Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Mariah Reden Nicopior Montaño: A Model Librarian




by
Melchor F. Cichon
December 11, 2012

She is an orderly and intelligent lady.
These words came from her best friend, Christine Dianne Macuro popularly known as Apple Manzanas. 

Reden was born in Antique. 

Through Apple,  I gathered that Reden graduated cum laude  at Central Philippines University, Jaro, Iloilo City in 2011. 

After her graduation, she worked as a librarian at AMA Computer College in Iloilo.

But like many other young professionals, Reden transferred to the West Visayas State University (WVSU). She is still at the WVSU Library.

According to Reden, she realized that it is not only money that makes her happy. It is also the contentment of the library clientele that makes her smile even after her duties.

According to her, there are some supervisors who do not realize the hurt feelings being experienced by their subordinates when the latter are being scolded in front of their colleagues for a little mistakes they committed.  It seems that the supervisors do not also commit mistakes.  This deviant behavior of some supervisors is at times the main cause of the subordinates' decision to transfer to other libraries.  And when they are being asked during the exit interview, they would just say, their families have changed residences. Or they just want to have a new experience. But the truth is, they just want to get out of their undesirable environment.

But these librarians do not change their professions.
When I asked Reden what sticks her to librarianship, she told me this:

“The information. I learn to love this profession because I have no other choice. I have the privilege of saying I have a great job that I really enjoy. It also has endless varieties and frequent updates, and it makes an important contribution to the world by providing up-to-date and relevant information to the readers at the fastest way possible. What if there’s no library? Maybe the readers will only rely on the internet. But not all information in the internet is reliable and accurate. So books and internet must complement each other.

“And I have this job that pays well when compared to other professions. Not so big cause I’m just a newbee. But I know of some librarians who receive more than thirty thousand pesos a month—thanks to CHED’S accreditation program of schools, colleges and universities.”

When I asked her what advice she can share to our young men and women to make librarianship enjoyable/ challenging, she said: 

“Librarianship is a challenging and enjoyable profession especially when you put your heart into it. Always eager to learn and work for the best. I have this quote from Bob Marley, 'Don’t gain the world and lose your soul, Wisdom is better than silver or gold.' Serve heartily. Don’t mind competition. Just learn and share your knowledge to others.”

Reden continued: “In my experience as a librarian, I faced different clients with different attitudes and personalities. I can’t cater to all of them at the same time  because at times I am a one-man librarian. One time, I experienced anger. I had this one client who shouted at me because I did not allow him to enter the library because he had no library card. Library card is the requirement to enter the library. That’s the policy. I was just consistent with the policy of the library, I explained to him. He was so angry that he banged the door when he left the room. He also said bad words at me. That moment made me teary. For the first time in my life I experienced that. But because I’m a professional librarian, I just instructed him to bring his library next time.

"I told myself to be patient. I remembered this quote from a Chinese proverb, 'If you are patient in one moment of anger, you will escape a hundred days of sorrow.' So I always wear a cheerful countenance at all time."

What a wise word from a young lady librarian.
 






 



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