The National Library of the Philippines (NLP) implemented four key projects through the support of the Philippine Government, namely: Project Library Affiliation and Resource Allocation, Training-Series on Delivering Quality Public Library Services, Empowering Public Libraries through NLP’s Products and Services, and Exploratory Study on the Creation of an Indigenous Public Library.

The year 2023 was considered a milestone for Philippine Public Libraries as The Philippines Government, through the initiatives of the Office of Senator Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Manalang Angara, granted additional funding to augment the current budget of the NLP for its Public Library Development and Support Program (Library Extension Program). From a 3-year average budget of Php8,970,000.00 (~USD154,000.00) in CY2020 – 2022, it was increased to Php25,976,000.00 (~USD444,692), a considerable 289.59% leap from the last three years.

Project-LARA (Library Affiliation and Resource Allocation)
The bulk of the budget accorded to NLP was for implementing the first sub-project named Project LARA, otherwise known as the Public Library Affiliation and Resource Allocation which had two aims:

  • Affiliate with NLP the established public libraries in the target Local Government Unit (LGU), and
  • Improve and strengthen the quality of products and services of public libraries for the community they serve by providing ICT infrastructure, print, and electronic resources to augment their existing collections.

During the conceptualization of the sub-project in 2022, there were only about 1,620 affiliated public libraries. Through the consistent drive of the Office of Senator Sonny Angara and the joint efforts of involved divisions of NLP led by Director Cesar Gilbert Q. Adriano, Project LARA was implemented in 12 LGUs. Each public library was allocated with books of general interests such as encyclopedias and other reference/reading materials, globes, maps, electronic resources which include subscription to databases of various interests including a legal and child-friendly database, non-book materials including brick materials, table-top games, and a computer set with printer and pre-installed KOHA Library System and TeknoAklatan database of NLP’s digitised collections.

In addition, staff of these newly established and affiliated public libraries were provided training on library operation that include topics on library services and administration to ensure effective and efficient delivery of their services to the target library beneficiaries.

Ceremonial Turnover of Library Resources in the Province of Aurora. Present in the photo is NLP Director Cesar Gilbert Q. Adrian with his staff, Office of Senator Angara representative Rhom Armel Frias, and the mayors from recipient LGUs in municipalities of Aurora, Philippines

Training-Series on Delivering the Basics of Quality Public Library Services
Stemming from the 2015 Revised Standards for Philippine Public Libraries (RSPPL) which was approved by the Philippine Professional Regulation Commission Board for Librarians, this training series served as an integral part of the Public Library Development and Support Program of NLP. The RSPPL provided definitions for:

  • Administration
  • Management
  • Budgeting
  • Staffing complements
  • Networking requirements
  • Services
  • Programmes
  • Projects that should be provided for their communities

This, along with provided lists on what a public library’s collection should contain and how it should grow over time, formed the foundationfor Philippine Public Libraries (PLs) and helped strengthen well-sustained public libraries. However, this has also perpetuated fiscal and administrative difficulties for some LGUs that are economically struggling and/or are met with other internal/external factors.

Thus, NLP through the Public Libraries Division (PLD), convened a program that sought to strengthen and recalibrate the quality of how public libraries offer their products and services, including their public accountability, to the community by exploring the basic theories and concepts behind the RSPPL, and validate the applicability of the existing RSPPL to selected public libraries.

Five batches for this second sub-project were conducted in various locations in the country, representing five key subject areas:

  • Series 1 – Public Libraries’ Mission/Vision, Goals, and Objectives
  • This series explored the context setting of public libraries and the development of their vision, mission, goals, and objectives.
  • Series 2 – Collection Development and Management in Public Libraries
  • Dealt with the community needs analysis and the development of a collection development plan.
  • Series 3 – Services of Public Libraries
  • Focused on the regular services and other inclusive and innovative services a public library may offer.
  • Series 4 – Physical Facilities and Public Library Administration
  • Discussed how public libraries can plan their building and/or library spaces, as well as the staffing requirements of public libraries.
  • Series 5 – Financial Resources, Partnerships, and Collaboration of Public Libraries
  • How public libraries can propose and/or formulate their public library budget and forge partnerships with other institutions/agencies to augment the resources of their libraries.

All affiliated public libraries were invited to participate in the training series of their choice. Invited resource speakers were those who are well-versed in the situation of Philippine Public Libraries. The training accommodated 267 participants from 127 public libraries, with sessions recorded and shared with public libraries who were unable to participate.

