Marking a major milestone, Tarlac State University’s Office of Library Management and Services kicked off their 75th anniversary celebration and the 35th Library and Information Services Month earlier today (November 18) in front of the Administration Building, Main Campus.
Adopting the national theme, “LACE-UP: Libraries – A Hub for Cultural Exploration and Unity Through Partnership,” this year’s celebration emphasizes the role of libraries in fostering community connection, knowledge sharing, and cultural enrichment.
“Ang library ay hindi lamang lugar ng libro kung ‘di espasyo ng koneksyon, kultura, at kaalaman. Kaya sa pagbabasa, natututo at humuhusay tayo… Remember, the library is the heart of the university. And together, through reading, we build a brighter, more hopeful future for all,” OLMS Director Ms. Cynthia M. Bognot said in her message during the brief program.
She also shared a brief history of the university’s library from its establishment in 1950, under the leadership of the late Hon. Mario P. Manese, the principal of the Tarlac Trade School (now TSU).
“Mula sa maliit na dalawang classroom lamang po ang ating library, lumago ito at naging buhay at sentro ng pagkatuto, pananaliksik, at edukasyon,” she said.
Moreover, she thanked the TSU administration, faculty, students, and library partners for their unwavering support and trust.
The OLMS scheduled a diverse week of activities for its celebration, ranging from a trivia challenge, the annual book fair, and an exhibit for the OLMS' 75th anniversary.
LIS Month and OLMS anniversary activities
The Library Trivia Challenge was held during the flag-raising ceremony, wherein the winners were awarded 500 pesos worth of gift certificates.
Afterwards, the “Fiesta Book Fair” was launched with a ribbon-cutting ceremony that will run until November 21, 2025. The annual book fair, located along the Main Campus pathway, is a venue where partner publishers and vendors can showcase their books, journals, and references from various academic fields.
Also located along the pathway is a gallery of old photographs and library materials, collectively titled “Memorabilia Exhibit: 75 years of OLMS.” The exhibit will later be transferred to the university's Museo-Archivo for extended public viewing.
Online activities are also available for the TSU community, namely the LISM 2025 Profile Frame Contest and an online orientation on e-resources via Zoom scheduled for November 19 and 20.
The week-long activities will wrap up on November 21 at the TSU Gymnasium with a focus on health and community spirit through the “LIS Zumba: LACE-UP for Wellness.”
Milestones and plans
In an interview, Dir. Bognot, together with some of the OLMS unit heads, shared some of their memorable milestones through the years.
One of these is the renovation of the Main Campus library in 2023, which the OLMS director noted as the first time the library has been renovated since its transfer to the CBA building in 1989.
“Bungalow lang dati ‘yung old library – diyan malapit sa puno ng mangga halos tapat ng CPAG. Tapos, nalipat dito sa CBA. Thirty-four years bago siya na-renovate,” she said.
She also highlighted a major benefit of the renovation, stating it finally provided the library with its first-ever Director's Office and Technical Section room.
Another achievement is the 2019 Outstanding Regional Partner in Knowledge Resource Network, received by the OLMS from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. This award recognizes the efforts of partner schools or libraries in providing free information materials and online research assistance to promote greater understanding of essential economic and financial concepts and issues.
Other notable accomplishments they shared include the improvement of the Online Public Access Catalog (OPAC) in 2016, the establishment of the School of Law library in 2017, the utilization of e-subscriptions and online resources in 2018, the continuous digitization of students’ theses since 2022, and the improved security gate in 2024.
Moreover, Dir. Bognot continues to hope for the improvement of the TSU libraries across all campuses.
One of their plans is the establishment of a library learning commons, a modern, flexible hub that merges a traditional library with a modern setup for a more dynamic learning environment.
She also plans for a digital repository for the digitized students’ theses and additional libraries for CPAG, the future College of Medicine, and Laboratory School.
Dir. Bognot has been serving the TSU community for 40 years. She started her library services in August 1985 at the Lucinda Library of the then Tarlac College of Technology under the leadership of President Ernesto Cosme. She was designated as the OLMS director in December 2017 during the term of President Myrna Mallari.
From eleven personnel, the TSU library now has 33 staff members with five unit heads: Ms. Mia Begay, Main Campus library; Ms. Jamie Contreras, School of Law library; Ms. Yonida Mendoza, College of Engineering library; Ms. Maribel Helario, San Isidro Campus library; and Mr. Anderson Nitron, Jose V. Yap library located in the Lucinda Campus. (jlm-OPA)
Photo: Franc Lewis R. Juanatas
