [biblioblogosphere] and to expose the world to as many [Library and Information Science] blogs as possible." Join the next edition of the carnival by: 1) using the carnival submission form; or 2) using the del.icio.us tag "carninfo." For past posts, future hosts and other information, check out the COTI wiki.
Technorati tags: carnival of the infosciences, blog carnival.
Submissions from around the world included those from Ivan Chew (Singapore), who, in "Facebook at work: Address the cause, not hide the symptom," tackles an issue that librarians who are into social networking will encounter sooner or later. Daithi Mac Sithigh (Ireland), a lawyer, expresses misgivings about a pending bill that would make a library's public lending rights a "Public Lending Wrong." And John Dupuis (Canada), in an "Interview with Richard Akerman, Technology Architect at CISTI," presents a techie's thoughts on the relationship between techies and librarians. Finally, Larry Ferlazzo (USA), an ESL teacher, shares links to websites that may be used to prepare new English speakers for trips to "Libraries"; and John Miedema (Canada), a library student, who reviews "Balanced Libraries by Walt Crawford," and writes that, "It could be the bible of the Slow Library movement."
Well, that's it for this edition of COTI. If you have no idea what COTI is all about, its purpose is "to showcase the panoply of great writing within the [biblioblogosphere] and to expose the world to as many [Library and Information Science] blogs as possible." Join the next edition of the carnival by: 1) using the carnival submission form; or 2) using the del.icio.us tag "carninfo." For past posts, future hosts and other information, check out the COTI wiki.
Technorati tags: carnival of the infosciences, blog carnival.
Coming Soon: Carnival of the Infosciences 81
Labels:
Biblioblogosphere
The Carnival of the Infosciences (COTI) crossed the Pacific Ocean recently and is now up Down Under at Connecting Librarian. On October 15, the Carnival moves to this blog, and I will try to give our foreign guests a taste of Filipino hospitality. If you have no idea what COTI is all about, its purpose is "to showcase the panoply of great writing within the [biblioblogosphere] and to expose the world to as many [Library and Information Science] blogs as possible." For past posts, future hosts and other information, check out the COTI wiki.
If you are a librarian who blogs (liblogger, blograrian, liblogarian, take your pick!), you may want to consider submitting one of your own LIS-related posts published from October 1 onward. Filipino blograrians and other Asian librarians are highly encouraged to take this opportunity to tell our counterparts on the other side of the world about how we do—or don't do—things over here. You may also submit posts written by other bloggers. Only submissions "containing original thought and opinions, rather than regurgitation and reiteration," will be included in my post on October 15.
How do you submit? You can: 1) use the carnival submission form; or 2) use the del.icio.us tag "carninfo," but you must use the notes field to state why you tagged it and sign your name, so we know who shared it with us. Send submissions for COTI 81 by 6 pm Manila-time (that's 6 am EST) on Sunday, October 14.
Pinoy Bibliobloggers' Mafia
Labels:
Biblioblogosphere,
Stereotypes
Omerta. Silence. Sssshhhh...?
Supposedly, there now exists a Pinoy bibliobloggers' mafia. And guess who the "godfather" is? Looking at the photo above, you wouldn't think it's a group of librarians. After all, where are the women? The buns? The shushing fingers?
Before I go any further, those in the photo are, from left: Igor, Charles, Arnold, me and Juned. The photo was taken by and stolen from Zarah. It was shot at the Pinoy Big Biblioblogosphere eyeball held at a different bookstore last 15 September 2007.
Some interesting "facts": No one in the photo is actually working as a librarian. Four have degrees in library and information science. Three are licensed librarians. One did not bother to take the licensure exam. And the other has no official connections with libraries, except as a user. Zarah, of course, was the only woman, and the only practicing librarian. All of us are bloggers.
What do these facts mean? As the titles of Zarah's posts indirectly show—from Live Blogging: Pinoy Big Biblioblogosphere to Live Blogging: Pinoy Biblioblogosphere—the group of Pinoy bibliobloggers is not "big" at all. True, there were some who couldn't make it, and some probably didn't even know about the event at all, but even if everyone showed up, I doubt if we would have made a dent in the Pinoy blogosphere. This does not mean, though, that blograrians have not made an impact. After all, Juned and Arnold are well-known among probloggers and SEO enthusiasts (see A Feed is Born and Our Paradise Philippines), and Zarah writes for the Pinoy Moms Network.
