THE Davao City Library and Information Center (DCLIC) was conferred the Most Innovative Public Library in Adaptive Library Services and Programs award by The Asia Foundation and the National Library of the Philippines last August 19.
DCILC Officer-In-Charge Salome M. Enoc told the City Information Office in an interview on Wednesday, August 24, 2022, that the award was given last August 19, 2022, at the Sheraton Hotel, Manila in connection with the library's initiatives to provide electronic learning and expanded satellite reading areas when the pandemic hit Davao City.
Enoc said that since the static library was closed to the general public, the city has provided online access to the Britannica Library, gave online storytelling, and sent requested e-books to clients via email.
The DCILC also expanded its program of providing reading materials to far-flung barangays through the mobile library.
“Realizing nga kana siya nga online dili maka-reach sa far-flung barangays para sa mga reading materials sa mga bata ang atong gihimo ana naa tay home book delivery ang mobile ana muadto sa mga kada balay-balay ug magpahulam sila og maximum of 10 books sa mga bata, then after ana i-retrieve napud namo na siya after two weeks and circulate it to other libraries (Realizing that the online services do not reach the far-flung barangays for the reading materials of children, we conducted home book delivery where we deliver house to house the books, a maximum of 10 books per children, and we will retrieve it after two weeks and circulate it to other libraries),” Enoc said.
Since the library is closed, the DCILC also intensified support to the reading centers and established 10 barangay reading centers where materials are sent. She said that this is what made the city unique—the ability of the DCLIC to risk going to barangays to provide learning and reading services.
“Gi-priority nato ang barangay kadto nga panahon. Makita gyud namo ang digital divide kung unsa ang gi-offer namo sa city dili namo ma offer sa rural areas so kinahanglan namo manuroy gyud dito. Na capture diay ang attention sa ubang libraries ilabi na sa kauluhan kay unique kaayo ta (We really prioritized our barangays because we saw the digital divide. We cannot offer to the rural areas what we can offer in the city so we have to go there. And this is what captured the other libraries, especially the national because it is a unique move),” Enoc said, adding that the judging process for the award entailed them to show up the city’s best practices, which were presented about three months ago to the awards organizer.
Enoc said that they are happy that with these initiatives, they were able to help children and also became an inspiration to other libraries to do the same. The DCILC, in fact, received many benchmarking requests from other Local Government Units (LGUs) immediately after the awarding.
"Thankful ta sa generous Dabawenyos nga usahay muanhi lang diri mu-drop sa ilahang mga libro kana. Dako kaayo og tabang gyud sa pag-establish nato sa ubang mga reading centers kay dili man nato maingon nga lucky ang city, there are also untouched areas nga layo-layo nga kailangan nato i-reach out mao ni sya ang atong award karon (We are thankful to the generous Dabawenyos who come to drop their books. This is a huge help, especially when we are establishing reading centers, we cannot say that we are lucky here in the city as there are still far-flung areas that need to be reached out, thus our award),” she said. Enoc added that they are happy that during the pandemic, they learned to equip themselves with the new technology.
Moving forward as face-to-face classes are back, the DCILC will go back to its regular programming, which is going to schools once approved by the Department of Education (DepEd). They also now envision partnering with the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) for the rollout of the mobile library for daycare learners.
As for the newly-opened DCILC building, they are now in the process of requesting additional staff so the library could operate for an extended number of hours since it is also the public’s clamor.
She said that the huge welcome shown by the people to the newly inaugurated library last July, as well as the award, validates the relevance of a public reading space even up to this time.
“Ang library relevant pa up to this day. Na-happy nag gyud mi nga ingon ana diay pami ka useful bitaw. Na happy lang pud mi sa suporta gyud sa city government kay gitagaan gyud niya ni og priority (The library is actually relevant up to this day. We are happy that it is still very useful and we are also thankful for the support of the City Government, that it is given priority),” Enoc said. CIO