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Seasons of Love

The year is about to end. It's a good time to reflect on how we should measure success. Not just at work, but at home, in our relationships with family, friends. Ourselves. How, in fact, do you "measure the life of a woman or a man"? How would you measure yours?

Jonathan Larson, the creator of Rent—the musical from which the song "Seasons of Love" comes—died after watching the final dress rehearsal of his creation, which would become a hit on Broadway and win just about every award, including the Pulitzer Prize.

How, indeed, do you measure the life of a woman or a man?


Seasons of Love
Jonathan Larson

525,600 minutes
525,000 moments so dear
525,600 minutes
How do you measure - measure a year?

In daylights, in sunsets
In midnights, in cups of coffee
In inches, in miles
In laughter, in strife

In -
525,600 minutes
How do you measure
A year in the life?

How about love?
How about love?
How about love?
Measure in love

Seasons of love
Seasons of love

SOLOIST 1
525,600 minutes
525,000 journeys to plan
525,600 minutes
How do you measure the life of a woman or a man?

SOLOIST 2
In truths that she learned
Or in times that he cried
In bridges he burned
Or the way that she died.

COMPANY
It's time now to sing out
Tho' the story never ends
Let's celebrate
Remember a year in the life of friends

Remember the love
Remember the love
Remember the love
Measure in love

SOLOIST 1
Measure, measure your life in love

Seasons of love
Seasons of love



Category: About Vonjobi

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Fixing the Comelec


"Cyberspace 'pirma' urges Abalos et al. to resign" by Jerome Aning appears in print on the front page of the Philippine Daily Inquirer (28 December 2005) as "Petition in cyberspace: Abalos et al. resign now." The URL for the online petition, however, does not appear in either the online or print version of the story—an unforgivable sin.

It's a good thing that Erwin Lemuel Oliva of INQ7.net wrote "Online petition urges Comelec officials' resignation" (27 December 2005) and provided not just the URL but a clickable link to the petition. Unfortunately, readers of the print edition who wish to sign the online petition would not have seen this story because it appears exclusively online.

If you wish to read, sign or see who has signed the "Comelec Commissioners Must Resign!" petition written by Gus Lagman, click here. At this time, there are 263 signatories, but not all of them seem to be supporters of the petition based on the comments they've left (e.g., "Puro kasinungalingan naman itong petisyon na'to"). There also seem to be problems with multiple signatures and untraceable signatories.

The online petition is probably good for spreading the word, but it will probably be useless for validation purposes. If you would really like to do something about the Comelec, it might be better to join the call of Urbano dela Cruz to "Reform the Comelec Now."


Category: The Philippines

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FO: Jose Rizal and Rizaliana

December 30 is a national holiday in the Philippines. Jose Rizal was executed on this day 109 years ago. If you do not know who Rizal is, the following should be useful starting points:

JoseRizal.ph was "...created to assist students in the appreciation of the role of Rizal in the development of the Filipino nation." While the site—with its study guides, summaries and downloadable syllabi—is directed to students and teachers, it is also a good starting point for anyone who wishes to know more about Rizal and his works. Interesting features: two articles on Rizal as the father of Hitler (!), the first declaration of December 30 as a "national day of mourning," and pictures of Rizal, his women and other works.

Project Gutenberg is the place to go for the full text of some of Rizal's works in Spanish ("El Consejo de los Dioses," "Filipinas Dentro De Cien Años," "Junto Al Pasig") and translations in English (The Indolence of the Filipino, The Reign of Greed, The Social Cancer) and Tagalog ("Ang Liham ni Dr. Jose Rizal sa mga Kadalagahan sa Malolos, Bulakan"). A book about Rizal is also available: Lineage, Life and Labors of José Rizal, Philippine Patriot by Austin Craig.

The Diaries of Jose Rizal reproduces the thoughts recorded by Rizal from Calamba on 1 May 1882, to his trip to Manila and then Europe, and throughout his travels in Europe until 21 October 1886. Photos, postcards and maps appear occasionally. It must be noted, however, that the site is a blog and the dates on which entries were posted do not correspond to the dates on which Rizal wrote in his diary. For an overview of all the entries, it is probably better to start with the archives, where the places and dates on which Rizal wrote in his diary are listed.

Rizal-Blumentritt Friendship is not really just about Rizal's friendship with Blumentritt. Aside from the letters they exchanged, the following are also available: The Story of José Rizal by Austin Craig, "The Monkey and the Turtle" as illustrated by Rizal, and Virtual Travels of Rizal, which presents what Rizal and others wrote about his travels using maps.

Rizaliana is devoted to the poems written by Rizal and translated by others into Spanish, English, Tagalog and even Japanese. The transcript of Rizal's court appearance, which may or may not be complete, is also available.


Categories: Filipiniana Online, Events

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Three Wise Pinoys

Let us remember the reason for the season: Merry CHRISTmas!

The Star of the Kings
Horacio dela Costa, SJ

The Star of the Kings by Horacio dela Costa, SJ
I do not think the three wise men
Were Persian kings at all.
I think it much more likely
That they set sail from off Manila Bay
In answer to the call.

And though the great historians
May stare at me and frown,
I still maintain the three wise men
Were kings from my hometown.

And if you ask why I affirm
That Melchor was king of Tondo,
When Gaspar ruled Sampaloc,
And Baltazar Binondo—

We will not argue. We will walk
The streets on Christmas Eve,
And I'll show you the poor man's rafter
Where hangs the Star the Kings sought after,
High above Christian prayer and laughter—
You will see it, and believe!

For when they crossed the sea again
From Bethlehem afar,
They lost their camels in the sea
And they forgot the Christmas tree
But they brought back to you and me
The secret of the Star.
Note: It is important to remember that dela Costa kept rewriting his works and that the version presented here is the one usually performed by Dulaang Sibol, a theater group at the Ateneo de Manila High School. Click on image to view source.


Category: The Philippines, Events

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Email New Year's Resolutions to Yourself

A few people who read "Email Yourself... Receive It 20 Years Later," asked me why there was a deadline. Well, that's how it was set up. But for those of you who would still like to email yourselves—especially now that it's New-Year's-resolution time again—there's Futureme.org (via Kung-Fu Librarian).

Unlike the Forbes "E-Mail Time Capsule," this site allows users to choose to send their email privately or let others read what they wrote without revealing their identity. The sending options range from 1 to 30 years—10 more than Forbes. Plus, there is no deadline for emailing yourself.

For those of you who like controversy, it appears that Futureme.org was there before Forbes. For more information, see Futureme.org's response and the more neutral "Web Sites Let Users Send E-Mail to Future."


Category: Internet

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Being Filipino is a Gift

"Learning to love yourself is the greatest love of all."

Filipinos tend to have inferiority complexes: I'm too dark, I can't do this, I'm not good enough, I don't have any talent, I'm not good-looking... But some Filipinos look at what they have and see being Filipino—and all that goes with being one—as a gift.

In "Why Filipinos Are Special," Ed Lapiz asks, "what makes the Filipino special?" Lapiz summarizes by saying that Filipinos are "brown, spiritual, timeless, spaceless, linguists, groupists, weavers, adventurers." He looks on the brighter side but acknowledges that it is still up to us to embrace who we are: "but first, we should know and like ourselves."

AsianSmiles reacts to what Lapiz wrote by telling her own stories about her life in a multicultural setting (see "Brownies" and "Huggies"). And then there's Rustedscissors, a Filipina living in New York.

In the three-part "Being Pinay," Rustedscissors starts by enumerating the ways in which Filipinas are different and how it can be a liability (Part I). She then goes on to comment on "Yan ang Pinay" and how there are so many other problems that need to be addressed (Part II). Finally, she acknowledges how her views have changed (Part III):
Once I longed to belong, to be like any other girl, to have blue or green eyes and blonde hair... Now I glory in the fact that I have shape when others do not, that my hair shines like molasses in the sunshine, that my skin retains a tan all year ’round.
That's what some call being comfortable in your own skin. I call it a gift.


Categories: The Philippines, Filipina

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Google for Dummies

In "How Google's PageRank Works," I provided links to articles about Google's algorithm for its search results. Well, some of those articles were heavily mathematical and overly technical. For a simpler explanation, check out "How does Google collect and rank results?" by Matt Cutts in the first ever Google Librarian Newsletter. Cutts, who works at Google, explains how search results are ranked in a way that even kids can understand. Exercises that school librarians or teachers can use to explain the concepts involved are also provided.


Category: Internet

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Tim Berners-Lee's Blog

Tim Berners-Lee, who invented the World Wide Web, now has a blog. Yes, the man who made this blog (and all other blogs, for that matter) possible—not to mention the Internet as we know it today—is now blogging. There's only one post so far, but the comments are already at 274! (Via LISNews)


Category: Internet

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Pasko = Christmas

Another reason this blog has not been updated as often as before is that it's the Christmas season. True, Christmas (or Pasko in Tagalog) starts as early as September in the Philippines (i.e., Christmas carols begin to get played on the radio and a few Christmas trees start going up), but it is only in December when schedules, eating habits and exercise routines are thrown out the window.

If you're a foreigner and would like to understand exactly how Filipinos celebrate Christmas—or if you're a Filipino who'd like to know why we do what we do—check out the following articles and/or sites:

GlobalPinoy's "Filipino Christmas Traditions" summarizes what it is that Filipinos do during Christmas by using the lyrics of "Ang Pasko ay Sumapit" (Christmas is Here) as a structure on which to hang the "decorations" (read: peculiarities) that Filipinos like to display at Christmas-time.

