The Happy Librarian's Blog

Training Non-Librarians in Tagaytay City

2011-07-09T19:14:00.000-07:00

The PhilAgriNet group from Los Banos left at about 2 PM on July 6. We reached the venue, the Hotel Kimberly at about 3 PM, with enough time to relish the scenic Taal Volcano along the way. I shared Room 312 with Connie Saul, the PhilAgriNet Vice Chair. Hotel Kimberly has nice, spacious, clean and comfortable facilities, with an impressive facade and friendly staff. It's located along the road going to Alfonso, Cavite. The hotel lobby is decorated with huge hanging native decors that simply catch the eyes as one enters the building. It has a moderately-sized pool and a smaller circular one (just didn't notice if that was a jacuzzi or a children's wading pool). Beside the pool are 2 huge slides with playground facilities. We had buffet breakfasts, lunches, and dinners for the duration of our stay. The PhilagriNet training workshop aims to equip non-librarians or DA information officers with enough skills which will enable them to document their research outputs and to contribute metadata to the PhilAgriNet database. There were about 30+ participants coming from all over the Philippines. The first session consisted of lectures about PhilAgriNet, the need to document Philippine agricultural literature, agricultural databases, selection and evaluation of materials for acquisition, basic indexing, the Dublin Core Metadata initiative (DCMI). I was assigned to lecture on basic indexing and the DCMI, which I find to be a little bit challenging as my audience were non-librarians. I tried to make my PowerPoint presentation as simple and concise as possible. I borrowed 3 slides from the FAO IMARK training module, which proved to be very effective as they have a very clear presentation of metadata. After my talk and that on subject indexing by Carme Austria, the participants were ready to go into actual descriptive indexing, which they did with minimal problems. The facilitators (I'm one of them) were there to assist all the time. After the day's sessions, the participants boarded 2 passenger jeepneys and a car for a brief tour of Tagaytay City. We visited the Pink Sisters' Convent, the Picnic Grove (for picture-taking with Taal Volcano at the background, horseback-riding, shopping for souvenirs), the Good Shepherd convent (noted for their famous ube jam, peanut brittle, cookies, assorted bread, halo-halo, bocayo, leche flan, etc.) and the Mahogany Market (for beef, dried fish, fruits, veggies, plants, etc.). There was a fellowship night after dinner. Many participants showed their talents in singing (with a videoke) and dancing. There were many surprise talents discovered that night, with lots of food, lite beer, cali, etc. Everybody had fun. The second day was devoted to more hands-on exercises using the newly issued laptops and the DSpace software. The session lasted till noon. After lunch, the closing ceremonies took place with each participant receiving their certificates. As per the response of one participant, they are hoping that a follow-up seminar would take place in the future. We (PhilAgriNet people) felt a sense of accomplishment after the activity. There will be another one slated in October this year, exclusively for PhilAgriNet members.

Beijing Revisited

2011-06-26T20:51:00.000-07:00

I would not be able to see Beijing for the second time had I not received a sponsorship to attend the International Expert Consultation on the theme “Building the CIARD Framework for Data and Information Sharing” from the Global Forum on Agricultural Research (GFAR) and the Chinese Academy for Agricultural Sciences (CAAS). The weather in Beijing is so like that of RP, warm with occasional thunderstorm. The conference started with a MarketPlace, where participants viewed posters and demos on various country initiatives in agricultural information sharing and the latest tools available to connect with researchers and information providers. The experts come from Asia, Africa, Europe, and America. Lectures plus group discussions took place all throughout in order to come up with strategies by which CIARD could promote international agricultural knowledge sharing and interoperability among existing databases. My summary paper and poster entitled "Agricultural Knowledge Sharing in the Philippines" may be read at
http://www.ciard.net/sites/default/files/Agricultural_Knowledge_Sharing_in_the_Philippines-Mila_Ramos.pdf
The consultation was held at Xindadu Hotel Beijing, where the participants are also billeted. The hospitality of the Chinese people could be felt as soon as I got my baggage at the Beijing International Airport. The airport is so huge, such that one has to take the train to reach the baggage claim area and the various boarding gates. Beijing is a beautiful, well-planned city, with very wide streets and impressive high-rise buildings. My second visit to the Summer Palace and shopping for cheap goods at a nearby market made my stay more memorable. We were caught in a tunderstorm as we are about to end our tour of the summer palace. We had to buy cheap raincoats (5 yuan each) in pastel colors. The raincoats, though, are good for single use only. We had to walk on ankle-deep water to get to our bus, but did enjoy in spite of this. My feet didn't get wet as my shoes had high sides (covering my feet up to the ankles). I have seen the other tourist spots in Beijing during my first visit: Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, Great Wall, Summer Palace.
But the most important aspect of this trip is learning the best practices from colleagues in the agricultural information field. Thanks to GFAR and CAAS for the support.

Marketing Libraries

2011-06-02T05:41:00.000-07:00

This is the subject of my presentation tomorrow morning at the ALAP Forum and General Assembly, UPLB Main Library. More than ever before, there is a compelling demand to show the Library's and the librarian's value in this digital age. But how? There are many ways to market libraries but the most effective one is projecting a good image in the community. This is not easy but effective delivery of information service is the best marketing strategy. This, plus having a team of enthusiastic, energetic, and qualified staff who are able to deliver information as needed by clients, would boost the library's position in an organization. Marketing is not a one-shot deal but should be sustainable.

A Welcome Respite

2011-05-17T17:21:00.000-07:00

I just returned from a 2-week vacation in the US the other Sunday. It was my first trip abroad with family and without any obligations (paper/poster presentations, training, seminar participation). We rented an SUV in San Diego (SD) (courtesy of my daughter, Sheila) and drove to Santa Monica, LA, Las Vegas, and then back to SD. Sheila took charge of the wheels with KT, navigating, and with Tomtom's (GPS) accurate guidance, we didn't get lost. We arrived at LA on Good Friday. Black Saturday was spent with the Celino sisters at the Malibu and Venice beaches (strolling). Then we visited Getty Villa and drove through Beverly Hills before going to Porter Ranch. We slept at Ceny & Louie's house, which was located right next to a golf course and a small lake, where ducks and birds stop by to feed, a very lovely sight from the breakfast nook. On Easter Sunday, we heard mass at Porter Ranch with good friends Ceny and Louie (our hosts in LA), then proceeded to Universal Studios. Sheeha (Miz's sis) was our guide together with her daughter Mica and a nephew. In the evening, Bibs and I were treated to dinner at Bubba Gump by a former classmate in UPRHS, Vladimir Velasco, while the kids went to Hollywood. The following day, we drove to Las Vegas. We stopped by Barstow and visited the Outlet shops and did some shopping. MGM Grand Hotel is a good place to spend the night after walking non-stop through the Strip and watching the dancing fountains at Bellagio. Got to taste Pink's hotdogs. Caesar's Palace is awesome, with the gigantic sculpture and the dome, painted to simulate the blue sky and clouds giving an illusion that one is walking outdoors under the blue sky. I can't describe everything here. The following day, we drove back to SD ; Bibs and I had to catch the flight to Phoenix in the afternoon. The kids were left in SD and they flew to San Francisco the following day. At Phoenix, Arlyn met us at the airport and we had a steak dinner at their house. The next day, Noel and Arlyn brought us to Sedona (with the beautifulm huge, red rocks) and the Grand Canyon, we stopped by a ski resort on the way. The mountain top still had some snow. The Grand Canyon is really "grand" (literally) and exotic, very nice to look at. The landscape is awesome. The night was spent at Holiday Inn. The following morning we went to another beautiful place with a blue lake and huge rounded rocks. Then we stopped by Prescott and had ice cream in one of the old shops there. We had lunch at a Vietnamese resto and as usual the servings were so big. Bibs and I always share one order, otherwise, we won't be able to finish everything. Then we flew back to San Diego on Thursday. On Friday night Bibs, Ferdie, and I were invited for dinner at the house of a former high school classmate, Baby Vega. The food was so good. We had steak, clams, salad, boiled corn, and ice cream. The Noveleta Town Fiesta was celebrated the following Day so I had the chance to see relatives, and former townmates. There were about 400 people there, more or less. We joined the caracol, held inside the huge hall of the National Training Center. We helped Ferdie serve the desserts that they prepared the night before: cassava cake, nilupak, maja blanca, chocolate and butter cake, and buco pandan. There were lots of food, entertainment, music, and dancing. The kids spent the day at Legoland and joined us later in the day. We heard mass at St. Rita's Church the following day. An old friend of Bibs, Dr. Rey Elizondo and his son, came all the way from Fresno to meet us at SD and we spent the morning touring the USS Midway. We had lunch at the Seafood Market and toured Coronado Hotel afterwards. The Coronado Bridge is so impressive. It was time to visit Disneyland on Monday with Ferdie, my brother as our tour guide. We spent the night the Hotel Pepper Tree to enable us to go to California Adventure the following day. It was so hot in Anaheim. The kids enjoyed the rides at California Adventure. We watched Aladdin, the musical. The next day, I visited my sister, Nardit, and she treated me to buffet lunch at Sunrise(?). Food is so difficult to resist in the US. The kids went to the San Diego Zoo, while I was bonding with my sister. It was time to go shopping day before leaving SD. We went to the outlet shops before the Mexican border. It's a great place to shop with lots of discounts. The goods, though, are made in Asia, including RP. In between sight seeing, I was able to visit public libraries in LA and SD. They're all well-equipped and spacious. I wish we had them in RP, too. The last stop before leaving is Fashion Valley to do more shopping. Friday, we were fetched by the shuttle service en route to the LA Airport. The Asiana plane took a different route on the way back to Manila. The onward flight from Incheon to LA took only 10 hours and 5 minutes while the return flight took more than 13 hours going to Incheon. We passed over Alaska, Siberia, part of Russia? We reached Manila at noon on Sunday, May 8. It was a great vacation. I hope we would be able to do this again with Glenn and Miz, who were not able to join us.

Marketing Your Library

2011-05-17T02:14:00.000-07:00

I have been tasked to do a lecture on communicating the value of libraries. This is rather tough as there are so many ways to market the library and create a more impressive perception of its services. Many resources abound in the WWW. The difficult task is to filter all these and come out with a meaningful presentation. I am convinced that marketing the library is a must these days as the library's budget is continuously eroding. But what is the most effective way to market your library? Practically speaking, a librarian can use all the modern means of marketing: print, broadcast, cellphones, or the WWW. But all these are useless if our staff do not deliver what is expected of them. This is the gist of ny lecture to be presented at the ALAP Forum and General Assembly on June 3, 2011.

A Semi-retired Life

2011-05-15T05:21:00.000-07:00

It's been almost a year since I last posted on this site. I did miss my IRRI Library Office for a while (especially the air-conditioning) but it didn't take long before I got adjusted to a semi-retired life.
I am now busy as a Member of the Board for Librarians and as a library consultant. I just wrapped up a project for CGIAR ICT-KM. I still have work to do for PhilAgriNet. God's been good to me. I thought I'd be bored but now I have more than what I could handle. I'm busy preparing PowerPoint presentations for 2 fora (ALAP and PhilAgriNet).
You can call me the happily retired librarian.

IRRI Chief Librarian Retires

2010-08-18T06:21:00.000-07:00

Mila Medina-Ramos, IRRI's Chief Librarian, joined the early retirement program after serving the IRRI Library for 45 years. She started out in IRRI as Acquisitions Librarian right after graduation from UP Diliman, then moved up to the position of Catalog Librarian and then Assistant Librarian. She assumed the post of Chief Librarian in 2000 and had managed all library operations till August 15, 2010.
This is her last post in this blog.

IRRI Library Staff Compiles SOPs

2010-08-12T22:12:00.000-07:00

The IRRI Library Staff have been writing and compiling standard operation procedures (SOPs) employed in the conduct of their respective jobs. These SOPs have been available for some time but they are scattered, incomplete and lacks organization. Some are even out of date. On the last day of the LDS team building workshop held in Baguio City last June, 2010, the staff took it upon themselves to sit down and work on updating the SOPs. After undergoing editing and revisions by the library supervisors and the Chief Librarian, these are now available to IRRI staff on campus in print at the Library and in electronic formats at this link http://shareportal/sites/lds/Lists/Announcements/Attachments/40/LDSSOPs2010.pdf
This document may be used for orienting new staff and for management to seek better and more efficient ways of accomplishing a given task. Suggestions for the improvement of the SOPs are welcome.

IRRI Library Self-Upgrades to Millennium Release 2007 1.3

2010-08-02T18:05:00.000-07:00

In 2009, when the IRRI Library’s computerized system migrated to a virtual server, it was running on Release 2006. Through the efforts of Lea Delos Reyes, Senior Librarian – Electronic Resources, and Denis Diaz, of Information Technology Services (ITS), the IRRI Library self-upgraded to Release 2007 1.3 on July 29, 2010. Upgrades are normally done remotely by the IRRI Librarians. New releases enable the Library staff and users of the system to enjoy various enhancements afforded by the Millennium platform. Upgrade to Release 2009 will be done soon.

IRRI Library on the WWW: Your Information Partner : an update

2010-07-27T20:35:00.000-07:00

Whether you live in Africa, Asia, Europe or the Americas, the IRRI Library can give you the rice information you need. Here are 12 reasons to try out the Library’s web site:

1. Online Catalog. Search for books and journals about rice, agriculture, ecology, plant breeding and other subjects of interest. The Library also has books on training, information technology, human resources, as well as guides to better writing, countries of the world, and more.

2. Rice Bibliography. The flagship of IRRI Library covers all technical rice literature of the past 50 years. Do a literature search, limit your search by date or by language, and export selected references to your email address. Many citations carry hyperlinks to the full text. And remember if you are from a developing country you can get free literature from the Library via electronic delivery.

3. E-Journals. More and more electronic journals can be read via your desktop, open access & licensed site. Simply Search the OPAC by title or click on E-Journals.

4. Virtual Reference Desk. Online encyclopedias, dictionaries, thesaurus, country information, index to acronyms – dozens of reference sources are but a click of the mouse away. Ask your questions via Skype, or contact IRRI Library.

5. Online Databases. Do a literature search by opening one of the several online databases on agriculture and other related subjects.

6. News. On your computer screen, read today’s edition of the Manila Bulletin, Washington Post, Asahi Shimbun (Japan), Bangkok Post, etc.

7. World Libraries. Connect to the catalogs of great libraries of the world, from the Library of Congress to the University of Queensland.

8. IRRI’s Knowledge Resources:
• Journal papers by IRRI Staff. Full text journal articles written by IRRI staff are linked to the Library’s web site.
• IRRI Books. Read/download the full text of more than 300 IRRI- published books via GoogleBooks.
• IRRI Photos. Browse through or download IRRI photographs on various subjects.
• Cereal Knowledge Bank. Explore the leading repository of extension and training materials related to rice, maize, and wheat production .

• IRRI’s Institutional Repository. Read the full text of IRRI’s published and unpublished research outputs, seminar presentations,and theses, etc.

9. Research Impact. Scientists can track down the number of times their papers were cited by other researchers via Web of Science’s Science Citation Index.

10. Alerts. Open Current Contents Connect to be aware of the latest in your field of study via daily, weekly, or monthly alerts. Create a search profile by simply keying in your search terms. You may do this on your own or ask the IRRI Librarians to create alerts for you.

11. Standard Rice Terminology. Connect to the IRRI Rice Thesaurus and find standard terms used in rice research, then search for related literature via Google, Yahoo, IRRI Rice Database, and Agricola via the same platform.

12. Other Internet Sites. Several more are available: from the CGIAR Virtual Library to various online databases and the web sites of all CGIAR centers and other institutions.

Try IRRI Library for your information needs. You’ll soon be hooked! http://ricelib.irri.cgiar.org

-Ian Wallace 7 May 1998 ; revised by Mila Ramos 15 January 2010.

IRRI's Rice Thesarus Updated

2010-07-26T20:08:00.000-07:00

IRRI’s Rice Thesaurus is an online tool for searching standard rice and rice-related terms and their subject hierarchies. Since its publication on the WWW in early 2009, the thesaurus has been freely available for use by researchers worldwide, 24 hours a day. It is hosted by the National Agricultural Library of the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture at this URL : http://agclass.nal.usda.gov/irri/rice_search.shtml .

As a term is typed on the search box, the subject tree, showing narrower, broader, or related terms, appears on screen. Aside from the subject hierarchy, an important newly added feature of the thesaurus is the ability to search terms of interest in Google, Yahoo, IRRI’s rice database, and Agricola, a major international agricultural database produced by NAL without leaving the Thesaurus platform. By simply clicking on the links provided on the right side of the screen, the researcher could easily generate a list of literature related to his field of interest without retyping the term. This saves time and effort on the part of the user.

