The Department of Science and Technology (DOST), with the Science and Technology Information Institute (STII) as lead agency, conducted a press conference in connection with the launching of the project “Building back libraries for typhoon Yolanda-stricken areas” at the Privato Hotel, Pasig City on September 10, 2014.
In a speech delivered for Senator Panfilo Lacson, Head, Office of the Presidential Assistant for Rehabilitation and Recovery (OPARR), Atty. Karen V. Jimeno, Media Director of the said Office, expressed its commitment towards genuine recovery and rehabilitation.
“The Yolanda recovery and rehabilitation program considers the importance of social indices of knowledge and education, and thus, rebuilding the Yolanda corridor goes beyond rebuilding the physical devastation,” the message said “OPARR deems this entire event as an opportunity of service and also an opportunity for learning. The launching of this library project symbolizes a commitment to education, as surviving and recovering from Typhoon Yolanda is also an educational process for our country and for the whole world," the message added.
DOST representatives/officials from the regions affected by typhoon Yolanda, particularly Regions 6, 7, 8, and MIMAROPA; members of the media; and book donors from the government and private sectors attended the event.
Conceptualized by DOST Assistant Secretary Raymund E. Liboro and spearheaded by STII, the project aims to solicit books (in print or in electronic format), videos, and other library resources for libraries destroyed and washed-out in typhoon Yolanda-stricken areas.
DOST Secretary Mario G. Montejo, in his memorandum, appealed to everyone, specially DOST agencies to participate and launch campaign activities for the said project.
Heeding this concern, PCAARRD donated 18 boxes of various PCAARRD publications and other information, education, and communication (IEC) materials. The materials are intended for Eastern Visayas and MIMAROPA schools (elementary, high school and college levels) which initially responded to PCAARRD’s request for list of recipients/beneficiaries.
DOST Assistant Secretary and Science and Technology Information Institute (STII) Director Raymund E. Liboro introduced the participants to the first Philippine-Science Digital Library called DOST Starbooks. DOST Starbooks is a science and technology academic and research-based openly operated kiosk that contains thousands of digitized S&T resources in various formats (text and video) and set in user-friendly interface.
The stand alone information kiosk provides information that can be accessed even without internet connection. All the materials are sourced out from local and international linkages, subscription, archive collection and in-house publications. DOST intends to distribute these Starbooks to school libraries affected by Typhoon Yolanda.