"Agrarian Christianity" (Philippine Daily Inquirer, 16 December 2005) and "‘Simbang Gabi’ begins" by Jaime Pilapil (Manila Standard Today, 16 December 2005) are the latest newspaper articles written to mark the start of Simbang Gabi, which literally means "night mass," but in reality refers to masses held before 6 am.

"How to Celebrate a Filipino Christmas" lists ten things that make Christmas in the Philippines truly Filipino, and provides tips and warnings (e.g., "There are more than 30 ethnic groups in the Philippines, so Christmas traditions are quite diverse and cannot be generalized").

MyParol.com is the place to go for information about the parol (lantern), which is probably the most Filipino of all Christmas decorations. The site includes articles on the parol's history, how to make a parol (includes photos and illustrations), and even a free coloring book.

Christmas in the Phillipines (note that "Philippines" is spelled incorrectly) is a site that seems to have been "currently under construction" since 1997. But it is notable for the emails reproduced on the page: one is from a foreigner who lists eight "random thoughts and reflections" that are right on the money, another spells out "Merry Christmas" in Tagalog phonetically, and still another provides a sound file.


Category: The Philippines, Events

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Librarian as Firedancer

JR Santos (right) is an undergraduate student at the Institute of Library and Information Science (ILIS), University of the Philippines (UP). He literally dances with fire.

The photos accompanying this post were taken at UP's annual lantern parade, which was held today. That's the ILIS lantern behind Santos in the photo on the right.

Santos and his two firedancer-friends brought cheers and attention to the ILIS contingent. Click on the photos to see larger versions.


Category: Stereotypes

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Gainfully Employed

One of the reasons this blog has not been updated as frequently as before is that I have been gainfully employed as of November 2005. The official document that I've been waiting for finally arrived and that's why I'm sharing this information only now. Click on the image to read the document.

It's official! I'm now an assistant professor at the Institute of Library and Information Science, University of the Philippines. I teach graduate and undergraduate courses in library management and research.

I've been teaching for more than a month now, but I still get mistaken for a student. Verrrry flattering =)


Category: About Vonjobi

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Censorship in UP Libraries?

In "My Economics Book Is Censored in the Philippines," Mark Skousen, author of The Making of Modern Economics: The Lives and Ideas of the Great Thinkers, claims that his book and Ayn Rand’s novels have been "pulled from the shelves" of the libraries at the University of the Philippines (UP), which he says is "a hotbed of Marxism."

Skousen is, of course, quoting "a friend in the Philippines," who may or may not have an agenda of his own. I will still have to make my own investigation, but based on a search of UP's online catalog, the books written by Skousen and Rand are available at the different libraries on campus.

There may be a more logical explanation. Skousen quotes his friend as saying:

Well, just yesterday she looked again [for Skousen's book] -- and it was gone! Also all Rand’s books have disappeared (they were in both the main library and the library of the College of Arts and Letters -- gone from both).
Just because a book is not on the shelf doesn't mean it has been "censored." It's very likely that someone got the book from the shelf and left it in another part of the library. There is also the other possibility that the book was borrowed. And so, of course, it would not be on the shelf.

Skousen's friend goes on and says that, "the copy of your book had been heavily highlighted by the librarian -- complete with annotated comments disputing what you said." I wonder how this friend knew that the book had been highlighted if it were missing? Ok, assuming that s/he saw the book right before it "disappeared," how can s/he be certain that it was the librarian who did the highlighting? The fact that the book was dog-eared implies that the book had already passed through more than a few hands. Besides, I don't think any librarian would deface any of the books s/he's responsible for. Or any book, period.

And Rand's novels? I wouldn't be surprised if students were told to read her novels and, instead of buying their own copies, just borrowed the copies from the different libraries on campus.

Please don't get me wrong. I am not making a case for or against Marxism or capitalism. I just think there is a less insidious explanation for the absence of certain books on a library's shelves than what Skousen suggests.


Category: In the News

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Beware of Librarian

Have you ever seen those signs saying, "Never Mind Dog, Beware of Owner"? Well, the Kung-Fu Librarian seems to be in splendid fighting form nowadays. Check out her "Rules for approaching The Kung Fu Librarian's Desk."


Category: Librarians

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Game KNB's Tarantarium

Pilipinas Game KNB? is a game show. If you would like to know how it's played, please see the review on ReviewStream.com. This post is about the so-called tarantarium, which figures prominently in the one-million-peso round and about which I have mixed feelings.

Nope, a tarantarium is not the same as a tarantULarium. Apparently, a tarantarium is a room filled with books, one of which contains the answer to the one-million-peso question. The catch? The books are not arranged in any particular order. And the contestant has one minute to find the book. Why taranta-rium? Taranta is a Tagalog word that means "flustered." If you had a shot at one million pesos, but had only one minute... you'd get "taranta-ted."

So why do I have mixed feelings about this roomful of unorganized books? On the one hand, it seems so unfair that contestants practically have no chance of finding the right book. I've been told that some contestants actually got their hands on the correct book but still couldn't find the answer. Perhaps because they had no way of knowing that they had the right book?

On the other hand, it seems to be an excellent example of the importance of organizing a collection... and the need for librarians! Spread the word, you'll lose your chance to earn a lot of money—not to mention other intangible benefits—if you can't find the information you need when you need it =)


Category: The Philippines

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One More Time: Ateneo's Rizal Library

In "Ateneo's Rizal Library," I committed the sin that I always comment on whenever a librarian's name is not mentioned in an article about a library. I said that, "The Rizal Library is probably the best-marketed Filipino library today," but did not mention any librarians' names. Let me correct that now.

Rogelio B. Mallillin, who was library director from 1980-1997, was responsible for automation and building up the revenue-generating business that now accounts for a third of the library's annual budget. Lourdes T. David, who was appointed director in 2001, is responsible for the library's increasingly high-profile in the Ateneo community, the cultural scene in the Philippines, and even among the libraries of the world. Proof of this may be seen in the most recent international conference hosted by the Rizal Library.

I wrote about the conference in "Preserving Our Cultural Heritage," which was also featured in "Over 230 Librarians Attend Int’l Confab at Ateneo" on the Ateneo website. The Powerpoint presentations and/or papers delivered (pdf) were recently uploaded at the conference website. You may also wish to look at the presentations/papers of the 2001 and 2004 conferences.

And then there are "Trip to the library" and "Libraries are Love," which tend to confirm what I have already said about the Rizal Library, except that the bloggers compare it with larger libraries. Guess which library comes out as being better? Then again, the bloggers—including this one—are all Ateneo alumni. Could it be that we're just biased? Maybe. But I seriously don't think so =)


Category: Libraries

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Free Books

This is a bit late, but just in case you need books for your library, there's still some time left. The following announcement was posted to the PLAI Yahoogroup:

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) Library wishes to announce that some 8,000 books and documents are available for donation to research and academic libraries from state colleges and universities and public institutions. The subjects covered are mostly economics, business, management and other areas of the social sciences. In addition to books, ADB publications on the same subjects are included.

Representatives may view the materials on December 5-9 from 9:00 am-5:00 pm. Prior registration is required. The ADB Library staff will assist in packing the materials but recipient institutions are responsible for delivery to their libraries.

For inquiries, please contact Riza Villafana (tel. no. 632-4270; e-mail lvillafana@adb.org) or Gina San Buenaventura (tel. no. 632-4272; e-mail gsanbuenaventura@adb.org). The ADB Library is located on #6 ADB Avenue, Mandaluyong City. It is between SM Megamall and Poveda Learning Center, along EDSA.
I have seen some of these books and documents because I used to work there. Most of them, I believe, are hardbound and a bit dated. But many, in my opinion, will still be of use to libraries whose collections are sorely lacking in basic texts in the social sciences.


Category: Technical Services

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Professional Development

You're probably overworked, but that's not an excuse to be ignorant about the latest developments in our profession. I hope you will find the three sites listed below useful for your own professional development.

EBSCO has made its Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts (LISTA) database available online—free of charge—for all those interested in libraries and librarianship. However, only abstracts, which vary in quality (some are downright terrible), are available. And so, users will still have to look elsewhere for the full text.

You may wish to search E-LIS—E-prints in Library and Information Science—in case the article you're looking for has been uploaded to this open archive. Conversely, you may also wish to upload articles you've written or conference presentations you've made (provided there is no breach of copyright) so that others who have no access to the publications in which your work appeared can benefit from your scholarship. As far as I can tell, no articles from the Philippines have been uploaded.

LISTA and E-LIS, however, are more properly consulted if you're looking for a specific article or articles on a particular subject. If you would just like to know what the latest articles are that librarians should read, then Current Cites is for you. Articles published online and in print are selected and annotated by librarians for librarians.

Searching the database is supposedly possible, but it doesn't seem to be working, so use the following on Google plus your keyword: "site:lists.webjunction.org/currentcites/ [space] keyword(s)." You may view the list of articles online, sign up for the mailing list or subscribe to the RSS feed.


Category: Librarians

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Influential? Ulirang Guro?


I don't quite know how it happened, but this blog is no. 2 on PubSub's Librarian List. In the sidebar, it says that, "This list shows the most influential librarian blogs, based on LinkRank." But, as Rambling Librarian observed, it may as well read: "You'd better watch what you blog. Blog responsibly." Click on the screenshot to see a larger version or click here in case this blog hasn't fallen off the list yet.

