LIBRARY SYSTEM: OVERVIEW

Sharing of Concerns and Celebration of Blessings 

          SCC Library serves as the hub of instruction and information network to support the educational, research and other programs of the College by providing students, faculty and staff access to the varied library resources.

          This is a centralized library system where the Director of Libraries assumes leadership in the coordination of the eight library units and with the Librarians and Staff in each unit. These units include the Undergraduate Library, Periodical Library and Internet/Cyber Library located at the 3rd floor - Herman Krusi Library. The other units are Faculty/Staff & Graduate Studies Library, General Reference Library, Periodical Library and the Educational Media Resources Center housed at the Bravo-Manjares Learning Center located at the second floor. The Theology Library is housed at the College of Theology Compound. The High School Library is located at the High School U-shaped building, and the Elementary School/Preschool Library is housed at the ground floor of the 2-storey Elementary Building.

          The main library has a seating capacity of 310 with at least 24 carrels; F/S Graduate Studies Library of 35; and the College of Theology - 18, High School Library has 100; the Elementary/Preschool Library has 63. The audio-visual materials of the library are placed at the Educational Media Resources Center (EMRC). The center has the capacity to accommodate 120 persons utmost. The Cyber Library has 30 functioning computer internet stations.

          The Library materials are organized according to the Dewey Decimal Classification System. These library materials can be searched using the Card Catalog and the Online Public Access Catalog (OPAC). To fully serve its clientele, the library adopted a combination of open and close shelf system. The Faculty & staff can borrow 10 books at a time for 1 month renewal for three times in a semester. Aside from the graduate students, the faculty and staff are also the priority users of the internet in the F/S & Graduate Studies Library.

          In the year 1999, the United Board for Christian Higher Education in Asia approved and funded the automation of the Library. For easy and quick access to the different library materials, the library adopted the Follett library automation software in 2000 utilizing the cataloging and circulation modules. This library automated system can generate bibliography reports, online borrowing and online public access catalog and many other operations. Again, the United Board funded the Internet project of 1.2 million, thus we have the Internet/CyberLibrary which commenced in 2001.

          Southern Christian College has been actively involved in the project of the Books for the Barrios Foundation, Inc. since 2003. “The foundation of BOOKS for the BARRIOS is the redistribution of high-quality U.S. educational materials to schools in the Philippines. The SCC library in coordination with the Department of Library and Information Science established the Books for the Barrios Service-Learning of LIS students in various public schools in the Cotabato province. With our linkage to this Foundation, we are also able to augment the SCC library collection alongside our purchases made.

          Aside from the BBB Foundation, we are also grateful that we are a member of the PLMP – Phil Library Materials Foundation based in Cagayan De Oro City. These foundations send SCC 20-40 boxes of library materials every year, and we are only paying the cheapest cost for the freight and handling of these boxes from the US to SCC.

          The Bravo-Manjares Learning Center was established in 2008 to offer literacy program at the Southern Christian College. This is made possible through the donations from the Bravo and Manjares Families in the United States initiated by Dr. Ma. Elena B. Bugacia and Dr. Erlinda N. Senturias, President of SCC 1997-2007.

          In August 2009, thirty (30) computers with LCD monitors were procured through the financial support from the United Board for Christian Higher Education in Asia (UBCHEA).

          In June 2010, the ventilation of the library was improved, thus the library now is fully air-conditioned except the Periodical Library.

          Under the new leadership of Dr. Progreso E. Umacob, it is our hope that the library will continue to evolve and grow through the support of everyone, through our networks and linkages here and around the world for SCC constituents to benefit and enjoy. We truly hope that the administration will continue to extend their lasting support for continued development of the library. All that we have been doing all through these years - the services, the endeavor and the hard work are not for ourselves but for our beloved institution in particular. Let us then maximize the use of our library and support every program and project in the way we can and make SCC... "the pride of every human heart!"

Prepared by Sandra Lyn Q. Quinones, Director of Libraries, Southern Christian College, 9410 Midsayap, Cotabato.