Updated Librarian PRC ID Cards

Accreditors nowadays (e.g. PACUCOA) and CHED or TESDA verification team for new course(s) offering are routinely asking (verifying) for the updated licensed ID card issued by PRC of the head/chief librarian of the institution they visited.

I am not aware of any MOA between BFL (Board for Librarian) or PLAI to for this new initiative of the accrediting agency or verification team but I welcome this as a timely initiative to police our ranks and “level-up” so to speak, our profession and for our colleagues to be consciously aware to renew their professional license every three (3) years before their birthday. I hope they expand this verification of updated PRC issued ID’s to other registered librarians of the institutions they visited.

Having been exposed to several PACUCOA accreditation of program offerings, and CHED or TESDA new course(s) application for quite sometime now, my educated guess to this new requirement is that it is a result of their accumulated experiences of visiting institutions wherein the Chief Librarian (CL) is not “properly qualified” and thus this new stringent criteria to weed out misfit is a small step in the right direction.

Last week, I also attended a consultancy visit briefing done by Dr. Eric Olivares, a PACUCOA commissioner and VP for Academic Affairs of Olivares College wherein he stated that supporting documents are also needed by registered librarians just like the faculty members for their professional association membership and included in the exhibit folder for the 201 file of the librarian(s).

This keep me thinking of the numerous PLAI-STRLC brainstorming we already had on membership and how to invigorate the association and attract all registered librarians to get involve and be an active member of the association. We, at the PLAI-STRLC is fine-tuning the idea of issuing a membership certificate and ID (atm type) to all active members of the Council as proof (supporting documents) of your membership to the association.

Right now, PLAI Constitution and bylaws stipulated a one-time membership payment of PhP 300.00 and an annual dues of PhP 200.00 to all registered librarians. Collection of the initial one-time PLAI membership fee & due is easy since it is being done right then and there at the oath taking of newly licensed librarians by the PLAI-National officers. The only proof so far of membership in PLAI is the issued OR or the occasional publication in newsletter of name of members who paid their dues.

The difficulty lies on the annual dues collection of every bona fide members and not all have the volunteerism to pay on time and not wait for the treasurer to collect nor the association (or the Regional Council) have enough OR (PLAI Official Receipt) for this annual ritual.

I guess an honest to goodness re-assessment is badly needed in the collection of membership dues and some innovative approaches be implemented soon or tested so that our professional association financial standing could be sustainable in medium and long term basis.

One thing could be explored by the 16 Regional Council is the payment for newly accepted member of one-time membership fee and for 5 years membership due of PhP 900.00 less PhP 100.00 as incentive. The less PhP 100.00 to be taken from the council share, then a rule must be drafted that only the current year dues could be used for operational expenses while the balance could be time deposited in any accredited bank(s) and the share of the national could also be remitted on a yearly basis. Likewise a membership certificate could be issued good for 5 years. In this scheme, colleagues who work abroad are still members of good standing and via the easiness of today's communication medium could still participate in running the affairs of their Regional Council wherein they are a member.

Partnership with accreditating agencies, CHED or TESDA verification team and other professional organization is a step in the right direction of promoting our noble profession. (RBManlangit).