The thesaurus, which uses the MultiTes thesaurus construction application, is intended to be a dynamic electronic reference source, hence periodic updates need to be incorporated therein. From May up to early July 2010, the IRRI Library and Documentation Service, with support from the Communication and Publications Services and Program 6, hired the services of Ms. Milagros Zamora, former Assistant Librarian and bibliographer of IRRI, to search, add new terms, and create subject trees. Ms. Zamora consulted numerous recent books and peer-reviewed articles on rice and came up with 680 new terms with subject hierarchies. The new file was sent to Ms. Lori Finch, Thesaurus specialist of the NAL, who coordinates the uploading of the new file on the NAL web site. This is the second update done on the Thesaurus. The new terms are now visible on the IRRI Thesaurus web. site.

Thesaurus Updating is expected to be an annual project of the IRRI Library.

IRRI Needs a Chief Librarian

2010-07-20T00:00:00.000-07:00

Mila Ramos has joined the Early Retirement Program at IRRI and will be leaving IRRI soon. Qualified librarians are invited to apply for the post. Here's the announcement from IRRI:

International Rice Research Institute
Human Resource Services

The Deputy Director General for Operations Office invites applicants for the
position:

Chief Librarian (2010-R-97)

Basic purpose : Directs and manages all library operations through planning,
personnel management, budget formulation and monitoring, organization and
coordination of activities, overseeing of digitized and printed information
resources and services, physical facilities and equipment, and program
implementation and evaluation for the achievement of the Library's objectives

Major Responsibilities:
1. Library Management
- Formulates library policies and strategies for senior management
consideration, playing an instrumental role in the identification and
introduction of improvements in library services
- Manages a team of librarians and paraprofessionals engaged in the provision of
information service; Supervises, trains, provides oversight of library employees
in developing and carrying out their tasks. These supervisory activities include
staff meetings, training, work review, and evaluation
- Monitors the library's financial resources

2.Technical Services
Manages a full range of library technical services encompassing current
awareness, collection development and organization (cataloging), reference,
loans, electronic and conventional document delivery, and preservation and the
development of an institutional repository.

- Develop a program to digitize the IRRI Library's collection and the system of
curation for those resources.
- Leads the evaluation, selection, acquisition, and organization of information
resources in various formats ; Liaises with information providers and
aggregators; negotiates for and approves license agreements involving journal
and databases subscriptions
- Oversees the Library's integrated computer system by regular monitoring,
upgrading, database management, altering system parameters when necessary,
providing troubleshooting initiatives, and coordinating with Innovative
Interfaces and ITS to ensure that the system is running seamlessly
-Directs the library's reference service acting as the ultimate source of
information when all resources have been exhausted already
-Coordinates document delivery by planning and leading the introduction of
applicable technological innovations, including the implementation and
management of the library's electronic information service accessible to and
serving a worldwide audience
-Provides expertise in the preservation of library resources to ensure their
accessibility for future generations of users.

3.Library Marketing
-Promotes the IRRI Library in various professional venues through poster/paper
presentations or publications in technical journals
-Negotiates for national and international reciprocal agreements for the
exchange of publications, joint subscriptions, and other mutually beneficial
projects
-Leads joint projects conducted with other IRRI units and outside agencies as
well
-Writes the Library's input for the DG Report and the Library's annual report

4.Outreach
-Designs training modules/programs for on-the-job training of librarians from
other institutions
-Participates in professional activities that help promote the library's
objectives, e.g. serving as resource person in various professional venues
-Establishes/maintains professional ties and collaborative relationships with
libraries, librarians, and other agricultural institutions in the Philippines
and from other parts of the world.
-Promotes the use of the library thru alerts, publications, lectures, and other
outreach activities, briefings and guided tours of Library facilities

5. To perform other tasks that may be assigned by superiors

Qualification Requirements:
Minimum Education : Master's degree in Library or Information
Science
Experience Required : At least 5 years of experience in special
or academic library management
Skills and abilities : Computer know-how; Familiarity with
integrated library systems; Internet Searching skills; Administrative skills;
excellent oral and writing skills

APPLICATIONS :Qualified candidates can submit letter of application,
comprehensive resume, transcript of records, name and contact details of 3
referees to IRRI Recruitment at the HRS Office, FF Hill Building, IRRI Los Baños,
Laguna or emailto IRRIRecruitment@cgiar.org. They can also mail application with
complete requirements to:

Chief Librarian (2010-R-97)
Human Resource Services
International Rice Research Institute
DAPO Box 7777 Metro Manila

Screening will start on 31 July and shall continue until a suitable candidate is identified.

Library Visits for IRRI Library Staff Development

2010-07-07T22:21:00.000-07:00

Occasional visits to advanced libraries in Metro Manila are an integral part of the staff awareness and development program of the IRRI Library and Documentation Service (LDS). This activity enables staff to be aware of information resources, building design, services,and best practices in other libraries.
Last July 6, 3 major libraries in Metro Manila were visited by the IRRI Library staff consisting of: Carmelita Austria (Consultant), Marilyn Bonador (Library Assistant), Jonnel de Jesus (Library Associate), Isagani Garcia (Library Assistant), Ernesto Gibe (Library Assistant), Mauro Malabrigo, Jr. (Library Assistant), Mila Ramos (Chief Librarian), and Milagros Zamora (Consultant).
The libraries visited are those of the University of the East, San Beda College, and Manila Doctor's College. The librarians(Ms. Emily Dela Cruz (UE), Mr.Aquilino M. Abenojar(Archivist, UE); Ms. Lourdes Roman (Library Director, SBC), and Ms. Erlinda Gonzalez (Library Director, MDC) of these academic institutions warmly welcomed the group and gave them a very informative tour of their facilities.
The trip culminated with a visit to the Philippine Academic Book Fair at the Megatrade Center.

New Addition to the IRRI Library Staff

2010-06-30T18:04:00.000-07:00

Louella Bagis joined the IRRI Library work force on June 28, 2010. She assumes the position of Senior Librarian-Collection Development and is now tasked with selection and acquisition of electronic as well as print information resources to enrich the library’s collection.

Louella or Bien (as she prefers to be called) holds a Bachelor of Library and Information Science from the Philippine Normal University. She is currently taking up courses for a Master’s degree in Library and Information Science at the University of the Philippines, Diliman.

Her previous experience includes stints at the Colegio de San Juan de Letran Library, Citigroup, and Convergys.

More Collaborative Initiatives Among CGIAR IMs

2010-06-23T17:11:00.000-07:00

The information management professionals (IMs) of the CGIAR system have been in constant collaboration through the CGIAR Libraries and Information Services Consortium (CGIARLISC) since 2003, when all center DGs signed a MOA for its operation. Since then most centers have enjoyed the benefits of savings and better delivery of services through the joint journal subscriptions, exchange of technical expertise, capacity building, document delivery, and creating wider awareness of CGIAR global public goods through the CGIAR Virtual Library.

Another aspect added to the existing benefits is support in collection development. There have been many instances when the IRRI Library sought the help of CGIAR Librarians in procuring information resources from other countries:

• Ms. Prasanna Sambandamurthy of IWMI facilitated the purchase of a rice book published in Sri Lanka, which could have cost more if purchased from the Philippines
• Ms. Danielle Lucca of the CGIAR Secretariat , and the late Mr. S. Srinivas of ICRISAT, ably assisted in the free procurement of World Bank and ICRISAT publications
• Ms. Luz Marina Alvare and Ms. Amanda Segovia of IFPRI purchased a map from the National Geographic Society and recently, e-books from Amazon for the IRRI Library. It was not possible for IRRI to purchase these from the Philippines as the NGS would not deliver maps to the Philippines, while Amazon’s service for the recent e-books on rice is limited to institutions with billing address in the US only.

All other centers like Bioversity, CIAT, CIP, CIMMYT, CIFOR, ICARDA, ICRAF, ILRI, WorldFish, are also very active in sharing their resources as well. All these cooperative activities are boosted by the untiring efforts of IMs in the CGIAR system in doing more with less resources. Sustained collaboration is the goal of the CGIARLISC. This will continue for as long as the IMs are committed to share and deliver information without hesitation.

IRRI Library Staff Holds 1st Team Building Exercise

2010-06-14T19:27:00.000-07:00

The entire IRRI Library staff, including consultants, traveled to Baguio City at noontime on June 11, 2010 to participate in its first team building activity, held at the Baguio Benguet Community Credit Cooperative Building (BBCCC).

The team building proper started on June 12, with the usual opening prayer, led by Aisa Atienza, the singing of the national anthem, led by Jhun Malabrigo. This was followed by a talk on team building objectives and expected outcome by Lea De los Reyes, which ended with the showing of carefully selected videos on team building. Afterwards, Mila Ramos reviewed the staff on IRRI’s as well as LDS objectives to ensure that each team member realizes that his work is a vital part of what the Institute aims to accomplish. The team building exercises followed under the able expertise of Prof. Raymund Pawid, Human Resource Development Officer of the Benguet State University. Ems Lansangan acted as emcee. She also introduced the speaker and facilitator.

The remaining day was spent on developing and polishing Library SOPs and the city tour. The SOPs will be compiled and bound in a volume so that new employees as well as supervisors will be aware of what each library staff is doing

The Team Library and their assignments follow:

1. Atienza, Ma. Aisa - Documentation
2. Austria, Carmelita –Documentation /Tour
3. Bonador, Marilyn - Documentation
4. De Jesus, Jonnel – Supplies/Documentation
5. Delos Reyes, Lea – Finance/Transpo/Equipment
6. Garcia, Ganie - Tour
7. Gibe, Toto – Food (June 12 only)/Equipment
8. Lansangan, Ems – Finance/Food (June 12 only)
9. Malabrigo, Jhun - Food (June 12 only)
10. Mendoza, Manny - Tour
11. Ramos, Mila- Program/Finance/Overall coordination/Evaluation
12. Zamora, Mila –Documentation

Mrs. Ma. Teresa Marquez, Acting Director of Libraries, Benguet State University, did all the arrangements for the venue and accommodations.
The Library team had very positive comments regarding this team building exercise and workshop and considers this to be an effective morale-booster. The facilitator-lecturer is an expert in the field and imparted very relevant ideas as well as physical activities symbolizing unity and the importance of every team member.

IRRI Librarians at ALAP Seminar & General Assembly

2010-06-02T21:56:00.000-07:00

The Agricultural Librarians Association of the Philippines (ALAP) is currently (June 2-4) holding its Seminar on Reinventing Libraries and Librarians at the UPLB college of Engineering and Agro-Industrial Technology (CEAT) auditorium.

The first day opened with the turn-over ceremony of a server from DA-BAR to the UPLB Main Library, which will be used to host the PhilAgriNet database and other library databases. The PhilAgriNet web site was also relaunched after the turn-over. The Vice Chancellor for Administration, UPLB, Dr. Roberto Rañola accepted the server on behalf of Dr. Luis Rey Velasco, UPLB Chancellor. Mr. Victoriano Guiam, Head of the Applied Communication Division and International Relations Unit, represented DA-BAR in the turn-over rites.

Ms. Lea Delos Reyes of IRRI, gave a brief description of the contents of the web site.
Dr. Arsenio Resurreccion, UPLB CEAT Dean, emphasized the value of libraries in his welcome address.

Ms. Emerald Laxamana, Senior Librarian-Catalog, served as resource person on the topic Integration of Web 2.0 to technical aspects of library services. Mrs. Mila Ramos, Chief Librarian, lectured on Getting the Most out of the Library and Information Profession.

The other resource persons and their topics are: Atty. Viva V. Aguirre - Education of Librarians in the Changing Times; Ms. Elizabeth Peralejo - Continuing Professional Education for Librarians; Ms. Lourdes Cristine Fernandez - Developing E-resources through Library Consortia; Ms. Mary Ann Ingua - Meeting the Challenges of IT-literate Clients; Mr. Axel Cabarles - Follett and In-Magic Product Demo; Mrs. Corazon M. Nera- Developing Projects and Sourcing of Funds for the Library; Mrs. Elaine E. Joshi - Marketing, advertising & promotion of libraries; Mrs. Concepcion DL. Saul - Professional development throughout the career and adapting to changes; Dr. Aser Javier - Managing conflict; and Dr. Lorna Mira M. Calumpang - Occupational stress management.

Atty. Viva Aguirre, Dean of the UPILS and Mrs. Elizabeth Peralejo, former CPEC Chair, toured the IRRI Library last June 2 after delivering their lectures.

The seminar will culminate with a tour of nearby libraries (IRRI, College of Veterinary Medicine, and UPLB) and the 38th annual general assembly.

IRRI Librarians at Various Professional Growth Fora

2010-05-25T02:28:00.000-07:00

Lea Delos Reyes and Emerald Lansangan, Senior Librarians of IRRI participated at PAARL’s recent Forum on Superior Practices and World Widening Services of Philippine Libraries Dao Diamond Hotel, Tagbilaran City, Bohol on
April 14-16, 2010.

IRRI’s Chief Librarian, Mila M. Ramos, served as resource person on the topic Ethical Standards for Librarians at the Summer Conference on Revitalizing the Librarian's Values Towards Transformation: Leveling- Up Librarians Empowerment for Better Library Management, held on May 19-20 at the University of St. Louis, Tuguegarao City, Cagayan. This professional growth activity was sponsored and organized by the Cagayan and Kalinga Apayao Librarians Association, Inc., headed by its President, Director Michael Pinto.

Mila’s paper tackled the major elements of any profession, which include ethics. This was followed by a review of the philosophy of librarianship and the text of the Code of Ethics for Librarians as embodied in Republic Act 9246, as amended in 2006. Some cases regarding breach of ethics were also presented, ending with the challenge for librarians to carry our their tasks while maintaining the highest standards of ethical behavior.

SIENNA COLLEGE LIBRARIANS, SAGITTARIUS MINES KM OFFICERS VISIT THE IRRI LIBRARY

2010-05-18T01:37:00.000-07:00

Six librarians from Sienna College of Taytay, Rizal visited the IRRI Library in Los Baños on Thursday, May 13, 2010. They were given a short orientation on library resources and services and a tour by the Chief Librarian, Mila Ramos. Information resources available via the Library’s web site were emphasized during the orientation. Those who came were Loida J. Cordoba, Grade School Librarian, Evangeline M. Gatchalian, In-charge, Instructional Media Center, Roselyn C. Lepaña, College Librarian, Maria Loida Dolores, College Librarian, Joel L. Lapuz, High School Librarian, and Kristian Javier, High School Librarian. From the IRRI Library, the group proceeded to the Libraries of the UP Open University and the UPLB.

In the afternoon of the same day, KM officers of Sagittarius Mines, Inc., Elaine Sunshine C. Roxas and Fraulein Oclarit came to discuss with the Chief Librarian the knowledge sharing initiatives of the IRRI Library. Again, the web site of the Library was showcased as one of major avenues for knowledge dissemination to worldwide clients. IRRI’s web site, IRRI publications on Google Books, and the Cereal Knowledge Bank were also introduced to the visitors as possible examples of knowledge sharing venues in IRRI.

CGIAR Information Managers Hold Virtual Meetings

2010-04-27T19:32:00.000-07:00

Pre-IAALD virtual meetings took place among CGIAR information managers (IMs) located at various parts of the globe via a series of 3 web meetings held at different times from April 20 to21. The “webathon” aimed to discuss open access activities and finalize the agenda for the CG IMs’ meeting to be held simultaneously with the IAALD World Conference at Montpellier, France. Those invited were allowed to select the most convenient time space according to their geographical location.

The webathon made use of the GoToMeeting (http://www.gotomeeting.com/fec/)
platform. This enabled IMs from different time zones to get together and discuss online regardless of physical location.

Mila Ramos, IRRI Chief Librarian , participated in 2 sessions: one held on April 20 at 10 AM (Philippine time) and another on April 21 at 8 PM (Philippine time). The Philipppines is 12 hours ahead of Washington, D.C. so that the morning schedule is the reverse of Washington time.

In the first session, those online were Luz Marina Alvare (IFPRI, Washington, D.C.), Prasanna Sambandamurthy (IWMI, Sri Lanka), Petr Kosina (CIMMYT, Mexico). Some people might have been missed here as the connection was delayed. Prasanna presented what her Institute is doing in terms of resource sharing. The second session had Enrica Porcari (ICT-KM, Italy), Chris Addision (IFPRI, Washington, D.C.), Cecilia Ferreyra (CIP, Peru), Grace Kamau (ILRI, Kenya) and Pier Andrea Pirani (Euforic, Italy?). This one tackled the various agenda items (projected on the screen) for the Montpellier meeting.

Advances in IT made all these possible. Mila’s microphone was problematic on the first session so that suggestions or ideas were relayed via chat messages. The second one (done at home) was much better.

Alumni Return to IRRI Campus After 50 years

2010-04-20T18:36:00.000-07:00

This week, April 19-23 is Alumni Homecoming week as IRRI celebrates its 50th anniversary. Some IRRI Alumni who have come to visit the Library are Diana Del Rosario, Merle Juarez, Flor Juarez, Alice Capiral, Rhoda Lantin, Sesinando Masajo, Rolly Quintos, Ely & Felix Camañag, Frank Gorrez, Vicky Sese, Lil Samson, Bibs Ramos, Edith Lantican, Delia Samson, Dodong Suplac, Elsa & Quito Guevarra, Zeny Bugay-Soriano, Nonong Cayton, and many others. Dr, Klaus Lampe, IRRI DG from 1988-1995, also dropped by to chat with the Chief Librarian.

