Davao library to extend services to remote villages

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

THE Davao City Government is set to strengthen its advocacy on the importance of reading using traditional hardcopy books rather than relying on computers and today's most intricate technologies.

Nora Fe Alajar, chief of the Davao City Library, said Monday such initiative aims to combat the possible effects of over dependence to gadgets might bring to children at the younger age.

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As this developed, Alajar said they will extend their services to all areas of Davao City that have minimal exposure to learning books and related services.

"We cannot add more activity for lack of funds," Alajar said. She refused, however, to elaborate how much they get from the city each year.

What they can do, she said, is to make use of their available resources in reaching even the most remote barangays in the city that services from the government can hardly reach.

At present, the City Library has only one mobile library; three reading centers situated in Cabaguio, Buda, and Marahan; and four district libraries in Calinan, Tugbok, Toril, and Bunawan.

Alajar said the city's 31-year-old mobile library roams around the city everyday conducting community reading and story-telling to all areas across the city.

In terms of its collection of books, the city has its oldest books acquired in 1940's and its newest collection procured sometime in 2000.

Among the services that the City Library offers are computer center, library, book mobile, reading centers, district libraries which all in all have served a total of 81,977 clients in 2011.