The Philippine Librarians Association, Inc. (PLAI) is inviting all information professionals to grace the Association’s National Congress happening on November 12-14, 2007 at the College of St. Benilde in Malate, Manila.

Developing Competencies: Challenges and Issues is this year’s theme for the Congress.

Please click HERE to access invitation and program.

At the General Assembly of the PLAI –NCR Council held on October 24, 2006 at the National Library Auditorium, the following were elected to the Board of Directors: FE E. ABELARDO (National Library), SALVACION M. ARLANTE (U.P. Diliman), NORA J. CLARAVAL (UPILIS), LILY ECHIVERRI (U.P. Diliman), JOCELYN M. LADLAD (DLSU), RODOLFO Y. TARLIT (U.P. Diliman), and BELEN M. VIBAR (UA & P). At a meeting on November 8, 2006 at the Conference Room of the National Library, the following officers were elected in the presence of the NCR Council NOMELEC, Mrs. MARLO C. CHAVEZ and REBECCA JOCSON: LILY ECHIVERRI (Chairperson), BELEN M. VIBAR (Vice-Chairperson), JOCELYN M. LADLAD (Secretary), FE E. ABELARDO (Treasurer), NORA J. CLARAVAL (Auditor), and SALVACION M. ARLANTE and RODOLFO Y. TARLIT (Directors).

At the same General Assembly, the PLAI-NCR Council members elected their nominees to the PLAI National Board of Trustees: Fe E. Abelardo, Salvacion M. Arlante, Belen M. Vibar, Rodolfo Y. Tarlit and Susima L. Gonzales. Also elected were the Members of the NOMELEC: Marlo Chavez, Teresita Moran,  Rebecca Jocson, Helen de Castro, Mona Lisa Leguiab, Angelita Timbangcaya, and Corazon Garcia; and HOUSE OF DELEGATES:  Shirley Nava, Elvira Lapuz, Florenda Mallari, Mila Santos Ong,  Linda Tayona, Loreto Garcia, and Cecilia Guevarra.  

The officers of PLAI-NCR Council for 2007 will take their oaths of office at the dinner culminating the National Book Week celebration at the Villa Immaculada by Tamayo’s Catering in Intramuros, Manila on November 29.

PLAI-NCR members on parade.

Now on its 72^nd year, the National Book Week (November 24-30) celebration commenced with a fun-walk/parade held at the Luneta area on November 24 at 7:30 in the morning. Participants included members of the different library associations and students and teachers of elementary and high schools in Metro Manila. The fun-walk/parade showcased popular children’s book characters as well as dances in the Philippines. These are depicted in very colorful costumes and floats with school children and high school students participating enthusiastically.

The parade was followed by a formal opening program held at the National Library Auditorium to usher in the weeklong celebration whose theme is “Bata, Bata… Halina’t Magbasa.” The theme highlights the PLAI, the National Library of the Philippines and the country’s library and information professionals’ commitment to inculcate among our young a lifetime habit of reading.

As contributions to the National Book Week, the different library associations held lectures and fora designed to upgrade knowledge and skills of the library and information professionals:

PATLS LIS Wizard, TNL Auditorium, November 22 Re-learning Children’s Literature, TNL Auditorium, November 24 TNL Story Telling Sessions, TNL Children’s Library Section, November 25

UPLSAA Pamana ni Lola Basyang: Writing and Illustrating Stories for Children, TNL Auditorium, November 27

PLAI Puppet Show, Pasig City Library, November 28

PAARL Resource Generation and Funding for Libraries, TNL Auditorium, November 29

Chaired by EVA B. BRILLO, Library Director, St. Scholastica’s College, Manila, and co-chaired by the Assistant Director of The National Library, Mrs. FLORA VALMONTE, the weeklong celebration culminated with a dinner held on November 29 at the Villa Immaculada by Tamayo’s Catering in Intramuros, Manila. The dinner was highlighted by the launching of the Scholarship and Adapt-A-Public High School Library Projects of the PLAI NCR Regional Council with Mrs. SALVACION M. ARLANTE, Chair of the NCR Regional Council doing the honors of explaining the projects, at the same time enjoining all concerns to support such projects. Awards were granted to the following: Atty. ANTONIO M. SANTOS (Special Award), PRUDENCIANA C. CRUZ (Special Award), LOURDES V. SORIANO (Cirilo B. Perez Award), and THELMA S. KIM (Severino Velasco Award).

(Check this site’s GALLERY to see more pictures of this event.)