There’s no doubt about it: reading has changed all our lives. Books play an important part in our everyday lives, and we are privileged enough to get the books we want to read and build our own personal libraries. But not everyone is as fortunate, and more often than not, school libraries across our countries do not have enough reading material to fuel the habit of the students in the school.
As book lovers, we can do our share to make sure that everyone has enough books to read. On August 18, United We Read attendees will get a chance to help out with Filipinas Heritage Library’s Book Donation Program. FHL will be accepting book donations all day during the event, and these books will be given to the school and public libraries that FHL is helping to build. They can be old, pre-loved books or new books, or even both — just bring them at the venue and there will be someone who will accept your donations.
More information about the program below, including contact information for those who want to partner with FHL with this program. Let’s help our fellow Filipinos become readers by sharing our books to those who need them. :)
Background
The 2008 Functional Literacy, Education, and Mass Media Survey (FLEMMS) of the National Statistics Office (NSO) revealed that almost nine out of 10 Filipinos are functionally literate. Fifty-eight million of the estimated 67 million Filipinos 10 to 64 years old can read, write, compute, and comprehend.
However, only 35.7 percent of functionally literate Filipinos-33.1 percent of male respondents and 38.4 percent of female respondents-reported having access to magazines and books that provide knowledge and information. This is according to an NSO report last updated in 2006.
The gap between the number of Filipinos who are literate and the amount of literature available to them is huge, but could be bridged by the availability of public libraries, school libraries, and reading centers around the country.
Unfortunately, most of our country’s libraries have a limited collection of academic and non-academic reading materials.
The Campaign
The Filipinas Heritage Library (FHL) seeks to promote a love of books and reading among Filipinos of all ages through its book donation program and activities in partnership with its stakeholders and partner communities. Every month for the last sixteen years, a public school library, community or public library, is given a collection of age and subject-appropriate reading materials by the FHL through its fundraising efforts and the generosity of its stakeholders. Some of the public libraries and school libraries that have benefited from this campaign are the following:
- Triniville Central College Inc.
- Mt. Pulag Primary School-Benguet
- Abucot Elementary School-Benguet
- Dorin Elementary School
- Datu Sangki Akoy Elementary School
- Kinayao Elementary School
- Busok Elementary School
- Sapang Bato High School-Pampanga
These libraries are from a list of target beneficiaries that the library maintains. However, we are also open to receiving book donation requests from other schools and libraries.
Aside from donating books, FHL also helps public schools organize and manage their own libraries through its OurLibrary project. This project aims to improve library facilities, enhance library services, and promote a greater love for reading and learning among Filipinos through librarianship training and other programs. Please visit the OurLibrary page to read more stories about this project.
Should you wish to be a partner, donor, or beneficiary of our book donation program, please contact us at 892-1801, send us an email at fhl_inquiry[at]filipinaslibrary.org.ph.
Help FHL provide our fellow Filipinos with books that will expand and enrich their knowledge. Help us create more Filipino readers one library at a time.