Davao LGU library gets award for e-learning, barangay-based efforts

The award was given by the Asia Foundation and the National Library of the Philippines in a ceremony at Sheraton Hotel, Manila on August 19.

DCILC Officer-In-Charge Salome M. Enoc said that since the static library was closed to the general public, the city has provided online access to the Britannica Library, gave online storytelling, and sent requested e-books to clients via email. 

The DCILC also expanded its program of providing reading materials to far-flung barangays through the mobile library. 

“Realizing that the online services do not reach the far-flung barangays for the reading materials of children, we conducted home book delivery where we deliver the books house to house, a maximum of 10 books per children, and we will retrieve it after two weeks and circulate it to other libraries,” Enoc said.

Since the library is closed, the DCILC also intensified support to the reading centers and established 10 barangay reading centers where materials are sent. She said that this is what made the city unique: the ability of the DCLIC to risk going to barangays to provide learning and reading services. 

“We really prioritized our barangays because we saw the digital divide. We cannot offer to the rural areas what we can offer in the city so we have to go there. And this is what captured the other libraries, especially the national because it is a unique move,” Enoc said.

She said that they are happy that with these initiatives, they were able to help children and also became an inspiration to other libraries to do the same. The DCILC, in fact, received many benchmarking requests from other Local Government Units (LGUs) immediately after the awarding. 

"We are thankful to the generous Dabawenyos who come to drop their books. This is a huge help, especially when we are establishing reading centers, we cannot say that we are lucky here in the city as there are still far-flung areas that need to be reached out, thus our award,” she said. 

She said that even during the pandemic, they learned to equip themselves with the new technology.