Unang Bahagi ng Isang Serye

Hindi maikakaila na isa ang laybraryan sa mga propesyon na nakikisabay sa pagbabago at pagtataguyod sa anumang dala ng kasaluyang panahon. Nagbabago ang kanyang anyo at uri ng paglilingkod para sa balana. Batid nito ang lawak at angking benepisyo na kanyang dulot sa sinumang magtatanong o hihingi ng impormasyon bunga na rin ng mga teknolohiyang dala ng digital age.

Ayon sa Fairview Public Library, hindi kailanman nagkaroon ang kanilang staff ng anumang training bago nagkaroon ng Internet. Ang pagtuturo na may kaugnayan sa Internet bilang isang gawain ay kakailanganin ng isang malaking paghahanda kaakibat ang mas malalim na pagpapahalaga.

Ang mga laybraryan, sa panahon na kung saan ang mga robots ay waging-waging sa mga bata, ay tinatawag sa iba’t-bang pangalan: cybraryan, information specialist, at virtual librarian ay tatlo sa mga ito na makikita sa mga E-zines, blogs at dyornals.

Ang mga nadaragdag na mga tungkulin at bagong katawagan ng mga laybraryan ay maaring magbigay balangkas sa marami pang gampanin dulot na rin ng teknolohiya. Marami sa kanila ang gumagamit nito sa kanilang trabaho kahit walang nagaganap na pagbabago sa kanilang job description at katawagan bilang mga laybraryan. Ginagamit ng laybraryan mula Reference ang Internet, ang online library catalog at online databases upang tulungan ang sinuman sa paghahanap ng materyales. Nasabi ni Brown (2002) na patuloy na ginagampanan ng mga laybraryan ang kanilang mga gawain at ang pagkakaiba lamang ay mayroon siyang karagdagang mga gamit o tools para dito.

SPECIMEN: Librarian 1 (Arts and Social Sciences/Periodical Section)

Supervises and manages the reading area of the Section (supervision, instruction, guidance, instruction, bibliography, assessment)

1. ROOM

Initiates a marketing brand to sell services of the Section such as: Fast Access, Create Success is
adopted primarily to:

a. accelerate reference service
b. recognize the power of access, not only the strength of holdings
c. promote productive and excellent readership

One library has Excellent Product, Excellent Delivery System, Excellent Mindset while Ateneo libraries have In-line with the Past, On-line with the Future. This is necessary for all libraries.

Creates a flow-chart/model of library routine for room management and discipline like: R-S-B-P plus D means Registration-Statistics-Book Borrowing-Photocopy Request plus Discipline;

Assists through OPAC and with an internet facility for search assistance;

Produces an in-house brochure;

Keeps books in the shelves and/or organizes; a classification literacy test is done to evaluate readers’ utilization and shelving habits.

2. PEOPLE (student assistants, LS interns, faculty, etc.)

Introduces a model or a routine cycle/framework in carrying his tasks daily for a warm and courteous reception to a client’s request as a sign of recognition of the value of a client to the service; and, immediate response to the client’s request and the completion of the service at the least possible time without any runaround:

Example:
S – Say sorry
E – Expedite the Solution
R – Respond immediately to the Customer
V – Victory for the Customer
E – Evaluate the Library Experience

SOURCE: Building Customer Loyalty by Michael S.G. Boey, 1997

Prepares/writes articles for a library newsletter and/or produces a weekly newsleaf and informs reader newly acquired reading materials, etc. (The Library Chronicle, The PNU Post, The PNU-LISAA Newsletter with articles like: Oops: Why the Librarians Gain Public Respect, At the Charging Desk, Professional Ethics: The Librarian and His Constituents and His Co-workers, etc.)

Assists students, faculty and administrative employees in their library research by having continuous classification literacy campaign in their use of B, C, D, E, F, G, H, J, K, M, N; general orientation on the use of the PNU library; allows maximum use of the collections by the adoption of an open access system;

Supervises student assistants and Library Science interns by orienting them through Powerpoint presentation of their Circulation Work and activities and adopt the Librarian’s Mantras (How to Be Gentle Librarians) in approaching behavioral problems in the Section.

Interns are provided with options before embarking on reference work and serial work. First, create things to do- an LS intern is permitted to suggest, generate, initiate relevant tasks. If her list is not enough, a second option is given. The librarian prescribes and gives specific activities to accomplish to the intern.

Supervises in repair and covering of books;

Serves as the readers’ adviser in the Section through book talking and biblio-therapy, where there is a review of the delivery, content, audience impact and relevance. Book talk is a speaking activity done with Library Science interns. This allows current awareness and reader analysis as well. Some titles used for book talks were Hope for a Flower, The Old Man and the Sea, The Pearl, The Alchemist, Who Moved the Cheese, etc.; book discussion groups. Let’s Read the Little Prince Again is an encouragement for librarians to perform as book consultant and eventually help assist readers behaviorally and academically; and class visits. Activities like Book Caravan, Wedding Dance in Philippine Literature classes under Prof. Marquez, Why Worry as gifts to classes have given the librarian extra time and contact hours with his readers.

