If public libraries are the standard with which to judge the quality of life in a city, then the readers of Baguio are to be envied indeed!
While local government units are mandated by law (R.A. 7743) to establish their own public library, not every city has one as nice as Baguio’s.
It begins with a most welcoming entrance, with cheery decorations and book pantries where we could get books for free!
We visited the library on a weekday around lunchtime, half expecting to be turned away and asked to come back after lunch. We also expected to be greeted perfunctorily by hungry officers on duty. But the smiling security guards were most welcoming, and just asked us to sign in! When we asked if we could take photos and videos, they were most friendly and just had us fill out a form indicating what the footage was for.
We were allowed entry to three floors. Each floor had several desks where anyone could sit and read/study, and even sleep! We saw quite a few tired citizens dozing peacefully, and no wonder. It was so peaceful and quiet, apart from the occasional hum of a passing jeep. Bags were allowed inside, and you could even bring your own water bottle and just donate P1.00 to refill at the water station!
Bound theses and dissertations could be found beside the fiction section, and we were delighted when we saw that you could read all the Dune books and several James Michener novels if you wanted! They even had expensive tomes like Library of America editions!
Perhaps my favorite section was the room for children, with easy access on the first floor. Colorful toilet paper rolls decorated the the shelves, which featured board books (some children with zero access to books at home tend to treat them roughly until they’re shown how to take care of fragile paper, which is why board books are ideal for younger children with less motor control) as well as a wide collection for older readers, even giant books for teachers or mothers who read aloud to a group of children. And best of all, they had several board games available for use, including chess and Game of the Generals! A child could easily spend the whole day here (they’re open from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm), right next to the desks and offices of the friendly library staff.
We were fascinated by the numerous signs around, all done with care, and a great deal of positivity! “Please excuse the noise, our library is in the middle of the city,” one said, with further tips on where to find quieter seats (Go to the 3rd floor!). Even the stairs had signs, one per step! All of this shows how much love and passion the people working here have for their job, and it is most heartwarming to see.
Signs told us book stands could be borrowed for free, that one wasn’t allowed to plug in devices for fear it might cause fire due to overload, and that Wifi and printing was free (just bring your own bond paper)! They told us we could get a free copy of their newsletter (it had news and three book reviews featuring local authors!) as well as free bookmarks,
We couldn’t really stay long inside the Law, History, and Filipiniana sections because there were some serious researchers hard at work, one of them a Caucasian. A quick peek showed rare books as well as compilations of old newspapers and magazines focusing on local history.
It was such a bright and happy haven for students and yuppies on a budget, who can’t afford overpriced coffee in cafes. How blessed Baguio is to have such a library, and such wonderful people running it! A quick glance at their Facebook page shows that they have lots of events in the nearby park (they’re located in Burnham), and even in the library itself.
This is no sleepy building.
This is a vibrant center for learning, a quietly joyful one. We left the library shaking our heads in envy, with smiles on our faces.
Would that all city libraries are this well run!
Ex Libris Philippines 