USJ-R librarian named ILN ambassador

CEBU, Philippines - A librarian of the University of San Jose Recoletos was named as the country’s ambassador to the International Librarians Network.

John Louie Zabala, 23, will serve as an instrument in bridging the gap and building partnerships among librarians across the globe.

Zabala has been working as an academic non-teaching faculty at the USJ-R library for about three years now. He graduated magna cum laude and ranked fourth in the November 2012 Librarian Licensure Examination.

The Freeman tried to contact Zabala for comments through his mobile phone numbers and Facebook, but to no avail.

According to the report posted on the official website of USJR, Zabala is also tasked to oversee the network’s programs and promote them among his colleagues.

“I was immensely surprised because of all (Filipino librarians) who passed an application, I was chosen. Maybe they see my enthusiasm and my youth which are assets in promoting the network,” said Zabala in the website of USJR.   As an ambassador, Zabala aspires to build a network assembled with concrete ideas and universal experience to alleviate and widen fellow librarians’ perspective on the profession.

According to the ILN website, Zabala “is an advocate of spreading the love of reading and librarianship in Philippines by initiating a volunteer group, which supports the establishment of local reading centers.”

Apart from this, he is also doing active mentorship programs through seminars and training with librarians within the region. In social media, he shares to the public how important libraries are in lifelong learning and social inclusion.

As the country’s representative, Zabala is expected to build and mold its network.

Based on ILN website said, ILN partners with two participating librarians from different cities or countries for four months and assign them topics to discuss for each month.

The pair, however, will be given freedom to choose topics they want to talk about, especially those they deem relevant to their individual work to “stimulate the relationship.”

Also, the ILN partners are encouraged to provide guidelines on how to communicate effectively and to develop wider networks.

ILN is a facilitated peer mentoring program and a non-profit organization run entirely by volunteer librarians. It was founded in Australia three years ago, aiming to build international platform for librarians worldwide where they can exchange ideas and best practices for a continuing professional development. (FREEMAN)