"Help save our National Library..."
Posted on Wednesday, 5 November 2014
“Help
save our National Library…”
By Apolinario Villalobos
The call to save the National Library of
the Philippines (NLP)…our Library, came from Atty. Antonio Santos, the Director
of the National Library of the Philippines. He voiced this out during our meeting
(November 5, 2014), regarding matters on solicitation and donations, with his
Asst. Director, Ms. Yolly Jacinto, CDD Chief, Ms. Tess Pimentel and CDD Asst.
Chief, Ms. Melody Madrid. He added his call for understanding from readers in
view of the ongoing retrofitting project. The loud drone from the drilling
equipment below the conference room did not deter the progress of our
discussion.
Atty. Santos shared long-ranged plans that
centered on how the facilities of the library can be made more reader-friendly
and abreast with the fast evolution of high technology. He cited in particular
the plan to establish an e-library to facilitate researches, and the expansion
of the Filipiniana section which shall include a gallery of rare books. He was
positive that all those can be done with the support of the different sectors
in augmenting whatever budget can be allocated from the national coffer. He,
with the untiring support of the Assistant Director, Ms. Jacinto, has been
enthusiastically coming out with his progressive ideas ever since he took over
the directorship of the institution.
In
the meantime, the cooperative and cohesive attitude of the staff who had been
willingly sacrificing their weekends ever since the retrofitting project began,
is very much observable. They have been pitching in their time to pack books
and equipment for moving to available safe spaces within the building to give
way to the retrofitting of the posts and floor areas. Despite the hectic
activities and dust, pertinent sections are still made available to readers and
clients with other transactions.
After our meeting, I braved the dust to
personally see the extent of the retrofitting project, with the help of Delia
Tambong, in-charge of the Library’s utility support group. While making the
rounds, we met staff with trolleys full of boxes, while some were stacking them
in safe corners. What I saw has made me wonder how the institution could still
function as normally as it could, despite their difficult situation. Indeed,
they show an admirable feat!
Surveys and studies show that despite the
hi-tech phenomenon resulting to the unquestionably convenient access to
information via the internet, there is still a popular demand for hard copies
of reference materials that are available in libraries and bookstores. Add to
that the fact that practical and wise researchers, especially, students would
rather spend their time, free-of-charge in libraries than in internet cafes
where every single minute ticks the peso sign.
The retrofitting project may take some time
until the last whiff of dust has settled, signaling the completion of the
gallant effort to make the National Library of the Philippines more sturdy and
functional. Despite this, coupled with the limited financial upkeep, the institution,
with Atty. Santos at the helm, untiringly pursues its set goals of satisfying
the requirements of walk-in readers, and serving as the umbrella of all public
libraries throughout the country.
The National Library of the Philippines is
an integral part of the country’s history. It is the repository of the
Filipino’s intellectual achievements. The edifice houses books some of which
were written by our heroes, including those of Jose Rizal, aside from different
kinds of documents that stood as mute witnesses to the arduous cultural and
political development our country in the face of trying times. These reasons are just a few, that should
awaken Filipinos to realize its importance, and its need to survive.
Personally, I cannot imagine a country without a National Library.
To
know more about the institution, friends are requested to check the following:
Website:
http://web.nlp.gov.ph; twitter:
@ask.the.nlpmuse@gmail.com;
wordpress: nlpmuse.wordpress.com; tumbler: nlpmuse;
facebook:
NationalLibraryofthePhilippines
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