Malditang Librarian

Collaboration introduces new online platform, DepEd Commons to maximize remote and home learning To enable both teachers and parents to integrate digital learning into their homes, Globe myBusiness partnered with the Department of Education (DepEd) for its second E-skwela Webinar session themed “Making Homes the Extended Classroom: Parent-Teacher Collaboration in the time of COVID-19”. The online discussion centered on challenges and best practices to assist faculty and parents on how they can integrate tools and activities that are experiential and collaborative, as well as how they can maximize the learning experience at home. The panel of notable experts included DepEd Undersecretary Alain Del B. Pascua and Ginger Arboleda, co-founder and COO of Taxumo Inc. and CEO of Manila Workshops. They were joined by Globe Representatives: Mark Arthur Payumo Abalos, Education Industry Lead and Learning Technologies Scholar; Michelle Peralta, Campaign and Communication strategist and F...

Beat COVID-19 Today: a COVID-19 Philippine Situationer was launched by the Department of Health last April 28, 2020. The online newsletter released daily contains relevant and recent information about the pandemic situation in the country. The first online issue dated April 28 contains highlights and recent updates on COVID-19, a summary of cases, epidemiological data, and tips for citizens on what they can do to stay healthy. It also includes relevant updates from DOH, WHO, and PhilHealth. The information is organized clearly and statistics are shown through graphs and infographics that are easy to understand. With the increasing information daily about COVID-19, this newsletter is a good information tool for citizens. All the needed information is in one organized file, readers who are just looking for useful information and statistics don't need to check many news sources or waste too much time looking for it in social media. Read or Download the 1st issue of B...

This article was posted by Mr. Michael A. Pinto, RL on his Facebook profile  last April 26, 2020. Reposted here with his permission.  The COVID 19 pandemic led to government measures to control its global spread. It forced governments around the world to resort to quarantine measures to flatten the infection curve. The Philippines is among those countries which imposed quarantine measures. The Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) was initially imposed on the island of Luzon. Subsequently, local government units in the Visayas and Mindanao regions followed. The ECQ required all citizens in the entire Luzon to stay at home except for one member of the household who was given a pass for purposes of running errands such as buying food and medicines. The action limited the number of interaction among residents in a community and among communities. The sudden “lockdown” or imposition of ECQ temporarily stopped work in all government agencies, private institutions, and busines...

Springer Nature is offering free access to their eBooks and textbooks. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic affecting the world right now, this is one way to support teaching and learning while most are required to stay at home to prevent the spread of the virus. More than 500 books on a wide range of disciplines are available through Springer Link until July 2020. To see the books available, check this list (Excel file) organized by subject area and with download links: Free English textbook titles (all disciplines) “As the global impact of the crisis intensifies, remote access to educational resources has become essential. We want to support lecturers, teachers and students during this challenging period and hope that this initiative, which will see over 500 key textbooks available for free online, will go some way to help," said Niels Peter Thomas, Managing Director Springer Nature Books. Books are available for download in PDF and .epub formats. Springer Nature is an ...

Emerald Publishing is offering a free webinar, Guide to Getting Published. Librarians, students, teachers, and researchers are encouraged to attend. This will be held on Thursday, April 30, 2020, on 2:30-5:30 PM. Information from Emerald Publishing: Guides to Getting Published are based on our experience of working with the editors of more than 300 journals and provide insight to help new or potential authors give their papers the best possible chance of acceptance and publication. Given by the Emerald team, editors and other representatives, they can feature presentations, question and answer sessions and, time and presenter permitting, individual clinic sessions.   As part of our commitment to actively supporting our authors – existing and future – the Guides are aimed at helping authors progress successfully through the various stages from pre-submission of the manuscript, to revision and, finally, publication. There is no cost to your institution for hosting a ...

Department of Science and Technology - Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic, and Natural Resources Research and Development (DOST-PCAARRD) has launched its online library. Their researches, publications, technical reports, and other resources are available. The eLibrary is currently under beta testing. Users are encouraged to create an account to access. DOST is the "executive department of the Philippine Government responsible for the coordination of science and technology-related projects in the Philippines and to formulate policies and projects in the fields of science and technology in support of national development." ( Source ) To access the online library, go to elibrary.pcaarrd.dost.gov.ph . PCAARRD is one of the councils of DOST to assist research and development projects on agriculture in the country. The eLibrary utilizes the Science Library Integrated Management System (SLIMS), an open-source library management system. Users are encouraged t...

