Get to Know “Enu” Leader Who Invades USL Libraries’ Directorship
More often than not, when an organization gets a new leader, its normal effect to subordinates is “another adjustment.” However, having been working with this new leader for several years, this so-called “another adjustment” was not felt that much because she is neither new as co-worker nor new as a leader for me.
As her partner in leadership, I thought of writing this article to spread the good “Enu-s” to all louisians. Yes, we fondly call her, Ma’am Enu. This enu-vative, enu-rgetic, and enu-rmous young and passionate lady truly invades leadership at USL Libraries. Get “Enu” her better as she explicitly answers my interview questions below:
How did you become a Librarian?
Spanking new from College, I picked Literature and Theology teaching as my first job. I lasted for a semester in the School of Education, Arts and Sciences of the University of Saint Louis (USL) Tuguegarao. The following term, I was offered a scholarship by the USL. The scholarship covered studying in Saint Louis University (SLU) Baguio, gratis, 50% grant on lodge and uninterrupted salaries (!). Plus who would not like Baguio’s freezing breeze? There was nothing to lose, only another diploma to gain. So there, Bachelor of Secondary Education major in Library Science went underway. Fast forward to 2006, I graduated and became the 5008th librarian in the Philippines. 5008th!!
What was your idea or how do you look at librarianship as a profession before venturing into it?
Candidly, librarianship was not that gorgeous to my eyes. It was the remotest profession in mind. I wanted to become a dentist, originally. I dreamt of myself wearing white, medically servicing the Agta community in my place. Obviously, I woke to another reality. When I was studying Library Science, much of the difficulties in academics came from my long, unspoken distance from libraries. Not that I hate libraries. It was just that I have never developed sincere affiliation with any of it for the first 16 years or so of my life. I was 16 and a College freshman in USL when I first met a librarian. That was how late my acquaintance with libraries and librarians came about. In SLU, it took a semester to know librarianship and eventually fall in love with it. Then just like the ocean, the love grew deeper as I moved farther. Now, I can claim that librarianship is genuinely fulfilling.
What is your principle or philosophy as a leader?
I am thinking of myself more as a manager than a leader. I see to it that processes and policies are in place and implemented. To answer the question, as a leader, I forward “leadership by example” as a philosophy.
How can you be remembered as USL Library Director?
I love the Father Eugene A. Arco’s concept of polychronicity. I want to be remembered as the Polychronic Director. Five years throwback, I used to manage a Grade School Library and I was alone. My only aid came from two working students who would render 4 hours a day. Plus, I implemented a no-noon break expanded library hours: 7:00 am to 6:00. Plus, plus, I launched the Library Instruction Program (LIP) for the Grade School. Plus, plus, plus I had part-time teaching units as English Instructor at the College Department of USL. That was quite a job. Physically exhausting! Yet, I did not know I could do much until then. Right now, I am the Director of Libraries, Technical Section Head, BLIS teacher, a wife, a sister, a daughter, a leader, a manager and a friend. Polychronic indeed! In addition, I would like to champion the provision of greater access to the resources of the library by students and teachers.
A library professional must be a reader.
Final message
Librarianship as a profession is a Survival of the “Readingest”. Reading is the core of our profession. Let’s get hooked with it.