Frias, Olivar and Rada attend "Developing Competencies in Library Automation and Preservation" seminar-workshop


The Philippine Group of Law Librarians (PGLL) sponsored a seminar-workshop entitled “Developing Competencies in Library Automation and Preservation held last May 14-16, 2014 at Hotel Veniz, Baguio City. Three librarians from the DLSU libraries attended this event namely Ms. Willian Frias, Ms. Juliet Olivar and Mr. Jorge Erwin Rada.  

The objectives of this seminar are: to equip participants with the knowledge on how to assess and prioritize their collection; to experience hands-on book preservation; to anticipate the possible library crises and coping mechanisms using Project Noah; to get acquainted to the available digital and/or online legal collection and resources in the Philippines and the United States; and to discover some available library management systems which a librarian may choose for their own libraries.

The first session is about understanding and assessing priorities in the collection. The resource speaker Ms. Emma Rey shared her ideas on proper handling and management of the collection. She also included in her lecture the factors to consider in managing the library collection such as the location, building layout and environment.

Mr. Israelex Vilena was the resource person for the 2nd and 3rd sessions. He presented the 2nd session through a lecture focusing on the importance of preservation of printed collection, while the 3rd session was delivered as a workshop, teaching participants how to do manual binding or doing bookbinding in the traditional way.

The 4th session deals about the difference of hazards and disasters. The resource speaker Dr. Oscar Victor Lizardo of DOST discussed the importance of climate preparedness to avoid disasters.  He mentioned that hazards are unavoidable while disasters can be prevented.  He presented the different types of hazards such as typhoons, earthquakes, etc. and cited ways on how to prevent them into resulting to disasters.

Building digital libraries was the topic on the 5th session. Ms. Micaela Angelica Gonzales presented her experience on creating Filipiniana Online, an online repository of rare Filipiniana materials published from 1600’s up to the mid 1900’s.

Ms. Milagros Santos-Ong from the Supreme Court of the Philippines Library was the resource speaker for the 6th session on the topic e-Library-Philippines, where she described the different databases and sources for research in law. She also shared the different online sources for legal information that are available for free.

Two open source Library Management Systems were demonstrated in sessions 7th and 8th. Mr. Gerry O, Larosa presented the different modules in “Infolib”, the library system that he developed. Afterwards, Mr. Eugene Espinosa outlined the different features in KOHA, and then ended his talk with a short workshop to determine the readiness of the participants in adapting the integrated library system in their libraries.

This seminar increased DLSU participant’s knowledge on disaster prevention by means of preservation and digitization of library materials.  It also made them proud to bring home with them the very first "book" that they themselves bound, as products of one of the workshops of the seminar.  Equipped with the new learning on how to assess and prioritize collection, the participants are now confident to do battles against possible natural disasters that may visit their area of work.

The librarians thank the De La Salle University, through its Faculty Development Program, for making said learning available to them.


Photos courtesy of Jorge Rada