Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Hospitality of PAARL’s Outstanding Libraries

The kind of hospitality demonstrated by the director of the Rizal Library of the Ateneo de Manila University, Mrs. Lourdes David, is commendable. Assisting her was a lovely reference librarian named Karryl Sagun. They led and served as tour guides in and outside of the libraries of ADMU. David iterated that PAARL’s TOUR OF Outstanding Libraries, a benchmarking-visit to terrific libraries in Metro Manila like those found at De La Salle University, University of Santo Tomas and Asian Development Bank, was a special group to her. She managed to handle the group until six o’clock in the evening last Monday (August 22), expressed her sincere thanks to PAARL, Inc. and told participants to go back, bring others and tour around libraries, museums and special collections of ADMU namely, the American Historical Collection, ALiWW, Pardo de Tavera, Matteo Ricci Study Hall, Microform Reading Center, and the new building of the Rizal Library for free. This is a privilege given to librarians as mentioned by the good director who also teaches Library Science.

Joiners from Cabanatuan and Silang as well were amazed by the appearances of the buildings, interior areas and places of information commons of the four visited libraries. “It’s a good feeling to have discovered ADB’s Espresso Book Machine as the library’s concrete answer to its newfound service philosophy, that is, its demand-driven attitude towards clients,” said by an IS librarian-joiner. Only ADB and Tokyo, Japan have this more than 5-million peso machine. The EBM uses a software and a database that can print a reading material of your choice - accurate color, size, and content – just in five minutes. It works like an ATM or drive-thru service, by just pressing some keys, in a little while comes a fresh-from-the-oven, hot copy of a bound material.

Very unique and excellent are UST’s art and discipline in the aspect of archiving. The guests were wowed witnessing how UST manages to care about materials or documents of institutional, personal, historical significance. UST supports and believes an industry - an archiving industry it seriously maintains, preserves and protects from harm. It is a must for anyone to take time to go upper level of UST’s library, Miguel de Benavidez Library, in order to explore what one never sees daily behind doors and interior rooms of the said library. You may contact Ms. Ana Rita Alomo, one good facilitator-librarian, if you want library surprises and to say “Wow” just like one Chinese librarian who signed up and those who came, three each, from Letran-Manila, San Beda and Adventist University of the Philippines.

For first timers, they would never forget their stay at the library of the De La Salle University. DLSU is known for its extremely well-ventilated sections, air-conditioned floors, very clean spaces and many, many, many reading materials to choose from. Its library environment for readers and others guests is an attraction. The participants would like to sincerely thank the friendly librarians who assisted them last Monday (August 22) namely, Ms. Willian Frias and Ms. Marita Valerio.

Noteworthy and worn is every guest’s white souvenir shirt provided by C & E thru Ms. Cham Carlos.

The libraries of DLSU, UST, ADB and ADMU were featured and are known as Outstanding Libraries of the “fully-engaged, member-driven association,” PAARL, Inc, 2003, 2005, 2002, 2006, respectively. Included in this activity as participants and organizers were some of the officers of the Association: Roderick B. Ramos (President), Carolyn De Jesus (Secretary), Cecil Lobo (Auditor), Maria Theresa Villanueva (Membership Chair), Sonny Boy Manalo (PRO). Those who helped prepare the tour were Sonia Gementiza (Vice-president), Sonia Lourdes David (Tresurer); board directors: Victoria Baleva at Olivia Haler and Mr. Christopher Paras (ex-officio)