VP Sara highlights importance of mobile libraries in communities

Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte on Wednesday highlighted the importance of deploying mobile libraries in communities to reach out to underprivileged children and families.

During the Annual National Congress 2022 of the Philippine Librarians Association Inc. held in Iloilo City, Duterte pointed out that “it is high time for our public libraries to go beyond the role of lending books” and extend services to children and youth from low-income families who may consider reading books a luxury.

“There is hope. By deploying mobile libraries, children and youth in far-flung communities can access the services of libraries and read books in the comfort of their community centers,” she said.

“With over 7,000 islands, I am glad that many organizations, not just our local government units and the Department of Education, have launched their own mobile libraries,” she added.

She mentioned several initiatives that made this possible such as the Lakbay Alalay in Tarlac, the Library Van Caravan in Ilocos Norte, and the mobile libraries of Davao City, Isabela City in Basilan, and Lanao del Norte.

Further, Duterte lauded the Filipino librarians for their hard work, saying they always have a friend in the Office of the Vice President (OVP).

She also acknowledged their role in shaping the mind of learners and allowing them to make informed choices and right decisions.

“I believe in your contribution to our education. Not just to our learners, but even to our adults. Lahat ng residents at lahat ng ating mga kababayan, they deserve libraries everywhere they go and every place they visit,” she said.

(All residents and our countrymen deserve libraries everywhere they go and every place they visit.)

“May our librarians be up to the task of supplementing school-based interventions by getting out of their comfort zones to help a new generation of Filipinos learn to love reading.” — Giselle Ombay/RSJ, GMA Integrated News