I am more concerned, however, that librarians who blog are less likely to be working in libraries and that blograrians are more likely to be male. Perhaps the former reflects the reality that practicing librarians are too busy to blog—but I don't buy this reasoning because Zarah is one of the busiest librarians in the Philippines, whether at her place of work or as a speaker elsewhere, and she continues to blog. Regarding the latter, are male librarians taking over the profession or are female librarians just not tech-savvy enough? Again, Zarah disproves the last one—and she doesn't even consider herself a techie—while attendance at any event organized by librarians certainly debunks the first.
What's going on? I don't really know. Maybe it's not gender-related, maybe it's a function of age. But this doesn't hold water either because, except for Charles—the lone non-LIS degree-holder—none of us are below 30. And then there's Melchor, who must be at least 50 years old. If you have any ideas regarding the dearth of blograrians, I'd love to hear them. Anyway, I won't be ordering any "hits" any time soon, but I do hope that once the "syndicate" is up and running, that members will get more hits and that this will encourage them to blog more about their profession.
The following are the posts that were written after the event:
What do these facts mean? As the titles of Zarah's posts indirectly show—from Live Blogging: Pinoy Big Biblioblogosphere to Live Blogging: Pinoy Biblioblogosphere—the group of Pinoy bibliobloggers is not "big" at all. True, there were some who couldn't make it, and some probably didn't even know about the event at all, but even if everyone showed up, I doubt if we would have made a dent in the Pinoy blogosphere. This does not mean, though, that blograrians have not made an impact. After all, Juned and Arnold are well-known among probloggers and SEO enthusiasts (see A Feed is Born and Our Paradise Philippines), and Zarah writes for the Pinoy Moms Network.
I am more concerned, however, that librarians who blog are less likely to be working in libraries and that blograrians are more likely to be male. Perhaps the former reflects the reality that practicing librarians are too busy to blog—but I don't buy this reasoning because Zarah is one of the busiest librarians in the Philippines, whether at her place of work or as a speaker elsewhere, and she continues to blog. Regarding the latter, are male librarians taking over the profession or are female librarians just not tech-savvy enough? Again, Zarah disproves the last one—and she doesn't even consider herself a techie—while attendance at any event organized by librarians certainly debunks the first.
What's going on? I don't really know. Maybe it's not gender-related, maybe it's a function of age. But this doesn't hold water either because, except for Charles—the lone non-LIS degree-holder—none of us are below 30. And then there's Melchor, who must be at least 50 years old. If you have any ideas regarding the dearth of blograrians, I'd love to hear them. Anyway, I won't be ordering any "hits" any time soon, but I do hope that once the "syndicate" is up and running, that members will get more hits and that this will encourage them to blog more about their profession.
The following are the posts that were written after the event:
When Pinoy Blograrians Meet, A Mafia is Born
Pinoy Biblioblogosphere
Filipino Blograrians: Blogging Mafia on the Rise (?)
One Library Article Every Week (a.k.a. Homework)
Oh Saturday!
Pinoy Big Biblioblogosphere:
Eyeball on 15 September 2007
Labels:
Biblioblogosphere
Update as of 12 September 2007: Time has been moved to 4:00 pm to accommodate more people, but I will be at the venue from 3:00 pm onward in case there are people who missed this update.In Pinoy Big Biblioblogosphere: July 2007, I invited "members of the Pinoy biblioblogosphere" to state their preferences regarding the place and time of our first—but not last, I hope—eyeball (EB), which I suppose needed to be stated explicitly (sorry, Zarah).
Well, based on the comments and the few people to whom I've mentioned the idea, it looks like this is what will work best:
Place: a different bookstore (adb), SerendraPlease leave a message below to confirm your attendance, so I can inform Chito, adb's marketing manager, who is looking forward to hosting our small group.
Date: Saturday, 15 September 2007
Time: 3:00 pm
Agenda:
Meet, greet and discuss the future of the Pinoy biblioblogosphere =)
Who should attend:
Anyone whose blog I've ever linked to in my Pinoy Big Biblioblogosphere posts, plus bloggers who care about books and libraries, whether librarian or not.