Children's book authors and illustrators seem to be getting inspired to write stories to educate children on the current coronavirus pandemic. I have featured some free children's books specifically about COVID-19 in this blog and even created a new tag to keep track of them. Check out the " Covid19 free books " tag to see all my posts about and download these free books. Here's another free children's book on COVID-19. Though it is very different from the previous books featured here, which are mostly about educating children about the virus and what they can do to prevent it from spreading. This one is about Dr. Li Wenliang, the late doctor from Wuhan, China, who was one of the first doctors to discover the new disease. Dr. Li and the crown-wearing virus is written by Francesca Cavallo, illustrated by Claudia Flandoli, with graphic design by Samuele Motta. It is published by Undercats, Inc., ©2020. Download the book Dr. Li and the crown-wearin...

American Spaces Philippines is the United States Embassy in the Philippines' "spaces for information, collaboration, and engagement".  They are currently offering free access to their online library, eLibraryUSA. Access will expire once American Spaces re-open as branches all over the country are closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. There are 15 American Spaces in the Philippines (4 in Luzon, 4 in the Visayas, and 7 in Mindanao). In Iloilo, it is located in Central Philippine University, Iloilo City. According to their website, American Spaces are "hosted in embassies, schools, libraries, and other partner institutions worldwide, American Spaces provide welcoming environments where foreign visitors can connect and learn about the United States. U.S. experts, U.S. government officials, and other Americans engage visitors on U.S. policy and society. Alumni gather to share experiences and reconnect with America." eLibraryUSA is a digital collection of tr...

The Legislative Library, Archives and Museum, House of Representatives of the Philippine Congress is making their COVID-19 E-resources available to the public online. The website is "a compilation of COVID-19 policies and issuances, laws and legislations, publications, websites, and databases, published by local and foreign governments, academic institutions, international organizations, and health science publishers." This compilation is regularly updated by the Legislative Information Resource and Service Development Bureau of the House of Representatives, Congress of the Philippines. There is a search interface where you can search by keyword, category, and institution. Go to COVID-19 E-Resources The Legislative Library, Archives and Museum provides reference, research, and information services to House Members, Secretariat officials, employees,  and the general public. The library also hosts Legislative Information System (LLEGIS) , a "search-based...

Illustration by Rachelle Ann Fabula from Ang Mga Maskara ni Miko Many organizations publishing free books for children about COVID-19. So far, I have featured four free children's eBooks on the subject of COVID-19 which you can see in the "COVID-19 free books" tag. Recently, the Department of Human and Family Development Studies (DHFDS) of the College of Human Ecology (CHE) in the University of the Philippines Los Baños released two free eBooks to educate children on COVID-19. Both books are written in Filipino and published under the Tsikiting Stories series of DHFDS. The first book is Ang Mga Maskara ni Miko: kwentong pambata ukol sa COVID-19 ("The Masks of Miko: children's stories about COVID-19") is written by Kate del Rosario and illustrated by Rachelle Ann Fabula. The book is about a boy named Miko asking about why people have to wear masks. His parents teach him what kind of mask people must wear and why it is important in protecting ...

Philippine Librarians Association, Inc. (PLAI) in partnership with Emerald Publishing is offering a free online lecture forum on COVID-19 Post-Community Quarantine Strategies for Libraries . This will be on Monday, April 27, 2020 at 1 PM-4 PM. Register here to attend the webinar In case you will not be able to view the webinar on schedule, registration can be cancelled anytime. From the registration page: "This lecture forum seeks to provide a platform for promoting greater awareness and understanding of the challenges and different situations faced by libraries and librarians during the post-community quarantine. It attempts to identify strategies and solutions to address issues and concerns regarding use and access to library collections and safety measures to protect staff and patrons from COVID-19. This forum will focus on library services during the COVID-19 pandemic, handling library materials, cleaning library surfaces, staff safety, and working from home ...

Teachers and students interested in advancing their knowledge while under enhanced community quarantine may now visit the Department of Education’s (DepEd) new online learning platform, DepEd Commons, without incurring data charges on their Globe or TM-powered smartphones. DepEd Commons contains online review materials and Open Educational Resources (OER) authored by public school teachers who are subject matter experts. Teachers can retain, reuse, revise, remix, and redistribute the content by blending it with a learning management system to deliver a distance learning modality. “In this time of crisis, it is important that we make it possible to overcome this challenge with solid partnerships with the private sector. We are thankful to Globe for supporting our initiative for the continuity of public education by providing us free data for DepEd Commons access amidst the COVID-19 situation,” said DepEd Secretary Leonor Magtolis-Briones. Alain Del B. Pascua, DepEd Undersecret...

Taylor & Francis, an international publisher of books and academic journals, is offering their research articles and an eBook on Fake News for free until June 30, 2020. "With the introduction of smartphones, social media, and digital news, it has never been easier to share and forward information, leading to the rise in"fake news" (i.e. false information) globally," according to their website. Fake news is defined as deliberate misinformation and spreading of false news usually found on social media. Fake news is usually written to mislead or damage a person or group's reputation. The website features research papers and articles on Fake News from their journals. They also feature a free eBook available for download, Fake News and the Media . The book "discusses the rise of fake news and how it has affected different aspects of the world we know today; including social trends, political communication, and journalism." The book is com...

