The farthest I ever traveled after the pandemic was to Tagaytay: 45 kilometers from home.
But on the 23rd of November, I dared double that distance: 92 km. I went to Clark (which encompasses the provinces of Pampanga and Tarlac) for a Meet and Greet* event on the 3rd day of the Philippine Librarians Association Inc. (PLAI) Centennial National Congress.
This huge gathering of almost 1,000 librarians (from private and public schools; municipalities, and other oranizations) packed three convention halls. Mr. Rene B. Manlangit, PLAI President, delivered the welcome remarks and thus began the four-day convention.
Hiyas of OMFLit, the publisher of my children’s books, made its presence felt by having a booth that displayed all Hiyas books—plus my OMF-published books for adult readers.
Entering the venue, I made a complete volte-face. “Meet and Greet”does not refer to me. It refers to them.
For four straight hours, I met and greeted delegates, professionals of all ages who facilitate access to information and resources within a library. They develop educational programs, manage databases, oversee the library staff, and (this is where Hiyas comes in) curate book collections to support learning and research.
While browsing the Hiyas books, they asked incisive questions: What value is this book espousing? What grade level is it best for? Is this book based on research? Does this series promote Philippine culture? The seniors among them also bought books for their own reading pleasure.
Some wanted to listen to the books’ back stories.
That lovely afternoon of fun and grace galore in faraway Clark SMX was documented by the Hiyas staff. This picture library tells the story better than I can.
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