BAGUIO CITY – The City Council approved on first reading a proposed ordinance modernizing and expanding the services of the Baguio City Public Library and allocating funds for the said purpose.
The ordinance authored by Vice Mayor Faustino A. Olowan and Councilors Vladimir D. Cayabas and Levy Lloyd Orcales states it will be a declared policy of the State to promote economic, social and intellectual well-being of the general public: to hoist the awareness, knowledge, competence and productivity of the residents of the city and recognize the vital role of knowledge and information in nation building by upgrading the city public library that provides up-to-date books and resources and adoptive convenient operational atmosphere or setting in the city being available to the public when needed.
The ordinance stipulates the city library’s expanded operation refer to its working hours 24 hours 6 days a week with the city government operating the library round the clock to serve the needs of the residents, especially the students and professionals, after school and work hours, including holidays, for research purposes.
Under the proposed ordinance, the functions of the Baguio City library shall serve the community by providing access to knowledge, information and works of imagination through a range of resources and services equally available to all members of the community and shall exist in line with the outlined purposes, particularly, education, information, personal development, children and young people, cultural development, social role and social inclusion.
The ordinance authorizes the City Mayor as head of the city library to exercise general management and control over all programs, projects and activities of the same; direct the formulation of plans for the operations with the consensus of the library board; initiate and propose policy measures for the effective governance of the city public library from time to time; represent the city public library in all its business transactions and signings in its behalf all contracts, obligations, bonds and such other agreements upon the consent and concurrence of the city legislative body and exercise such other related powers and performs such other related duties it may be deemed necessary and appropriate towards the efficient and effective management of the city library.
The ordinance warrants the establishment of a City Library Board composed of the City Mayor as Chairperson to be co-chaired by the Chairperson of the City Council Committee on Education, Culture, Creativity and Historical Research and the Chairperson of the City Council Committee on Youth Development. The members shall include the Chairperson of the City Council Committee on tourism, Special Events, Parks and Playgrounds, Chairperson of the City Council Committee on Social Services, Women and Family, president of the Liga ng mga Barangay, representatives from TESDA, CHED, president of the Friends of the City Library while the Secretariat will be the City librarian and staff.
The ordinance proposes the allocation of sufficient funds for the modernization and expanded operation of the city library to alter to the growing needs of residents from the different parts of the city.
By Dexter A. See