And then there's the Ulirang Guro feature in the sidebar of Pinoy Teachers Network. I don't know how long it will stay up, so I've uploaded the screenshot I took. Click on it to see a larger version.


Categories: About Filipino Librarian, About Vonjobi

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Librarian Trading Cards

Librarian Trading Cards Librarian Trading Cards

Librarians have trading cards, too! Check them out at Librarian Trading Cards. Or join the club and make your own at Trading Card Maker.

Click on the cards above to see larger versions. Note: I don't think Sarah is Filipino, but our cards look good together, right?

By the way, there is at least one other Filipino librarian in the group: Multifaceted Librarian.


Category: Stereotypes

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Email Yourself... Receive It 20 Years Later

Forbes calls it "The E-Mail Time Capsule," but it sounds more like sending a message in a bottle to yourself. It's very intriguing. What would you tell yourself 20 years from now?

Some of us will probably still be essentially the same, but most would have changed in many different ways. What do you like about yourself now? What would you like to change? Do you even want to find out? =)

You can opt to send the email to yourself after 1, 3, 5, 10 or 20 years. But you have to do it now. The offer ends today, November 30.

If you'd like to find out how it works, see "Building An E-Mail Time Capsule" by David M. Ewalt.


Category: Internet

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Comments

This blog does not get as many comments as the more popular blogs, but I've gotten used to seeing a few once in a while. Well, I was beginning to wonder where all the comments went when I got an email from Ghee asking whether I had disabled comments. That led me to check HaloScan and found out that there were a LOT of comments awaiting moderation!

I don't know how moderation got turned on, but I guess I might have done it unwittingly. Sorry to all those who were expecting a reply—or just wanted to see their comment "published." I've already approved the comments and will be replying in the next few days.


Category: About Filipino Librarian

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How Google's PageRank Works

Google's PageRank (PR) is one of the factors that determines the order in which results are displayed after a search is carried out. If, for example, the word "Filipina" is Googled, a site's PR contributes to the position of the link to the site when the results are shown.

But how does PR work? The simplest explanation is that a link from page A to page B is interpreted as a vote by page A for page B (see "Our Search: Google Technology"). More links, more votes, higher PR. It is, of course, not that simple. If you'd like to see the original papers written by Google's founders, check out the following:

The two articles above, however, are scientific papers that are not always easily understood. The following are more accessible:
Category: Internet

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The Filipina and "Yan ang Pinay":
Six Months Later

It's been six months since I wrote "Yan ang Pinay." Others had already written about the negative image of the Filipina online before that, but it was this post that got singled out as having "launched" the movement, even though I was actually just one of many bloggers who wrote about "Yan ang Pinay" on that day.

If there is one objective that all those who joined the movement wish to achieve, I think it would be to make sure that the top ten search results on Google for the word "Filipina" lead to websites that portray a positive image of the Filipina today. Right now, there are still quite a few in the top ten that tend to objectify the Filipina. And while many of the sites that we've linked to in the past have made it to the top ten, I think we need many more links to the following sites so that they can be ranked higher:

Bagong Pinay (New Filipina)
Filipina Webring
Definition of Filipina (Merriam-Webster)
Filipina on Wikipedia
Definition of Filipina (American Heritage)
And then there are the "Yan ang Pinay" posts that have also made it into the top search results:
"Filipina!" (Drakulita)
"'Filipina' as a keyword" (Blah!)
"Filipina" (Rickey)
"What is a Filipina?" (Sassy Lawyer)
"Filipina ko, kay ngano man diay?"(Balikbayan Box)
If you decide to link to the sites listed above, please make sure that the word "Filipina" appears in the link and not some other word.

For other ways to improve the Filipina's online presence, please see the nine techniques enumerated at Fabulous Filipinas or check out all my other posts on the Filipina.

For newer images that you can use, there is a Filipina digital painting by Joel Chua (via Jonas Diego) and Filipina buttons by Audienceone.

If you would like to know more about the objectives of "Yan ang Pinay"—including what it is and what it isn't—please see "The Filipina and 'Yan ang Pinay'."


Category: Filipina

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Blograrians on the Map


Most blograrians, according to the Frappr map above, are in the United States or Europe. As of this writing, there are only 159 blograrians who have "mapped" themselves. It's very likely that there are more, but I don't think the distribution will change very much.

Click on the map to see who the few Asian blograrians are or add yourself. All you have to do is click on "Add Yourself," input the necessary information, click on "Not in the US?" and use "Manila, National Capital Region (Philippines)" for "City." Via Multifaceted Librarian.


Category: Biblioblogosphere

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FO: Bonifacio Day

November 30—one week from today—is supposed to be an official holiday because Andres Bonifacio, one of the Philippines' national heroes, was born on that day. This year, the holiday will be on November 28, but all activities and celebrations connected with Bonifacio Day will still be observed on November 30 (see Proclamation No. 839).

If you would like to read what has been written about Bonifacio by historians and other scholars, the best starting point online is Bonifacio Papers. It looks like a blog, of course, but it is really a collection of scholarly works on Bonifacio. Book excerpts, chapters and articles are reproduced in their entirety.

The sidebar is practically a bibliography of Bonifacio's Works, what has been written about his Life, and other documents on Gregoria de Jesus and the Philippine Revolution. And then there's the section devoted to Glenn Anthony May's Inventing a Hero, which includes the "Introduction," the various Critiques of May's work, and May's Response.

It is clear that the blog's owner has not yet gotten around to Bonifacio's Trial (it's listed in the sidebar but no works are available at this time), but the recent six-part series by La Vida Lawyer on the trial (Part 1 2 3 4 5 6) more than fills this void. You may also wish to read "21st Century Lawyer Notes on the Bonifacio Trial." (Note: Unlike Bonifacio Papers, sources are not clearly indicated on this blog.)


Categories: Events, Filipiniana Online

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FO: Astronomy.com.ph

Astronomy.com.ph
Thanks to "Great Web resources" by Queena Lee-Chua (Philippine Daily Inquirer, 20 November 2005), I found out about Astronomy.com.ph. Click on the photo above to see what the stars in the sky look like from the Philippines right now. And if you are in the Philippines, you can actually print the map, go outside your house, and identify all the stars by name—assuming, of course, that it's night-time and it's a starry, starry night.

The site is an ezine that features articles on astronomy written by and for starstruck fans. What makes it even better is that the writers don't assume that their readers are familiar with the subject.

There are also regular items on astronomers and organizations—not to mention a list of addresses—for readers who want to know the respected members of the astronomy community in the Philippines. Do you want to know what the stars have in store for you this month? Check out the Sky Calendar to find out the movements of the stars and the moon—and when Uranus will be stationary =)


Category: Filipiniana Online

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Gay Librarian Sues Employer

The following stories appeared over the weekend about a librarian who alleged that he was fired because of his sexual orientation.

Marlon Lacsamana, the complainant, was also interviewed in "24 Oras," a Filipino-language newscast on 18 November 2005 (clicking on the link will lead to an index; look for "Nov. 18, 2005," and click on "Part 2" under "24 Oras"; it's the second story in the segment). Disclosure: Lacsamana was my classmate in library school.


Categories: In the News, Librarians

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Jollibee and McDonald's

This post was going to be about an article on what McDonald's is doing for kids (see "Back to books, school and fun" by Irene C. Perez, Philippine Daily Inquirer, 20 November 2005). But when I looked at the McDonald's website, I learned that the Philippines is not among the countries listed on the website.

My mind went on overdrive, of course. Could it be that McDonald's is ashamed to list the only country in the world where it's not the market leader? Check out "Jollibee stings McDonald's in Philippines" by Carlos H. Conde (International Herald Tribune, 31 May 2005) and "A busy bee in the hamburger hive" (The Economist, 28 February 2002).

But then I found out that the list "includes only those McDonald's countries/markets that have chosen to submit information about McDonald's in their location." The damage, however, had been done. I remembered a photo that I wanted to share...

Jollibee was not always spelled with two Ls. That's trivia you won't find on Jollibee's trivia site—where, in fact, it says that "Jollibee was founded in 1978." This claim, however, does not tally with the 1977 pocket calendar that I own =)


Category: The Philippines

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Children of the Ash-Covered Loam

The title of DJ Yap's article says it all: "Fire destroys NVM Gonzalez literary works" (Philippine Daily Inquirer, 19 November 2005). NVM Gonzalez was proclaimed National Artist for Literature in 1997. (Note: The NCCA site says—incorrectly—that he was given the award in 1990.) One of the short stories he wrote was "Children of the Ash-Covered Loam."

There is still, of course, the website devoted to Gonzalez and his works, but it is by no means complete. And definitely not the same as having the papers themselves. It is only now that I truly appreciate what I wrote about in "Preserving Our Cultural Heritage."


Category: The Philippines

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2005 SEA Games

23rd Southeast Asian Games

The 23rd Southeast Asian Games will be held in the Philippines this year. Different sports will be hosted by cities all over the country, but most of the events will be held in Metro Manila.

The website, however, seems to be geographically-challenged. Could Laguna really be in Metro Manila? In addition, clicking on the names of cities and or provinces on the venues page will lead to photos of the venues. Maybe some people will find the photos useful, but I think maps would have been more helpful.

Minor quibbles, as usual, so don't mind me. Go team, go!!!


