My second program as a United Board Fellow took place at the
International Christian University in Osawa, Mitaka, Tokyo, Japan from May-July 2012. My
experience in Japan has been very enlightening. Indeed, it was
culturally, professionally, educationally and technologically challenging too.
Let me share a short background of ICU. ICU came to life from
the ruins of World War II and as founded amidst the post-war yearning for
reconciliation and world peace. It is ICU’s commitment “to nurture graduates
who contribute to the peaceful development of humanity, transcending
differences in nationality, race, religion and culture”. This commitment and
dedication is manifested in the curriculum and instruction, and activities.
This is also evident in the ways how the university serves both students
and personnel. It is also being manifested on how academic constituents
communicate and speak about to and with each other. It is worth mentioning that
ICU’s advocacy for reconciliation and world peace are also being done where
exchange is active through the Rotary Peace Program and the Japan Grant Aid for
Human Resources Development Scholarship Program (JDS). Whereby accepting
students from the International community and other domestic exchange
scholarships like ICU Peace Bell scholars and consortia. In building
reconciliation and peace, it is indeed important for people to have access to
education, however, what, and how these are taught is equally crucial.
The Changing Context of Library Environment
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Aside from learning about governance and management of the
university, about the selection and recruitment of administrators, faculty and
staff and learning other services, I also concerted on the library and
information technology management system. ICU library is the first library in
Japan to have an automated storage system which has become an answer to their
space storage problem. I was able to learn the approaches on how to restructure
library services and the organization of the so called “hybrid library
environment”. Along with the installation of the ICU library’s automated
storage system, space-saver compact shelving and how these systems work, I had
seen the effectiveness of these technologies as applied to the library setting.
I consider ICU library as having a hybrid library environment where a large
collection of printed, with rich online databases, digital and other electronic
resources are made available. Operations in the library as well as in other
service units of the university mostly are mechanized.
After having visited several libraries and museums in Tokyo, the
perceived conflict between the “virtual world of information” and the “physical
world of the library” to me is not really a conflict and would never be a
conflict. The virtual library or the advent of information technology has not
influenced my cultural and traditional understanding of libraries and of
librarians. Libraries and librarians seem to be losing their important roles in
this information or knowledge society. However, to me definitely these will not
fade away as many people thought and afraid of due to the changing formats of
library materials from traditionally printed to electronic formats. Several
professionals even said that libraries and their services are no longer needed
this time were information are readily available online in the World Wide Web
specially now that the so called “libraries without walls” is gaining its
popularity. To me, though the library without walls has become a reality and
formats of library materials and resources have been changing, librarians of
today will remain true and even become more librarians of tomorrow.
What is then needed of me as a librarian is to refocus my values
to enhance my workplace and my role as an information provider and communicator
of knowledge. I believe that technology has not changed what libraries do, it
just simply changes the way things and operations are done in the library.
Ultimately libraries today demand more managerial ability than before. To be
truly called librarian and information professional and to be visible in the
information world, I, for one am compelled to continue both being a custodian
at the same time mediate access to electronic and information systems to cater
the needs of library clients.
My first program was equally very enriching, nourishing, and
scholarly as in my second program. Both programs complement each other. What I
have learned from the two prestigious universities in two powerful countries
such as the Valparaiso University in Indiana, USA and the International
Christian University in Tokyo, Japan gave me new ideas. However, to compare the
learning I had varies in terms of setting, ways and other things differ to some
degree. In my first program, I had a regular meeting with mentor and regular
social hour with my coordinator and other visiting professors in the
university. My mentor and coordinator prepared the program plan for the field
trips and other activities for me to learn more and to enrich my stay in the
USA. Thus, what I learned and experienced in my first program gave me ideas and
insights how to do things in my second program in Japan. In my second
placement, I am also developed, and my standpoint in relation to leadership is
enhanced, not from a formal class setting but in my own ingenuity and
initiative of learning through research and readings, observations,
attendance to various seminars and symposiums, formal and informal meetings and
interviews with people in the universities. It is just fair in saying that my
first placement had prepared me for my second program. In my second program, I
had meetings and interviews, I sit-in to selected classes and had field trips
with library personnel.
At ICU, I had a designated office furnished with telephone, access
to internet, a mailbox, a University ID- issued as UBCHEA Fellow and an
automated card that can access the shared photocopier and printer in the
university campus. I usually search in the intranet and university website
to get information and announcements about the activities and events in campus
where I could participate and attend to.