"Filipino Librarian" Among Top 25 Librarian Blogs
According to the Online Education Database (OEDb), this blog is among the "Top 25 Librarian Bloggers (By the Numbers)." To be more specific, No. 9. That's not among Asian or Filipino blograrians, but in the world. Plus, as far as I can tell, mine is the only non-North American blog on the list.
But no, this does not mean that I'm totally convinced this blog should be on the list. I have a problem with the fact that Library Stuff and other more influential blogs did not make it to the list (i.e., OEDb probably should have cast a wider net), and even with the title (i.e., they're measuring blog numbers, not the bloggers), but hey, recognition is still recognition =)
If you'd like to find out more about the state of the biblioblogosphere, check out the "2007 Survey of the Biblioblogosphere" by Meredith Farkas.
Thanks to Arnold for the heads-up!
Pinoy Big Biblioblogosphere: July 2007
Labels:
Biblioblogosphere
This post is long overdue, so please forgive me if it's not as comprehensive as the previous ones. But first, allow me to announce that I am inviting all those who consider themselves members of the Pinoy biblioblogosphere—whether you are a librarian or not—to leave a comment below regarding your availability on September 15 or 16, and preferences on place (preferably with free wifi) and time. This way, we can confirm whether the "big" in the title of this post is merely wishful thinking on my part =)
Last July, the biggest news in the biblioblogosphere—or just about any place where people read books—was undoubtedly the publication of the last installment of the Harry Potter series. Among the blograrians who wrote about the book before and after reading it were:
Last July, the biggest news in the biblioblogosphere—or just about any place where people read books—was undoubtedly the publication of the last installment of the Harry Potter series. Among the blograrians who wrote about the book before and after reading it were:
Juned, Peachy, Ralline and Rhea. It was Zarah and her spoilers, however, that benefited in terms of traffic, as reflected in the rise of her blog to no. 19 on Pinoy Top Blogs.
Zarah also covered National Children's Book Day, Florante provided some notes regarding the ALA Annual Conference held in Washington, DC, last June, Igor and Noel noted the revitalization of the UP Library and Information Science Students’ Association (watch the video to see what LIS students look like nowadays), and the UP Library Science Alumni Association unveiled a new look for its website.
Personal achievements worth noting were those by Mila, who co-authored a paper on "Scholarly Publishing Initiatives at the International Rice Research Institute," which was presented in Vancouver; and Melchor, who shared the citation for the award he received as an outstanding employee in UP Visayas.
Then there's Arnold, who reported that a library from the Philippines turned down the chance to have its books digitized by Google. He also refers to this blograrian as an "established" blogger, who supposedly earns "some money (over $1000)." I've been blogging for more than two and a half years, and all I can say is, "I wish!"
By the way, in case you think working in libraries is boring, take a look at what Vhessa has to say: "The Library Is SO Not Boring!" And if you think librarians are boring, take a look at them fire breathing and dancing.
Reactions posted last July to my own posts include those of Charles on "Who is the Imelda Marcos of Books?"; Paolo and Zimm on "The First Books Printed in the Philippines"; and Charles and Bhex on "Are Bookstores Better Than Libraries?" I wish I could link to more of Charles's posts, but as he has admitted, he has too many posts. And since he referred to me as "she" in both the posts I linked to above, let me just state, for the record, that not all librarians are female =)
Zarah also covered National Children's Book Day, Florante provided some notes regarding the ALA Annual Conference held in Washington, DC, last June, Igor and Noel noted the revitalization of the UP Library and Information Science Students’ Association (watch the video to see what LIS students look like nowadays), and the UP Library Science Alumni Association unveiled a new look for its website.
Personal achievements worth noting were those by Mila, who co-authored a paper on "Scholarly Publishing Initiatives at the International Rice Research Institute," which was presented in Vancouver; and Melchor, who shared the citation for the award he received as an outstanding employee in UP Visayas.
Then there's Arnold, who reported that a library from the Philippines turned down the chance to have its books digitized by Google. He also refers to this blograrian as an "established" blogger, who supposedly earns "some money (over $1000)." I've been blogging for more than two and a half years, and all I can say is, "I wish!"
By the way, in case you think working in libraries is boring, take a look at what Vhessa has to say: "The Library Is SO Not Boring!" And if you think librarians are boring, take a look at them fire breathing and dancing.