Several activities have taken place or are on-going. IRRI is now a national historical site as markers from the National Historical Institute of the Philippines are now strategically placed at the campus entrance. Another marker, containing the names of IRRI pioneers (those who worked for IRRI in the early1960s), was unveiled at the entrance of Chandler Hall. Postage stamps featuring IRRI were formally launched last week.

This week open houses, photo and art exhibits, science fora, tours,cultural shows, concerts, nostalgia presentations are simultaneously going on.

IRRI in Retrospect (1963 onwards)

2010-04-05T18:26:00.001-07:00

To celebrate IRRI’s 50th anniversary, a corner has been set up in the Library Reading Room featuring old IRRI publications (not the technical ones, but including the annual report). Examples are the 1st IRRI Annual Report, Articles of Incorporation, IRRI alumni book, IRRI calendar, IRRI Reporter, Sandiwa, etc. If you have materials to add to the display, kindly let us know. Please come and have a look.

University of Batangas LIS Students Visit the IRRI Library

2010-03-21T18:55:00.000-07:00

Twelve LIS students and a faculty member of the University of Batangas visited the IRRI Library last Friday, March 19. The group was headed by Alex Lunar, Librarian and faculty member. A brief PowerPoint presentation was given by Mila Ramos to introduce the students to the resources and services of the Library. This was followed by a tour and hands-on demonstration on the integrated library system and electronic resources given by Carmelita Austria and Lea Delos Reyes. The group also visited the Rice World Museum.

The IRRI Library is one of the many places frequented by students from various colleges and universities.

Virtual Reference Service at the IRRI Library

2010-03-19T02:15:00.000-07:00

For more than a year now, CGIAR Libraries have been providing virtual reference service through social networking. These libraries, located in various parts of the globe, take turns in manning the CGVlibrary account in the Skype platform and answer questions posted there by information seekers. Depending on the time zone, a librarian from Asia or Africa or Latin America or the US or Europe will cater to queries or requests for literature from any source.

The IRRI Library provides reference service through the CGVlibrary Skype platform from Mondays to Fridays between 8 AM and 12 noon. After this, another library from a different country will take over and so on.

Meanwhile, the IRRI Library is also offering this kind of service to its worldwide clients everyday from 8 to 5 PM (Philippine time). Just log on to Skype and search IRRI.Library. The Library Staff will try its best to provide quality reference service to its clients.

IRRI Library Virtual Tour

2010-03-16T19:38:00.000-07:00

To create better awareness of the IRRI Library's resources and services, an updated slide show was posted today on Slideshare. The presentation may be viewed at this link http://www.slideshare.net/mmramos/the-irri-library-2010

Information services in the form of reference, electronic document delivery, current awareness, literature searches, etc. were provided to remote and walk-in clients from 40 countries worldwide in 2009.

Rice Bibliography Linked to CIARD RING

2010-03-09T16:07:00.000-08:00

The IRRI Library, since its establishment in 1961, curates the world’s biggest collection of technical rice literature. The key access point to this collection is the online rice bibliography, which is available at this URL http://ricelib.irri.cgiar.org:81/screens/opacmenu.html This database, which carries more than 270,000 references, is available 24/7 to researchers worldwide via the Internet. All items in the bibliography are available at the IRRI Library. Many references carry hyperlinks to full text articles.

On January 10, this year, IRRI became a partner of the Coherence in Information for Agricultural Research for Development (CIARD), a new movement aiming “to make agricultural research information publicly available and accessible to all … – to help disseminate it more efficiently and make it easier to access”.

Metadata for the rice bibliography was uploaded on CIARD RING today by Emerald Lansangan, Senior Librarian (Catalog) of IRRI . This is the link
http://www.ciardring.net/en/rice-bibliography-database

IRRI Library's Annual Report 2009 Now Available

2010-03-03T16:34:00.000-08:00

The information resources added and the services rendered last year by the IRRI Library and Documentation Service are documented in its latest Annual report, 2009. This is available to IRRI Staff on campus at this link
\\Netwin\library\E-books\CDPDF2010.1.LDSAnnualreport2009.pdf
It is also posted at the Library's web site at://ricelib.irri.cgiar.org.

2008 TEEAL Update Now Available on the IRRI Campus

2010-02-22T22:25:00.000-08:00

The 2008 update to TEEAL, the electronic library of selected agricultural journals, is now available via the LAN. Full text articles from 1993 up to 2008 issues of the original 172 titles plus new ones listed below are now accessible to IRRI staff on campus:
Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica. Section A, Animal Science
Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica. Section B, Plant Soil Science
African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development
Arid Land Research and Management
Avian Pathology
Bangladesh Journal of Veterinary Medicine
Biocontrol Science and Technology
Electronic Journal of Biotechnology
Revista Colombiana de Entomologia

For staff located in the IRRI campus, if you want to update your TEEAL access, please follow the instructions below:
A. For users with 2007 version on their machine, please do the following:

1. Uninstall the 2007 update from your computer . To do this, click START >> CONTROL PANEL >> ADD or REMOVE PROGRAMS, look for TEEAL, then click REMOVE
2. Once the application has been removed, Click START >> RUN, and on the box, type: \\s6sw0084a\teeal
3. Double click TEEAL setup to install
4. No remapping of network drive is needed

B. FOR NEW INSTALLATION
1. Click START >> RUN, and on the space, type: \\s6sw0084a\teeal
2. Look for the TEEAL setup, double click this to install
3. Now go to your DESKTOP, Right Click on My Network Places >> MAP NETWORK DRIVE, then choose Drive G, on the Folder type: \\s6sw0084a\teeal, then check Reconnect at Logon Box, and click FINISH

The IRRI Library Reading Room

2010-02-18T18:04:00.000-08:00

The IRRI Library provides access to rice knowledge to scientists worldwide. The use of its collection is not limited to IRRI Staff alone. Its Reading room, which can accommodate 54 people, is open to walk-in clients from other institutions. Sixty additional carrels for IRRI staff are available at the Journal and Book Stacks.

A revised Fact Sheet, which contains vital information about the IRRI Library and its services, has just been issued by the Library. Electronic or print copies may be requested from the Library (Please call Jonnel loc. 2515)

Lansangan Participates in Mendeley Webinar

2010-02-02T16:06:00.000-08:00

On January 28, Emerald Lansangan, IRRI’s Senior Librarian(Catalog), joined other staff from the CGIAR system in a webinar on Mendeley, a popular open source reference management application. Other participants come from CIAT, ICARDA, IFPRI, IWMI and the WorldFish Center, which are located in different parts of the globe. Mendeley enables users to create their own bibliographic databases, annotate pdfs, generate bibliographies in Word or OpenOffice, gather papers from everywhere, e.g. Amazon, GoogleBooks, etc The Mendeley webinar was conducted by Jan Reichelt, Mendeley Director, with inputs from IFPRI.
More information will be found in http://www.mendeley.com/

IRRI Librarians at PAARL Assembly

2010-01-31T16:32:00.000-08:00

The Philippine Association of Academic and Research Librarians (PAARL) had its annual General Assembly, Induction and Awards Ceremonies at the St. Paul University (SPU), Quezon City, on January 29, 2010. More than 150 members and past presidents participated in this activity. Among them are Carmelita Austria, Emerald Lansangan, and Mila Ramos, librarians of IRRI. This was a good opportunity to meet colleagues and renew acquaintances with collaborators in information sharing.

The President of PAARL for 2010 is Christopher Paras of the SPU Library. The awardees are Mrs. Corazon NERA, PRC BFL Chair, as PAARL’s Lifetime Achievement Awardee; Ms. Celedonia Cayaban (DLSU-St. Benilde) and Mrs. Zorayda Bartolome (CPEC) as OUTSTANDING ACADEMIC/RESEARCH LIBRARIANS of the year; Ateneo Professional Schools as OUTSTANDING ACADEMIC/RESEARCH LIBRARY of the year; American Shelf/Corner of TJIC of the US Embassy as OUTSTANDING LIBRARY PROGRAM of the year; and Mrs. Loreto Garcia (JRU) as PROFESSIONAL SERVICE AWARDEE. The IRRI Library was the first recipient of the Outstanding Academic/Research Library award in 2001.

Following attendance in this assembly, the IRRI librarians visited the libraries of St. Paul University and the new Rizal Library building, Ateneo de Manila University. Visits to other libraries expose librarians to good practices and services in information science.

Christmas Greetings from the IRRI Library Staff

2009-12-22T01:07:00.000-08:00

IRRI Librarian at the ICM Consultation Meeting in Hyderabad

2009-12-22T01:06:00.001-08:00

Mila Ramos, Chief Librarian of IRRI, attended the International Consultation on Agricultural Research for Development and Innovation at ICRISAT, Hyderabad, India on 7-11 December 2009. This consultation meeting focused on effective application of advances in ICT in the agricultural sector. About 60 participants from 27 countries and 9 international organizations took part in this consultation meeting. The meeting was sponsored by FAO, ICRISAT, GFAR, and APAARI.

The objectives of the consultation are:
1. To identify and address emerging trends, challenges, best practices, and exploit opportunities for adoption of new technologies by farmers and researchers;
2. To identify strategies for consideration in the effective utilization of ICT by end-users, and
3. To define concrete areas of action to enhance and sustain the adoption of ICM

Earlier, invited participants were requested to submit their 2-page ideas about the main focus of the meeting. A 2-page paper was prepared by Mila and was published in one of the conference documents.
The meeting consisted of poster exhibits, presentations from experts, group discussions, and reporting.
The participants from Asia and the Pacific were introduced to and were invited to join CIARD, a new movement in agricultural knowledge sharing. More details about CIARD are available at http://www.ciard.net. The prominent members of CIARD are FAO, CGIAR, CTA, APAARI, GFAR, and many more.

Laguna Educators Attend CERS-Sponsored Librarianship Seminar

2009-11-24T05:30:00.000-08:00

More than 60 public school teachers, librarians, and principals from Bay, Los Baños, Pila, Rizal, Pangil, and Pakil towns attended the Practical School Librarianship Seminar held at Khush Hall on 18 November.
Mila Ramos, IRRI’s chief librarian, served as resource person for the seminar. Topics covered were organizing a library’s collection, marketing a library, content development in school libraries, and services expected of librarians. Ms. Ramos also provided the participants with a list of free sources of e-books as well as Web sites offering free resources or books.
Ms. Ramos also offered free tutorials to the attendees on cataloguing and best library practices. The participants were later given a tour of the IRRI Library.
The seminar was sponsored by CERS in coordination with the Department of Education-Region IV.
Source: IRRI Bulletin, Novermber 24, 2009

IRRI Librarian Honored by PLAI-STRLC

2009-10-20T23:14:00.000-07:00

During its Annual General Assembly, the Philippine Librarians Association Inc. Southern Tagalog Regional Librarians Council (PLAI-STRLC) bestowed awards on two librarians from the region. The recipients were Mrs. Mila M. Ramos, Chief Librarian of the International Rice Research Institute, and Fr. Paul M. De Vera, OSB, Coordinator of Libraries, San Beda College. These are the first awards in this category given by a PLAI Regional Council.
The plaque of Mila Ramos states that she was awarded the STRLC Distinguished Librarian Award “for her active involvement and noteworthy contribution in the field of agricultural librarianship … thus earning for her prestigious awards; for sharing her expertise and knowledge through published works and papers delivered at international and local conferences, and as one of the collaborators of the world’s most comprehensive bibliography of technical rice literature.”
The STRLC General Assembly was held on October 9, 2009 at the Eastern Manila Hotel and Training Center, Antipolo City. The awarding ceremony was witnessed by the PLAI President, Ms. Lily Echiverri, the officers and members of the various Southern Tagalog library associations, and participants in the just concluded seminar sponsored by the Council. The President of the STRLC, Mr. Marcial Batiancila, currently on scholarship in Norway, witnessed the ceremony remotely via Skype.

IRRI’s Catalog Librarian To Train at the National Agricultural Library in Maryland

2009-10-07T18:05:00.000-07:00

Emerald Laxamana-Lansangan, Senior Librarian (Catalog) of IRRI was recently awarded a training grant by the Institute’s Professional Growth Committee. This will enable Ems to undergo on-the-job training at the Cataloging Section of the National Agricultural Library (NAL), Beltsville, Maryland. This is the second time that the NAL will host an IRRI Librarian. In 2000, Mila Ramos, underwent the same under the expert tutelage of NAL catalogers.

Ems’ training will be for three weeks, from October 19 to November 6, 2009 and will cover the following aspects with the corresponding trainers:

• Introduction to Technical Services Division organizational structure, focusing on management of the Bibliographic Services Branch (Mike Esman, Head, Bibliographic Services Branch)
• Voyager & OCLC basics (Shirley Souder)
• Intro to NACO, NAL authority control processes, and bibliographic maintenance (Donna Collins)
• Intro to NAL cataloging & authority control procedures and hands-on exercises (Debbie Friedman)
• Digital depository overview (Carol Ditzler, AgSpace Coordinator)
• Intro to DigiTop ( Collection of electronic resources licensed for USDA) (Stan Kosecki)
• Serial and electronic resource cataloging (Rosanne Galleta)
• Intro to NAL thesaurus (Lori Finch, Thesaurus Specialist)
• AGNIC overview (Melanie Gardner, AGNIC, Coordinator)
• Visit to Library of Congress and National Library of Medicine (Tina Shrader, Cataloging Supervisor & CONSER Coordinator)

This is an excellent learning experience for librarians in IRRI as best practices observed and learned from an advanced library such as the NAL can be adopted locally to further improve services rendered to clients.

Aside from the professional growth opportunity for librarians given by NAL, there are other areas where IRRI-Nal collaboration is active. The online IRRI Rice Thesaurus is being hosted by NAL to enable worldwide access to this tool. Also, AgNIC gave a grant to the IRRI Library for the digitization of selected pages from theses and dissertations written by IRRI degree scholars. These are now accessible freely via IRRI's DSpace Repository and the Library's OPAC.

Web Resource of Note: Bangladesh Journals Online

2009-09-27T22:58:00.000-07:00

While looking for the web site of Bangladesh Journal of Plant Pathology, I chanced upon one that gives free full text access to many Bangladesh journals, which are relevant to IRRI’s research program. Bangladesh Journals Online (BanglaJOL) is available at this URL http://www.banglajol.info/
It is a database of 41 journals published in Bangladesh and covers a wide range of academic disciplines. There are 179 Tables of Contents listing 2512 articles, 1975 of the articles are available in full text (PDF), free of charge.

Although, Bangladesh Journal of Plant Pathology is not included here, the following titles more than compensate for its absence. These are most useful to IRRI staff: Bangladesh Journal of Agricultural Research, Bangladesh Journal of Botany, Bangladesh Journal of Genetics and Biotechnology, Bangladesh Journal of Microbiology, Bangladesh Journal of Plant Taxonomy, Bangladesh Journal of Scientific and Industrial Research, Journal of Agriculture and Rural Development, Journal of Bangladesh Academy of Sciences, Journal of Bio-Science, Journal of Health, Population, and Nutrition, Journal of Scientific Research, and Plant Tissue culture and Biotechnology.

Library System and Files Migrated to a Virtual Server

2009-09-17T23:20:00.000-07:00

The IRRI Library’s Millennium library system and all the files attached to it (including the OPAC and the rice database) were migrated from an old Dec Alpha server to a Linux (RHEL) platform running on a virtual environment on September 14, 2009. This migration took place with support from ITS, especially Denis Diaz, who supervised the migration, and III Technical staff, Cheryl Seaman. The system now runs on Release 2006. This will enable the Library staff to implement the enhancements offered by Release 2006. Other releases will be installed as soon as possible.

