LET me share a piece of good news.
I learned from the Facebook page of Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña that the Rizal Public Library on Osmeña Blvd. will be open 24 hours as soon as all the necessary upgrades are in place.
By upgrades, that means new air conditioners will be installed along with security cameras and additional staff and guards will be hired. WiFi routes are on their way so visitors will have internet access.
The library is now open every day and, beginning Friday, open until midnight.
Osmeña also announced that the Sinulog Hall, which is in the same building, will be renovated to accommodate more students.
“I did not know how important this was to students until you (apparently referring to a Mitch Roldan) brought it up. You made it happen. Thank you,” the mayor said.
To those who don’t know, this is what Roldan wrote:
“Mayor, I am also hoping and praying that you will consider having the public library be open for 24/7 for us students who really need to study in a library setting. I think students will be glad to pay a little amount to keep the services good kaysa magsige mig spent sa McDo nya papahawaon ra diay after pila ka hours. Hope this will be considered.”
The Rizal Public Library is the only public library in Cebu City. It’s housed on the ground floor of a neoclassical building that was built before World War 2. There’s also a museum upstairs.
I haven’t been there for a long, long time, but I heard that it’s home to important and rare books on Cebu’s history and culture.
I have to admit, I was pleasantly surprised that someone in this day and age still goes to a library. Or knows what a library is. I thought their smart phones would provide all the information they need.
In fact, the library is the last place I’d expect to find students. But I was glad to be proven wrong. The thread on the mayor’s Facebook page showed me how out of touch I am with this current generation.
So I doff my hat off to Roldan for bringing it up and to the mayor and the Cebu City Government for addressing what some people might consider as a trifle issue, considering they have to deal with countless complaints from motorists who have been affected by the construction of the underpass on N. Bacalso Ave., or attend to more pressing matters like garbage collection and segregation or the drug menace that continues to haunt our communities, to mention a few.
The bottom line is, students who need a quiet, comfortable and secure place to study or conduct research can now go to the Rizal Public Library.
There was no mention of charges so I assume use of the facility, including internet access, is free.