Malditang Librarian

Joker. Anyone familiar with superheroes knows one of Batman's most formidable enemies and one of the most iconic and recognizable villains in media. Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight  is one of my favorite movies, which features the critically acclaimed portrayal of Joker by the late Heath Ledger. As an antagonist, the Joker of The Dark Knight is nihilistic, anarchic, and mysterious. To me, Ledger's Joker was scary because he doesn't have any rhyme and reason to his actions - as he claims to be an "agent of chaos." In The Dark Knight , there was a suspenseful clash between Batman and the Joker. You won't find that in this version of Joker. When I heard of a new Joker movie and saw the trailer, I was anticipating the movie. We're used to big-budget movies from the Marvel and DC universe, with their advanced effects and film technology. I admit that sometimes, the premise of these movies can be quite ridiculous (Infinity Stones?) but they are als...

I just graduated my MLIS (Master in Library and Information Science) degree this month. It took me more than a year to finish my thesis, a requirement for graduation. There were many revisions and overhauls before the final product. It was also one of the most challenging things I have written. I took my MLIS in Central Philippine University, Iloilo City, where I also had my bachelor's degree in LIS in 2014. I started in June 2016, so it took me more than three years to complete it. In the Philippines, an MLIS is often a requirement for librarian jobs especially for state universities and colleges or SUCs. A graduate degree may be necessary for promotions, school accreditations, and career advancement. Having an MLIS degree opens more opportunities for librarians. Many who work in libraries and may not have studied Library Science as an undergraduate may opt to take a Master's degree to qualify to take the licensure examination to become an official registered librarian in...

[Note: This blog post is quite late and the hype for this movie has died down. This movie review has been sitting on my drafts for a while. I've been quite busy these past few months because I was working on my graduate thesis. My thesis is finished and submitted, so now I have more time to focus on this blog and write.] Hello, Love, Goodbye is a Filipino movie starring Kathryn Bernardo and Alden Richards, produced by Star Cinema and directed by Cathy Garcia-Molina. It was shown in theaters around August 2019.  I have read a lot of positive reviews for this movie, and it's also a cinema blockbuster that earned millions when it was showing. I was curious and wanted to see if it was worth the hype. I was not disappointed! This is the first time that stars from the two top rival TV networks in the Philippines (ABS-CBN and GMA) teamed up for a movie. Both Alden Richards and Kathryn Bernardo are halves of very popular “love teams” in the Philippine show business. Alden R...

Dreams are Indeed the royal road to the unconscious. This path of women healing is not the hero’s journey. It is instead the cycling, spiraling of the feminine in search for itself. –Pearl E. Gregor Pearl E. Gregor is a Dreamworker and educator based in Alberta, Canada. I, the Woman, Planted the Tree is her first book. It is the first book of the series Dreams Along the Way. The book is a memoir of a life, but not just the common themes we encounter in a typical autobiography. Intertwined with the events of the author’s life are her dreams – which is just as important as real life events. As a student of dreams, the author speculates on her dreams, interprets it in a personal as well as universal level. For women, this is a magnificent exploration of feminine dreams and unconscious. In telling her story and sharing her journey, the book invites us to be more sensitive to dreams and recognize them as something that can help us. The book tells of the author’s life and strict Cathol...

Passing the board exam is an important stepping stone in one's career. Most professions require a license to practice, and your future career can depend on the results. The board exam can be the most nerve-wracking exam of your life! Unlike exams in school, there's more at stake in a licensure exam. That's why a lot of people really make an effort in studying and reviewing. I took the board exam for Librarians last 2015, and I also teach review classes for those about to take the exam. In my perspective as both a test-taker and a teacher, here are the bad habits I've noticed that may negatively affect a taker's results: Cramming Sometimes, we really have no choice but to cram. Not all of us have the luxury of free time to spend on reviewing alone. Time is also an issue for those who have full-time jobs, families, and other responsibilities. However, unless you are so smart or you absorb information very quickly, it is better to study a little at a time ...

I waited for the hype to die down before writing my reaction to Avengers: Endgame . Most of you have probably watched it by now, but for those who haven't yet, I'll be talking spoilers below (or maybe you already have an idea about the story because the internet won't shut up about it). This year 2019 seems to be the end of many stories and movies. The Avengers franchise, the Star Wars sequels, and Game of Thrones. It makes sense, when this year is the end of another decade, and next year will be the 2020's. Endgame is THE END, the final conclusion to this story phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe which started with 2008's Iron Man. 2012 gave us the first Avengers film, where the six main Avengers first team up against Loki. That story was a major blockbuster and a classic "vastly different people try to work together for a common goal" story. Over the years, especially in this decade, Marvel superhero movies has been very popular and is a big par...

The annual PLAI WVRLC Regional Conference will be on July 25-26, 2019 at 4th floor, Henry Luce III Library, Central Philippine University, Jaro, Iloilo City. This year's theme is  Forward, Onward: Librarians towards Self and Community Well-being. I always look forward to attending PLAI Regional Conferences. Aside from learning what's new in the region and the librarianship field, these regional seminars are always mini-reunions and I get to meet my classmates, old schoolmates, and friends in the profession. You can now register online in advance through this link. Click to download a copy of the letter of invitation. For more information, refer to the letter of invitation below: ***** Greetings! The Philippine Librarians Association, Inc.- Western Visayas Region Librarians Council (PLAI-WVRLC) in partnership with Central Philippine University is holding the PLAI-WVRLC Regional Conference and General Assembly on July 25-26, 2019 with the theme “Forward, Onward: ...