INADEQUATE funding, workforce shortages, and space constraints remain the biggest obstacles to expanding the services and operations of the Manila City Library, a library official said.
“Limited budget, ‘yon naman talaga ‘yong unang-unang nagiging problema namin,” Karen Isabel Acapulco, division chief of library extension and district library services of the Manila City Library, told the Varsitarian.
(Limited funding has always been our biggest problem.)
Acapulco said resource constraints have made it difficult for libraries to keep pace with the evolving role of librarians, who are increasingly expected to conduct community-based programs.
“Ang akala nila ‘pag nasa library ka, nandito ka lang sa loob ng repository of books, [pero] every year, nagbabago [ang mga pangangailangan sa trabaho]. So, kailangang sabayan mo rin ‘yong pagbabago na ‘yon,” she said.
(People think that if you work in a library, you simply stay inside a repository of books. But the demands of the profession change every year, so you have to adapt as well.)
Ma. Cynthia Encarnita Vila of the Pangasinan Provincial Library likewise said trained professionals capable of managing integrated library systems, online databases, and digital collections are needed as libraries adapt to changing public needs.
“The role of librarians now extends to digital guardianship,” Vila said in an article published by OpenGov Asia.
The 2023 National Readership Survey found that only 18% of Filipino adults and 12% of children are aware of public libraries in their cities or municipalities.
Among the Manila City Library’s outreach initiatives are storytelling sessions, puppet shows, film screenings, and art activities for children.
Despite these expanded responsibilities, Acapulco said many librarians at the city’s main library were nearing retirement, while some nonprofessional staff members struggled to adapt to technological changes.
A study titled “What People Are Saying About City Libraries in Metro Manila” by De La Salle University-Manila found that digital facilities and internet access were among the services most valued by library users.
The study added that libraries with functional spaces for device use were better equipped to meet the needs of students and other information seekers.
Mary Joy Villaluz, librarian at the Dapitan Public Library, which receives 40 to 60 visitors daily, said external distractions had made it difficult to accommodate students and young children from nearby schools, including Ramon Magsaysay High School and Dr. Alejandro Albert Elementary School.
She cited noise from passing motorcycles and basketball games as recurring disruptions because the library is located on the second floor of the Arturo Tolentino Sports Complex along Dapitan Street.
Villaluz also expressed concern over the library’s limited capacity, which leaves little room for updated collection of titles and additional study areas.
“[Kapag] sobrang dami [nila], ‘yong iba nasa sahig na. Doon ang mahirap naman i-manage ‘yong init kasi, although [may] aircon naman, ‘di siya gano’n kalakas,” she said.
(When there are too many visitors, some end up sitting on the floor. The challenge is managing their discomfort because although we have air-conditioning units, they are not that powerful.)
Acapulco said establishing more public libraries across Manila remained difficult because of the city’s limited land area.
Republic Act No. 7743 mandates the establishment of public libraries and reading centers in every city, municipality, and congressional district to expand access to reading materials.
In an article published by the Philippine Information Agency, National Library of the Philippines Director Cesar Adriano said partnerships with more than 1,600 public libraries nationwide were vital to combating illiteracy and strengthening literacy programs.
The country’s literacy rate among Filipinos aged 5 years and older rose to 97% in 2020 from 95.8% in 2015.
Established in 1946, the Manila City Library has 11 branches.
Eight remain operational, while three are temporarily closed: the San Nicolas Public Library in Binondo, the San-Francisco Friendship Library in Sta. Cruz, and the Manila-Sacramento Friendship Library in Paco. Charlize Ann D. Lavastida