Reactions posted last July to my own posts include those of Charles on "Who is the Imelda Marcos of Books?"; Paolo and Zimm on "The First Books Printed in the Philippines"; and Charles and Bhex on "Are Bookstores Better Than Libraries?" I wish I could link to more of Charles's posts, but as he has admitted, he has too many posts. And since he referred to me as "she" in both the posts I linked to above, let me just state, for the record, that not all librarians are female =)
Book Development Month 2007
Labels:
Biblioblogosphere,
Events
What does it mean when Book Development Month (BDM) is not paid much attention by the print media? True, press releases made it into the newspapers, and there was an editorial that referred to "the invention of block printing during the Industrial Revolution," but these only highlight the seeming indifference of newspaper editors who, I suppose, should be encouraging more Filipinos to read books... and newspapers. I hope I'm wrong. Maybe I just missed the many column inches devoted to BDM activities. Maybe there were even segments devoted to BDM on the TV newscasts.
Anyway, I think the National Book Development Board (NBDB) should be lauded for turning to alternative media, specifically the blogosphere, to spread the word about BDM. It probably wasn't as effective as a mass media campaign would have been, but at least the word spread among those who care about books. Or at least those who have access to the Internet and read the blog posts featured below.
Anyway, I think the National Book Development Board (NBDB) should be lauded for turning to alternative media, specifically the blogosphere, to spread the word about BDM. It probably wasn't as effective as a mass media campaign would have been, but at least the word spread among those who care about books. Or at least those who have access to the Internet and read the blog posts featured below.
One of the most passionate bloggers who wrote about BDM last June was Tin of Read or Die (RoD). Her many posts included her thoughts on May Jurilla's talk on books and nation-building and the Portrait Of The City exhibit. She even took on the responsibility of asking Jurilla for permission to post the timeline of the history of the book in the Philippines. In an earlier post, she also alluded to Andrea Pasion-Flores, the current NBDB executive director, as "young, intelligent, and used to work for a magazine publishing house... and perhaps most important of all–she herself is a writer," which provides a clue as to how Pasion-Flores must have found this blog a few months ago.
Other more significant posts about BDM events included those by Butch Dalisay and Zarah Gagatiga, who both happened to be speakers at separate activities. Tin thought the latter's talk on community libraries was "particularly illuminating and made [her] re-think and reconsider several of [her] ideas of how RoD could go about supporting library work and librarians."
Then there was the PCIJ series on Literature and Literacy, which did not seem to be officially connected to BDM:
Articles
And it is my hope that next year's BDM will be much more visible in mainstream media.
Other more significant posts about BDM events included those by Butch Dalisay and Zarah Gagatiga, who both happened to be speakers at separate activities. Tin thought the latter's talk on community libraries was "particularly illuminating and made [her] re-think and reconsider several of [her] ideas of how RoD could go about supporting library work and librarians."
Then there was the PCIJ series on Literature and Literacy, which did not seem to be officially connected to BDM:
Articles
A Nation Of Nonreaders (1 2 3 4 - includes "Libraries of Hope")Poetry Podcasts
Muslim Classes Come Alive (1 2)
Speaking In Tongues (1 2)
Chicks Rule! (1 2 3 - includes "No Chicken-feed Profits")
Bad Ba Mag-Txt? (1 2)
A Stunted Market For Kids' Books (1 2 3 - includes "Pages from the Past")
Rofel Brion: TagalogImage Galleries
Roy Aragon: Ilokano
Haidee Palapar: Cebuano
Kristian Cordero: Bikolano
Mangyan
Marikina's Public LibrariesVideo
Children Of Malaybalay City Central Elementary School
What Is Your Favorite Book?My comment on book donations in connection with the article on nonreaders drew further comments from Tin and Charles. Zarah hoped that the author of the article on children's literature would write about the more positive changes that have occurred over the years.
And it is my hope that next year's BDM will be much more visible in mainstream media.
Pinoy Big Biblioblogosphere: June 2007
Labels:
Biblioblogosphere
I must confess that this post is not just for readers of this blog. It's also for me. Otherwise, I probably would not have a chance to find out what else is going on in the Pinoy biblioblogosphere, especially during the past month when I did not have much time to post on this blog or even read other blogs. There was quite a bit of activity in the biblioblogosphere last month, so I will feature posts about Book Development Month separately. Aside from the usual links to posts by librarians, there are also quite a few posts below by library users, and even a short story.