Category: The Philippines

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Harry Potter and the Dead

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire has not started its regular run in the United States, but today was its first day in the Philippines.

The movie is definitely not the book. The makers have added a few things that were not in the book, and dropped a lot of things that were in the book. But overall, it's a good movie worth seeing (as opposed to a good movie that's not worth seeing). Everything whizzes by so fast that those who haven't read the book will probably miss a lot. And those who've read the book... will also miss a lot.

Someone dies, of course. But unlike Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, where the death has been disputed (see this website), the student who dies is definitely dead. Note: This paragraph was written for those who've read the latest book =)


Category: Books and Movies

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Online Libraries

Do libraries need to be buildings that hold thousands of books? Should librarians know how the Internet works? In "Online libraries" (Philippine Daily Inquirer, 16 November 2005), Michael Tan seems to take these questions for granted. Instead, he writes about the Chan Robles Virtual Law Library and Project Gutenberg—both of which have been featured in "Filipiniana Online"—and other sites that I've been planning to feature.

Tan mentions the University of the Philippines' subscriptions to electronic databases (erroneously identified on UP's website as "Electronic Journals") like Proquest, but misses the Philippine eLib, which allows students in other public universities to access electronic databases. Perhaps those behind the Philippine eLib need to promote their product more.

And then he ends with a statement that all librarians need to reflect on:

I still like the feel of an old-fashioned book, where you get to flip the pages with your fingers, but I don't mind reading an electronic version, especially if it's free. It's an exciting world out there, and the Internet's going to make it so much easier for us to explore it.

Category: Internet

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Digital Distress

My cellular phone is being repaired. Unfortunately, there are no Internet cafes for cellphones. So please email me if you need to get in touch with me.

The bigger problem is that I didn't back up the numbers, birthdays and reminders on my phone. If my phone needs to be reprogrammed, then this librarian—who should've known better—only has himself to blame.


Category: About Vonjobi

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Invisible Libraries

"Most Caloocan residents... did not know the city had a library."

The sentence above is from "Caloocan City gives reading habit a boost" by Nancy C. Carvajal (Philippine Daily Inquirer, 11 November 2005), but I would be willing to guess that many—if not most—Filipinos are not aware that their province, city or municipality has a library.

A friend once told me that she went to a bookstore to do some research for her child. There's something wrong of course when a mother does her child's work, but why did she have to go to a bookstore?

Kudos, of course, to Caloocan City for caring enough about literacy to promote its library, but forgive me for asking my usual question: Where's the librarian?

I'm rather busy at the moment, but don't worry, the follow-up to "Are Bookstores Better Than Libraries?" is coming. And I'll definitely be posting about "Invisible Librarians" as soon as I can find the time.


Category: Libraries

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FO: Paintings on eBay

Filipino Paintings on eBay

"Larawan Series" by Bencab (1994)

Sixteen paintings by Filipino and Mexican artists will be auctioned through eBay by the Cemex Philippines Foundation to "help schools get better facilities and offer students wider access to learning opportunities" (from the ad that appeared in Philippine Daily Inquirer, page A8, 11 November 2005). Click on the painting above to see all 16 paintings.

Starting bids range from 65,000 pesos to 1.8 million pesos (Bencab's painting above). There are also two paintings by Malang. Time left to bid, at this time, is 1 day and 3 hours. But there must be something wrong because the ad only appeared in the newspaper today and no bids have been placed.

I'm writing about this now because I believe in the cause for which the paintings are being auctioned. Maybe I have some rich readers who can afford the paintings. Or maybe some of my readers know some rich people. I just hope that Cemex will spend a little of the money they raise on libraries =)


Category: Filipiniana Online

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Grace Avellana Villamora: Filipina

Grace Avellana VillamoraGrace Avellana Villamora is a Filipina information professional. In "Proudly Filipino," I promised to write about her because she is someone Filipinos can be proud of.

Villamora is the author of Super Searchers on Madison Avenue (Medford, NJ: CyberAge Books/Information Today, 2003), for which she interviewed advertising librarians, market research consultants, and other advertising professionals across the United States. The book's bibliography is available online. You may wish to read the review by Chris Sherman of Search Engine Watch.

Before becoming an information professional, she worked in advertising agencies in Manila and Chicago, and that's why she has had experience in advertising, public relations and market research. She is currently the principal of brightresearch llc, which provides just-in-time research on just about any business topic.

Villamora has been an active member of the Special Libraries Association (SLA) since 1977, even though she is not a trained librarian, and has taken on many roles including that of speaker (2004) and moderator (2005) at annual conferences. She is probably the best-known Filipina in SLA today.


Categories: Filipina, Librarians

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"Average" Catholics and the Bible

When I saw "Bibles nurture hopes of poor" by Blanche S. Rivera (Philippine Daily Inquirer, 7 November 2005), I noted that it seemed as if the Bibles being distributed were how-to books that did not need to be interpreted at all. But I didn't think of the article again until I happened to open an old file that I had hoped to publish after further polishing.

After looking at it again, I thought of sharing it here because if you look beyond the religious aspect, what it says about books that go unread and how students should be introduced to reading is also very relevant to the GMA Modular Library program and DepEd's Library Hub.

I wrote this in 2001 or 2002, and though some of the views I've expressed below have already changed and the logic isn't always clear, I have decided not to revise what I wrote. Consider it a snapshot of me at a specific time =)

EKKS Marks the Spot
by Vernon Totanes

I am writing this hoping that someone will be so incensed after reading it that s/he will want to prove me wrong. And whether I am proven right or wrong, I would be satisfied with having played a role in determining where the Catholic Church in the Philippines is now in terms of understanding the Bible.

The Philippines is a predominantly Catholic country and I suspect that the average Catholic family has at least one Bible. But, if asked, only the mother would know where to find the Bible. Or, at best, one of the children would be able to pull it out right away but that would be because s/he has to bring it to school every day. Pathetic, right? It gets worse.

Guess how many in this hypothetical average Catholic family actually read the Bible regularly? Most probably, none. Not even yearly, monthly, or weekly. And definitely, not daily. That's just reading. How about understanding? Never mind. But they hear the Word of God every Sunday, right? Then the priest explains, shouldn't that be enough? Umm, ALL of them? EVERY Sunday? And assuming they're all there every Sunday, do you think they actually HEAR what's read? The priest is a different story altogether. Let's not go there, let's stick to the Bible.

Now that we've established (I know, I know...) that the average Catholic does not read the Bible (priests, religious and students at theological schools please lower your eyebrows, you are NOT average Catholics), let's try to imagine how "good" average Catholics live their faith. The "good" average Catholic would probably go to at least one Mass other than the Sunday Mass, say a novena once a month, say the rosary at least once a week, and remember to pray every day. She, however, would be hard-pressed to explain why we celebrate Christmas on December 25 when Jesus was born during a time when today's calendar did not yet exist. What about the "bad" ones? The "bad" average Catholic would probably go to Mass once in a while and remember to pray when he's in trouble. He also wouldn't know the difference between the Annunciation and the Immaculate Conception, the Assumption and the Ascension, and would probably agree if told that Catholics worship Mary as if she's God.

I exaggerate, of course, but I doubt I would be very wrong. I have no empirical data but ask yourself if I have not been, in fact, describing someone you know. I taught religion during the past school year at a school with a devotion to the Sacred Heart. But most of my students, like me, would not be able to explain the significance of the devotions to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. They had been required previously to bring their Bibles but eventually they learned to resent this requirement because they kept bringing their Bible but it was never used.

What most Catholics in the Philippines have, in my scientifically-unsupported opinion, is a faith in a memorized Jesus and an adherence to devotions not fully understood. What we have is a faith based more on teachings that tell us what we can and cannot do aside from what we should and should not do. Why? Because religion teachers find it easier to ask their students to memorize the names of the twelve apostles than to challenge them to reflect on how they are similar to the apostles. Why? Because that's how they were taught by their own teachers. So, is it the teachers' fault? Not entirely.

Can we blame someone for not achieving an objective if s/he doesn't know what the objective is? I think not. And since I've gotten this far, I suppose I might as well suggest an objective for religious education in the Philippines. I just hope I don't get excommunicated...

When I started teaching, I stated my objectives in terms of "X marks the spot." I told my 2nd year high school students that we had to be clear on where we wanted to go during the school year otherwise we would never get there. Or, alternatively, we would never find the hidden treasure if we had no idea where it was. And in this case, "X" was spelled "EKKS." E for Experience of God's love, KK for Knowing and Keeping the Word, and S for Spreading the Word.

My guess was that most of them had been taught to KEEP the Word and not much more than that. I explained that I wanted to help them reflect on their own experience of God's love. Why? Because this is what will give them the reason to WANT to keep the Word. However, keeping the Word presumes that they KNOW the Word. And if their experience of God's love is strong enough, they will not want to just keep the Word but SPREAD the Word, as well. That's what happened to the first disciples, why should we be different? Without the first disciples' Experience of Jesus, they would not have had the courage to Keep the Word in the face of difficulties, nor the zeal to Spread the Word. EKKS marks the spot.

Then I brought in the EKKS-Men who were different from everybody else and that's why people wanted to kill them even though they actually did a lot of good. I'm not talking of mutants but the followers of Christ. And how about the EKKS-files? The truth is NOT out there, it's in the Bible. That's why we need to read it. EKKSmas? Our Christmases would probably be more meaningful if we reflected on our Experience of God's love, whether we Know AND Keep the Word, and what our role has been in Spreading the Word in word and in deed. Funny? Simplistic? Well, it worked.

