AMIDST the popularity of high-tech gadgets, libraries will remain the best and most important source of information.

This was emphasized by Vice President Sara Duterte during the opening of the 32nd Library and Information Services Month (LISM) at the National Library where she was the guest speaker.

Duterte, the Secretary of the Department of Education (DEPED), called library personnel as “literacy partners” of the DEPED amid technology evolution and digital age.

She said that while these learning facilities have maintained their integrity, this is “not an easy task in this day and age.”

“Today we are virtually swimming through a vast, endless ocean of digital information. And just like an ocean, the information that can be had through digital information is breathtaking as it is abundant. But it is not without dangers,” Duterte said.

“Those waters are often perilous. Like the deep blue sea, the digital world has an ecosystem that if not managed well, if not utilized well may confuse the public, steal away the quality and truthful information, contribute to miseducation, and lead them right down its darkest parts,” she added.

Despite the worrisome features of the digital world and the convenience it provides to the people, the Vice President said this “should only serve as a support to in-person instruction.”

The Vice President also underscored the significant contribution of libraries in one’s self enrichment and personal development.

“This brings me back to the relevance of advocating for the importance of libraries, given that they are founded on the idea of a real community organizing a wealth of information and serving for the personal enrichment of the people,” she said.

“As a repository of knowledge, libraries play a crucial role in ensuring that our people are well-informed, making them assets to our schools, communities, and nation,” she added.

AUTHOR PROFILE

Jester P. Manalastas