On the month that students went back to school, Clair challenged the faculty and students of our alma mater to engage in "cross-pollination." What does this mean? Well, take a look at what she wrote about how having a LIS degree helped her in software development. Zarah is now the president not of a librarian's association but of Kuting, an organization of children's writers. And there's Arnold, who is now blogging about new technology so much that he has a tech news round up. But it seems that others were thinking about "cross-pollination" even earlier than Clair because Igor—who happens to be into technology, theater and so many other things—is teaching again!
On the month that students went back to school, Clair challenged the faculty and students of our alma mater to engage in "cross-pollination." What does this mean? Well, take a look at what she wrote about how having a LIS degree helped her in software development. Zarah is now the president not of a librarian's association but of Kuting, an organization of children's writers. And there's Arnold, who is now blogging about new technology so much that he has a tech news round up. But it seems that others were thinking about "cross-pollination" even earlier than Clair because Igor—who happens to be into technology, theater and so many other things—is teaching again!
Speaking of going back to school, Clair recommends Schoolpad, which allows pre-schools, and elementary and high schools to build their websites for free. Juned describes Filipiniana.net as "heaven sent," but you may also want to read "Filipiniana.net" by Ronald Lim (Manila Bulletin, 9 June 2007). On the more practical side, Zarah narrates some stories about first encounters @ the library. But that's from the point of view of the librarian. What do users say? Nika was embarrassed when she unknowingly walked into a closed-shelves area—twice. It wasn't a big deal, but if I were the librarian, I'd look into the physical set-up of the library. Maybe the closed shelves look more like open shelves?
From Down Under, Peachy writes about an example of the hazards of our trade. One aspect of the Biogesic ad, it turns out, was not exactly wrong. Peachy, however, probably needs to talk to Melsungit, who couldn't stomach certain aspects of living in Australia, including the fact that librarians need to have licenses. She seems to be under the impression that librarians in the Philippines don't need to get a license. Peachy also ponders the future of cataloging, but this perhaps will be more interesting for catalogers and students taking cataloging right now. Users will probably be better able to sympathize with Demsen, who found that her city library was an "undersized crowded place," and the "librarian" was someone who, apparently, "doesn’t even know where to locate books."
On the acquisitions side, Tin points to some bookstores that are offering deals on Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. But those who want to buy the book may want to wait a little longer and read what Charles has to say about previous Harry Potter wars. Zarah, meanwhile, has been gaining some traffic on a series of posts on pseudo-spoilers (1 2 3). Speaking of bookstores, I really need to get back to the question, "Are bookstores better than libraries?" Charles, a non-librarian, ponders this question in the continuation of his "Library Stories" (2 3 4), refers to how intimidating the Dewey Decimal System can be, and concludes that, "perhaps at the end of the day, it's not about the books inside the library—it's about the people in it be they librarians, students, researchers, bibliophiles, or the janitor." Amen.
Black Lion, meanwhile, laments having to put up with bookstores because "the Philippines has no decent public libraries (WE NEED THESE)."
Sedricke apparently agrees. He does not seem to be a librarian, but the single thing that he loves most about his job is that he is surrounded by books that he doesn't see in bookstores or public libraries. Unfortunately for everyone else, Sedricke seems to be working in a very special library. It must be noted, though, that there's a difference between being surrounded by books and reading them, which explains Virgilio Almario's question in "Nagbabasa Ka Ba?" See the reactions of Tin and Charles (1 2). For the more visually inclined, you may want to check out a post by Gilbert on The Reading Room: "Unlike other films where libraries, readers and reading serve only as backdrops to some scenes, the Reading Room is the main focus where most of the action takes place." He also notes that, "In local cinema and TV programs, there is a dearth of positive roles showing readers in real-life terms."
If you happen to be living abroad, you may be able to identify with the experience of Cecilia, who recalls "going to libraries to look for books, stories by Filipino/Filipino-American writers," and realizing that, "It was as if Filipinos in America did not have a literary voice, as if we barely existed." Alex, however, has a different story—a short story. The OFW protagonist remembers the "abandoned and neglected library" of his youth in the Philippines, and contrasts this with the one "he always finds himself running to... before closing time to get a glimpse of another bestselling book he has yet to read." A line toward the end makes this a rare short story: "He would be happy to be known as a librarian."
