WITH CLUB’S HELP, HUB TRIES TO MAKE “NATION OF READERS” Rebelander S. Basilan

The building is well - furnished, complete with a storage room, a book – binding and repair room, a conference room and an audiovisual room.

          But there’s more to this building than the thousand of books and booklets inside it, some nearly arranged in shelves and other in bins.  It houses a big dream: creating a nation of readers.

Located at the Zapatera Elementary school, the “Library Hub” serves as a reservoir of reading materials the Department of Education (Deped) aims to gather for every school division.  It was established through the joint effort of DepEd, the Cebu City Government and the Rotary Club of Cebu West(RCCW).

“The Philippines is not a reading nation,” said Cebu City Schools Division Library Hub Coordinator Rosalinda T. Quijada.  “This program by DepEd aims to develop the love for reading among our children.”

Among the objectives of the program is to provide all public school pupils and students greater access to reading materials and develop their reading and comprehension.

The RCCW , which also has a program for education called Book Across The Seas, donated 30,000 books to the Library Hub.

“These books we donated came from the United States,” said RCCW President John Pages, a businessman.

Cebu City Schools Division Superintendent Rhea Mar A. Angtud said the books and facilities donated by RCCW and the Cebu City Government ”will go a long way.”

“These books will not only add to the knowledge of our students, they will also add to their love for reading,” Angtud said.

Cebu City Vice Mayor Joy Augustus G. Young said he was “impressed and very happy” to see the “useful” books.  He said the City Government had received books in the past that were not relevant.

“When you donate books, please make sure they are useful,” he said.

Angtud also thanked the City Government for hiring permanent librarians for the Library Hub.

Quijada said that under the program, schools may borrow books for up to one month.  The library is open to the community but prioritizes public schools.  The Library Hub at the Zapatera Elementary School intends to cater to 54schools in the north district.

Young said he has asked Mayor Michael Rama to give funds for the purchase of more books.

“You’ll be touched and teary-eyed when you see children fighting over books that you’ve thrown ,”he said.