3. Takes charge of resources;

BOOKS

Produces general listings/inventory/bibliographies, catalogs, indexes, and other search tools etc. by subjects for PHILOSOPHY, PSYCHOLOGY, RELIGION, HISTORY, GEOGRAPHY & ANTHROPOLOGY, SOCIAL SCIENCES, LAW, POLITICAL SCIENCE, MUSIC, & THE ARTS and have these shown online through blogs, web sites and other web-enabled measures.

Maintains a web site for an on-line show of services that the Section offers on matters concerning bibliographic powers and resources of the library and the librarian including Filipiniana titles: ARTS & SOCIAL SCIENCES INBOX, http://www.ramospnulisaainc.blogspot.com

PERIODICALS

Updates and meticulously selects articles for clipping files and does periodical indexing. (1) Clipping files have helped and assisted library clientele. specifically, recent issues that books have yet to publish are fairly explained and expanded through articles periodically clipped out from subscriptions; (2) Periodical index refers to a type of an index having periodical articles as its contents with bibliographic information fundamental to fast article search. It is a compilation of both published and unpublished write-ups personally indexed by the librarian with subjects assigned to each article for easy retrieval.

Monitors weekly bulletins on contemporary issues namely: Talk of the Town, Health & Science, Education & Home, People at Work, etc.

Writes and requests from donating agencies free serials & other publications and acknowledges each. Donors include NCCA, Kaisa, Haribon Foundation, DOST, etc.

Researches and owns free e-journals:

1. Science Education: http://www.sciencepub.org/nature/ : Nature and Science; http://www.akamaiuniversity.us/PJST.htm: Pacific Journal of Science and Technology: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Research, Theories, and Observations; https://www.llnl.gov/str/: Science & Technology Review

2. Mathematics Education; http://www.emis.de/journals/index.html;
http://www.emis.de/journals/JAA/index.html: Journal Of Applied Analysis
http://www.emis.de/journals/JGG/index.html: Journal for Geometry and Graphics

3. Elementary Education; http://ecrp.uiuc.edu/: ECRP: Early Childhood Research & Practice; http://edinformatics.com/research/online_journals.htm: EDinformatics: Education for the Information Age; http://aera-cr.asu.edu/ejournals/: AERA SIG Communication of Research: American Educational Research Association Special Interest Group

4. Special Education; http://jset.unlv.edu/: JSER e-journal: Journal of Special Education Technology; http://www.internationaljournalofspecialeducation.com/: International Journal of Special Education; http://www.psychinnovations.com/linkread.htm: Psych Innovations

5. Language Teaching; http://exchanges.state.gov/education/engteaching/eal-foru.htm: English Teaching Forum; http://iteslj.org/: The Internet TESL Journal for Teachers of English as a Second Language; http://www.njcu.edu/cill/journal-index.html: The Journal of the Imagination in Language Learning and Teaching

6. Reading ; http://www.readingonline.org/: Reading Online;
http://www.readingmatrix.com/journal.html: The Reading Matrix; http://www.reading.org/publications/journals/rt/current/index.html: The Reading Teacher

Prepares and submits reports of library activities to the University Librarian.

Makes statistical and annual reports to become bases in explaining specific library behavior, progress and/or growth.

Example:

a study report on OPAC utilization, Book Resources on Education Still Vast – OPAC Study, SMIC’s Library’s Referrals, Highest in August, utilization of periodicals, Journals, Most Utilized Reference Sources, reference materials, in Preferred Titles of Undergraduate Readers of the Reference & Serial Section…


Gives time to grow professionally (study, attends seminars, etc.)

Attends and reports some feedback about a seminar attendance to both the University librarian and the organizer demonstrated in the article: Innovativeness and Better Library Performance for a national conference in Baguio years ago; Libraries, Museums and Archives, held at the Museum of the Filipino People, Superior University Library Service, Intramuros, Manila etc.

Holds conference chairs and discovers expertise through Library Customer Care in 2007, Library Plus and Information Literacy Power Packages in 2008.

Serves as president to PNU-LISAA, Inc, an LS alumni association; secretary to library staff meetings, etc.

Speaks and gets consulted by peers through seminar invitations & talks on The iSuperLibrarian Syndrome in the Workplace in CvSU, Libraries and the Four Pillars of Learning for Calabarzon librarians, Developing Information Literacy Competencies by CLASS, Cavite , etc.

Writes on perspectives on the new average PNU librarian with 2003 samples like: Naming the SERVQUAL of the PNU Library with a Marketing Brand, Strong Leadership and Strong Library Support Staff and Quick Archiving is ISO.