Special events during the previous month included the 35th anniversary of the The Agricultural Librarians Association of the Philippines (ALAP) in Laguna. Mila provides some history, while the ALAP blog has the photos and PowerPoint presentations. EISI was there for the 34th general assembly of ALBASA in Cebu. Meanwhile, BASA (no relation to ALBASA), shares photos of a 2006 trip to Masbate and indicates the schedule for the rest of 2007. The best thing about all these events? None of them were held in Metro Manila, but the blog posts allow Manila-centric readers to realize that not everything happens in Manila. If other library associations and institutions were blogging their activities, we might have a better picture of what's going on in Philippine librarianship.
From Down Under, Peachy writes about an example of the hazards of our trade. One aspect of the Biogesic ad, it turns out, was not exactly wrong. Peachy, however, probably needs to talk to Melsungit, who couldn't stomach certain aspects of living in Australia, including the fact that librarians need to have licenses. She seems to be under the impression that librarians in the Philippines don't need to get a license. Peachy also ponders the future of cataloging, but this perhaps will be more interesting for catalogers and students taking cataloging right now. Users will probably be better able to sympathize with Demsen, who found that her city library was an "undersized crowded place," and the "librarian" was someone who, apparently, "doesn’t even know where to locate books."
On the acquisitions side, Tin points to some bookstores that are offering deals on Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. But those who want to buy the book may want to wait a little longer and read what Charles has to say about previous Harry Potter wars. Zarah, meanwhile, has been gaining some traffic on a series of posts on pseudo-spoilers (1 2 3). Speaking of bookstores, I really need to get back to the question, "Are bookstores better than libraries?" Charles, a non-librarian, ponders this question in the continuation of his "Library Stories" (2 3 4), refers to how intimidating the Dewey Decimal System can be, and concludes that, "perhaps at the end of the day, it's not about the books inside the library—it's about the people in it be they librarians, students, researchers, bibliophiles, or the janitor." Amen.
Black Lion, meanwhile, laments having to put up with bookstores because "the Philippines has no decent public libraries (WE NEED THESE)."
Sedricke apparently agrees. He does not seem to be a librarian, but the single thing that he loves most about his job is that he is surrounded by books that he doesn't see in bookstores or public libraries. Unfortunately for everyone else, Sedricke seems to be working in a very special library. It must be noted, though, that there's a difference between being surrounded by books and reading them, which explains Virgilio Almario's question in "Nagbabasa Ka Ba?" See the reactions of Tin and Charles (1 2). For the more visually inclined, you may want to check out a post by Gilbert on The Reading Room: "Unlike other films where libraries, readers and reading serve only as backdrops to some scenes, the Reading Room is the main focus where most of the action takes place." He also notes that, "In local cinema and TV programs, there is a dearth of positive roles showing readers in real-life terms."
If you happen to be living abroad, you may be able to identify with the experience of Cecilia, who recalls "going to libraries to look for books, stories by Filipino/Filipino-American writers," and realizing that, "It was as if Filipinos in America did not have a literary voice, as if we barely existed." Alex, however, has a different story—a short story. The OFW protagonist remembers the "abandoned and neglected library" of his youth in the Philippines, and contrasts this with the one "he always finds himself running to... before closing time to get a glimpse of another bestselling book he has yet to read." A line toward the end makes this a rare short story: "He would be happy to be known as a librarian."
Special events during the previous month included the 35th anniversary of the The Agricultural Librarians Association of the Philippines (ALAP) in Laguna. Mila provides some history, while the ALAP blog has the photos and PowerPoint presentations. EISI was there for the 34th general assembly of ALBASA in Cebu. Meanwhile, BASA (no relation to ALBASA), shares photos of a 2006 trip to Masbate and indicates the schedule for the rest of 2007. The best thing about all these events? None of them were held in Metro Manila, but the blog posts allow Manila-centric readers to realize that not everything happens in Manila. If other library associations and institutions were blogging their activities, we might have a better picture of what's going on in Philippine librarianship.