"Dear Librarians: This special newsletter is designed to help you share resources with your patrons sheltering in place during the COVID-19 crisis. Send it along or share relevant elements with the community you serve. Your Home Librarian is designed to help you get through the COVID-19 crisis by keeping you informed, entertained, and organized. The newsletter provides readers of all ages book recommendations, multi-generational activity ideas, and tips on home organization." - Library Journal Library Journal just launched a weekly free newsletter for library enthusiasts of all ages, Your Home Librarian. The newsletter is intended for librarians to share useful information to readers online, as most have to stay at home to prevent the spread of COVID-19. For their first issue, they have tips on how to organize your home library, tips for parents on working at home, and book recommendations. Go to the subscription form to get the newsletter by e-mail Read the...

WiseOwl PH , a Filipino communications consulting agency, has released a free eBook for kids on COVID-19 written in the Filipino language. The book, COVID-19, Kalabanin! is written by Joza Nada, illustrated by Rio Marcelang, edited by Ali Ramirez, and published by WiseOwl for free online. Download the book: COVID-19, Kalabanin! The story is about a Filipino family and what kids can do to help prevent the spread of the virus and how to protect the elderly who are most vulnerable to the disease. Aside from this book, there has been many free books for children regarding COVID-19 published by varied organizations. Here are a few I featured in this blog: Coronavirus: a book for children My Hero is You: how kids can fight COVID-19 Covibook

Despite mounting fears over the continuous spread of COVID-19 in the country, hardworking telecom technicians bravely go to the field day in and day out, leaving the safety of their homes just to ensure that customers are connected even while under enhanced community quarantine. Installers, repairmen, and other technicians working for Globe Telecom’s various contractors all over the country, for instance, visit as many as 10 homes a day but their challenges start before they reach the residence of the customers.  Many barangays refused to grant them entry even with government orders exempting telecom services from ECQ. "We’re having difficulties requesting some barangays to allow our technicians to enter their areas.  Sometimes, we even have to face them and show the IDs issued by Globe but they still refuse," said Nerissa Gama, EdgeComm Field Supervisor. They also have to face apprehensive customers who are now wary of allowing strangers into their homes due to the...

Photo from James Patterson's Official website “There is no such thing as a kid who hates reading. There are kids who love reading, and kids who are reading the wrong books.” -James Patterson Bestselling author James Patterson, in partnership with Scholastic Book Clubs, is giving away grants for school teachers in the US. The grant is for the improvement of school and classroom libraries. This is not the first time that the writer has donated to school libraries. In a six-year partnership with Scholastic Book Clubs, he also has donated $8.5 million. They will give away $500 each for 5,000 teachers to add more resources to school and classroom libraries. The grant program is for teachers from pre-Kindergarten to Grade 12 in United States schools. Grant application is until July 31, 2020. For their application, teachers are asked to write how they plan to use the award in 50 words. For more information, go to Scholastics's 2020 Scholastic Book Clubs & James...

The National Commission for Culture and Arts (NCCA) has a financial assistance program for artists and cultural workers under the state of calamity due to the current COVID-19 situation in the country. This assistance program is for those working in Library and Information Services. Please note that this grant is intended for those working in job order status and contract of service. These are the requirements to avail of the grant: Scanned PRC Identification Card or License Scanned employment ID Personal declaration/certification that you have not received any form of salary, incentive, social amelioration, etc. from the government (DSWD, DOLE, etc.) during the implementation of the Enhanced Community Quarantine. (Attach signature above your printed name.)  Go to the Application Form The deadline for submission of applications is tomorrow, April 18 (Saturday).

Experts weigh in on challenges and winning strategies for digital integration in schools About 200 educators recently joined the E-Skwela webinar hosted by Globe myBusiness on how to migrate classes online as schools have been closed under the COVID-19  enhanced community quarantine protocols. A robust discussion on the Philippines' e-learning roadmap took place among a panel of experts that included Mark Arthur Payumo Abalos, Education Industry Lead at Globe and Learning Technologies Scholar; Bro. Dennis Magbanua, FSC, Community Director at La Salle College, Hong Kong; Rogelio Dela Cruz, Head of the Center for Instruction, Research, and Curriculum- Education Technology Office at De La Salle College of Saint Benilde; Miguel Bermundo, Head of the Citizenship and Advocacy Marketing Division at Globe; and Gerson Abesamis, Executive Director of Habi Education Lab and Senior Lecturer at UP Diliman and Miriam College. Challenges in digital access, security, and familiarity...

