Two Mindanao Public Libraries Win 2009 NCCA Award

Mindanao Librarian wishes to congratulate the Davao City Public Library for bagging this year's Search for Outstanding Libraries in the Philippines spearheaded by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA). Also to the Zamboanga Public Library who made it to the top five.

Thanks for making Mindanao proud!

Competition Guidelines for the 5th Booklovers Club Convention

5th BLC Convention Delegates, please follow this link to access competition guidelines:

5th Competition Guidelines and Mechanics

(1) click the above link;
(2) scroll down the page and click DOWNLOAD NOW near the bottom;
(3) wait for the download counter to finish then click DOWNLOAD NOW again to either save or open the file.

Important Updates on the Competition Guidelines (as of 2009 November 2009):

* Only the first ten (10) participating teams to register and confirm during the registration may join the competitions.

* Each competing team will be provided with an improvised cellphone board.

Tales of A Reluctant Mindanao Blogger

Saturday, 24 October 2009. I found myself accidentally attending the 3rd Mindanao Bloggers Summit (MBS3) in Pearlmont Hotel, Cagayan de Oro City. My original intention was simply to hie off and take a break somewhere far, so I and my son tagged along with my husband who is an active member of the SOCCSKSARGEN bloggers. Participating in the summit was not at all part of the plan. But fate would intervene and this reluctant blogger soon found herself sitting with fellow cyber authors and listening intently to Atty. Adel Tamano’s (more famous for being Vicky Belo’s lawyer) piece on governance and transformation.

Up to now, I must say I still am a reluctant blogger. While I see blogs as powerful platforms for transformation and building connections, I still need to find out what it is exactly I intend to achieve from this initiative. For one, it is hard to squeeze in precious time to blog while work and family concerns also scream for my attention. (Then again, others are able to do it and are still able to keep balance.) Maybe it is more because as a person, I am not one to easily disclose or share my thoughts, let alone in cyberspace to remote and unknown individuals. When I started this blog, I wasn’t sure which direction I intend for it to go. It was more like going with the flow (it is IN to have one) but I was not really ready to let go of a piece of myself and a chunk of my time. And this explains why there were only a few posts when I could have written so much. Before me is such a huge information landscape.

Until MBS3. Sitting there, albeit briefly, took me to that “direction” I was finding difficult to define. Until it became clearer to me that this blog will continue to advocate for libraries, librarianship, reading and literacy in Mindanao; and mainstream initiatives that celebrate reading and promote librarianship. There are no more excuses.

Reading and Reader Development Advocates Converge for the 5th Booklovers Club Convention in Korondal City, South Cotabato

Yet another best practice in the promotion of libraries and reading that is worth mentioning is the continued support extended by the Notre Dame of Marbel University Books and Information Technology Society (NDMU BITS) to the annual celebration of the National Book Week.

For the fifth time, the NDMU BITS spearheads this year's Book Lovers Club (BLC) Convention. This time, the initiative is with full support from the Cyber Bibliophile Society (CBS) of the Green Valley College Foundation, also in Koronadal City, South Cotabato. This year's activity is initiated by two staunch librarian-advocates, Ms. Michaelilie C. Carbonquillo, CBS Moderator and Mr. Arvin M. Tejada, NDMU BITS Coordinator and BLC SOCSKSARGEN Area Organizer.

Here is their invitation:

The Books and Information Technology Society (BITS), Notre Dame of Marbel University in partnership with the Cyber Bibliophile Society (CBS), Green Valley College Fdn., Inc. will be conducting the BLC Convention on November 28, 2009 at Fitmart Mall Atrium/Techno Zone, Gensan Drive, City of Koronadal. This activity is inline with the nation-wide celebration of the National Book Week with the theme "Kaaya-ayang Magbasa sa Kapaligirang kay Ganda”. The convention has the following objectives: 1) to enhance students’ awareness on the importance of books and libraries, 2) to provide an avenue for the participants to tour the NDMU Library, 3) to develop camaraderie among BLCians and Bibliophiles in the Area and 4) to promote dynamic and healthy competition by showcasing their skills and talents.

Book Lovers and Library Club members are invited to attend this year’s convention. A registration fee of P75.00 will be charged to the participants to cover for 2 snacks, kit and certificate. Prospective participants/participating clubs are requested to prepare an intermission number to be presented during the Search for Mr. and Ms. Book Wizard ‘09.

Lined up activities which will be done right after the opening ceremonies are the following: Spelling Text Bee, Body Painting, Poetry in Motion, and the Search for Mr. and Ms. Book Wizard '09.

Please confirm your entry/entries by sending an email to the Secretariat at blcsecretariat@yahoo.com or call 0907-731-8863 / (083) 228-2218 local 125 on or before November 25, 2009. Keep posted via this blog.


Kudos to the organizers for surfacing the advocacy for libraries and reading!

21 July

It has been close to three months since arriving from Vietnam but I have not had time to update my blog. Work takes up much of my time these days.

Today, I just felt that I needed to revisit July 21, 2007.

Two years ago, on this day, I watched my husband recover from an open heart surgery at the PGH-Central Intensive Care Unit (CICU); and saw myself through the difficult task of comprehending different shades of life and death staring straight at my face the whole ten days we were in the hospital.

At the CICU where we were surrounded by still life, I held back a range of emotions ranging from fear, pity, sadness, and uncertainty so that hope can surface. I was both strong and pretending to be strong for the father I promised to bring back home to our waiting only son; and for everyone else, including myself.

I am writing this rather brief note about 21 July because it was the most crucial time apart from the actual surgery on July 19, 2007. The doctors gave us 48-72 hours to wait and hope that there would be no complications. Close to midnight, hope found us and we were already out of the CICU.

I am writing about 21 July because today is our family’s rebirth. This day is very special.