IRRI's Rice Database Featured in Agricultural Information Worldwide

2009-09-03T01:03:00.000-07:00

The latest issue (v.2, no.1, 2009) of Agricultural Information Worldwide carries an article on the rice database. The paper, entitled Enabling Electronic Access to the World’s Rice Literature, was written by Mila M. Ramos and Carmelita S. Austria, Chief Librarian and Assistant Chief Librarian of IRRI, respectively. The rice bibliography or the rice database is an electronic platform for searching and retrieving the world’s rice technical literature. It carries more than 270,000 bibliographic records of published and unpublished papers, written by the world’s scientists in any language. Most citations carry links to full text articles. All others are available upon request. The rice database is available 24 hours a day via the WWW at this URL http://ricelib.irri.cgiar.org:81/screens/opacmenu.html

IRRI Librarians Serve as REsource Persons in Rice Breeding Course

2009-09-03T00:37:00.000-07:00

29 participants(from various countries)in IRRI’s Rice Breeding Course visited the IRRI Library on September 1, Monday, to learn about the resources and services of the IRRI Library. Mila Medina-Ramos, Chief Librarian, gave a PowerPoint presentation entitled Library Resources and Knowledge Databases for Plant Breeding and Rice Research. The lecture was followed by a guided tour of the library facilities and hands-on demonstrations on searching and retrieval of information via the Library’s databases. The tour and demos were led by Carmelita Austria, Consultant, Lea Delos Reyes, Senior Librarian – Electronic Resources and Emerald Lansangan, Senior Librarian - Cataloging. Learning about the knowledge sharing initiatives of the Library would enable the trainees to conduct literature searches using the tools available via the IRRI Library’s web site (at http://ricelib.irri.cgiar.org), which can be used 24 hours a day from any computer with Internet connection

IRRI Librarians Share Facts About Library Resources and Services with UP MLIS students

2009-08-25T21:20:00.000-07:00

The LIS 260 class of Prof. Sharon Ma. Esposo, consisting of 19 Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) students from the University of the Philippines, visited the IRRI Library on August 25, 2009. The object of the visit is, in the words of Prof. Esposo, “to keep the UP SLIS students abreast with the latest developments in the field of library and information science”. She further says that “IRRI as an institution, serves as my "benchmark" or an example of how an information center should be to my students”.

Three IRRI librarians gave lectures on specific topics that the students wanted to learn about. Mila Ramos gave a brief introduction and description of resources and services with emphasis on document delivery; Ems Lansangan lectured on the Cataloging and Circulation modules of the Millennium integrated library system, while Mrs. Lea Delos Reyes discussed access points to electronic journals and the Millennium serials module.
The open forum, library tour, and hands-on demos followed the lectures.

The UP Diliman class is one of the several groups of students from various universities who visit the IRRI Library each year.

Digitization Initiatives at IRRI

2009-08-19T18:48:00.000-07:00

During the launch of DocuOne on, a database management software, Mila Medina-Ramos, Chief Librarian of the International Rice Research Institute, presented a paper on digitization initiatives at IRRI. The forum was held on August 18 at the Astoria Plaza Hotel, Ortigas Center, Pasig City with sponsorship from Tanco-Asia.
Several digital preservation projects conducted by the Library and the Communication and Publications Services were discussed. These projects are either outsourced to outside agencies or done in-house. The objective is to ensure perpetual access to IRRI-published documents for the use of future generations of researchers. The IRRI Library continually engages in digitization projects for preservation and sustainable access. The dream is to have all bibliographic records in the rice database carry hyperlinks to full text e-documents so that scientists of today and in the coming years may read the literature with a few mouse clicks within the IRRI campus.
The full copy of the PowerPoint presentation is available at http://172.29.75.30:8080/dspace/handle/123456789/1377

Online IRRI Rice Thesaurus Carries More Terms

2009-08-19T18:40:00.000-07:00

A vital tool developed by the IRRI Library, the electronic IRRI Rice Thesaurus, available at http://agclass.nal.usda.gov/irri/rice_search.shtml was recently enhanced with the addition of 583 new terms on rice and rice-related topics. This brings the total number of entries in the online thesaurus to 3,812. Milagros Zamora, former Assistant Librarian-Bibliography of IRRI provided the technical expertise for the enrichment of the tool.
The web presence of this thesaurus was made possible by Lorie Finch of the US National Agricultural Library while content development and annual updating are assumed by the Library and the Communication and Publications Services.
To boost the usefulness of the thesaurus, all users are invited to have a look at the thesaurus and check for accuracy, terms to be added, and corrections or revisions that need to be incorporated.

IRRI's Rice Database Receives Oberly Award

2009-07-16T19:30:00.000-07:00

The formal presentation of the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) Science and Technology Section (STS) Oberly Award for Bibliography in the Agricultural or Natural Sciences took place on Monday, July 13, 8:00 AM at the McCormick Place South Convention Center. This year’s awardee is the rice database of the International Rice Research Institute.
The 2009 ACRL award recipients were announced in the May issue of C & RL News on pages 266-271 which is available at http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/acrl/publications/crlnews/2009/may/award.09_2.cfm
“The Rice Database is a highly unique, but desperately needed resource for both developing and developed countries,” said award committee co-chairs Marianne Stowell Bracke and Martin Kesselman

New Publications by IRRI Librarians

2009-07-16T17:02:00.000-07:00

The Journal of Philippine Librarianship ( JPL), official publication of the University of the Philippines School of Library and Information Studies, featured two articles written by IRRI Librarians in two issues published recently.

Details of the articles follow:

1.Ramos, M. M. The International Rice Research Institute Library and Documentation Service: Sharing Resources in the Digital Age. JPL 26(1/2):59-72. 2006 (pub. 2009)
2.Ramos, M. M., Austria, C.S., Delos Reyes, N., Laxamona, E., Austria, R., and Parducho, M. C. Knowledge sharing in rice research. 3. Citation analysis of IRRI scientists’ literature output, 2000-2004. JPL 27(1/2):77-98. 2007 (pub. 2009)

The JPL is a peer-reviewed journal that spans all aspects of library, archival and information science. It can be accessed at this URL http://journals.upd.edu.ph/index.php/jpl

ALAP Celebrates 37th Anniversary

2009-06-07T17:05:00.000-07:00

To commemorate its 37th foundation anniversary, the Agricultural Librarians Association of the Philippines (ALAP) conducted a forum and general assembly on June 5, 2009 at the UP at Los Baños Main Library. In spite of the inclement weather, the forum, entitled: Insights from CONSAL: the Evolving Roles of Librarians and Information Providers in the Electronic Age, was attended by more than 30 members coming from various parts of Luzon. Two librarians shared their thoughts in this gathering. Mila Ramos, IRRI Chief Librarian, talked about insights from CONSAL. Her presentation focused on CONSAL participation and snippets of keynote and selected relevant concurrent presentations. Mr. Nehemias Pasamba, Acquisitions and Media Librarian of Mission College, Saraburi, Thailand, discussed valuing library services. This is a vital quantitative tool for assessing the value of library services in an organization.
The general assembly followed the forum. Three other librarians from IRRI participated in this activity, namely Lea Delos Reyes, Emerald Lansangan, and Carmelita Austria.
This forum was accredited by the PRC Board for Librarians with 3 CPE credit points.

IRRI Librarians at CE-Logic National Conference

2009-05-15T01:40:00.000-07:00

Lea Delos Reyes, Emerald Lansangan, and Mila Ramos attended the CE-Logic 1st National Conference on Digital Resources, on May 14-15, 2009 at the C & E Information and Resource Center, Quezon City. The Conference was attended by 220+ librarians and information providers from all parts of the Philippines, including Mindanao. The C & E Information and Resource Center is a 3-storey building showcasing books and IT tools, and is equipped with a huge conference hall, comfortable lounging areas and a cafe. This is the first time that a book aggregator took the initiative to provide for the professional growth of local librarians.
Mila Ramos served as resource speaker on the topic Web 2.0 and Online resources.

NEW IRRI STAFF PUBLICATIONS ADDED THIS WEEK

2009-05-10T22:55:00.000-07:00

Bueno, C. S., Lafarge, T. Higher crop performance of rice hybrids than of elite inbreds in the tropics: 1. Hybrids accumulate more biomass during each phenological phase.
Field Crops Res. 2009(e-first): 9 p. 2009. DOI: 10.106/j.fcr.2009.03.006

Lafarge, T., Bueno, C. S. Higher crop performance of rice hybrids than of elite inbreds in the tropics: 2. Does sink regulation, rather than sink size, play a major role?
Field Crops Res. 2009(e-first): 7 p. 2009. DOI: 10.106/j.fcr.2009.03.007

Lapitan, V. C., Redona, E. D., Abe, T., Brar, D. S.
Molecular characterization and agronomic performance of DH lines from the F1 of indica and japonica cultivars of rice (Oryza sativaL.).
Field Crops Res. 2009(e-first): 7 p. 2009. DOI: 10.106/j.fcr.2009.03.008

Singh, S., Mackill, D. J., Ismail, A. M. Responses of SUB1 rice introgression lines to submergence in the field: yield and grain quality.
Field Crops Res. 2009(e-first): 12 p. 2009. DOI: 10.1016/j.fcr.2009.04.003

Takai, T., Ohsumi, A., San-oh, Y., Laza, M. R. C., Kondo, M., Yamamoto, T., Yano, M.
Detection of a quantitative trait locus controlling carbon isotope discrimination and its contribution to stomatal conductance in japonica rice.
Theor. Appl. Genet. 118(7): 1401-1410. May 2009.

IRRI Scientists' Latest Scientific Publications

2009-05-07T19:34:00.000-07:00

Bueno, C. S., Lafarge, T. Higher crop performance of rice hybrids than of elite inbreds in the tropics: 1. Hybrids accumulate more biomass during each phenological phase.
Field Crops Res. 2009(e-first): 9 p. 2009. DOI: 10.106/j.fcr.2009.03.006

Heuer, S., Lu, X. C., Chin, J. H., Tanaka, J. P., Kanamori, H., Matsumoto, T., De Leon, T., Ulat, V. J., Ismail, A. M., Yano, M., Wissuwa, M. Comparative sequence analyses of the major quantitative trait locus phosphorus uptake 1 (Pup1) reveal a complex genetic structure.
Plant Biotechnol. J. 7(e-first): 16 p. 2009. DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-7652.2009.00415.x

Lafarge, T., Bueno, C. S. Higher crop performance of rice hybrids than of elite inbreds in the tropics: 2. Does sink regulation, rather than sink size, play a major role?
Field Crops Res. 2009(e-first): 7 p. 2009. DOI: 10.106/j.fcr.2009.03.007

Lapitan, V. C., Redona, E. D., Abe, T., Brar, D. S.
Molecular characterization and agronomic performance of DH lines from the F1 of indica and japonica cultivars of rice (Oryza sativaL.).
Field Crops Res. 2009(e-first): 7 p. 2009. DOI: 10.106/j.fcr.2009.03.008

Singh, S., Mackill, D. J., Ismail, A. M. Responses of SUB1 rice introgression lines to submergence in the field: yield and grain quality.
Field Crops Res. 2009(e-first): 12 p. 2009. DOI: 10.1016/j.fcr.2009.04.003

Takai, T., Ohsumi, A., San-oh, Y., Laza, M. R. C., Kondo, M., Yamamoto, T., Yano, M.
Detection of a quantitative trait locus controlling carbon isotope discrimination and its contribution to stomatal conductance in japonica rice.
Theor. Appl. Genet. 118(7): 1401-1410. May 2009.

New Publications by IRRI Scientists

2009-04-28T22:46:00.001-07:00

The following are the latest journal articles written by IRRI staff and are now available at the IRRI Library. If you need copies, please contact Mila Ramos at mila.ramos@cgiar.org or Consie Parducho at m.parducho@cgiar.org

Jabbar, S. M. A., Sta. Cruz, P. C., Siopongco, J. D. L. C., Cosico, W. C., Sanchez, P. B., Amarante, S. T., Haefele, S. M.
Genotypic differences in grain yield and nitrogen uptake of lowland rice (Oryza sativa L.) under irrigated and rainfed conditions.
Phillip. J. Crop Sci. 34(1): 22-37. Apr. 2009.

Olk, D. C., Jimenez, R. R., Moscoso, E., Gapas, P. Phenol accumulation in a young humic fraction following anaerobic decomposition of rice crop residues.
Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 73(3): 943-951. May/June 2009.

Venuprasad, R., Bool, M. E., Dalid, C. O., Bernier, J., Kumar, A., Atlin, G. N.
Genetic loci responding to two cycles of divergent selection for grain yield under drought stress in a rice breeding population.
Euphytica 167(2): 261-269. May 2009.

For a complete listing of IRRI staff publications, please go to http://ricelib.irri.cgiar.org/screens/irriarticles.html

IRRI Rice Thesaurus Now Available on the WWW

2009-04-28T19:01:00.001-07:00

The IRRI Library (LDS)and the Communication and Publications Services (CPS) collaborated to produce an electronic thesaurus of rice and rice-related terminology. It has been available to local users since 2005. In order to create wider awareness of this tool and to make the IRRI Rice Thesaurus more useful to scientists worldwide, it is now sits on a user-friendly platform on the WWW at this URL http://agclass.nal.usda.gov/irri/rice_search.shtml

The online publication of the IRRI Rice Thesaurus is the product of a cooperative agreement between IRRI and the National Agricultural Library (NAL), Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture. The IRRI Library provides the content while NAL enables web access utilizing servers located in Beltsville, Maryland. This collaboration was made possible via the initiative of Ms. Lori Finch, Thesaurus coordinator, NAL and Mila Ramos, IRRI Chief Librarian.

Creating Awareness of the CGIAR Virtual Library at CONSAL XIV, Vietnam

2009-04-27T23:31:00.000-07:00

Filipino librarians who served as resource persons in CONSAL XIV.
L-R : Von Totanes, Elvie Lapuz, Beth Peralejo, Mila Ramos, Fraulein Oclarit
& Nehemias Pasamba ( Source: Von Totanes’ blog site at
http://filipinolibrarian.blogspot.com/ )

The CGIAR Virtual Library was introduced to an audience of about 250 librarians and information managers at the XIV Congress of Southeast Asian Librarians (CONSAL XIV), held at the Melia Hotel, Hanoi, Vietnam on April 21, 2009. The paper, entitled “The CGIAR Virtual Library: Harnessing New Technologies for Scholarly access to Agricultural Information,” was presented by Mila M. Ramos, IRRI Chief Librarian. This presentation is a product of collaboration among 4 CGIAR information management professionals, namely, M. Ramos, Luz Marina Alvare, Head, Library and Knowledge Management, IFPRI, Peter Shelton, Information and Communication Consultant, IFPRI, and Yuni Soeripto, Consultant, CIFOR. The CGIAR Virtual Library is an interactive platform for searching CGIAR and other agricultural information via a single platform at http://vlibrary.cgiar.org/V/MYSVPC91DK8B6QD1RBASIU3CCB5A3IHHXCXRX7NAA5A98PSSII-11352?func=quick-1. Aside from describing the modern features of the virtual library, marketing strategies using web 2.0 tools were discussed.
The CONSAL is held every 3 years in various member countries. Information science experts from various parts of the world share their knowledge and skills with colleagues in the information field. This year's congress was attended by 800+ participants, mostly from Southeast Asia.

PhilAgriNet Receives Hardware Support from ITCAF

2009-04-17T00:40:00.000-07:00

To support the PhilAgriNet’s mission of linking Philippine agricultural research output to researchers everywhere, the Information Technology Center for Agriculture and Fisheries (ITCAF) of the Department of Agriculture, through the Philippine E-Lib Project and the Bureau of Agricultural Research, donated a high capacity server to the network. Director Ronaldo M. Saluñga turned over the hardware to PhilAgriNet officers in simple ceremonies held at the Department of Agriculture (DA) conference room, Diliman, Quezon City on March 5, 2009. Present during the turn-over rites were PhilAgriNet officers and members: Ms. Julia Lapitan, Coordinator, Mrs. Concepcion DL. Saul, Vice-Chair, Mrs. Mila M. Ramos, PRO, Miss Carmelita Austria, Board member. Mrs. Filipinas Bernal, Head Librarian, DA. The E-Lib Project representatives present were Mrs. Salvacion Arlante, University Librarian, UP Diliman, Mrs. Prudenciana Cruz, Director, The National Library, and Mr. Edgardo Quiros, IT specialist, National Library.

The server will be housed at the UP at Los Baños Main Library, where the PhilAgriNet database resides. The lack of a dedicated server has hampered the publication of the PhilAgriNet database on the WWW. This donation is a very vital step towards the making the database available to worldwide users. The formal turn-over will take place very soon.

New Library Opening Hours

2009-04-04T05:23:00.000-07:00

From March 16 onwards, the IRRI Library reverted back to its previous service schedule as follows:

Mondays to Fridays - 8:00 AM- 12:00 noon; 1:00-5:00 PM

This is due to the small number of IRRI staff using the Library after 5 PM.