As each training session were a week-long and conducted in various locations, NLP had the opportunity to visit 62 LGUs and public libraries to validate the long existing 2015 RSPPL. The analysis of the results of validation, which is ongoing as of the writing of this article, yielded the following initial results:

  • There are provisions in the existing standards that need revisions, while some may be retained as they remain applicable.
  • Additional provisions are needed to cover the dynamic field of public libraries and the effect of technological innovations.
  • Ambiguous terminologies such as sufficient budget, resources, staff, adequate space, etc. need to be elaborated.
  • Explore the possibility of creating provisions in the standard sub-categories of the LGUs income classification.
Third series of the training held at Lucena City. Mr. Federico T. Vinluan, City Librarian of Raul S. Roco Library (Naga City Public Library) shared his expertise on the topic, “Tips in Formulating Library Services for the Marginalized and Other Sectors of the Community”

Empowering Public Libraries through NLP’s Programs and Services
Several affiliated public libraries were not either physically or virtually visited by NLP within an applicable year (which should be the case as part of NLP’s technical support to PLs), due to budget constraints and sufficient human resource complement. Through visits, the NLP, as the central node of public libraries within the country, provides recommendations to their local chief executive activities and actions to improve the services of the public library.

This third sub-project was designed to maximise the resources of the government without sacrificing outcome by combining the functions of monitoring public libraries, training activities, and the shift of some of the selected core functions/programmes of NLP to PLs.

This aims to obtain a wider grasp of identifying Philippine public libraries’ status, activities, and services that are necessary to advance NLP’s vision, mission, and goals. The activity has achieved the following objectives:

  1. Trained affiliated public libraries on the services of NLP that they may incorporate within their respective branches.
  2. Visited public libraries that were either newly established, inactive, or have not been monitored/visited for more than five years.
  3. Campaigned for the establishment and affiliation of public libraries in LGUs that did not contain these institutions before.

Learning sessions under this sub-project which was attended by 231 staff of 126 participating public libraries covered the following:

  • Legal Deposit and Mechanical Processing of Library Materials
  • Cataloging-in-Print and Understanding Classification of Library Materials
  • Numbering Systems
  • NLP’s Social Media Engagement Practices
  • Reference Services and NLP’s eResources
  • Safeguarding Library Resources: Preservation Practices
  • Handling and Inventory of Library Resources and Equipment
  • Digitisation Tips, Koha Updates, and Training Requests
  • NLP’s Online Monthly Reports and Monitoring Updates
  • Library Affiliation and the Book Allocation Program of NLP
  • Training Opportunities for NLP’s Affiliated Public Libraries.

Likewise, 11 nearby LGUs were visited, and 18 additional public libraries were provided with recommendations. Covered in the letter were findings on the strengths and weaknesses of the library and recommendations on the improvement of staff, resources, budget, programs and activities, operations, and support accorded to the library by the LGU. Whenever possible, the team who visited the public library also made a courtesy call to the local chief executive to further strengthen how the NLP, as a national and cultural agency of the Philippines, will assist the LGU in terms of its support to the local public library.

In Zamboanga City during one of the activities of the training. Participants are being taught the proper handling of staple wires to be removed from library materials subject to preservation activities

Exploratory Study on the Creation of an Indigenous Public Library
The NLP, through the PLD, identified that strengthening public libraries as community-centered and inclusive spaces would entail the recognition of the Indigenous peoples within a local community, and therefore conducted research on an Indigenous Public Library. This was the last component of the project.

Aimed to redefine public libraries to be the champions of local communities for the preservation and protection of written cultural heritage, this sub-project seeks to ultimately create a public library, in the form of the Barangay Reading Center (BRC), for indigenous groups within the country. However, the approach to forming this center would first need social research, injected with concepts from Library and Information Science on the Indigenous knowledge and way of life of the concerned Indigenous People (IP) group including preserving and conserving their tangible culture.

Selected Agta and Dumagat Tribes within the Province of Aurora were the selected IP group as the focus of the study and immersion, which was last conducted on 13-15 June 2023. Although the findings are being written as of this article’s date, the activity paved the way to create a concrete output on documenting how to effectively establish the BRC, and to study the tangible cultural and indigenous knowledge of the Agta and Dumagat Tribes to translate and identify the appropriate practices for the preservation and conservation of these assets.

The increased budget for the NLP’s Public Library Development and Support Program in 2023 has significantly expanded the reach of its annual technical assistance activities to more public libraries. Beyond the positive feedback from its target recipients and audience, the outputs from the four sub-projects will guide NLP in the future programs and activities it will implement towards the improvement of Philippine Public Library System.

Contributed by Chad Aren E. Diaz, Head, Training Section, Public Libraries Division, National Library of the Philippines