A tale of two libraries

How could I sit through two recent library-related events without being anguished, thinking of two government directives significant to literacy but, from all indications, ignored and forgotten today?

These directives are then Education Undersecretary Isagani R. Cruz’s memo (Department of Education Memo 34 s. 2001) requiring the reading of at least two books a year per student as a requirement for a passing grade, and Republic Act No. 7743, signed by then President Fidel V. Ramos on June 17, 1996, establishing congressional, city and municipal libraries and barangay reading centers countrywide for a five-year period.

So there I was during the National Literature Month of April, at an update on the Little Free Library (LFL) network hosted by Todd Bol, founding chair and executive director of the US-based mother organization LFL, and Miguel Patolot of LFL Philippines. LFL began as a birdhouse-type pocket library in 2009, when Bol found a way to honor his mother, a book lover and schoolteacher. “Take a book, return a book” is the honors system slogan for 36,000 such attractively designed libraries in 70 countries, from Iceland to Pakistan to Tasmania to the Philippines.

When Bol, Patolot and I first discussed the prospects of this neighborhood library in the country, I knew that we had to modify the slogan because the rare books we have could very well be taken without any replacement. During the morning’s discussion with the LFL proponents in the country, it was interesting to see how it has been modified to suit the realities of the local situation.

Rosalinda K. Nishikawa of the Jose K. Obando Memorial Elementary School in Lipa spoke of how the 560 students from low-income families, plagued by malnutrition, absenteeism, poor verbal and math skills and poor hygiene, received a boost from the LFL that is now their school library. The students used to depend on the DepEd’s Library Hub, which has since moved and become inaccessible.

Victoria Abad Kerblat of Pacita Abad Memorial Foundation Inc. in Jorge, Aurora, happily reported that the LFL setups in Batanes are working well, drawing readers constantly. The overseers are successful in maintaining their collections, with no reports of losses, but Kerblat did emphasize that Batanes is a small island-province with a population of 17,000, making it manageable. Thanks to the poor Wi-Fi connectivity in the province that is constantly battered by typhoons, the people have little else to do for leisure but read.

Dottie Diaz Cleofas discussed the Ayala Mall experience with the LFL. Ayala Land Inc. originally wanted the specially designed libraries in public areas where traffic is heavy, such as near the malls’ concierges and, now, for security reasons, in the malls’ family lounges.

I felt uncomfortable at this and said so to those in attendance, because I did not like the subtext that Filipinos cannot be trusted. If we know that book losses are certain to happen under the LFL honors system, I said, it is because books are truly coveted, rare items difficult to acquire or purchase for the majority of us with limited disposable income. (Although often, in the company of friends, when we are in a public place and worried about being careless with our belongings, we often joke that thieves will get everything but not books. But we wish they’d be more interested in the books.)

I also said Filipinos have yet to be accustomed to a public library system where we can check out books we want to read.  And even if we do want to replace the books we take from the pocket libraries, we may not have such books for an exchange.

As linguist Karl Gaverza advocated “sampayan” literature for reading enhancement in the Correctional Institution for Women, and UP professor Portia Padilla and Lourdes Rosella Victoria emphasized the urgent need to provide everyone easy access to books, it was clear that this basic key to literacy needs to be addressed by the government and the private sector.

The hunger for open access to books was again evident in The Book Stop, the pop-up library that William Ti Jr., principal of the WTA Architecture & Design Studio, launched at the Ayala Triangle Gardens for Dia del Libro. It emerged as the centerpiece of the book festival, with people admiring the sleek, state-of-the art structure of steel built to weather the most adverse of tropical conditions.

What a novelty to browse to one’s delight and choose a book to take home, with a promise to replace it. Of course, it would have been ideal to do the exchange then and there.

The idea was meant to change the traditional concept of a library but setting it up in open spaces, bringing books and ideas to public areas. Ti plans to have two sets of travelling book collections—one for the public to pick and choose from, and another that would be a permanent set for the Book Stop. While it was warmly received in Makati, Ti confessed that it is hardly the crowd for which it was meant, as he is gearing to reach those who truly have no access to books.

The Book Stop moves to Intramuros on May 14-July 9. Catch it there.

Neni Sta. Romana Cruz (nenisrcruz@gmail.com) is chair of the National Book Development Board, a trustee of Teach for the Philippines, and a member of the Eggie Apostol Foundation.