At the end of the year, most of my students could understand and relate a given Bible-reading to their own experience of God's love AND spread the Word to a younger cousin in language that their cousins could understand. It did not go as smoothly as I have described it and it's very likely that a lot of them still hold very heretical ideas to be true but I console myself with the thought that if all I was able to do was get them to open the Bible and read it, then maybe I would have accomplished something.


P.S. To see examples of how I taught, read "Introducing Gen X to the Bible." And then look at this Friendster testimonial, which let me know that I was able to accomplish a little of what I hoped to achieve.


Categories: Religion, About Vonjobi

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LLE 2005: Results

Results for the Librarians' Licensure Examination given last week have been released. Congratulations to the 240 new librarians!

The entire list has been uploaded as a pdf file at INQ7.net (see "Exam Results" on the lower right-hand side of the webpage) and a short article that mentions the top performing schools and the top 10 examinees appears in Manila Bulletin.

There has been a slight improvement in the passing rate from last year: 31 percent passed the exam this year, in contrast to 29 percent last year. Below are the list of the top 10 examinees and the roll of successful examinees:

Top 10

Rochelle dela Cruz Salonga, 86.55
Zipporah Maala Dery, 85.75
Andre Karlo Garcia Hombrebueno, 84.80
Iyra Sibucao Buenrostro, 84.65
Marjorie Rose Sanchez San Pedro, 83.75
Marianne Beruya Altabano, 83.65
Kurt Roy Seares Pueblos, 83.55
Lee Magno Maguilang, 83.35
Maria Maylyn Cruz Carillo, 83.25
Lisette Robles Robles, 83.10
Successful Examinees
ABALAJEN, ANNA MARIE ARANZANSO
ABEL, FREIDA BIGLETE
ABELLA, REBECCA FERNANDEZ
ABUBAKAR, JHOANNE COLOMA
ACUÑA, EDEN DEJURAS
ADDATU, MARYFEL CALIMAG
AGUADO, CHELY JON OLIVEROS
ALCANTARA, AILEENETTE AQUINO
ALCANTARA, CRISTINA TORRES
ALCEDO, BERNIE PALLARCON
ALICNA, DIANNE APRIL CAHAPISAN
ALINAS, ETHEL VENTOSA
ALTABANO, MARIANNE BERUYA
AMAR, JILVEN TESTA
AMBIL, HAIDEE LYN YCASIANO
ANTONIO, MARIA ZITA RAMOS
APOYA, RONALU LAGARE
ARANA, JACQUELYN MONTAÑEZ
ARAOARAO, EMILIA ESCAPE
ARAPOC, CATHERINE CALE
ARBOLADURA, ARIES MARANAN
ARCILLA, ARHENIUS JACOB DE LA PAZ
ARDINA, VIVIAN BORRES
ARENILLA, PHILIP JOSHUA
AREVALO, JEREMY REBOSURA
ARROYO, KAREN ISABEL ANSAY
ASID, BENHUR ABDULAUP
ASTAÑO, MILDRED JACOB
ASUNCION, LUIS GONZALO
BACKIAN, LANI OMPAD
BALAYANTOC, SHEILAMARIE MACALOS
BALLERA, GLORY JEAN SINCIL
BANAYAT, CRISTY CAGORANGAN
BARTOLABAC, LIZA ESPENILLA
BATULAN, LIZA DELA TORRE
BAUTISTA, VANESSA MABULAY
BAYLON, MA TERESA PAWAY
BAYONITO, RODERICK VILLANUEVA
BAYRANTE, CAREEN BALIZA
BELZA, MARY JANE ANGELES
BISCOCHO, ANN CHARMAINE ENCISO
BOLINA, JENNIFER BONDOC
BUENROSTRO, IYRA SIBUCAO
BULLO, JUDY DIDETTE TEMPOROSA
CABFILAN, NOEL WACLET
CAJOLO, PAMELA SILVA
CALCETA, CARLA EUMAGUE
CALIXTO, NECINA DRAGIDO
CALIZO, LORENA VERA SEGUI
CALUYO, JONAH GOROSIN
CAMORONGAN, LUISA ANDREA SANSANO
CANDIDO, MADELYN FRANCISCO
CANOL, YVONNIE BALANGCOD
CAPITO, JERTRUDE BAUTISTA
CARILLO, JOSEL BRIGUEL
CARILLO, MARIA MAYLYN CRUZ
CARLOS, FELICIDAD EMANO
CASIWEN, CHAMREINE CHAKAS
CASTETE, MA LEEN ALMIRANTE
CASTILLO, JEANNY VENTIGAN
CATAM, JOAHNNA MIRANDA
CELINO, KATRINA ROSALES
CENIZA, JO ANTONIETTE GEROLAGA
CENIZA, ULYSSES LAGUARDIA
CHAVEZ, LOREN GABIA
CIDRO, ELENA APELADO
CLARITO, LILIAN MAÑAPAO
COMBALICER, MARICON RUANTO
COMONAL, JANICE BALONDO
CONCEPCION, IRISH GENTERONE
CONCHA, PAUL WILLIAM PARAS
CONDES, LILY AVEN
CRUZ, EDEN ADONA
CRUZ, VIC JAYSON CORTUN
CUBOS, MELODY ROQUE
CUEVAS, ROSARIO LANDICHO
DAAN, NAIDA PADIGOS
DALINA, DAISY SARAMENTO
DAQUER, ROXANNE DELA TORRE
DE CASTRO, TESSIE GONDAY
DE GUZMAN, ANALIZA FRANCISCO
DE LEON, BRENDA LOU ASPERA
DE RAMA, MARIA DAISY ETCUBAÑAS
DECINILLA, ROSA PELOMIRAS
DEL OESTE, ARLENE MAY SUGETARIOS
DERY, ZIPPORAH MAALA
DIALOLA, SAYRE MAAÑO
DINAMPO, JANICE GUARDARIO
DINGLASAN, JACQUELINE FERNANDO
DIONISIO, MONICA FERNANDEZ
DIZON, RANDY TOLENTINO
DOLENDO, RUSSELL BATTAD
EBAO, JELMA CUASITO
ENGADA, MARIA THERESA QUITOR
ESPELIMBERGO, RIZA PLURAD
ESTABILLO, LYNA REYES
EUSTAQUIO, MARLYN CORBILLON
EVANGELISTA, LESLEY ANNE ROMAN
FABIA, RIZALYN PANGILINAN
FECA, NOEMI LORIA
FELICES, NEONEM CONTRERAS
FLORES, SARAH JEAN CERA
FRANCISCO, ANNA LIZA PELAYO
FRANCISCO, MARILYN ROSENDAL
FRANCO, HAROLD TORRALBA
GALLARDO, SHERYL SUICO
GAMMAD, MARIA VICTORIA (MARIVI) LIGUTAN
GAPAZ, JOE ANNE DOMINGO
GARBIN, ROY JULIAN
GARCIA, ARLYN JULAO
GARVILLES, JESSERYLLE GARAGAN
GENCIANE, MA YVONNE ERIO
GEPAYA, MERVELYN TANAMAN
GO, CLAUDINE NG
GOMEZ, ROWENA SARSALEJO
GRAVINES, MARLINE SELLOTE
GREGORIO, LEILANI CORPUZ
GUERRA, JAEL MANALILI
GUEVARRA, REYMANN LAGRISOLA
GUTIERREZ, EVELYN IBAÑEZ
GUTIERREZ, NIÑA DE GUZMAN
HIPONA, JENNY MADAYAG
HOMBREBUENO, ANDRE KARLO GARCIA
ILAGAN, CAROLINE DE LEON
JACINTO, KRISTIN ESTANISLAO
JALWIN, AISA MARIE SARON
LADORES, ROBERT JAY ESTEBAN
LAGANZO, RUEL LODANGCO
LAGUMBAY, GEANROSE CONGRESO
LAGUMBAY, JULIUS ZENON JANCE
LAMAYAN, JOHANSON DY
LANZUELA, FEBIE GALAPON
LARRACAS, MARIA CRISTINA MODAR
LAURENO, MAY TAN
LAURENTE, CHERRY ANCHETA
LEGASPI, EDITHA CACANINDIN
LEONEN, EVANGELINE SAMSON
LIN, JOAN FANG JEN SENA
LOLIN, NEIL JOHN PAPA
LONG-A, ARON BANGCO-OG
LOQUEZ, MICHELLE SEVILLA
LUIS, JANICE LORENZO
LUNA, WILHELMINA ALIVARVAR
MABULAC, DARLENE MAE CANIZO
MADRILEJOS, ANNA VICTORIA MARANAN
MADRONIO, MARIFE LECTANA
MAGUILANG, LEE MAGNO
MANANTAN, REYNALDO JR AREVALO
MARCELO, RHEA ROQUE
MARQUEZ, ALVA MIGUEL
MARQUEZ, MICHELLE LAIGO
MARTINEZ, MARY ANN SAGANDOY
MAÑUCAT, RONALD ANABU
MELLORIN, JANE DENOLOS
MENDOZA, MICHELLE ENGADA
MENDOZA, RICHARD FULGENCIO
MIDEM, AGNES MALLARI
MONTAÑEZ, FATIMA RODRIGUEZ
NAPOLES, ROFELY MARTINEZ
NARAG, FELISA MACABABBAD
NOOR AZMAN, NORMAN SORIQUEZ
NOWAY, ROSARIO ENCARNACION
OCEÑA, SAMUELA PANGANORON
OLANDA, MARY ANN QUIJANO
OLIVA, KATHLEEN TIENZO
OLLAGANGI, JANE KHARME LINGA
ORTEGA, ANGELEZ PENIERO
ORTENCIO, SHEILA MANALO
PADAYAO, GERLIE SANCHEZ
PADRONCILLO, CATHERINE TAGNONG
PADUA, GREGORIO JR DUMLAO
PANALIGAN, ANNA GRACIOSA BARCELON
PANCHO, JENALYN ABRIGO
PARALES, LENIE GERASOL
PARRA, HAZEL REYES
PASCUAL, MARWEEN TERRY EVANGELISTA
PAYA, MARY GRACE CAPARROS
PEGARIDO, ANGELI MARIE MONTES
PELEÑA, MA CYNTHIA TOLONES
PENARANDA, DOVEN UDARBE
PENGLA, JOY WINONA CALION
PEREZ, EMEE ANN LAGULAO
PEREZ, FREYA FAYE LAURENTE
PONOLLERA, VIRGINIA SABIDO
PUEBLOS, KURT ROY SEARES
QUIAMBAO, ALLAN CARAS
QUIAMBAO, SHERYL BALUYUT
QUINTOS, KATE LORA MASANGKAY
RAGUINE, SHEILA ENVERGA
RAMA, MARICEL JAYECTIN
RAMOS, SHERWIN MILANO
RAZON, DELIA VICTORIA
RESURRECCION, IMEE LINSANGAN
REYES, EDQUEL MAYRINA
REYES, LIEZEL PEREZ
REYES, SONIA OVALLES
RILLERA, CATHERINE FERMIN
RISBUD, VIDYA SUDHIR
RIVERA, JOSEPHINE GARCIA
ROBLES, LISETTE ROBLES
ROSALES, AILENE MACARAIG
ROSARIO, CARLA MARIE DUBLIN
ROTERSOS, JOCELYN TUYCO
SACARE, LYDIA NATINGA
SALARES, SARAH MAE BORDAS
SALONGA, ROCHELLE DELA CRUZ
SALVADOR, VICTOR ANTHONY HAFALLA
SAMPANG, RIZCHELLE FONTECHA
SAN PEDRO, MARJORIE ROSE SANCHEZ
SANTOS, RENAN CAINAP
SEBIANO, YONIDA GUILANDA
SENCIL, MAR SOBREVEGA
SILVERIO, ISRAEL LOPEZ
SIMYUNN, JOHNNIE JR BERMUDEZ
SOLAS, JOY OBNAMIA
SUBEBE, EMMY LAVENTE
TAALA, WILLIAM DIMASANGAL
TABAQUE, FRITZEL CADORNA
TALARO, CATHERINE RUIZ
TAMARGO, LIZA MATIC
TAMPARONG, WILMA DEGENION
TAÑGI, ARLENE TEJANO
TEROL, SHEIRA MAY GALECIO
TRUMATA, JULIET CODILLA
TUAPIN, DIONISIO JR VALDEZ
TUAZON, WARREN SIBAL
TUBURAN, TEODORA LICAROS
TURGANO, MARIA ESTRELLA JAVILLONAR
UNDAR, MIKE MODESTO
VANZUELA, ANTONETTE ALINIABON
VELEÑA, ISRAELEX ARO
VILLACARLOS, HAZEL FAY GOSINGCO
VILLALONGA, GRACIELA TEJANO
VILLANUEVA, MICHAEL VALENCIA
VISTAN, MA LUZ CONJE
YANZON, JO-ANN REBUSURA
ZABALA, MARY GRACE TOBIO
ZAMORA, JOSEPHINE PADRON
ZAPATA, EULALIA GARAY
ZARATE, MAY HINTAY

