I started this blog primarily to document my two month-long trip to the Philippines and any other travels. I also wanted to begin to visit and take pictures of libraries. In my first week in the Philippines, I visited three different kinds of libraries.
On March 14th, I went to meet Troy Lacsamana at an event at the Macapagal Elementary School library in Tatalon, Quezon City. The library is smallish, with two long tables with benches and a stage. The books, which mostly looked like textbooks to me, are on shelves along the wall. There doesn’t seem to be that many books, and many are not in good condition. There is a separate computer room with four or five computers.
On March 18th, I had my actual interview with Troy. We met him at the main branch of the
Quezon City Public Library (QCPL), where he works. It is also a one-room affair, full of worn books. I thought it funny that, as soon as you walk in, the periodical card catalog is on the left side and on top of is a sort of religious altar. On the right are the online catalogs that,
under Troy’s supervision, were tailored to the library’s needs using open source software. The online catalog is not connected to the other branches of QCPL, as most of the branches do not have computers. The space is cramped, but it was good to see that the tables/seats were filled with people. The books are also old and worn, but the library is unlikely to get new books, as most of the funding is spent on staffing. There is a computer section,
where patrons could use the computer for an hour. According to Troy, the library has conducted a user survey that indicates that people are interested in learning Office programs, so they will be having instructional sections on those shortly.
After a brief tour of the QCPL main branch, we headed to the office of
Eduk, Inc., which is where the original
Aklatang Pambata (Children’s Library) is also located. The library/office is in the basement of an old house (1936) that is owned by an alumnus of the
University of the Philippines School of Library and Information Studies. The space, which was designed by i-disenyo and worked on by volunteers, is spacious and clean. The books, which are donated, are newer and in much better condition than the abovementioned libraries. There is an outdoor storytelling area with murals created by local illustrators of children’s books.
The
Aklatang Pambata is, by far, the best of the three. It is located within the community, right near an elementary school. And this is what an Aklatang Pambata is supposed to be—a community children’s library. The library I visited is just one of a number of children’s libraries that Eduk, Inc. has helped to set up. The organization does not aim to put libraries in specific areas, but wait for people who are interested to come to them. Instead of space or money, it primarily offers training in librarianship and storytelling. It wants the locals to take ownership of their libraries and run them themselves. But Troy and Eduk, Inc. do try to write grants and solicit donations for these libraries. So, if anybody knows of any funders or wants to donate money or books, let me know, and I’m sure we can make arrangements.
On March 14th, I went to meet Troy Lacsamana at an event at the Macapagal Elementary School library in Tatalon, Quezon City. The library is smallish, with two long tables with benches and a stage. The books, which mostly looked like textbooks to me, are on shelves along the wall. There doesn’t seem to be that many books, and many are not in good condition. There is a separate computer room with four or five computers. 
On March 18th, I had my actual interview with Troy. We met him at the main branch of the Quezon City Public Library (QCPL), where he works. It is also a one-room affair, full of worn books. I thought it funny that, as soon as you walk in, the periodical card catalog is on the left side and on top of is a sort of religious altar. On the right are the online catalogs that, 
under Troy’s supervision, were tailored to the library’s needs using open source software. The online catalog is not connected to the other branches of QCPL, as most of the branches do not have computers. The space is cramped, but it was good to see that the tables/seats were filled with people. The books are also old and worn, but the library is unlikely to get new books, as most of the funding is spent on staffing. There is a computer section, 
where patrons could use the computer for an hour. According to Troy, the library has conducted a user survey that indicates that people are interested in learning Office programs, so they will be having instructional sections on those shortly.
After a brief tour of the QCPL main branch, we headed to the office of Eduk, Inc., which is where the original Aklatang Pambata (Children’s Library) is also located. The library/office is in the basement of an old house (1936) that is owned by an alumnus of the University of the Philippines School of Library and Information Studies. The space, which was designed by i-disenyo and worked on by volunteers, is spacious and clean. The books, which are donated, are newer and in much better condition than the abovementioned libraries. There is an outdoor storytelling area with murals created by local illustrators of children’s books. 
The Aklatang Pambata is, by far, the best of the three. It is located within the community, right near an elementary school. And this is what an Aklatang Pambata is supposed to be—a community children’s library. The library I visited is just one of a number of children’s libraries that Eduk, Inc. has helped to set up. The organization does not aim to put libraries in specific areas, but wait for people who are interested to come to them. Instead of space or money, it primarily offers training in librarianship and storytelling. It wants the locals to take ownership of their libraries and run them themselves. But Troy and Eduk, Inc. do try to write grants and solicit donations for these libraries. So, if anybody knows of any funders or wants to donate money or books, let me know, and I’m sure we can make arrangements.
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