ACRL Recognizes IRRI’s Rice Database

2009-02-15T18:41:00.000-08:00

The rice database of the International Rice Research Institute was named as the recipient of the 2009 Oberly Award by the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL). This electronic platform for search and retrieval of the world’s technical rice literature has its roots in a print publication, The International Bibliography of Rice Research, 1951-60, published in 1963. The bibliography was updated with annual supplements until the need for more frequent updates became necessary. When the Library acquired an integrated library system in 1996, the database was made available 24 hours a day to worldwide clients via the WWW and is updated daily. All items in this database of 267,000+ entries are available in print or electronic format and are made available upon request.
The ALA press release is given below and is also available at this link http://www.ala.org/ala/newspresscenter/news/pressreleases2009/february2009/acrloberly.cfm

Contact: Megan Griffin
ACRL Program Coordinator
312-280-2514
mgriffin@ala.org
NEWS
For Immediate Release
February 10, 2009

Rice Database receives 2009 ACRL STS Oberly Award
CHICAGO – The International Rice Research Institute’s Rice Database has been selected as the 2009 recipient of the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) Science and Technology Section (STS) Oberly Award for Bibliography in the Agricultural or Natural Sciences. The cash award and plaque will be presented at the 2009 American Library Association (ALA) Annual Conference in Chicago.
Formerly known as the Rice Bibliography, the Rice Database is a comprehensive bibliography of technical rice literature covering all aspects of rice research, produced by scientists from around the world. It is available online at http://ricelib.irri.cgiar.org:81/screens/opacmenu.html.
“The Rice Databaseis a highly unique, but desperately needed resource for both developing and developed countries,” said award committee co-chairs Marianne Stowell Bracke and Martin Kesselman.
The Oberly Award was established in 1923 in memory of Eunice Rockwood Oberly, librarian of the Bureau of Plant Industry, United States Department of Agriculture, from 1908 to 1921. Oberly was the Bureau of Plant Industry's representative to the Congressional Joint Commission on Reclassification of Government Employees and was instrumental in gaining a fairer recognition of library activities.
This biennial award is given in odd-numbered years for the best English-language bibliography in the field of agriculture or a related science.
##
The Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) is a division of the American Library Association (ALA), representing nearly 13,000 academic and research librarians and interested individuals. ACRL is the only individual membership organization in North America that develops programs, products and services to meet the unique needs of academic and research librarians. Its initiatives enable the higher education community to understand the role that academic libraries play in the teaching, learning and research environments.

ALAP Board Elects Officers for 2009-2010

2009-02-12T20:43:00.000-08:00

Last February 6, the newly elected Board of the Agricultural Librarians Association of the Philippines (ALAP) convened and elected among themselves the officers who would run the association for 2 years. The following will be at the helm of ALAP from 2009-2010:

President : Concepcion DL. Saul
University Librarian, UPLB

Vice President: Elaine E. Joshi
Head Librarian, PhilRice

Secretary : Andriette Valdez
College Librarian, CFNR, UPLB

Treasurer: Lina C. Copioso
College Librarian CEAT, UPLB

Auditor: Imelda B. Veluz
College Librarian, PSSD Crop Science Cluster, UPLB

PRO: Emerald L. Lansangan
Senior Librarian – Cataloging, IRRI

Board Members: Leonila S. Paez
College Librarian, Central Luzon State University

Salome C. Ledesma
College Librarian, UPLB Main Library

Ex-Officio Member: Noemi G. Tolentino
College Librarian, UPLB Main Library

They were inducted into office by the Dean of the UPLB College of Agriculture, Dr. Domingo Angeles. Members are enjoined to give their full support to the officers and to send suggestions on activities to be undertaken.

The IRRI Library Staff

2009-02-08T21:46:00.000-08:00

The IRRI LDS team consists of 12 Filipino staff, whose teamwork enables the IRRI Library to fulfill the needs of local and remote clients. The people who do their share in linking rice scientists with rice literature are:

Mila M. Ramos, MLS, Chief Librarian
Carmelita S. Austria, MLS, Assistant Chief Librarian
Reagan R. Austria, BLIS, Senior Librarian-Collections Development
Natalia V. Delos Reyes, BS, Senior Librarian - Electronic Resources and Serials
Emerald Laxamana-Lansangan, BLIS, Senior Librarian – Catalog
Ma. Consuelo S. Parducho, Associate, Library
Rowena M. Andaya, BS, Assistant, Library
Ma. Aisa M. Atienza, BS, Assistant, Library
Marilyn O. Bonador, BS, Assistant, Library
Jonnel G. De Jesus, BS, Assistant, Library
Isagani P. Garcia, Assistant, Library
Mauro T. Malabrigo, Jr., Assistant, Library
Emmanuel P. Mendoza, BS, Assistant, Library

This photo, taken last February 5, 2009 shows 10 of them. Seated : April Mangundayao (on-the-job trainee) and Isagani Garcia; standing (L-R) Rowena Andaya, Marlyn Bonador, Consie Parducho, Manny Mendoza, Mila Ramos, Carme Austria, Ems Lansangan, Jhun Malabrigo, and Lea Delos Reyes. Not in picture are Jhonnel De Jesus and Aisa Atienza.

CGVlibrary Service Goes Live Via Skype

2009-01-11T19:25:00.000-08:00

In response to the demands of scholars in this digital age, a new service is now being offered by the Consultative Group on International Research (CGIAR) Virtual Library. Researchers seeking to avail of instant agricultural information, specially those pertaining to CGIAR research outputs, may now use the services of the CGIAR Virtual Library (GGVL) via a social networking tool: Skype. This is envisioned to provide services required for the 21st century and to realize better awareness and usability of the CGVL as a primary information resource for agricultural scientists the world over. With the Skype name CGVLibrary, users, on demand, will receive instant assistance from libraries of the various agricultural centers. Currently information providers from the Bioversity (Rome), International Potato Center (CIP, Lima, Peru), International Rice Research Institute (IRRI, Los Banos, Philippines), International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT, Hyderabad, India), International Water Management Institute (IWMI, Sri Lanka), International Center for Research on Agroforestry (ICRAF, Nairobi, Kenya), Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR, Indonesia), International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA, Aleppo Syria), and International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI , Washington, D. C.) are testing and taking turns in looking after site. Live service through Skype is available 16 hours a day (2:00 AM – 6:00 PM GMT) with the collaboration of 9 centers mentioned above.

IRRI Library Extends Opening Hours

2009-01-07T21:58:00.000-08:00

In a Library Survey conducted in September, 2008, many IRRI staff expressed the need for the Library to open beyond 5 in the afternoon. In response to this, since January 5, the Library remains open till 6:00 PM.

The current opening hours of the Library follows:

Mondays to Fridays – 8:00 AM to 12:00 noon; 1:00 PM – 6:00 PM

This is being done on a trial basis for 2 months. If library usage remains at reasonable levels after 5:00 PM, then this new schedule will be adopted permanently. Otherwise, the old schedule will be followed.

KM Asia and Library Visits in Singapore

2008-12-03T18:18:00.000-08:00

The IRRI Chief Librarian, Mila M. Ramos, got the rare chance to participate in KM Asia 2008 : Redefining Knowledge Strategy and Engaging in Collaborative Enterprise, held at the Suntec Singapore International Convention & Exhibition Centre, last November 25-26. More workshops were conducted on the 27th but visits to advanced libraries would be of more relevance to a librarian from a developing country.

KM Asia is an annual event that gathers together experts and novices in the field of knowledge management and sharing from Asia and the Pacific region. A majority of the participants in the 2008 event come from Singapore and Malaysia. In the absence of a complete list of attendees, it is not possible to see which Asian countries were represented. Aside from the 2 countries mentioned earlier, I came across participants from Hong Kong, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Australia.

Listening to experts talk about KM and present case studies is a very enriching experience. The analogies between theory and actual application gave life to the convention. The debate was very interesting and absorbing, considering that the speakers were very knowledgeable on the subject. Although most of the presenters come from established business organizations like 3M, Samsung, Shell, Vignette, OpenText, MindTree, etc., there were others who work or have worked in learned or funding institutions like the World Bank, the National Library Board of Singapore, the Singapore Management University, etc. The talks and discussions on knowledge sharing, conversation, collaboration, and web 2.0 tools are very relevant to the library profession.

The visits to 2 advanced libraries in Singapore (National Library Board and National University of Singapore) were done on November 27. Each library showed videos on the physical resources, knowledge resources and services rendered. These 2 libraries are huge in terms of building size and collections. Both are well equipped with IT infrastructure and can afford subscriptions to thousands of journals and databases. Discussions regarding digital preservation and document delivery were also conducted. Librarians of both libraries were so hospitable and generous in sharing their expertise.

The most important gains from the convention and the library visits are the new knowledge, updating of existing knowledge, best practices, use of web2.0 tools, and networking. Having connections with librarians and others in the knowledge profession is a major boost to librarians in an age when libraries are not capable to stand alone.

Survey of the IRRI Library and Documentation Service 2008

2008-11-04T22:46:00.000-08:00

More than 350 IRRI staff responded to the survey of the IRRI Library and Documentation Service, which was conducted online through SurveyMonkey last September. Almost 75% of these staff completed the survey.

The highlights of the survey follows:

LIBRARY SURVEY RESULTS (HIGHLIGHTS ONLY)

•Sources of information about IRRI Library Services and Resources (226 responses)

LDS web site - 85.9% or 226
IRRI Bulletin - 52.9% or 139

•Actual Visits to the LDS (262 responses)
Occasionally - 72.1% or 189
Monthly - 13.0% or 34
Weekly - 12.6% or 33

•Resources Used When Visiting the LDS (262 responses)
Journals - 77.9% or 204
Books - 76.0% or 199
Reference books – 36.6% or 94
Electronic resources – 32.1% or 84

•Satisfaction with Overall Library Services (254 responses)
Extremely - 4.7% or 12
Very - 66.1% or 168
Somewhat - 26.8% or 68
Not very - 2.0% or 5
Not at all - 0.4% or 1

The Most Expensive Scientific Journals in the IRRI Library Collection, 2008

2008-10-09T17:04:00.000-07:00

Below is a list of journal titles, which are the most expensive in the IRRI collection, based on prices paid in 2008. These are all available online for IRRI campus users only. Arrangement is from the most expensive going down.

1. Theoretical and applied genetics
2. Planta
3. Molecular genetics and genomics
4. Nature
5. Plant molecular biology
6. Plant cell & environment
7. Plant Journal
8. Euphytica
9. Plant science
10. Plant cell tissue and organ culture
11. Journal of the science of food and agriculture
12. Nature biotechnology
13. Communications in soil science & plant analysis

The aggregate cost paid for these titles is US $62,300.05, with an average cost of $4,792 per title.
With this trend, it gets very difficult for the IRRI Library to provide instant access to all articles needed by scientists. The most that can be done is to drop some titles and resort to pay per view on demand.

PhilAgriNet holds Forum on New Perspectives in Information Delivery

2008-10-03T01:36:00.000-07:00

A Forum on New Perspectives in Information Delivery was organized by the Philippine Agricultural Information Network (PhilAgriNet) (formerly Philippine Agricultural Libraries and Information Services Network) at the Camarines Sur State Agricultural College, Pili, Camarines Sur on September 26, 2008. This professional growth activity was attended by about 52 librarians and information providers from various parts of the country. On hand to welcome the participants was CSSAC President Atty. Marito T. Bernales. Atty. Bernales is a strong supporter of libraries and he shared his big plans for building a cyber library in the college. Dr. Nicomedes P. Eleazar, Director of DA-BAR, delivered his keynote address via a video presentation, as he could not be present during the forum. The other speakers were Mila M. Ramos, Chief Librarian of IRRI, who talked about “Aiming at Library 2.0” and Concepcion DL. Saul, UPLB University Librarian, whose topic was “Web 2.0 Tools for Libraries.

A general assembly and election of PhilAgriNet members took place in the afternoon. With the exception of Cavite State University, Silliman University, and Nueva Vizcaya State University, all member institutions were present. These are ALAP, DA-BAR, Benguet State University, CSSAC, Central Luzon State University, Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University, IRRI, Isabela State University, Visayas State University, PhilRice, and UPLB. The officers elected are as follows:

Honorary Chairperson: Dr. Nicomedes P. Eleazar, Director, DA-BAR
Coordinator : Ms. Julia A. Lapitan, Asst. Head, ACD-MISD, DA-BAR
Vice Chairperson: Mrs. Concepcion DL. Saul, University Librarian, UPLB
Secretary : Mrs. Elaine E. Joshi, Head Librarian, PhilRice
Treasurer : Mrs. Imelda Veluz, College Librarian, PHTRC
Auditor : Mrs. Sonia S. Isip, College Librarian, DMMMSU
PRO : Mrs. Mila M. Ramos, Chief Librarian, IRRI
Directors: Ms. Carmelita S. Austria, Assistant Chief Librarian, IRRI
Ms. Rhodora L.Vargas, College Librarian, UPLB
Mr. Rolando P. Oloteo, College Librarian, CSSAC

Mr. Rommel Dumalag was designated as Regional Coordinator for the Visayas region.
The PhilAgriNet members will continue to populate the PhilAgriNet database and at the same time send inputs to FAO’s AGRIS database. Almost all members have submitted their contibutions to the two databases, hence creating wider awareness of Philippine agricultural research output worldwide.
PhilAgriNet expects to receive support from the Philippine E-LIB Project, in the form of computer hardware, through the initiative of Mr. Ronaldo M. Salunga, Director, DA-ITCAF.

Rice Bibliography Poster at the Joint AFITA/IAALD/WCCA Congress

2008-08-31T22:05:00.001-07:00

A poster entitled, The Rice Database of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI): Enabling Electronic Access to the World’s Rice Literature, was prepared by Mila M. Ramos, Chief Librarian, and Carmelita S. Austria, Assistant Chief Librarian, IRRI, for presentation at the Joint Conference of IAALD, AFITA, and WCCA on August 24-27, 2008 in Tokyo, Japan. The poster aims to create wider awareness of the rice database as a tool for knowledge sharing in rice research. The rice database may be accessed 24 hours a day from any point in the globe via a computer with Internet access. All items therein are available in print or electronic format at the IRRI Library and Documentation Service, which houses the world’s largest collection of technical rice literature.
For valid reasons, the presentors could not go to Japan to present the poster but one of the Chairpersons of the Organizing Committee, Dr. Seishi Ninomiya, kindly displayed the poster on behalf of the writers.
This photo shows Mr. Michael Riggs, Information Specialist of the FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, showing the poster at the Exhibit Area of the conference venue.

CAB E-Books Available to IRRI Staff in August

2008-08-11T22:03:00.000-07:00

The IRRI Library arranged for a month long free trial access to CAB E-books up to August 30, 2008. IRRI staff can read the full text of 140 e-books in all subject suites of CAB’s e-book collection. The subject collections included are:
Animal and Veterinary Sciences
Human, Food and Nutrition Sciences
Plant Sciences
Leisure and Tourism
Environmental Sciences

The ebooks may be accessed via this link http://www.cabi.org/cabebooks
or thru CAB Abstracts http://217.154.110.99/CABDirect/searchform-quicksearch.nsp
, to which IRRI Library has a current subscription.

A Flash Video tutorial is available at http://www.cabi.org/cabebooks/demo

IRRI Library Resources and Services Introduced to Rice Breeding Trainees

2008-08-04T18:35:00.001-07:00

Every year, IRRI organizes training programs aimed at achieving one of the core goals embodied in its strategic plan (2007-2015), i.e. the training of the next generation of rice scientists. One such program is the 3-week Rice Breeding Course, with the subtitle, Laying the foundation for the Second Green Revolution, which started last July 30. About twenty seven (27) participants coming from various Asian countries were in the group. The countries represented are Bangladesh, India, Democtratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Korea, Nepal, Philippines, Thailand,

On August 1, Mila M. Ramos, IRRI's Chief Librarian, introduced the trainees to IRRI Library resources, knowledge databases, and services. The lecture focused mainly on electronic resources available via the Library’s web site at http://ricelib.irri.cgiar.org/. Emphasis was given on points of access (via the web site) to rice and non-rice literature, hyperlinks to full text documents, electronic journals, and online databases.

After the lecture, the trainees joined a tour and hands-on demonstration given by Carmelita S. Austria, Assistant Chief Librarian, Lea Delos Reyes, Senior Librarian- Electronic Resources and Serials, and Emerald L. Lansangan, Senior Librarian – Cataloging. This activity aims to prepare the trainees in developing a research proposal as part of their training course. The participants spent the whole day of the following Saturday, doing actual research in the IRRI Library.

Rice Literature Update 2008 Now Available in CD-ROM

2008-07-31T22:48:00.000-07:00

One of the major publications of the IRRI Library, the Rice Literature Update (RLU), is the print counterpart of current additions to the online rice database available at http://ricelib.irri.cgiar.org:81/screens/opacmenu.html, 24 hours a day from any point in the globe. The print edition is intended for users who have no access to computers or to the Internet. The first semiannual issue for 2008 , v. 16, no. 1, June 2008, is now available for distribution to exchange partners worldwide. The current issue of RLU contains 2,200 references to technical articles on rice acquired by the library during the first half of 2008.

The online rice database carries more than 264,000 bibliographic references to the world’s technical rice literature, both published and unpublished, and written in many languages. Links to full text articles are available for on-campus users. A change in format is effected with this year’s first issue. Instead of the print edition, the Library opted to produce a CD-ROM edition, to save on printing and mailing costs. Henceforth, all libraries with exchange agreement with IRRI will receive the CD instead of the print version.

A few print copies were produced for sending to paid subscribers. The annual subscription rate for the CD-ROM version is $40 for buyers from developed countries and $30 for buyers from the less developed countries. Orders may be placed with the IRRI Library and Documentation Service, DAPO Box 7777, Metro Manila, Philippines or by sending an e-mail message to : m.parducho@cgiar.org or mila.ramos@cgiar.org.

