Comments on Use of RL

Thank you very much for taking trouble to send your comments/ideas on this "RL" issue. All comments received will be aggregated/collated in the PLAI-STRLC weblog where this article was originally posted for complete reading of anyone for the pros/cons of this issue. We are very sorry if we offended anyone in one way or another by our "aggressiveness" in pursuing this issue, please accept our sincerest apology.

During the brainstorming, co-officers shared that as part back as 1998, the need for initials for the profession have been discussed during open forum in various seminar-workshop, conferences, etc. but no concrete or definitive output was realized. Hence, we are glad that colleagues (outside STRLC) are sharing/discussing this issue so that in the end (after 5 more years of waiting perhaps), if majority of us feels that no initials is needed, then, SO BE IT. At least all stakeholders in our profession heard the pros/cons of this issue.

Whether it will be RL (Registered Librarian), LL (Licensed Librarian), RIP (Registered Information Professional) or whatever initials will be adopted later by PLAI or BFL, we will be open to that. We are only biased for "RL" simply because the PLAI-STRLC General Assembly approved this initiative last year and we are pursuing it to its logical conclusion before our term as officers end. The term 'registered librarian' was used several times in pertinent documents of the profession as argued in that article/posting. (i.e. Code of Ethics, RA 9246). That one common initial is preferred than a myriad one as practice in other profession (e.g. Veterinary medicine)

"A person shall be regarded as practicing veterinary medicine and surgery who shall append or cause to be appended to his name the letters V.S., D.V.M., V.M.D., M.D.C., D.V.S., or the words "Veterinary," "Veterinarian," "Veterinary surgeon," "Veterinary dentist," or any other initials or title implying qualifications to so practice"

Likewise, as a result of this article, we heard from colleagues (here & abroad) from all types of libraries and tentatively could summarized all the comments as:

"this initiative if approve by BFL/PLAI will be more of immediate benefit to PUBLIC than to PRIVATE sector employed librarian who 'suffer some sort of discrimination' in the workplace from other professions. We view it more as career confidence/competence building measure to NEW COLLEAGUES than to OLDER COLLEAGUES who have by now already established their professional reputation"

Having a professional title or initial (whatever it is) is a collective image/recognition/brand of our profession that if reinforced by individual efforts as described by Mam Mila Ramos & Mam Donabella Marilag (see email thread) will surely uplift 'the status of the profession'. The collective & individual image then can complement each other.

This is really a good start that colleagues now are more open in sharing their point of views whether pros/cons so that "at the end of the day" we can draw a collaborative, collegial and "win-win" approach regarding this matter. At least we can look back after old age, we left a "collective legacy", an initiative we leave as our own little way of uplifting the profession.




NOTE: Send earlier as email acknowledgment of received comments from PAARL yahoogroups & FilipinoLibrarians googlegroups and for clarifying some of the issues raised in the comments.