Malditang Librarian

My bookshelf! Almost all book lovers dream of having his or her own personal library. Who doesn't want a grand room in a dream house all for books? While I do love reading and physical books, I decided I needed to pare down my collection because it's taking a toll on my health. Dust can cause long-term problems, and I realized I had been keeping:  1) books that I do not love, 2) books I had been keeping for long but never got around to reading, 3) books I read but didn't like, and 4) books that I really love that I want to keep for life. Book hoarding for me was a problem and an addiction. I realized I had been wasting money because I loved the thrill of buying and having a new thing. I needed to stop, so I thought the first step was to organize the chaos. I really liked the end results and set rules for my own book collection. Did you know that libraries have their own 'collection policies'? Libraries have rules, guidelines, and standards in what to acqui...

Last September 22, 2018, Manix Abrera was in Cinematheque Iloilo for a talk and book signing, and I went. I was a fan of Kiko Machine for a long time, and since high school, I was already reading the comic strips in The Philippine Daily Inquirer. I like the cute drawing style, the funny yet relatable topics and characters, and how it tackles subjects that are so out-of-this-world in a thought-provoking way. This is actually the second time I saw the artist in person, the first was in ZineZoned3: Iloilo Zinefest 3 in Robinsons Place Iloilo last August 2017. I asked him some questions in their forum and his answers made sense. When I asked how they handled criticism, he said that even a bad reaction or negative feedback is still better than nothing. The most valuable lesson on writing I heard from him was that people don't feel 100% of the same emotion - people can have a mix of emotions like 80% sadness and 20% anger, and even more. In comics, the facial expression is very impor...

The results of the Librarian Licensure Examination last September 18-19, 2018 was released today. Here is the news from the PRC News Website: "The Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) announces that 466 out of 951 passed the Librarian Licensure Examination given by the Board for Librarians in the cities of Manila, Baguio, Cagayan De Oro, Cebu, Davao, Iloilo, Legazpi, Tacloban and Tuguegarao this September 2018. The members of the Board for Librarians who gave the licensure examination are Yolanda C. Granda, Chairman and Lourdes T. David, Member. The results were released in two (2) working days after the last day of examination. From October 4 to October 5, 2018, registration for the issuance of Professional Identification Card (ID) and Certificate of Registration will be done online.  Please go to http://online1.prc.gov.ph and follow instructions for initial registration.  Those who will register are required to bring the following: downloaded duly accomplished...

Are you a librarian, LIS student, or a professional in a related field who wants to share your insights, research, and ideas to more people or the LIS student community here in the Philippines? Then you might want to write for the LIS Student Journal of the UP LIS Students' Association (UP LISSA).  Submissions are open for all LIS students here in the country (not just UP LISSA members). According to the Primer and Mechanics in their website, "The LISSA Student Journal (LSJ) is a student-reviewed organization journal of LISSA resident members and alumni. It aims to promote discourse on LIS within the academic, professional, and social contexts. Academic – discourse on theories and concepts in LIS, researches, analysis of traditional and contemporary issues using LIS perspectives, and on the roles of LIS alongside other academic disciplines. Professional – discourse on the practice of LIS, including application of concepts in day-to-day tasks, management of LIS instit...

Cinematheque Centre Iloilo is one of my favorite places in the city. They often have different films from all over the world, usually showing for free or at affordable prices. Their latest movies are on the subject of "Magnificent Black and White: Czechoslovak New Wave Cinema of 1960's." Two movies caught my interest: The Cremator and Ikarie XB-1 . It was free so I didn't want to miss it. The Cremator summary from Google: "In Prague, Karl Kopfrkingl enjoys his work at the crematorium perhaps a bit too much, having gained a perverse idea of reincarnation from his haphazard studies of Tibet. After World War II breaks out, there is a sudden need to be as Aryan as possible, and Kopfrkingl's old friend Reinke points out that Kopfrkingl has some German heritage. But his wife is Jewish, which makes his children Jewish, which makes the now-Nazi Kopfrkingl's blood boil." I wasn't impressed with this movie after my first watch, but the more I thin...

Last September 6-8, 2018 was the Philippine Librarians Association - Western Visayas Regional Librarians Council (PLAI-WVRLC) annual Regional Conference and General Assembly in JBLFMU-Molo. This year's theme is Librarians Engage! Moving Forward to Student-Centered Initiatives.  This CPD activity was awarded 20 CPD points. Around 120 participants all over the region attended the event. I can say that this 3-day seminar is unique and different from previous librarians' conferences that I've attended. We talked about library innovation and practices, but also hands-on activities on creativity and story-telling. This conference had two main speakers, Mr. Darrel Marco, and Dr. Danilo Baylen. Mr. Marco is currently working for a law firm and has extensive experience in school libraries and story-telling. He spoke on the topics of "Librarians as Storytellers" and "Library Activities towards a more Interactive Space". Dr. Danilo Baylen is a Professor in the Co...

Crazy Rich Asians (2018) is a movie based on a best-selling book of the same title by Kevin Kwan. I loved the book, it's an entertaining read. My brother read it and highly recommended it, and soon me and my mom read the book and also became fans. The story is about American-born Rachel Chu, an Economics professor. Her boyfriend Nick Young invites her to go to Singapore to attend the wedding of his best friend. Little did Rachel know that Nick is actually one of the most sought-after bachelors in Singapore, his family being one of the richest people there. Rachel must go through mean girls going after Nick, the mean judgement of high society, and eventually - Nick's family, and especially his mother. I like that this book is not just romanticizing the 'crazy rich life' or the super-rich in Asia. It's a satire and parody of this kind of life, and it's interesting that the author himself was part of these people. Nick's family is an interesting mix of peo...