Leveraging on the Power of Mass and Social Media and the AlDub Fever

The library and information science professionals, advocates for libraries, educators and legislators should leverage on the AlDub fever and the power and mass and social media to elevate the Filipino consciousness on the value of libraries as learning and community spaces.

The primary motivation for going to the Ang Tamang Panahon event may have been the AlDen loveteam and not the cause the event carries but there is reason to be hopeful still. Finally, Filipinos are talking about libraries. Hopefully, this will set a trend for others to follow and put pressure on legislators to finally revisit Republic Act 7743 and study relevant laws that seek to amend it. 

For the AlDub Project proponents, it would make sense to mobilize and consult a broad range of stakeholders for a needs-based and policy-backed program development to ensure community ownership and participation and more importantly, sustainability.

For library and information science professionals, advocates for libraries, educators and legislators, it would make sense to connect with the AlDub Library Project proponents to contribute expert advise and to learn from their communication and marketing strategies that leverage on media of all forms to generate public interest and support for public libraries.

I look forward to more inclusive learning spaces for Mindanaoans. For now, it may be realistic to hope to see the first AlDub Library for the lumads (indigenous peoples) of Mindanao.

Let us see where the AlDub Project will go. Meanwhile, let us draw important lessons and insights.

A Salute to My First Boss

“Nasaan ka? I am going to the Davao City Library to inaugurate the Iranian Section. I hope to see you there are 2:00 p.m.”

Wasn’t it barely three weeks ago you texted me this? Now I am full of regrets that I missed this chance to see you. I wish I had known it was to be the last. I thought I we could still sit down together and catch up with each other. I have been looking forward to seeing you on the first week of November to discuss matters ranging from professional to personal. That day was not to come. You left without warning.

Goodbye, Boss Tony. I have not had the chance to see you and I never will. But that short exchange we had three weeks ago carries a very strong message I could not quite fathom yet, but I know will unfold at the proper time.

Rest in peace and be confident that you made a difference to me and to many, Atty. Antonio M. Santos.

(Atty. Santos, Director of the National Library of the Philippines, was my first boss, one of the few who really made a difference and who inspired me to love and be proud of my profession. I first met him when I was a freshman at UP Diliman working part-time as a Student Assistant at the UP College of Law Library. )