Category: Licensed Librarians

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FO: More Journals

The previous post on "Journals" has been updated to include the following:

  • International Online Journal of Science and Mathematics Education
  • International Rice Research Notes
  • Philippine Journal of Internal Medicine
  • PJRReports
I have decided to update that post so that there will just be one page for Filipino online journals. Thanks to Mila Ramos for letting me know about International Rice Research Notes.


Category: Filipiniana Online, Technical Services

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More on Library Hub

In "Library Hub," I mentioned that there might be problems in continuing the DepEd project now that Miguel Luz, its chief proponent, is not with DepEd anymore. An article in Philippine Star gives some hope when it indicates that Ralph Recto, a senator, is supporting the creation of library hubs all over the country. The word "librarian," unsurprisingly, does not appear anywhere in the article.

The link to the article is provided below, but since Philippine Star links "die" very quickly, I have also copied the full text so that others can still read the article when the link dies.

"3 in 4 recent elementary grad [sic] can’t read"
By Sandy Araneta
Philippine Star, 6 November 2005

Because three in every four recent elementary school graduates cannot read without help, the Department of Education (DepEd) is to set up book depots named after the country’s writers to instill a culture of reading among the young.

Sen. Ralph Recto said the government through DepEd will set up 60 "library hubs" and 12 regional education learning centers next year.

Recto, vice chairman of the Senate committee on finance, said the library hubs will be like "book depots" that will serve surrounding schools.

He said the government will spend P120 million to build the first batch of these "textbook centrals and reading malls."

Based on the DepEd briefer on the project which was submitted to the Senate, each hub will contain an initial 50,000 books.

They will serve as "wholesome libraries that will lend books by the hundreds to elementary schools to promote in-school reading program," the DepEd said.

To augment each library’s inventory, government is encouraging the private sector to donate books and to defray the cost of running it.

"Donations are of course tax deductible," Recto said.

A regional education learning center of RELC, on the other hand, will serve as "a regional base for in-service training and the development of indigenous instructional materials."

"They’ll serve as workshops for the creation of books that serve local needs," Recto explained.

He said the government plans to build 300 library hubs in the next few years.

He has proposed that each library be named after a deceased local writer, to honor his work and to make him a model for the young.

"For example, the one in Manila can be named after Nick Joaquin, and in Quezon City, after Franz Arcellana. If one will be put up in Pangasinan, it can be called the Carlos Bulosan Library. The Davao hub can be in honor of Alfrredo Navarro Salanga. Pateros children may soon be borrowing books from the Eman Lacaba public library," Recto said.

"The list is endless. The best way to honor our writers is to name after them places where children go to read," he added.

The DepEd recently partnered with Dole Asia Ltd. to institute the Library Hub Project inDavao City.

Dole official John Dioquino pledged P2 million in support of the DepEd’s "Every Child a Reader by Grade 3" program.

Under the agreement, DepEd launched the Library Hub Project to bring books to public schools nationwide and make every Filipino child a reader.

Warehouse libraries with an adequate number of storybooks and supplementary reading materials will be set up in over 180 school divisions nationwide within a period of five years.

These wholesale libraries will be stocked with at least 10,000 to 25,000 books in smaller divisions, to as many 50,000 to 200,000 in larger divisions.

Since the establishment of libraries in over 40,000 public schools is prohibitive in cost, the DepEd’s system-wide solution is to partner with local government units, non-government organizations, and private corporations such as Dole Asia, former undersecretary Juan Miguel Luz said.


Category: Libraries—Public Schools

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Librarian Publishes Thesaurus

Thesaurus on Philippine Environment—the book compiled by Romeo A. Sebastian, a Filipino librarian, and which was launched last September—has been featured in "Thesaurus of Pinoy environmental terms" by Doris Gaskell Nuyda (Philippine Daily Inquirer, 6 November 2005).

In the process of illustrating how the thesaurus may be used, Nuyda gives an overview of how classification tools are constructed. LIS practitioners and students should be able to easily recognize Nuyda's references to BT, NT, RT, etc. I don't think anything like this has ever appeared in a newspaper column since I started blogging.

But the most encouraging aspect of the column was that a brief biography of Sebastian was included! Not only was Sebastian identified as a librarian, other details about where he works and how he came to compile thesauri are also mentioned.


Category: Librarians

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LLE 2005: D-Day

Today is the big day. Tomorrow, too. Please remember those taking the exam in your prayers. It was particularly difficult last year when we had no electricity for most of the two-day exam. If the venue is still the same, I hope that contingency plans have at least been prepared so that examinees will have an easier time.


Category: Licensed Librarians

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Library Hub

"Hub of young readers" by Neni Sta. Romana-Cruz (Philippine Daily Inquirer, 31 October 2005) is proof that the Department of Education's Library Hub (pdf) is finally taking off. If FedEx can utilize the hub-and-spoke system to ensure the timely delivery of packages around the world, then surely DepEd can implement a similar system to ensure that public schools that can't afford to set up their own libraries have a means to "borrow" books for their students.

This, however, is not as easy as it sounds. Politics, of course, just reared its ugly head... as usual. Undersecretary Miguel Luz, the proponent of the project, is currently in career limbo due to the President's unspecified dissatisfaction with his performance. While the article states that Luz has "given word that the Library Hub should continue," it is a reality that budgets tend to get frozen and supporters become uncooperative once project sponsors lose favor with the higher-ups. I hope this does not happen to the Library Hub.

On a lesser note, I'm just wondering why librarians don't seem to have a role in the training sessions that have been conducted. Could it be that librarians really have nothing to contribute to the participants' understanding of the Library Hub?