Last February, the Smithsonian Institution has launched a new online platform with a focus on open-access materials. Recently, 2.8 million images from their varied collections were made available for free to the public domain. Go to the Smithsonian Open Access website The Smithsonian Institution, or commonly knows as Smithsonian, is a group of research centers and museums managed by the United States government. It was founded in 1846 and named after James Smithson, the British founding donor of the Institution. It is composed of 19 museums, 21 libraries, 9 research centers, and a zoo. According to their official website, the "initiative removes Smithsonian copyright restrictions from about 2.8 million of its digital collection images and nearly two centuries of data. This means that people everywhere can now download, transform and share this open access content for any purpose, for free, without further permission from the Smithsonian." The repository is st...

Globe Telecom encourages its customers to share inspiring stories and messages of upliftment to those suffering from fear, stress, anxiety, and depression especially in light of the current pandemic that the world is battling. Globe’s Hope Bank Facebook Community ( http://bit.ly/hopebank_ ), aims to serve as an empowering channel for those who are trying to cope with the emotional and mental challenges caused by COVID-19 and to boost the morale of frontliners, patients who are being treated for COVID-19, as well as their families and friends. Through this online space, community members may share messages of hope for encouragement, strength, and inspiration. “We want to rally people into becoming a community support group to make others realize that they are not alone, that there are people who are willing to provide empathy and emotional connection virtually.  This is the time for each of us to reinforce one another, even if only to provide support to those who need ...

I must say that this quarantine is breaking me down. I have not left the house since March 14, and my city has been on lockdown since March 20. The extended community quarantine will last until the end of April, but who knows what will happen by that time? I feel like the world will never be the same once we all go back to 'normal'. I deactivated my main Facebook profile two days ago and I hope I can keep it that way until the pandemic sorts itself out. I still have another account just to update my blog pages. I feel like spending too much time on social media drains me out and it's also a lot of mental noise. I get my Covid-19 news updates from the DOH Viber group. Taking a leave from Facebook helped ease my anxiety a little bit. It's great for connecting with friends and family, but right now it can be a cesspool of fake news, political arguments, and baseless commentaries. I decided to focus more on myself and hear my own 'inner voice'. Killing tim...

As part of its continuous support for COVID-19 frontliners, PLDT wireless arm Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) has extended communications assistance to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine General Hospital (PGH). To provide for their connectivity needs during the enhanced community quarantine, Smart is donating free Smart and TNT SIMs and load cards to more than 1,000 AFP personnel deployed across Metro Manila. Smart has also donated smartphones and load to support the PGH’s newly opened COVID-19 ward, as well as to the Northern Mindanao Medical Center, the designated COVID-19 hospital in Cagayan de Oro. With these, frontliners in charge of COVID-19 patients, as well as AFP personnel manning checkpoints across Metro Manila and those stationed at their Camp Aguinaldo Headquarters can stay connected via calls, text and mobile data. This is the latest in PLDT-Smart’s ongoing efforts to provide communications support to frontliners working with lo...

ALA Editions is offering a free PDF eBook for libraries and librarians. Library as Safe Haven: Disaster Planning, Response, and Recovery: A How-To-Do-It Manual for Librarians written by Deborah D. Halsted, Shari Clifton, and Daniel T. Wilson; published by ALA Neal Schuman, ©2014 by the Medical Library Association. ( Source ) According to the description, this manual covers the following topics: an eight-step approach to developing a risk assessment plan; how to draft a one-page service continuity plan; information on how to use mobile devices and social media effectively in times of disaster; and sample disaster plans, along with model exercises, manuals, and customizable communication. Download the book here.

International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) is the leading international organization of library and information professionals and associations. Every year, they hold the World Library and Information Congress (WLIC), which is said to be the 'most international event' in the library profession. Due to COVID-19 and travel restrictions imposed between countries, IFLA has decided to cancel the event. The 2022 Congress was originally planned to be in the New Zealand International Convention Center in Auckland. However, it is uncertain if the venue in New Zealand will be ready for the Congress as there are issues with delays in its construction. It has been decided that the venue for the next Congress will be in Dublin, Ireland in 2022. This will be the first year since 1946 (74 years now) that the Congress will not push through. Those who have already registered for the event, as well as sponsors and exhibitors, will be refunded. ...

There seem to be many children's books authors and illustrators releasing free books on COVID-19 to educate and entertain children. So far, I've featured two free children's books in this blog: Covibook  written and illustrated by Manuel Molina and My Hero is You: how kids can fight COVID-19!   by Helen Patuck and published by the United Nations' Inter-Agency Standing Committee Reference Group. Here is another free book targeted for kids about the COVID-19 pandemic,  Coronavirus: A Book for Children written by Elizabeth Jenner, Kate Wilson, Nia Roberts; and illustrated by Axel Scheffler. It is published by Nosy Crow, United Kingdom. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-NoDerivatives 4.0   International License . This means that the work is free to share, copy, and redistribute in any medium or format. If you wish to use the material, there should be credit, a link back to the license, and info if changes were made ...