Looking and Responding to Challenges
This fellowship program gave me insights on how to make changes in
my own work and in the structure or system to which I am responsible. As a
faculty, I realize the need for professional growth to further my education in
library and information science, to learn more, to increase my morale, increase
motivation to adopt new technologies, methods and to foster information
literacy and skills to my students. As to my work in the library, I planned to
make a good library and information management system; empower and encourage my
librarians and staff for professional development by making myself the
cheerleader and master strategist.
First thing to do after my fellowship program is to assess the
performance and outcome with regards to my home library services. The changes
that I would like to pursue will be based practically on the result of the
assessment, and then match this with the variety of information technologies
that have encompassed deeply into the library world today and determine where
we can fit-in in terms of space or building infrastructure, furnishing,
equipment and staffing.
Initially, I thought of the following to be the main concern: to
implement necessary reforms in campus and educational environment by improving
the “information environment or landscape” in order to better support the
academic and research thrust of my home institution; to provide various online
electronic utilities; to initiate an interactive interlibrary loan in the
province; to propose advancements into electronic classrooms and to
provide an area in the library for faculty to create web-enhanced courses; to
establish a Writing Center as a new service in the library to strengthen the
writing skills primarily of undergraduate and graduate students; and propose to
build online databases with full-text contents also of all onsite
research/theses outputs and other publications done by faculty, staff and
students of my home institution. In so doing, the library faculty should have
more knowledge and expertise than before from traditional to advanced
information technologies. This is a dire need because as new services and
methods will be introduced, more reinforcement in information literacy programs
and electronic research skills to educate our library users.
The changes that I planned to undertake are basically to support
my home institution in its academic mission and thrust both as learning,
teaching and as a research-oriented organization. These planned
changes may be acceptable to students, faculty and staff. Some administrators
might as well welcome the idea, but I know that it is not easy to make such
technological changes specially when the organization is small and has a meager
income. Several difficulties can be encountered during the implementation
process. Primary to this is the monetary or financial aspect to defray subscription
fee to online databases, membership fee to consortium, and procurement of more
electronic and digital devices, additional spaces/areas and additional human
resources. On top of all these, a strong support from students, faculty, staff
and administration is required. What I see essential to this is the unity of
knowledge, faith and action to bring these plans to fruition with the
assistance of the people in the community, grants and aids from willing
individuals, alumni and foundations.
I always believe that having a close contact with people and
having acquaintances with them even in three-month time stay in Japan is enough
to know, to understand and to respect each other amidst likeness and
differences. The United Board’s program such as this fellows program is very
significant and timely in developing people and leaders. As it is said,
globalization brings ongoing changes worldwide. Looking at the necessities of
learning and overseas experience, I find these fellows program very
essential being a faculty and director of libraries. I am able to see what is
going on outside of my country and outside my home institution and in the world
of librarianship. Having undergone exposures and leadership training at
universities helped me become a person who is now capable to carry out
strategic directions, can adjust to pleasant and difficult situations and I
think am now ready to shape and manage change for the betterment of my own
departments in Southern Christian College.Learning Other Cultures
In my exposure to the USA and Japan, I also learned how people
live, how they do things in work, the ways how they relate with their families,
with others, with the environment and the community and also learned their
cultures and how they preserve these. Through this learning I had a better and
deeper cross-cultural understanding of the diversity of other people’s lives of
which are quite distinct from my own culture and tradition in the Philippines.
I was able to speak about Philippine educational system, issues
and concerns in one of the meetings in the “Fundamentals of Comparative and International
Education” undergraduate class under Prof. Mark Langager. That was a good venue
for me to share to students from different countries vis-à-vis education in my
own country. My close association with some international graduate school
students had also given me the opportunity to know their own country, their ups
and downs, their challenges, joys and their peculiar experiences while studying
at ICU and being in Japan.
I had undergone several amusing experiences brought about by the
realities of life and leaving in Japan. I got used to slight shakes and little
bit strong earthquakes for six times since I arrived. It has been difficult to
communicate with some Japanese people inside the campus during my
meetings/interviews with them. More so outside the university, like stores,
shops, etc. because of the language barrier. I have been trying to learn and
speak few words in Nihonggo. However, what I liked most of the Japanese people
is that they are really true to their work. Time is so precious to them. This
kind of Japanese character teaches me to have a strong sense to dignity of
labor and a strong sense for the love of work.
My deepest thanks and gratitude to the United Board for accepting me to this Fellows Program, for the many great opportunities, experiences and learning of which I benefit from and have been enjoying for two years now. I take pleasure in thanking all the officers and staff of UBCHEA for having you played a big role for me to grow more professionally and for bringing out the best in me and what I am capable of. Best and more power!
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