But don't mind me. Let's just pray that this project takes off beyond the pilot hubs.


Category: Libraries—Public Schools

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Troy Lacsamana — Filipino Librarian

A Filipino librarian was recently chosen as one of the 2005 Top 5 HSBC Faces of Volunteerism by Hands On Manila, which desires "to seek and salute those who take time out to help others without expectation or fanfare." (Point for reflection: the chosen "faces" are named but remain faceless on the website.)

Troy Lacsamana, project coordinator of Aklatang Pambata, was cited for "his vision and perseverance to create a library and reading center in Quezon City that is accessible to all children." Please note that Troy is a librarian who leads a group composed largely of NON-librarian volunteers, and that the award came from a group of NON-librarians.

I first wrote about Aklatang Pambata in "Volunteers Build Community Library," where I also said that, I "dream of the day when a person is automatically identified as a librarian in news articles... like doctors, lawyers, etc." Well, it looks like Troy is leading the way by getting involved in the larger community of NON-librarians and going beyond the limits of the library he works for.

If you would like to know more about Aklatang Pambata, please visit their blog. If you want to donate money for the project, please see the blog's sidebar. Or you can email Troy at troy_lacsamana-at-yahoo-dot-com.


Category: Librarians

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Halloween, Libraries and the Philippines

Happy Halloween! You might find the following sites interesting if you're wondering about the origins of Halloween, haunted libraries, or Filipino ghosts.

The History of Halloween

Not only does the History Channel provide an overview of the origins of Halloween, it also provides links to creepy video clips, some ghost stories and other interesting facts.
Halloween Online
It's probably true that it's the "Internet's largest Halloween resource." There's an online magazine, cookbook, adult costumes (!), clip art, fonts, and even advice on building and buying coffins!
Willard Library
Is the Willard Library haunted? It's over 110 years old. The first sighting is said to have occurred in 1937. Visit the site, read the history, and watch out for the ghost through the hidden cameras installed for amateur ghost hunters and paranormal investigators.
Haunted Places
Among the places listed on this website are libraries in the University of the Philippines Diliman campus. The list needs to be organized by a librarian, but it has most of the usual suspects.
Philippine Mythology
This Wikipedia entry provides summaries of the creatures that have haunted many Filipinos' dreams. Some of the creatures on the list even have their own entries.
FunTrivia.com
And then there's the quiz. Answer the ten questions and click on "Submit my Answers" to find out how well you know your Filipino "ghosts," how many got the answers right, and read the humorous annotations.

Category: Events

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The State of Filipiniana

In "Filipiniana Online," I quoted from an article published in Sanghaya 2001 (Manila: National Commission for Culture and the Arts, 2001). I would have wanted to reprint the whole article then, but I was unable to get in touch with either the authors or the publisher. Well, I was finally able to get the authors' permission, so if you'd like to know more about the state of Filipiniana as of 2001, please read on.

The State-of-the-Art of Filipiniana Collections in the Philippines
by Salvacion M. Arlante and Rodolfo Y. Tarlit


From November 24 to 26, 1992, the Philippine Librarians Association, Inc. (PLAI), held a national convention which focused on the Filipiniana collections in the country. The convention was in line with the national efforts to make librarians aware, fully understand and appreciate the nature and importance of building and developing special Filipiniana collections. The success of the convention may be gauged from the number of queries received concerning Filipiniana materials by the convention organizers. There can be no doubt that librarians became aware of the worth of Filipiniana materials for scholars and researchers.

In July 2000, a meeting was arranged to respond to such queries between Dr. Serafin D. Quiason, consultant, Eugenio Lopez Foundation, Inc., and Mrs. Salvacion M. Arlante, University Librarian, University of the Philippines Diliman. Soon after, Carmelo Lopez, director of Library, Ateneo de Manila University; Dr. Irene D. Amores, director of libraries, Polytechnic University of the Philippines and head, Committee on Libraries and Information Services, National Commission for Culture and the Arts; and Prof. Rosa M. Vallejo, former Dean, UP Institute of Library Science, joined Dr. Quiason and Mrs. Arlante in conceptualizing a seminar on the State-of-the-Art of Filipiniana Collections in the Philippines.

The seminar was held at the Eugenio Lopez Center in Antipolo City on November 29, 2000. It was meant to follow up the PLAI national convention in 1992 and also to address these following objectives: to survey the state of Filipiniana materials in the major libraries and institutions in the Philippines; to consider new methods of developing Filipiniana collections; to focus on the practical and theoretical aspects of conservation; to explore the computerization of Filipiniana holdings; and to address problems and issues related to inter-library cooperation.

The seminar drew more than 100 participants from all over the country, including two Spanish nationals and Dr. Jaime C. Laya, NCCA chairman, Dr. Pablo Trillana III, chairman of the National Historical Institute, and Dr. Benito F. Legarda. According to Dr. Quiason, the papers presented “are precious stones, strung together to form a tapestry showing the nature and extent of Filipiniana collections” in the following university libraries and institutions: Ateneo de Manila University, Quezon City; Central Philippine University, Iloilo City; De La Salle University, Manila; Filipinas Heritage Library, Makati City; Lopez Memorial Museum, Pasig City; Mindanao State University, Marawi City; The National Library, Manila; Silliman University, Dumaguete City; University of San Carlos, Cebu City; University of Santo Tomas, Manila; University of the Philippines Diliman, Quezon City; and Xavier University, Cagayan de Oro City.

The seminar produced a remarkable amount of information on the state-of-the-art of Filipiniana collections in the country, resulting in “new lines of thought and programs.” The participants were made “aware of the issues and concerns relating to Filipiniana collections throughout the country.” Most important of all, the participants unanimously agreed to form the core group that would, as stated in Dr. Quiason’s closing remarks, “reaffirm the burden of our responsibility and commitment to collect, organize and serve the Filipiniana materials to our scholarly clientele at the most expeditious way and preserve them in whatever form for posterity.”

Nature and scope of Filipiniana materials

According to Vallejo, the term “Filipiniana” is derived from two root words: Filipinas for the country and “ana” or “aniana” for “collected items of information, especially anecdotal or bibliographical”, e.g., Americana, UPiana, Rizaliana, La Salliana.

Two views emerged as to the scope of Filipiniana: one comprehensive and the other specific. The majority of the participants acquire Filipiniana according to any one or all of the following criteria:

The printed books in the Philippines, irrespective of subject matter, because all of them are indispensable to the complete study of typography in the Archipelago (See Wenceslao Retana, Aparato Bibliographico dela Historia General de Filipinas, Madrid: M. Minuesa de los Rios, 1906);

Those that deal with the Philippines in whatever language they may be written and place were they may have been printed, because they are more or less needed for the study of said country;

Those published by Filipinos, about any topic, regardless of the publication’s imprint, because they are very helpful in providing us information on the extent of the intellectual faculties of those born over there, their industry, their likings, inclination, etc;

Those written in the Philippine languages regardless of the subject of the author, and the place of publication (See Luis Montilla, “A Brief Survey of the Bibliographical Accomplishments of the Past: A Plan for a New Philippine National Bibliography,” 1940);

All those printed in the Philippines prior to American rule, irrespective of authorship and subject matter;

Works containing distinct chapters or passages on the Philippines useful for local historical investigation and research; and

Books and non-book materials about the Philippines, produced in or outside the Philippines, by Filipinos or non-Filipinos, in any of the Philippine languages, or in a foreign language (See Isagani Medina, “Collection Building: Filipiniana.” In Developing Special Library Collections, Filipiniana: Proceedings, November 24-26, Camelot Hotel, Quezon City, Manila: Philippine Librarians Association, 1992).

Some participants follow strictly Medina’s definition of Filipiniana. One library, the De La Salle University Library, has a unique definition of Filipiniana. As reported by Ms. Fe Verzosa, the scope of Filipiniana at the DLSU is as follows: all book publications about the Philippines, its peoples and culture, regardless of author, imprint and language; generally works written by Filipinos except works by De La Salle University faculty, administrators, and students/alumni, theses and dissertation, faculty or university publications, La Salliana materials, and works and other original research studies on universally accepted knowledge, such as chemistry, mathematics, physics, biology, etc.; books written in Philippine languages; Philippine government publications and yearbooks, except publication by Philippine corporate bodies the subject matter of which does not have anything to do with the Philippines; publications containing substantial portions or chapters regarding the Philippines (publications with only a small portion or a chapter on the Philippines are not considered Filipiniana, but analytics are provided for that portion or chapter); and works dealing with the application of scientific thought and methodology to Philippine and local needs and circumstances.

In a survey conducted by Vallejo of 14 academic libraries and the National Library, nine libraries consider Filipiniana based on the criteria of subject, imprint, author, language, etc.; five libraries do not consider imprint as a criterion, and another two libraries do not consider author/writer as criterion for inclusion.

Because of the perceived dearth of Filipiniana materials, which are scattered in diverse locations, it was agreed that librarians, historians, libraries and institutions should not confine, limit or restrict their collection development program of Filipiniana to any one of these definitions. Rather, in building their Filipiniana collections they should consolidate/integrate the salient points from these definitions for a comprehensive Filipiniana collection in keeping with their respective institutional mission and objectives.