Free Trial Access to CAB E-Books for CGIAR Center Staff

2008-07-27T16:43:00.000-07:00

The IRRI Library arranged for a month-long free trial access to CAB electronic books. From July 28 up to August 30, 2008, all CGIAR Center staff can read from their desktop the full text of 140 e-books in all subject suites of CAB’s e-book collection. The subject collections included are:
Animal and Veterinary Sciences
Human, Food and Nutrition Sciences
Plant Sciences
Leisure and Tourism
Environmental Sciences
The ebooks may be read via the CGVlibrary or directly at www.cabi.org/cabebooks or thru CAB Abstracts, to which the centers have a joint subscription.

A Flash Video tutorial is available at www.cabi.org/cabebooks/demo

IRRN Now in the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ)

2008-07-23T19:01:00.000-07:00

One of IRRI’s major publications the International Rice Research Notes (IRRN) is now included in the Directory of Open Access Journals http://www.doaj.org/ . DOAJ “covers free, full text, quality controlled scientific and scholarly journals”. Users may read the full text of 3503 journals from the Directory, with 1,196 searchable at article level.

IRRN serves a current medium for sharing rice research findings among worldwide scientists.

IRRI’s Chief Librarian, Mila Ramos, facilitated the inclusion of this IRRI publication in DOAJ last June.

In addition to DOAJ presence, issues from 1998 to the present is freely available at this link http://www.irri.org/publications/irrn/index.asp

CGIAR Virtual Library Featured in SLA-FAN Conference in Seattle

2008-07-01T18:48:00.000-07:00

The CGIAR Virtual Library is an online platform that makes available the research outputs of the various international centers under the umbrella of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). It is available at this URL http://vlibrary.cgiar.org/V/MYSVPC91DK8B6QD1RBASIU3CCB5A3IHHXCXRX7NAA5A98PSSII-11352?func=quick-1
One unique quality of this virtual library is that it enables simultaneous online searching of library catalogs, databases, and other information resources of the CGIAR using a single search interface. Links to full text publications of the system are also offered to users, free of charge.

To create better awareness of the CGIAR Virtual Library, a paper was written by information managers from the CGIAR Centers: Mila M. Ramos of IRRI, Luz Marina Alvare and Peter Shelton of IFPRI, and Hugo Besemer (Consultant) for presentation at the Special Libraries Association (SLA) Annual Conference held at the Washington State Convention Center, June 15-18, 2008. The paper is entitled "The CGIAR Virtual Library: A Vital Tool to Enhance Access to Agricultural Research"

Since none of the authors could make it to the conference in Seattle, Ms. Anita Ezzo, Science Collections Coordinator/Food Science and Technology Librarian, Michigan State University Libraries, presented the paper in behalf of the authors at the SLA Food, Agriculture and Nutrition division (FAN) Contributed Papers Session last June 16. This kind gesture of Ms. Ezzo is high appreciated.

Wider awareness of this vital facility is a goal that CGIAR information management professionals are actively pursuing. Currently Phase 2 of the CGIAR Virtual Library Project is in full swing. Users will be assured of instant access to a much better and more comprehensive virtual collection of agricultural information resources in the near future.

Rice Bibliography Featured at the 4th Encuentro Internacional del Arroz in Cuba

2008-06-12T17:59:00.001-07:00

A poster, featuring IRRI’s online rice bibliography was prepared by Mila M. Ramos and Carmelita S. Austria, Chief Librarian and Assistant Chief Librarian, respectively for presentation at the IV Encuentro Internacional del Arroz, at La Habana, Cuba on June 2-6, 2008. Since physical presence in Cuba was not possible, the poster, entitled, IRRI’s Digital Rice Bibliography: enhancing Worldwide Access to Rice Knowledge, was presented on behalf of the authors at the Palacio de Convenciones de La Habana by Srta. Julia Perez Fonseca, Jefe de la Unidad de Informacion, Instituto de Investigaciones del Arroz.
This photo shows Ms. Julia (in green) and a friend, Luisa, showing the poster.
The rice bibliography is the flagship project of the IRRI Library, having started as a print publication in 1963, with a comprehensive coverage of worldwide technical rice literature, both published and unpublished, and written in many languages by scientists worldwide. With the library’s computerization in 1996, the printed bibliography was transformed into an online database, sitting on a user-friendly platform that can be searched by scientists everywhere at the IRRI Library’s web site (http://ricelib.irri.cgiar.org/), 24 hours a day, regardless of time zones or geographical location. All citations in the database are backed up with documents, in print or electronic formats. Many citations carry hyperlinks to the full text articles. The database now has more than 260,000 references to technical rice literature. It is updated daily by the IRRI Library Bibliography Staff.

ALAP at 36: Focusing on Free Web Resources

2008-06-10T21:42:00.000-07:00

The Agricultural Librarians Association of the Philippines (ALAP), founded in 1972 by the then University Librarian of the University of the Philippines at Los Baños (UPLB), Ms. Leonor Gregorio, celebrated its 36th anniversary with a discussion forum and a general assembly. Several members, some coming from as far as Nueva Vizcaya, came to the UPLB College of Agricultural Engineering and Technology (CEAT) to be updated on freely available information resources on the WWW. The resource persons were Mr. Chito Angeles, Information Technology Officer of the UP Diliman Library and Ms. Kristina Joy Panogot, from the Vibal Foundation. The latter spoke on behalf od Ms. Kristin Mandigma, editor of WikiFilipinas, who was unavailable on that date. In the afternoon,Mrs. Susima Gonzales, PLAI President, talked about PLAI and professional requirements of the PRC. IRRI Librarians, Mila Ramos and Carmelita Austria, and Consultant, Milagros Zamora, partipated in this gathering of librarians.

Linking Agricultural Information Managers and Librarians with FAO-Developed Tools

2008-05-27T01:04:00.000-07:00

IRRI Library staff served as resource persons at a Seminar-Workshop on Enhancing the Capacity of Information Professionals for Effective Agricultural Information Management, held on May 22-23, 2008 at the Cyber Library of Silliman University, Dumaguete City. The seminar was organized by the Agricultural Librarians Association of the Philippines (ALAP) for FAO, DA-BAR, PhilAgriNet, and Silliman University. Ma. Consuelo Parducho, Library Associate, IRRI, served as the resource person on Data Input Using WebAGRIS. Lea Delos Reyes, Electronic Resources and Serials Librarian, spoke about the Greenstone software and conducted the workshop on WebAGRIS installation. Mila Ramos, Chief Librarian, lectured on the FAO AIMS web site and 2 modules of the FAO IMARK (Information Management Resource Kit). Other resource persons were Concepcion Saul of UPLB Biotech and Elaine Joshi, PhilRice Librarian.
About 25 IT persons and librarians came to participate and all of them were enthusiastic about the use of the IMARK and WebAGRIS in their respective institutions. Likewise, they expressed interest in actively participating in PhilAgriNet (Philippine Agricultural Information Network) by contributing metadata to the national database as well as to the AGRIS database. The local coordinators for the seminar-workshop were Lorna Yso, Library Director, and Isabel Mariño, Librarian of Silliman University. Dr. Ben Malayang, Silliman University President, and Prof. Carlos M. Magtolis, Jr., Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, welcomed the participants and encouraged information providers to work hand in hand with management in fulfilling the 4 Cs of knowledge: Create, Convey, Configure, and Cater. E-Libraries and E-Learning are the main instruments for the attainment of the fourth C. Dr. Malayang gave special mention to the IRRI Library as one of the best in the country, along with those of Asian Development Bank, and of course, Silliman University. The libraries of IRRI and Silliman University are both recipients of Outstanding Library of the Year award from the Philippine Association of Academic and Research Libraries.
Mr. Michael Riggs, Information Management Officer of FAO-RAPA, is the moving force behind the seminars organized by ALAP for PhilAgriNet.

IRRI Library Reviewed by Experts

2008-05-07T05:49:00.000-07:00

A panel of external reviewers was invited to look into the IRRI Library and Documentation Service and the Communications and Publications Services, two units tasked with information sharing for the Institute. The review period lasted from April 14 up to the 18th. Experts in communication, publishing, library and information science were invited to conduct the review. The panel consisted of Jay Maclean (Chair), Rab Solomon, both communications experts, Albert Atkinson of Asian Development Bank (information director?) and Janet McCue, Library Director of Mann Library, Cornell University. The objective of the external review was to assess the existing situation in both units and to recommend options made possible by advances in ICT that would improve and render current services more cost-effective. The report submitted by the panel will be discussed internally to determine the next moves. The Library staff looks at this review as a positive step towards placing the information providing capacity of the Library on a higher level and more collaborative activities among various units in the organization. Library 2.0 status is also aimed at.

IRRI Library Staff Trains NAFRI (Lao PDR) Librarian

2008-04-23T18:41:00.001-07:00

One of the services offered by the IRRI Library and Documentation Service (LDS) is to provide on-the-job training for librarians from other institutions. In the past, IRRI Librarians have trained some counterparts from Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Germany, India, Indonesia, Lao PDR, the Philippines, and Vietnam.

Last April 21, Ms. Pome Phanthavong, Head of Information Section of the National Agriculture and Forestry Research Institute, Lao PDR, started her 2-week on-the-job training at the LDS. Prior to this, the training needs of Ms. Pome was assessed and a training module was designed to fit these needs. The training includes lectures, discussions, demonstrations, audio-visual instruction, hands-on exercises, and visits to other libraries in Los Baños and in Manila. The emphasis of the training, which will last till May 2, is on Library Management.

For the observation tour, the libraries to be visited are those of the University of the Philippines at Los Baños, the College of Forestry, the College of Engineering and Agricultural Technology, the National Library, Adamson University, and the De La Salle University. Some LDS staff will join Ms. Pome in these tours to enable them to see other libraries’ resources and services.

IRRI Library Hosts AISAS Hour

2008-02-28T17:47:00.000-08:00

The Association of IRRI Secretaries and Administrative Staff (AISAS) organizes a monthly AISAS Hour, which is a one-hour learning session attended by AISAS members to listen to talks by senior IRRI staff or to visit a unit or facility to learn more about the Institute and its activities. This program is geared toward helping the association’s members to gain better understanding of the different roles of each organizational unit and of the importance of the different activities and services within IRRI.

Last February 28, at 1400 up to 1500 hours, a group of 26 AISAS officers, led by its President, Rosalinda del Rosario, and members visited the IRRI Library and Documentation Service. A few of them saw the library premises for the first time, while others are regular and irregular users of the Library. On hand to welcome the group were Librarians, Carmelita Austria, Emerald Lansangan, and Reagan Austria. Mila Ramos and Lea Delos Reyes had a meeting with web developers of IRRI at that time. A PowerPoint presentation was given by Carmelita on the library’s resources and services. This was followed by a guided tour and hands-on demonstrations of the various services that can be availed of by library users. One good result of the visit is better awareness and appreciation of what the LDS is doing for IRRI staff. Many of the visitors were not aware that such resources and services are available with a few mouse clicks.

IRRI Librarians Invited as Resource Persons in ALAP Seminar

2008-02-28T17:42:00.000-08:00

Carmelita Austria, Lea Delos Reyes, and Mila Ramos were invited speakers at the ALAP(Agricultural Librarians Association of the Philippines)-FAO Seminar-Workshop on Enhancing the Capacity of Information Professionals for Effective Agricultural Information Management, Sharing and Dissemination held at the ICT Hall, Benguet State University on February 21-22, 2008. IRRI Librarians are tapped as resource persons in this kind of seminar, as they are the most experienced in the use of FAO-developed tools for database creation and management in the country. The seminar, attended by 27 agricultural librarians from all over Luzon, expects to strengthen the Philippine Agricultural Libraries and Information Services Network (PhilAgriNet) in building a national database of technical agricultural literature. The database is currently hosted by the UPLB Main Library. The conference coordinators were: Connie Saul of the UPLB Biotech Library and Ma. Teresa Marquez of the Benguet State University Library.

President Rogelio Colting of the Benguet State Univeristy warmly welcomed the participants on the first day. He lauded the library as the soul of a university.

The various topics tackled by IRRI librarians are:

1. Database Management Tools Available from FAO: the Agricultural Information Management Standards (AIMS) Web Site – Mila Ramos
2. Information Management Resource Kit (IMARK): Digitization and Digital Libraries: Unit 1. Conceptual Overview : Lesson 1.1. Why Digital Libraries and Lesson 1.3. Copyright Basics and Legal Framework – Mila Ramos
3. The Greenstone Software – Lea Delos Reyes
4. Installation of the WebAGRIS software – Lea Delos Reyes
5. Indexing using the WebAGRIS software – Carmelita Austria

The other resource persons were Connie Saul of UPLB-Biotech, who talked about the AGRIS Application profile and XTML, and Elaine Joshi of the PhilRice Library, who discussed Subject Indexing based on the IMARK CD-ROM lessons.

ALAP will hold an Echo seminar sometime in May this year at the Silliman University to enable information professionals in the Visayas region to avail of this opportunity for professional growth. Michael Riggs, Information Specialist of FAO-RAPA, is a major supporter of these ALAP training activities.

CGIAR Virtual Library Featured in IAALD Quarterly Bulletin

2008-02-12T15:47:00.000-08:00

The latest issue of IAALD (International Association of Agricultural Information Specialists) Quarterly Bulletin features the CGIAR Virtual Library in an article written by information management professionals in the CGIAR system. This is a joint effort among five people transgressing geographical barriers and collaborating to create wider awareness of this vital tool for agricultural research.

The authors of the paper are:

Luz Marina Alvare, Head of the Library and Knowledge Management Unit, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), Washington, D.C., USA
Peter Shelton, Information Management Specialist, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), Washington, D.C., USA
Mila M. Ramos, Chief Librarian, International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Los Baños, Philippines
Cecilia Ferreyra, Head Librarian, International Potato Center (CIP)
Nancy Walczak, Head, Computer Services, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), Washington, D.C., USA

The complete citation and abstract of the article follows:

Alvare, L. M.; Shelton, P.; Ramos, M. M.; Ferreyra, C.; Walczak, N. 2007. Enhancing access to global agricultural research information: the CGIAR Virtual Library Project. Q. Bull. Int. Assoc. Agric. Inf. Spec. 52(3/4): 83-90.
Abstract: Improving access to information and the creation and sharing of knowledge are necessary conditions for developing countries to reach international benchmarks, such as the Millennium Development Goals. As part of the global information society, the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) is dedicated to bridging the digital divide and removing information barriers in the developing world. In 2003, CGIAR information management professionals and technology specialists, in collaboration with the ICT-KM Program, proposed creating a virtual library to provide integrated and expanded access to global agricultural research information. The CGIAR Virtual Library (CGVlibrary) allows users to search across the online library collections of all 15 CGIAR centers, plus more than 160 leading information databases and 4,000 electronic journal holdings, from a single portal. This paper traces the activities of the CGVlibrary team and outlines some of the ongoing issues and strategies for enhancing impact in developing countries

Training Opportunity for Librarians

2008-01-30T21:15:00.000-08:00

The Agricultural Librarians Association of the Philippines will hold a Seminar-Workshop on Enhancing the Capacity of Information Professionals for Effective Agricultural Information Management, Sharing, and Dissemination on February 21-22, 2008 at the Benguet State University. While the seminar is intended for agricultural librarians, Librarians in other fields will surely benefit from this activity.

This seminar-workshop is being sponsored by FAO for PhilAgriNet (Philippine Agricultural Libraries and Information Services Network) members. The number of participants will be limited to 40. Of these only 20 slots will be available to non-PhilAgriNet members. Seminar fee is Php2,500 to cover registration, meals and snacks for 2 days (Feb. 21 and 22), accommodation from Feb. 20 (evening) up to Feb. 22 (noon), handouts, certificates and socials.

Those interested may get in touch with:

Concepcion Saul UPLB BIOTECH
Tel. (049) 536-0547; Fax (049 536-2721 ; Cell 09162305610

Noemi G. Tolentino – UPLB Main Library
Tel. (049) 536-2235; Cell 09177635891

Carmelita S. Austria – IRRI Library
Tel. 580-5600 loc. 2812 ; e-mail: c.austria@cgiar.org

Elaine Joshi, PhilRice
Tel. (044) 456-0285 loc. 224; Fax (044) 456-0112; e-mail ejoshi@philricelib@yahoo.com

The deadline for reservations is February 11, 2008.

IRRI Library Featured in New Reference Book

2008-01-17T21:38:00.000-08:00

How the resources of the IRRI Library and Documentation Service are harnessed, with the use of computer technology, to develop the world's largest collection of rice of technical rice literature and to link this to scientists all over the world are the main topics covered by an article written by Mila M. Ramos, IRRI's Chief Librarian, and published in 2005. This constitutes one chapter in a book entitled Design and Usability of Digital Libraries: Case Studies in the Asia Pacific, edited by Y. C. Theng & S. Foo, which was published by Information Science Publishing. Mila's paper, Sharing Digital Knowledge with End-Users: Case Study of the International Rice Research Institute Library and Documentation Service in the Philippines, discusses the mechanics of linking digital knowledge with end-users, the problems and possible ways fo dealing with them.