Pinoy Big Biblioblogosphere: May 2007
Labels:
Biblioblogosphere
Do you remember why you became a librarian? Or how you got your first job as one? During the past month, Mhel asserted that "once a librarian, always a librarian." But no, she wasn't referring to retired librarians (she hasn't graduated yet); she was actually talking about how she grew up "playing" with her books, and that this was her OJT. Wow! Zarah, meanwhile, reminisced about her job hunting days on her 13th year as a librarian. But it was clearly not all fun and games, as shown by her post on "The Living Wounded."
There were quite a lot of posts on lectures and conferences, perhaps because many of these are conducted during the summer months.
There were quite a lot of posts on lectures and conferences, perhaps because many of these are conducted during the summer months.
Zarah shared what she learned at the RAP Annual Summer Convention 2007, had time for "Live Blogging @ Apple Camp" (1 2 3 4), and commented on the lecture of Cora Nera on Continuing Professional Education for Librarians. Mila reported on the talk delivered by Fides Datu-Lawton on open access initiatives. The PLAI-NCR blog summarized the lecture of Chito Angeles on the Design and Implementation of the U.P. IPN.
From Down Under, Peachy gave "a taste of an Aussie conference" and noted the differences between Australian and Filipino library conferences. Noel dreamt of a new future, but it was his presence at the 2007 JavaOne Conference that led me to hope that future librarians like him will be attending more conferences that are somewhat related—but not necessarily devoted—to librarianship.
Arnold linked to an article on the "4 Habits of Highly Effective Librarians," and points out that these are "nothing new... But it won’t hurt to refresh our memories and probably our practices as well." One way of doing this would be to consult the list of new books for librarians at the PLAI-STRLC blog.
Charles, a non-librarian, started a series on "Library Stories" (Part 1), but it was a non-serial post about eBook design that turned into a series when it was followed by "eBooks Redux," where he offered six "conditions" that would make the adoption of eBooks a reality; and "The Textbook Dilemma," which he believes is the solution to the problem of textbook photocopying.
The Read Or Die blog has started what I hope will turn into a series of posts. It began with "An informal survey of reading habits," and was followed by "More on Reading Habits." One of the writers can't imagine reading a book while eating, but I can't imagine eating alone without reading =)
Well, that particular reader was averse to eating while reading because he didn't want to get his books dirty. He may want to try the ancient way to protect books that Juned suggests. By the way, if anybody tries it, I'd be interested in knowing what happens =)
From Down Under, Peachy gave "a taste of an Aussie conference" and noted the differences between Australian and Filipino library conferences. Noel dreamt of a new future, but it was his presence at the 2007 JavaOne Conference that led me to hope that future librarians like him will be attending more conferences that are somewhat related—but not necessarily devoted—to librarianship.
Arnold linked to an article on the "4 Habits of Highly Effective Librarians," and points out that these are "nothing new... But it won’t hurt to refresh our memories and probably our practices as well." One way of doing this would be to consult the list of new books for librarians at the PLAI-STRLC blog.
Charles, a non-librarian, started a series on "Library Stories" (Part 1), but it was a non-serial post about eBook design that turned into a series when it was followed by "eBooks Redux," where he offered six "conditions" that would make the adoption of eBooks a reality; and "The Textbook Dilemma," which he believes is the solution to the problem of textbook photocopying.
The Read Or Die blog has started what I hope will turn into a series of posts. It began with "An informal survey of reading habits," and was followed by "More on Reading Habits." One of the writers can't imagine reading a book while eating, but I can't imagine eating alone without reading =)
Well, that particular reader was averse to eating while reading because he didn't want to get his books dirty. He may want to try the ancient way to protect books that Juned suggests. By the way, if anybody tries it, I'd be interested in knowing what happens =)
Pinoy Big Biblioblogosphere: April 2007
Labels:
Biblioblogosphere
It's time for the Filipino version of the Carnival of the Infosciences, This Week in LibraryBlogLand at LISNews, and Rambling Librarian's Highlights from Singapore LibraryBlogLand.
This will be a monthly post, so if you'd like to have your blog covered in future posts, leave a comment below. It doesn't matter if you're a librarian, a library student or a non-librarian. If you're a Filipino—or even a foreigner based in the Philippines—blogging about libraries, books, literacy, etc., let me know so that I can add your blog to my Google Reader.