The Filipiniana collections of the 12 university libraries and institutions that participated in the seminar come in various forms. Aside from books, monographs and periodicals, these libraries also collect, maintain and make available a substantial number of special collections in the form of government documents and publications, theses and dissertations, cartographic materials, pamphlets, music, sound recordings, motion pictures and video recordings, graphic materials, three-dimensional artifacts and realia, microforms, and the very latest electronic resources such as CD-ROMs and other online databases both textual, visual, and bibliographic. Most guarded collections are rare books and archival papers of individuals as well as corporate entities.

The combined Filipiniana book collection of the 12 institutions is approximately 350,000 volumes with the UP Diliman contributing 25 percent. The collection covers a broad spectrum of topics, with the social sciences and the humanities extensively represented, particularly culture and history, politics and government, social conditions and art, languages and literature. Unbelievably, books on the natural and applied sciences constitute, perhaps, a measly 10 percent or less of the total book collection.

The libraries are very proud of their respective rare book collections. These are their most treasured Filipiniana holdings. The Filipinas Heritage Library holds around 2,000 rare books and manuscripts, the oldest of which is the Proceso de la Demanda de Nulidad de Matrimonio, published in 1647 on characters no longer used today. Of the 215 Philippine imprints published from 1597 to 1800 in Manila and other key towns, the Eugenio Lopez Library has 12 rare titles; 69 rare items for the 18th century, and 777 titles for the 19th century. A rare gem is the first edition of Belarmino’s opus Doctrina Cristiana (Manila, 1620) translated into Ilocano (Libro a Naisuratan Amin ti Bagas...) by Father F. Lopez and printed by Antonio Damba, a Pampangueño, and Miguel Saixo, a Japanese.

Another jewel is Pedro Chirino’s Relacion de las Islas Filipinas (Rome, 1604). The Eugenio Lopez Library also holds various early and rare works on the different languages of the Philippines. The National Library boasts of having in its Filipiniana collections the first known book written about the Philippines, Maximilianus Transylvanus’ De Moluccis Insulis, a very tiny, 30-page book measuring 7 1/2 x 15 centimeters and 1/2 centimeter thick. It was written in Valladolid, Spain, in October 1522. It is about Magellan’s voyage to the East based on testimonies of the few survivors of the Magellan’s expedition. Also priceless are Antonio de Morga’s Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas, which was printed in Mexico in 1607, Antonio Pigafetta’s First Voyage Around the World, and the facsimile copy of the Doctrina Christiana (1593), an incunabulum by the Filipino printer Tomas Pinpin, and one of the extant eight incunabula in the collection of The National Library.

Most libraries that participated in the seminar have also the facsimile edition of the original Doctrina. Books and documents comprising the Filipiniana Rare Book Collection of the UP Library number 3,441 titles with imprint dates ranging from the 16th century to the early 20th centuries. Most of the materials are on history (57 percent) and social sciences (30 percent). The rest are on general works, philosophy and religion (13 percent) and science, agriculture, technology and bibliography (6 percent). Most of these have been microfilmed.

Special collections are rare, unique, out of print, unpublished ephemera or fugitive materials as well as non-textual materials. These collections supplement or offer information on various subjects not readily available in books and periodicals. Most are donations from individuals as well as corporate entities. Many of these collections contain primary sources such as correspondence, reports, diaries, etc.

The collections of Amado V. Hernandez, Gabriel Bernardo, Sixto de la Costa, Frank H. Golay, Arturo B. Rotor, Trinidad H. Pardo de Tavera, the American Historical Collection and the Women’s Writings Collection are in the Ateneo de Manila University.

The collections of Lopez-Bantug, Ambeth Ocampo, Literary History of the Philippines Collection of regional literature, International Corpus of English-Philippine Component Project Collection, Bitanga-Valero are in the De La Salle University.

The Maisie Van Vactor Collection of Islamic and Philippine Muslim Materials is in the Gowing Memorial Research Center, Dansalan College Foundation, Marawi City.

The Rizaliana Manuscripts, Philippine Insurgent Records, Philippine Presidential Papers, the Tabacalera Collection and the collections of Lope K. Santos, Julian Cruz Balmaseda, Raymundo Banas, Cirilo Honorio, Anita Garcia, Amado V. Hernandez and Atang de la Rama, Camilo Osias, Encarnacion Alzona, Leonora Orosa Goquingco, Benigno Zamora, and Paul Verzosa are in the National Library. The World War II Records/Papers of Negros Oriental are in Silliman University.

The historical papers of Carlos V. Ronquillo, Teodoro A. Agoncillo, Philippine Insurgent Records, Luther Parker, Japanese Occupation Papers, Jose Llanes (Guerilla Papers), Panay Guerilla Movement Papers, Delfin Jaranilla, People’s Court Papers, the Communist Party of the Philippines Papers, the Literary Collections in various Philippine languages (Faustino Aguilar, Florentino Collantes, Alberto S. Florentino, Hermogenes E. Ilagan, Julian Cruz Balmaseda, Tomas E. Remigio, Bikol Collection, Sugbuanon Collection, Hiligaynon Collection, Ilokano Collection, Pampango Collection), Philippine Radical Papers, Local History File, H.H. Bartlett Collection, Harry Whitfield Harnish Collection, the UP Presidential Papers, and other papers of UP’s outstanding alumni, faculty and administrators are in the University of the Philippines.

Other special collections are separately maintained because these require special handling and storage. Such collections include theses and dissertations, maps, vertical files, CD-ROMs, university publications, faculty files, audio-visual materials, music, pictures, stamps, biography files, posters, speech files, and art works.

Of special interest is Filipinas Heritage Library’s Photo Archive, a subset of the library’s photo archives which is a treasure trove of images of Philippine life, history and culture from the fifteenth century to the early 1970s. The black and white photographs numbering around 9,747 scanned images are already available online. The beta site can be viewed at this URL address (www.fillip.or.ph/retrato). The database includes engravings, lithographs, drawings, and other modes of visual representations as well as original photos gathered and annotated by the Ayala Museum Research Department over several years.

Issues and concerns

One of the objectives of the seminar was to find out the problems of librarians concerning their Filipiniana collections. The papers presented and the ensuing discussions during the open forum yielded these observations and concerns:

Collection Development. There is an apparent difficulty in the selection and acquisition of Filipiniana materials due to lack of reviewing media and systematic listing on published Filipiniana materials. There is also a dearth of authors and publishers on Filipiniana materials. Another problem is the limited printing of Filipiniana publications due to a limited market and the apathy of Filipiniana users.

Organization. Filipino librarians use the Anglo-American Cataloging Rules, the Library of Congress Subject Headings, the Library of Congress Classification System and the Dewey Decimal Classification System to organize their Filipiniana book collections. However, the librarians’ concern was that these tools are inadequate, aside from the fact that some are very difficult to use or understand. Some do not provide provisions for local applications. Difficulty in cataloging and classification also arise out of the uncommon characteristics of many Filipiniana publications, e.g. information on the place of publication, name of publisher, and date of publication is not always available.

Reference Services. The librarians agreed that there is a lack of Filipiniana materials that would easily answer bibliographical, biographical, historical, geographical and facts-and-figures questions posed by library users. The participants also deplored the limited indexing services for Filipiniana materials. Most participants, however, know of the services provided by the UP, Ateneo, and the Mendiola Consortium.

Usage and Access. Policies on access to Filipiniana materials, particularly rare materials and special collections, are definitely wanting. Users may not be able to access such materials due to some restrictions imposed by donors of special collections or due to the deteriorating physical conditions of rare materials. Some librarians are in a dilemma whether or not to allow duplication of Filipiniana materials. The reason is that photocopying or other forms of duplication expose the materials to harm that could permanently damage their original physical conditions.

Preservation. Most librarians worry about what to do about the deteriorating and decaying physical conditions of their Filipiniana materials. They are worried that in due time such materials will be lost forever. They expressed the need to have trained personnel to undertake the preservation of their Filipiniana collections.

Copyright. The Filipinas Heritage Library worries about questions on copyright ownership of digitized materials and how to protect such resources that are freely and easily downloadable. Participants would like to know if printing of images from websites constitutes copyright infringement.

Use of Information Technology. It was observed that most computerized Filipiniana databases are bibliographic in nature. There is a clamor for more text-based databases. Another problem concerns some media which become inoperable and their contents inaccessible after sometime. Moreover, some digitized information may be lost when converted into other media, e.g., print, microfoms, etc.

Conclusion

One of the unexpected results of the seminar was the formation of a core group made up of the seminar participants themselves to look into the many problems that concern the acquisition, organization, servicing, and preservation of Filipiniana materials. Many participants consider this development as a big step towards real inter-library cooperation and networking among libraries and institutions in the country.

No individual or institution was named, but it was suggested and unanimously adapted that a reviewing medium to aid librarians in the selection and acquisition of Filipiniana materials be set up.

Computerization of bibliographic information of Filipiniana holdings throughout the country can start with the ARALIN database as suggested by Corazon M. Nera who started the development of such a database. ARALIN is a computerized bibliographic database of Filipiniana titles available in many university, college and school libraries in the country. From there, the core group could work towards shared creation and global access to one national Filipiniana database.


About the Authors

SALVACION M. ARLANTE received her M.A. in Library Science from the University of the Philippines. She is the University Librarian and head of the University Archives and Records Center of the UP Main Library in Diliman, Quezon City.

RODOLFO Y. TARLIT is the head librarian of the Filipiniana section of the UP Main Library. A senior lecturer at the UP Institute of Library Science, he has also served as president of the Philippine Librarians Association.

Category: Filipiniana Online

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