Today, the same chapter was selected for publication in a 4-volume reference book, entitled End-User Computing: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools and Applications, edited by Steve Clarke and published by Information Science Reference.

Here's an excerpt of the message, which the author received from the publishers:

"In an attempt to include only comprehensive and innovative research contributions in this prestigious collection, a rigid set of criteria was established and utilized to select the contents for this publication. It is my pleasure to inform you that your contribution, previously published in one of IGI Global's publications, has been selected for inclusion in our exclusive, authoritative reference publication, End User Computing: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools and Applications edited by Dr. Steve Clarke. This four-volume set includes the most dependable, exhaustive research on the subject. "

Details about the reference book are available at this link http://www.igi-pub.com/reference/details.asp?ID=6940

The Value of Librarians

2008-01-17T17:16:00.000-08:00

The Value of Librarians

I have written time and again that the library profession is one of the most undervalued professions in our society. Many people think that the advent of Google has solved all information problems in the world. I beg to disagree with this premise because in my library, I still receive requests for information and literature from scientists in IRRI and other parts of the world on a regular basis. This, in spite of the presence of digital documents in my library. I also compile the kind words of appreciation that we get once a reference question is answered or a document is sent remotely as an email attachment. These are proofs that the Library needs to exist.
The value of the Library is once more proven in the recent downgrading of the Philippines’ civil aviation system to category 2, while we have been enjoying category 1 status for many years. One of the reasons given by FAA is the lack of a library, as reported Tara Quismundo of the Philippine Daily Inquirer, and I quote:

“No librarians
FAA inspectors found that the ATO’s airworthiness inspectors handbook “has no master copy” and “has not been updated since 2002.”
They also noted that there was “no library or librarian responsible for maintaining a master manual and keeping the instructor handbook current.”

If this does not prove that librarians are needed, what else will? The full text is available at http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20080118-113175/What-US-air-inspectors-found-unsafe . For those who still need convincing, please read Will Sherman’s article 33 Reasons Why Libraries and Librarians are Still Extremely Important at this URL http://www.degreetutor.com/library/adult-continued-education/librarians-needed

Mabuhay ang librarians!

Year-End Greetings from the Library Staff

2007-12-18T16:52:00.000-08:00

L-R : Lea, Ghanie, Jhun, Marlyn, Manny, Mila, Weng, Consie, Ems, Reagan

The IRRI Library will be closed for the holidays from December 24, 2007 up to January 1, 2008. But before we close, we would like to thank everyone who supported us in 2007. We look forward to a closer and better collaboration in 2008.

The IRRI Library Staff wishes one and all a very Merry Christmas… and a new year full of happiness and blessings!

New Library Hours

2007-11-28T22:00:00.000-08:00

From December 3 onwards, the IRRI Library's opening hours will be reduced by one hour daily. The new schedule of library services will be as follows:

Mondays to Fridays
8:00 AM - 12:00 noon
1:00 PM - 5:00 PM

This is being done to enable the Readers' Services staff to put more time on housekeeping taskss like shelving, checking and arranging displays, shelfreading, etc.

PKP Presentation Published in First Monday

2007-11-23T21:59:00.000-08:00

The first International Public Knowledge Project (PKP) Conference was held on July 11-13, 2007 at Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. A group of IRRI staff, consisting of Albert Borrero, Kathy Lopez, Anna Arsenal, Gene Hettel from the Communications and Publications Services, and Mila Ramos, Chief Librarian, teamed up to write a paper presented by Kathy Lopez in the said conference. The paper, entitled “Scholarly Publishing Initiatives at the International Rice Research Institute: Linking Users to Public Goods via Open Access” was recently published in the October issue of First Monday, an online journal devoted to the Internet.

A recent blog, which highlights the paper is reproduced here:

FirstMonday.org, open access and scholarly publishing

FirstMonday.org has long been one of the most interesting and informative sites on the web – to quote the site, First Monday is one of the first openly accessible, peer–reviewed journals on the Internet, solely devoted to the Internet. Since it first started in May 1996, it has been a remarkably successful and fertile source of insights into how the world has been changing, with contributors over the years ranging from John Seely Brown to Linus Torvalds himself.
We’ve highlighted some of the FirstMonday articles on here in the past, but I felt their October issue deserved special attention for a couple of reasons. For one, this month marks the transition of First Monday over to the Open Journal System, including the current issue and all archived content (noting, of course, that this also means the home page has changed). Second, and more importantly, the special October issue might be of particular interest to many, as it is full of selected papers from a recent conference at Simon Fraser University to discuss open access and scholarly publishing.
While I can’t go into all 18 articles here, a small sampling of the titles (the link will take you to the abstract of each) will give you a taste of some of the fascinating research available:
Scholarly publishing in sub-Saharan Africa in the twenty-first century: Challenges and opportunities - Ezra Ondari-Okemwa
Scholarly publishing initiatives at the International Rice Research Institute: Linking users to public goods via open access - Albert Borrero, Mila Ramos, Anna Arsenal, Katherine Lopez, Gene Hettel
The impact of the open access movement on medical based scholarly publishing in Nigeria - Alasia Datonye Dennis
Source: http://www.wikinomics.com/blog/index.php/tags/education/

IRRI Collections Development Librarian in LLA Board

2007-11-23T00:22:00.000-08:00

The Laguna Librarians Association(LLA) elected its new set of officers during its first year anniversary celebration and second General Assembly on November 9, 2007 at the UPLB College of Engineering and Agro-Industrial Technology (CEAT) Library in UPLB last November 9, 2007.

Led by the newly-elected president Mary Ann Ingua (UPLB Main Lib), the new Executive Board was inducted into office by CEAT Associate Dean, Prof. Moses Dorado. The other officers are Reagan Austria (IRRI Library), vice-president; Audrey Anday (UP Open University Lib), secretary; Adelina Esperante (UPLB VetMed Lib), treasurer; Ma. Rona Remojo (San Pablo City Library), auditor; and, Lina Copioso (UPLB Main Lib) and Evelyn Bacud (Col. De San Juan de Letran-Calamba Lib), members of the Executive Board. Rhodora Vargas (UPLB Main Lib), 2007 LLA president, is ex-officio Board member.

Highlighting the affair was a forum entitled, “Occupational Stress of Librarians” with Prof. Marilen M. Parungao of UP Manila as resource speaker.

Photos taken during the celebration may be viewed at http://lagunalibrarians.blogspot.com/2007/11/lla-1st-year-anniversary

Reagan is also a Board member of the UP Library and Information Science Alumni Association.

IRRI Librarians at the 3rd Rizal Library International Conference

2007-10-31T00:40:00.000-07:00

The IRRI Library and Documentation Service was represented by Carmelita Austria, Assistant Librarian, and Lea Delos Reyes, Electronic Resources and Serials Librarian, at the 3rd Rizal Library International Conference: “From Classroom to Career: Roadmaps to a Library’s Success” on October 22-23, 2007. Participation in this professional growth activity enabled the two librarians to gain new knowledge and to refresh their skills on various aspects of library operations in the modern world. The resource persons consisted of experts from the local scene and from other countries, mostly from Asia. The lecture handouts and their insights were shared with fellow librarians upon their return to IRRI.

The IRRI Library staff are encouraged to actively participate in various professional growth activities through the sponsorship of IRRI.

Library 2.0 Terminology

2007-10-29T23:19:00.000-07:00

Attendance in the first Web2forDev International Conference in Rome, last September, created an awareness of the second generation web tools that are open for use by information professionals. Having encountered several new tools in that conference, I feel that other information professionals should also be aware of what are available for use in information sharing. Some of the new terms that are currently “in” in the information world are given in the glossary below, which was lifted from the current issue of Issues in Science and Technology Librarianship. This may help librarians out there

A (growing) Glossary of Library 2.0
Blog -- Short for "web log," this is a site where contributors post news, thoughts or other topics in a reverse chronological format. It often includes the key feature for other people to post comments to another person's blog and the ability to subscribe to new posts in a blog using RSS.
CiteULike -- a web site for researchers to share, store, and organize the citations of academic papers for use in a bibliography.
del.icio.us - A social bookmarking site where web sites can be tagged with keywords. The social component comes into play with the ability to see what other people have used as tags or to watch new sites that are tagged by users who are interested in similar topics.
Facebook -- A social networking website that started in colleges and universities, allowing users to describe themselves, link to friends, and form groups.
Flickr - A social photo sharing site where users can upload their photos and share them as well as receive comments from other users. Users can tag their photos to locations, people, or events.
Folksonomies -- often based on tags, these are user generated categories and taxonomies. They have the power of using very familiar terms, but lack the strength of a controlled vocabulary.
Myspace -- This social networking site allows anyone to create a profile (like a personal web page) and customize it with text and multimedia. Profiles can also be created for non-individuals and networked as friends.
Podcast - A series of audio recordings organized into a program. Listeners can subscribe to a podcast (using RSS) and hear the latest recordings whenever they are made available.
RSS (Really Simple Syndication) - a data format used for publishing frequently updated content. It allows you to subscribe to summaries or full text content and view it all on one website or program, called an aggregator.
Screencasting - video screen capture accompanied by audio narration, often broadcast via RSS.
Second Life -- 3D Massively Multiplayer Online Role-playing Game (MMORPG) with "islands" for institutions represented that allows users to create an avatar and experience a constructed 3D learning environment
Social Computing - Forms of web services where the value is created by the collective contributions of a user population. Social networking allows users to create profiles and define relationships and link to other users.
Tag -- Metadata or keywords. Many Web 2.0 sites allow tags to be attached to audio files, video files, web pages, photos, blog posts, or even books.
Twitter - A social website for sending and receiving brief updates about what you are doing at any given moment.
Unconference - Events with little structure, where the attendees drive the agenda and freely form new discussions and sub-groups as ideas emerge.
Web 2.0 -- A general term to describe web sites and services where the content is shaped partially or entirely by the users instead of the traditional published website model.
Wiki - Web pages (or sites) where any number of users can edit the content and add additional pages. The best known example is Wikipedia.
YouTube - A social networking site where users upload, share, and comment upon videos. A great source and repository for instructional videos.

Source: Meier, J. J. 2007. Viewpoints :Staying Afloat in a Flood of New Technologies. Issues in Science & Technology Librarianship Summer. http://www.istl.org/07-summer/viewpoint.html

CGIAR Information Management Professionals (IMs) and Information Technology Managers Meet in Rome

2007-10-02T00:40:00.000-07:00

Thirty CGIAR information managers (Librarians) and Information Technology experts (ITs) held a joint meeting at the Bioversity, Rome, Italy on September 21 to September 24. The Agenda focused on the questions: Where are We Now?; Where are We Going?; What do We Want to Achieve? Joint IT and IM sessions were conducted on matters of common interest to the 2 groups, such as the expectations for the Web2forDev meeting, the CGMAP Project status, the CGExchange, Opening access to research outputs, Intellectual property, etc.

The presenters and the topics for the IMs’ group were: Mila M. Ramos (IRRI) – Annual reporting/Statistics and Coordination and the Consortial Subscriptions; Maria Garruccio (Bioversity) – Review of the rationale of the consortium and modus operandi; Luz Marina Alvare & Peter Shelton (IFPRI) - CGVLibrary – Overview of Phase II and the CGVLibrary wiki; Farah Lange (Swets) – Joint subscriptions : publishers’ offers for 2008; Alan Harris (Springer) – Springer & CGIAR; Margaret Zito (FAO) – FAO collaboration with the CGIARLISC; Nick Maliha (ICARDA) – Software for Building institutional repositories. In the joint sessions, the most relevant topics were those dealing with Open access (Nadia Manning); E-Z Proxy (Nancy Walczak), CG-MAP & CGExchange (Antonella Pastore) and intellectual property (Victoria Henson Apollonio).

This is the first time that the IMs and ITs had a joint meeting. The following centers were represented by their respective IMs:

Bioversity - Maria Garruccio; Helen Thompson
CG Secretariat – Danielle Lucca
CIAT - Carlos Saa
CIFOR - Yuni Soeripto
CIMMYT - Jose Juan Caballero
CIP - Cecilia Ferreyra
ICARDA - Nick Maliha
ICRISAT - S. Srinivas
IFPRI - Luz Marina Alvare; Peter Shelton
ILRI - Grace Kamau
IRRI - Mila Ramos
IWMI/Worldfish - Prasanna Sambandamurthy
World Agroforestry Center - Jacinta Kimwaki

Not represented are IITA and WARDA. The CGIAR IMs have been meeting annually since 2002. After the joint meeting, most of the participants attended the Web2for Dev International Conference, held at the FAO Headquarters, Rome, Italy on September 25 to September 28, 2007. The Web2forDev Conference was highly informative as it highlighted the various web 2.0 tools (wikis, RSS, Mashup, blogs, tagging, social bookmarking, etc.) available for use in information sharing, plus case studies on actual applications. An IRRI scientist, Thomas Metz, presented a paper, entitled “Open collaboration in an institutional context” during the plenary session in the morning of September 27. Three staff from IFPRI, Luz Marina Alvare, Nancy Walczak, and Peter Shelton, also served as resource persons on the use of the second generation web in IFPRI and CAPRI.

Professional Growth Activities of IRRI Library Staff

2007-08-25T00:01:00.000-07:00

IRRI Library Staff are encouraged to participate in knowledge- and skills-enhancing activities within and outside IRRI. Every month, IRRI’s Information Technology Services offer in-house courses that the staff may avail of. Examples are the various courses on Microsoft applications like Microsoft Office Word, Excel, Access, and PowerPoint, computer security, etc. , which are handled by expert trainors. Library personnel are actively availing of these training opportunities. Some are in advanced courses already.

Outside of IRRI, the following library staff availed of the following professional growth activities recently:

1. Carmelita Austria, Emerald Laxamana-Lansangan, and Reagan Austria (all IRRI Librarians) attended the Philippine Academic Book Fair and the Lecture Forum on Current Trends Practices in Collection Development at the SM Megatrade Hall, SM Mega Mall on July 26, 2007
2. Rowena Andaya and Jonnel De Jesus of the IRRI Library’s Readers’ Services Section participated in the Seminar-Workshop on Library Customer Care of the Philippine Normal University (PNU) on August 14-15, 2007.

Attendance in these activities will improve the competencies of the library staff in answering the needs of its walk-in and remote clients.

Austria Named Risk Management And Quality Assurance Officer of the IRRI Library

2007-08-24T22:59:00.000-07:00

In compliance with the recent Director General’s Memo no. 2007-26, Carmelita S. Austria, Assistant Chief Librarian, was designated as Risk Management and Quality Assurance Officer (RMQAO) of the IRRI Library. The TOR[1]s of the RMQAO are as follows:

1. “Lead in the design and implementation of the RMQAS in the OU, which is consistent with the Institute-wide RMQAS. The RMQAS at the OU level will be designed to achieve the objectives mentioned in DG Memo 2007-025;
2. Ensure that standard operating procedures for risk management (RM) and quality assurance (QA) are developed, reviewed, and approved;
3. Liaise with the IRRI risk management and quality assurance senior manager (RMQA-SM) in the planning and implementation of the RMQAS. RMQA-Os will report regularly on the status of compliance with the requirements of the RMQAS;
4. For QA, conduct the following four audit activities using internationally accepted standards such as ISO 17025:2005:
· Technical systems audit
· Performance audit
· Data quality audit
· Management systems reviews
5. Plan and implement RM and QA training requirements at the OU level;
6. Ensure that corrective measures are implemented at the OU level; and
7. Participate in formulating IRRI’s RMQAS.”

In preparation for this big responsibility, Ms. Austria will undergo a series of training courses, along with the other RMQAOs in IRRI. These courses will be conducted by Mr. Rassoulou Diallo from Ottawa, Canada who is a Senior Program Officer with the Standards Council of Canada.

[1] From DG Memo 2007-26

Librarianship as a Career: Measuring Awareness of Senior High School Students in Laguna

2007-08-24T22:01:00.000-07:00

Last August 21, selected faculty, staff, and librarians of the Colegio de San Juan de Letran (CSJL) and other institutions, gathered at the Girolamo Hall, CSJL campus, Calamba City to participate in a research colloquium featuring the M.S. thesis of Ms. Jane Bebeng, Chief Librarian of the Colegio. The subject of her study is the “Level of Awareness of High School Students in the Province of Laguna on the Library Science Profession.” Based on the study, six hundred plus (600+) senior high school students from various public and private high schools in Laguna show moderate awareness of the nature of, economic returns from, and opportunities for professional growth in librarianship. This could account for the decreasing number of enrollees in local library schools. Ms. Bebeng came up with recommendations on promotional activities that library schools should undertake to increase the level of awareness of the profession among high school students. Invited reactors were Mila M. Ramos, Chief Librarian of IRRI, and Concepcion DL. Saul, College Librarian of the UPLB Biotech.

Following are the reactions of Mila Ramos (summary only) :

1. Since enrollment in local library schools is on a downtrend, this is the most compelling reason for this kind of study. The growing demand for librarians and the dwindling supply (due to low level of awareness and ageing) need to be addressed immediately. Amid the mass of information available today, it is the librarian or information specialist who knows how to search, organize and evaluate information. The Internet cannot give students the high-quality scholarly information that is available only through subscription, licensing and purchase.

2. There is a need for information literacy (proper information seeking behavior) among the students and this can be provided fully or in part by librarians. We now find more active information literacy campaigns in various universities and other institutions, e.g. library orientation programs, database creation and management training, hands-on demos on searching and retrieval of information, etc.

3. Library schools should redesign their curricula such that their graduates would be competent enough to compete with the Internet or to use the information therein to the best advantage.

4. Professional library associations and library school associations also play key roles in marketing the profession.

5. The best promotional strategy is the way librarians create an image for themselves, i. e. how they serve their functions as knowledge brokers or as links to the overwhelming amount of information now available to students and researchers via the WWW. It is a well-established fact that information seekers now resort to the WWW more than libraries. If librarians’ competencies measure up to the needs of users then this will add value to the profession. Serving as role models and exhibiting competencies required in the digital age would encourage high school students to aspire to be librarians someday.

6. This study has a very noble intent: that of marketing the library profession and ultimately answering the increasing demand for librarians in the country.

NEW INFORMATION SHEETS FROM THE IRRI LIBRARY

2007-08-05T22:35:00.000-07:00

Information sheets are occasional leaflets produced by Librarians of IRRI as an avenue for current awareness of IRRI staff and Library clients. Seven new or updated information sheets were released as of July 2007 :

Information sheet 2007-01
LanTEEAL Installation Procedure/ prepared by Lea Delos Reyes, March 20, 2007

Information sheet 2007-02
Electronic Journals Shared By The CGIAR Libraries And Information Services Consortium (CGIARLISC) 2007/prepared by Mila Ramos, June 30, 2007

Information sheet 2007-03
IRRI Library’s Non-consortial Journal Subscriptions, 2007/ prepared by Reagan Austria, May 2007

Information sheet 2007-04
Rice cookbooks at the IRRI Library/ prepared by Ems Lansangan, July 4, 2007

Information sheet 2007-05
The Philippines: books, maps, and videos / prepared by Ems Lansangan, July 2007.

Information sheet 2007-06
Information sources for new IRRI staff/ prepared by Ems Lansangan, July, 2007.

Information sheet no. 2003-02(rev.2007)
IRRI Library Fact Sheet 2006 / updated by Mila Ramos, April 26, 2007.

Full text e-copies of these information sheets are available to everyone upon request. Please address your requests to:

Library and Documentation Center
The International Rice Research Institute
College; Laguna 4031
Tel. 63(2) 580-5600 loc. 2525 or 2231

or send an email message to: m.parducho@cgiar.org

Rice Literature Update 2007 Now Off the Press

2007-07-30T23:32:00.001-07:00

The first semiannual issue (v.15, no.1, June 2007) of the IRRI Library’s Rice Literature Update (RLU) just came off the press. The RLU is the current print version of the Library’s flagship project, the online Rice Database, which is available, 24 hours a day from any computer with Internet connection worldwide, via its website at http://ricelib.irri.cgar.org.

The Rice Database carries 250,000+ references to rice technical literature, both published and unpublished, and written in any language, by scientists working in various parts of the world. Full texts of all items in this database are available in print or electronic format. Requests for document delivery are welcome.

The current issue of the RLU contains 2,200 citations of rice technical literature acquired by the IRRI Library during the first half of 2007. Copies of the RLU are distributed, free of charge, to more than 200 partner libraries and institutions.

Interested institutions may avail of annual subscriptions at the following rates:

HDC $45
LDC $20

For additional information, please contact Mila Ramos (mila.ramos@cgiar.org)
or Carmelita Austria (c.austria@cgiar.org)

Mail Address:

IRRI Library and Documentation Service
DAPO Box 7777
Metro Manila
Philippines

Telephone: 63(2) 580-5600 ext 2768 or 2812

Fax: 63(2) 580-5699

Dignity Advisors at IRRI

2007-07-19T20:09:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, I received a message in my mailbox saying that I was nominated to attend the Dignity Advisors Training at IRRI on July 16-18, 2007. Since there was no attachment to the message regarding training scope, objectives, and program, I was hesitant to go because being away from the Library for 3 days would mean loads of work afterwards. I learned later that this training program is sponsored by the Gender and Diversity (G&D) Program of the CGIAR.

With some hesitation, last Monday morning, I went to the Harrar Hall Seminar Room, with doubts in my mind. As I joined the table of one colleague from the Research Group, one of the resource persons, Farrah Qureshi, approached and introduced herself. I was delighted by her gesture and we talked for a while before the program started. The other trainors were Vicki Wilde, Leader of the G & D Program, and Marco Noordeloos, program coordinator. All of them spoke clearly and directly. There were short lectures, film clips, ice breakers, role playing, brainstorming, etc. As the program moved on, my level of enthusiasm peaked. There was no dull moment in the program. All participants were involved in such activities as poster making, headline writing, short skits, writing TORs, generating impacts, advising, etc. Specially touching was the film clip about prejudgment depicting Paul and how he changed his image through his almost perfect rendition of an operatic solo.

As the course, went through, I learned that Dignity Advisors are there to listen to employee problems associated with power abuse, harassment, and discrimination in the workplace. In addition, they are tasked with the job of making the latter aware of IRRI policies and options, i.e. to direct them to the right person or office (HR) that would seek ways to address their problems.

The IRRI Dignity Advisors all felt that the task ahead would be difficult. Normally, aggrieved persons want immediate solutions and the advisors cannot provide these. All that they can do is listen and make the person aware of what avenues are open to him or to her.

In spite of the complexity and difficulty of being a Dignity Advisor, I was happy that I had the chance to attend, one of the best, if not the best training program that I ever attended.

IRRI Presence at the 1st PKP International Conference

2007-07-05T02:09:00.000-07:00

IRRI Staff from the Communication and Publications Services (CPS) and the Library and Documentation Service (LDS) collaborated in writing a paper for presentation at the 1st International Public Knowledge Project(PKP) Conference to be held from July 11-13, 2007 at Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The paper, entitled Scholarly Publishing Initiatives at the International Rice Research Institute: Linking Users to Public Goods via Open Access, was written by Albert Borrero, Mila Ramos, Anna Arsenal, Katherine Lopez (presentor) and Gene Hettel. The paper is now posted in the PKP Conference Web site.

The conference “will promote and celebrate the quality use of the PKP open source software suite – Open Journal Systems (OJS) <http://pkp.sfu.ca/ojs> ; Open Conference Systems (OCS) <http://pkp.sfu.ca/ocs> ; and the Open Archives Harvester
<http://pkp.sfu.ca/harvester>. This gathering of information professionals and open access advocates is expected to appeal to all segments of the PKP community: software developers and technical support specialists; journal publishers, editors,and staff; librarians; and researchers in scholarly publishing. As well,prospective and first time users of OJS and other PKP software will be able to learn more about the systems and establish contacts with the PKPcommunity. Experienced implementers and developers will have an opportunityto participate in technical sessions and exchange information. All attendees will be able to attend a range of topical sessions on trends in scholarly communication and publishing, open access initiatives, open source software, academic and library communities, and future plans for OJS, OCS, and the Open Archives Harvester”.

There are many other equally interesting papers on open access and scholarly communication that are posted in the PKP conference web site.

IRRI Library Staff Introduced to New Swetswise Subscriptions Management Tool

2007-06-27T20:57:00.000-07:00

A team from Swets Information Services, Singapore, visited the IRRI Library on June 27 to introduce the improved Swetswise Subscriptions Library Edition to selected IRRI Library Staff. This platform is claimed to be “the most comprehensive subscriptions management and procurement service currently available. The major features of the platform are the ability to show all of the library’s current and last two-year’s subscriptions details, immediately claim missing journal issues with a few mouse clicks, to place orders online, and many more. The trainors consisted of Chelsea Khoo and Iris Marigold Operario, former IRRI Collection Development Librarian. The other Swets staff who came were Wim Van der Putten and Farah Lange, who met with Chief Librarian, Mila Ramos, regarding CGIAR consortial subscriptions. The trainees from IRRI consisted of Carmelita Austria, Reagan Austria, Lea Delos Reyes, Ems Lansangan, Mila Ramos, and Consie Parducho. Two librarians from other institutions joined the session. They are Connie Saul of UPLB Biotech Library and Jane Bebeng, Library Director of San Juan de Letran University, Calamba.

Former Acquisitions Librarian Joins Swets

2007-06-18T23:14:00.000-07:00

Iris Marigold Operario, former Librarian-Collections Development of IRRI, was recently hired by Swets Singapore as its new Client Services Executive. Iris spent 7 years in IRRI managing the Acquisitions and Readers' Services Section. At Swets Singapore, she is in charge of training librarians on the new Swets platform, the Swetswise Library Edition. She will come to Los Baños on June 27 to train IRRI and UPLB librarians.

PhilAgriNet Update

2007-06-18T23:02:00.000-07:00

PhilAgriNet or Philippine Agricultural Libraries and Information Services Network is a consortium of 14 libraries of major agricultural institutions in the Philippines. Since its creation in 2003, capacity building workshops on database creation and management using FAO-developed tools have taken place. Slowly but surely, its members are developing a database of Philippine agricultural research literature using WebAGRIS and Agrovoc. The institutions that have submitted metadata of their research literature to the database are Benguet State University(BengSU), Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University (DMMMSU), Nueva Vizcaya State University (NVSU), International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), Silliman University (SU), and the University of the Philippines at Los Baños (UPLB). The PhilAgriNet database will create worldwide awareness of agricultural research undertakings in the country as metadata for these valuable information sources are also submitted to the AGRIS database in Rome. This will be boosted further when the PhilAgriNet database becomes searchable via the WWW. At present the database is hosted by the libraries of IRRI and UPLB.

ALAP Celebrates 35th Anniversary

2007-06-08T23:40:00.000-07:00

The Agricultural Librarians Association of the Philippines (ALAP) was formed in 1972 by a group of enterprising librarians, headed by Miss Leonor Gregorio, the Head then of the University of the Philippines, College of Agriculture Library. ALAP has survived 35 years of productive existence. Foremost among its activities are the capacity-building workshops organized for its 190+ members all over the country.

The anniversary celebration, with the theme: ALAP at 35: Empowering Information Professionals for Library 2.0, was held on June 8, 2007 at the UP at Los Baños College of Engineering and Agro-Industrial Technology Library. Highlighting the celebration was a Forum covering topics relevant to attainment of Library 2.0 status. The keynote speaker was Dr. William Padolina, Deputy Director General for Operations and Support Services, International Rice Research Institute (IRRI). Prof. Dorados of the UP CEAT Faculty, welcomed the participants, consisting of 58 librarians from various agricultural institutions in Luzon. The other speakers and their topics were Dr. Nora Claravall, lecturer in Library Science of the University of the East, University of Santo Tomas and the University of the Philippines – Meeting the Expectations of Today”s Users; Mrs. Mila Ramos, Chief Librarian, IRRI - The Role of Libraries and Librarians in the 21st Century; Mrs. Lea Delos Reyes, Electronic Resources & Serials Librarian, IRRI – Demo on LANTEEAL. The forum was followed by a sumptuous lunch, the general assembly, and a raffle of prizes.
The ALAP Board plans to hold more capacity building initiatives for members and non-members alike in the coming months.

The AgNIC Annual Meeting in Mississippi

2007-05-31T23:22:00.000-07:00

AgNIC is the Agriculture Network Information Center – “a voluntary alliance and partnership of nearly 60 member institutions and organizations working to offer quick and reliable access to quality agricultural information and sources. AgNIC is supported, in part, by the USDA’s National Agricultural Library (NAL) through provision of the AgNIC Secretariat and other program support”. More information about AgNIC ia available at http://www.agnic.org/about/facts/faq

IRRI became a member of AgNIC in February 2006 and it is the only non-American member of this alliance. Last year a cooperative agreement was forged between IRRI and AgNIC for the digitization of selected pages from IRRI-assisted theses. These were written by MS and PH D degree-scholars, from all over the world, who received support from IRRI during their studies in local or foreign universities. Through this project, entitled “Enabling Access to IRRI-Assisted Theses and Dissertations, the IRRI Librarian, Mila M. Ramos, had the opportunity to participate in the AgNIC Annual Meeting held at the Library of the Mississippi State University on May 9-11, 2007.

Prior to attending the meeting, Mila met with expert catalogers, digitization experts at the National Agricultural Library, Beltsville, Maryland, and the Librarian of the International Food Policy Research Institute, in Washington, D.C. Highlights of the trip follow:

Meeting with NAL Experts, May 6, 2007

*Melanie Gardner, AgNIC Coordinator, gave a briefing on AgNIC activities and new initiatives. The CDs containing part of the output of the cooperative agreement with IRRI were submitted.
*Stan Kosecki, Coordinator, Electronic Media Center, discussed the Digitop, an electronic resource available to US Dept. of Agriculture staff only at http://riley.nal.usda.gov/digitop_interim/proxy_stop403.html.
*Rosanne Galetta and Angela Lee, cataloging experts of NAL, shared the latest trends and tools in the cataloging of electronic resources. Several handouts were given to me.
*Michael Esman, Head of the Cataloging and Indexing Branch, introduced the Digital Repository, which they are about to start, the National Digital Library of Agriculture.
*Lori Finch. Thesaurus Coordinator, NAL. The discussion ended with a possible collaboration between IRRI and NAL in making the Rice Thesaurus, a project of the Library and the Communication and Publications Services, visible on the WWW.

Meeting with Luz Marina Alvare, Leader of CGV Library Project, Phase 2, Washington, D.C., May 8, 2007

*More e-content will be added to the CGVirtual Library, a major activity of Phase 2. IRRI is a major contributor to this project. This is available at http://vlibrary.cgiar.org/V/MYSVPC91DK8B6QD1RBASIU3CCB5A3IHHXCXRX7NAA5A98PSSII-11352?func=quick-1
*The Advisory Group, that will assist the Project Leader, will be Cecilia Ferreyra (CIP, Peru), Mila Ramos (IRRI, Philippines), Jacinta Kimwaki (ICRAF, Kenya), and some people from the Research Group of some CGIAR centers.
*In order to cut on costs, the annual meeting of the CGIAR information management professionals might be held right after the Web2ForDevelopment International Conference to be held in Rome, September 25-27, 2007 Chris Addison will be hired as facilitator.
*The joint journal subscription was also discussed.
*Web 2 trends as published in a recent issue of Library Technology Reports were also discussed.

The AGNIC Annual Meeting, Mississippi State University, Starkville, Miss., May 9-11, 2007

Melanie Gardner suggested taking the cheapest route to Starkville via Birmingham, Alabama. Hence a flight from Baltimore to Birmingham was arranged for May 9. Two vehicles were hired at the Birmingham Airport to transport participants to Starkville, Mississippi. The other option was to fly to Chicago or Atlanta and then to the Golden Triangle Airport in Starkville, which is a longer and more expensive route.

There were 44 participants coming mostly from mainland USA. The only participants from outside the USA are Federico Sancho from Costa Rica and myself. The topics discussed in the meeting and the respective speakers were:

*Welcome talks from Dean Frances Coleman, Dr. Robert Foglesong, President, and Dr. Vance Watson, Vice President of the Mississippi State University
*Review of previous year’s activities and goals – Barbara Hutchinson, AgNIC Chair – AgNIC started in 1995 and there are currently 59 members.
*Context for Change – Recent trends in the information world – Janet Poley, President/CEO, American Distance Education Consortium
*Institutional repository at the University of Minnesota - Linda Eells, Science Librarian, University of Minnesota.
*National Digital Library for Agriculture (NDLA) – Eleanor Frierson, Deputy Director, NAL
FAO’s knowledge organization and AGRIS – Gauri Salokhe, Information Management Officer, FAO
*Workshop on draft strategic goals – all participants
*Cooperative Agreements:
1. FlaxPage at http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/agnic/flax/aboutthesite.htm
– Kathie Richardson, Agricultural Sciences Librarian, North Dakota University.
2. Great Plains Diagnostic Network – Diana Farmer, Kansas State University
3. Digitization of Turrialba Journal, 19169-1995 – Federico Sancho, Inter-American Institute for Cooperation in Agriculture (IICA) Costa Rica
*CHARM (Consortium for the History of Agricultural and Rural Mississippi) Project – Frances Coleman, Mississippi State University
*Create 21 (Create Research, Extension, and Teaching Excellence for the 21st Century)- Looking to the Future – Janet Poley
*Technology Update – Vern Chapman, AgNIC Technology Coordinator
*NAL Thesaurus Spanish version – Lori Finch, NAL Thesaurus coordinator
*AGROVOC Update – Gauri Salokhe, FAO

A tour of the Mississippi Delta Agricultural Experiment Station was given to participants on the last day. My daughter, Kathleen Teresa, joined me in this trip.