Our first housemate-blogger is Zarah Gagatiga, whose two-part "The Living Library" (1 2) explains why "a reader friendly library is a library that is alive and thriving in all aspects of services and programs." Peachy Limpin discusses the use of wireless technology in conducting the annual inventory at her library in Australia. Arnold Zafra shares how bloggers can use the new Wordpress Theme Generator. On a related note, Juned Sonido and Noel Feria wrote about their experiences at iblog3. This reminds me of the first time I met librarian-bloggers at iblog more than two years ago. And now there are enough libloggers to do this review. Wow!
Next up are those who have been sharing their notes on recent conferences and lectures for librarians.
This will be a monthly post, so if you'd like to have your blog covered in future posts, leave a comment below. It doesn't matter if you're a librarian, a library student or a non-librarian. If you're a Filipino—or even a foreigner based in the Philippines—blogging about libraries, books, literacy, etc., let me know so that I can add your blog to my Google Reader.
Our first housemate-blogger is Zarah Gagatiga, whose two-part "The Living Library" (1 2) explains why "a reader friendly library is a library that is alive and thriving in all aspects of services and programs." Peachy Limpin discusses the use of wireless technology in conducting the annual inventory at her library in Australia. Arnold Zafra shares how bloggers can use the new Wordpress Theme Generator. On a related note, Juned Sonido and Noel Feria wrote about their experiences at iblog3. This reminds me of the first time I met librarian-bloggers at iblog more than two years ago. And now there are enough libloggers to do this review. Wow!
Next up are those who have been sharing their notes on recent conferences and lectures for librarians.
There's Mel Cichon, who has been emailing his notes on a recent conference on emerging trends in libraries and information services to the PAARL Yahoogroup, but has also already posted most of them to his blog. Then there's PLAI-STRLC, which provides the slides used at a lecture on continuing professional education for librarians and existing library standards. And of course, there's the report on the annual GAB lecture at the UP Library Bulletin.
Non-librarians have been writing about reading. Sacha Chua shares her thoughts on a book that will "help kids fall in love with reading," and links to her mom's post (!) on teaching the love of reading. Connie Veneracion maintains that a love for reading does not depend on how much money you have. But what do you do if you don't have money to buy books? Juned Sonido, who seems to have more blogs than any librarian I know, suggests alternatives to buying books.
Finally, the following are blogs that you may wish to explore or subscribe to just because what they're writing about or doing should make us think about the future of libraries. There's Read or Die, which has been going through some changes as a "club," but may in fact be viewed as a type of library managed by readers, not librarians. Charles Tan writes in a post on music piracy that, "The problem with ebooks is that they haven't really caught on," which should be food for thought to those who think that books aren't necessary anymore. And then there's Kiven, who has a degree in LIS, but "catalogs" more babes than books. If the position "gaming librarian" ever makes it to Philippine libraries, I'm willing to bet that he'd be one of the first choices for the position.
Non-librarians have been writing about reading. Sacha Chua shares her thoughts on a book that will "help kids fall in love with reading," and links to her mom's post (!) on teaching the love of reading. Connie Veneracion maintains that a love for reading does not depend on how much money you have. But what do you do if you don't have money to buy books? Juned Sonido, who seems to have more blogs than any librarian I know, suggests alternatives to buying books.
Finally, the following are blogs that you may wish to explore or subscribe to just because what they're writing about or doing should make us think about the future of libraries. There's Read or Die, which has been going through some changes as a "club," but may in fact be viewed as a type of library managed by readers, not librarians. Charles Tan writes in a post on music piracy that, "The problem with ebooks is that they haven't really caught on," which should be food for thought to those who think that books aren't necessary anymore. And then there's Kiven, who has a degree in LIS, but "catalogs" more babes than books. If the position "gaming librarian" ever makes it to Philippine libraries, I'm willing to bet that he'd be one of the first choices for the position.
New Blog: PLAI Cagayan
Labels:
Biblioblogosphere
Its official name is PLAI-Cagayan Valley Region Librarians Council. One thing they've done that other association blogs haven't is post a "List of Registered Librarians in Region 02." Here's hoping the blogging trend continues...
—
Subscribe to:
