Rules and Regulations Implementing Republic Act No. 6966 (Philippine Librarianship Act)

June 2, 1992

PROFESSIONAL REGULATORY BOARD FOR LIBRARIANS RESOLUTION NO. 10-92

RULES AND REGULATIONS IMPLEMENTING REPUBLIC ACT NO. 6966 "PHILIPPINE LIBRARIANSHIP ACT", PROMULGATED BY THE BOARD FOR LIBRARIANS

PRELIMINARY ARTICLE

Pursuant to Section 5 (a) Article II and Sec. 17, Article III of Republic Act No. 6966 (The Philippine Librarianship Act), and with the view of implementing effectively the provisions of the said Act, the following rules and regulations are hereby adopted. DAaIEc

ARTICLE I

Definition of Terms

SECTION 1. Terms of Reference. —

(a) Librarian — Any person who is a bona fide holder of a certificate of registration issued by the Board for Librarians in accordance with this Republic Act No. 6966.

(b) Board for Librarians — refers to the Board created by R.A. No. 6966 to regulate the practice of Librarianship as a profession.

(c) Librarianship — the profession concerned with the application of the principles, theories, techniques and technologies of recorded knowledge which contribute to the establishment, preservation, organization, dissemination and utilization of collections of library materials. caCSDT

(d) Library Science — a body of knowledge on the art and science of acquiring, selecting, organizing, preserving materials, and disseminating information from the library collection to the users with the least possible delay.

(e) Users Services — assistance provided by members of the library staff to all users in pursuit of information.

(f) Library Management/Administration — (To avoid confusion over semantics, they will be used interchangeably (a group of executive functions applied to libraries such as planning, programming, organizing, directing, coordinating, reporting, and appraising performance in order to obtain the optimum efficiency and benefit from library service.

(g) Technical Services — the area of library operations that includes acquisition, selection, organization, and bibliographic control of materials, physical processing and maintenance.

(h) Computer Science — fast growing field of knowledge using computers to store and retrieve information.

(i) Communication Science — the art of imparting knowledge to the recipient of information by using audiovisual media. cAIDEa

(j) Information Science — a body of knowledge which draws its substance, methods and techniques from a variety of disciplines to achieve an understanding of the properties, behavior, and flow of information. It investigates communication phenomena and the properties of communication system to satisfy the need of society to understand man in relation to himself and his environment.

(k) Library/Information Center — an organization managed by licensed librarian which collects, organizes, stores, retrieves and disseminates print and non-print materials, and provides physical, bibliographical and intellectual access to such materials.

(l) Dissemination of Information — the provision of current awareness services to users group via selective dissemination of information (SDI), abstract, extracts and the like by a licensed librarian or information specialist.

(m) Reference Work — the area of library service which gives assistance to users on the use of reference materials such as encyclopedias, dictionaries, indexes, handbooks, yearbooks and the like, and extended assistance to users in bibliographies, referrals.

(n) Conservation — the use of chemical and physical procedures in the treatment of pest-infested or damaged books, manuscripts, records and other documents to ensure their preservation.

(o) Advisory Services/Consultancy — A special counsel rendered to a library by an expert or group of experts, usually external, commissioned to study the overall operation, or specific areas of concern to improve library service.

(p) Databank — is a complete collection of information such as contained in automated files, a library or a set of computer disk known as data base.

(q) Database — a collection of logically related data that supports shared access by multiple users and is protected and managed to retain its value over time.

(r) Database System — basically a computerized record-keeping system; i.e., to maintain information and make information available on demand.

ARTICLE II

Application, Examination, Rating, and Registration

SECTION 2. Venue and Holding of Examination. — Examination for the practice of Librarianship in the Philippines shall be held in Manila and other places beginning on the first week of December every year for two (2) days, to be recommended by the Board for approval by the Commission, the program of the examination shall be prepared by the Board indicating the subjects with their corresponding relative weight.

SECTION 3. Scope of the Examination. — The Examination for the practice of Librarianship in the Philippines shall embrace the following seven (7) subjects with their corresponding relative weights by percentage.

	SUBJECTS	RELATIVE WEIGHTS
1.	Organization and Management of Libraries and
	Information Centers	30%
2.	Reference, Bibliography and User Services	20%
3.	Selection and Acquisition of Library Materials	15%
4.	Cataloguing and Classification	15%
5.	Indexing and Abstracting	10%
6.	Information Technology	5%
7.	Laws and Practices Related to Librarianship	5%
		———
TOTAL		100%

Pursuant to Section 14, Article III of R.A. No. 6966, the Board shall prescribe, adopt, revise, repeal, or exclude the subject or subjects other than those expressly provided in the said Section 14 in the examination for librarianship which the Board may deemed necessary to conform with the updated curricula for the various degrees on library and information Sciences enumerated in Section 13, Article III of the said law, as approved by the Department of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS) or the chartered state colleges or universities offering such degrees, and shall assign, fix or amend the weight correspondingly relative to each subject.

SECTION 4. Examination. — Except as otherwise specifically allowed under Republic Act No. 6966, all applicants for a Certificate as Librarian shall be required to undergo a written examination.

SECTION 5. Conduct of the Examination. — The Commission and the Board shall jointly conduct the written examination, given by the Board in accordance with the Rules and Regulations implementing P.D. 223, as amended.

SECTION 6. Qualifications of Applicants. — In order to be admitted to the examination for librarians, an applicant must meet the following qualifications at the time of the filing of his application:

(a) He is a citizen of the Philippines;

(b) He is at least twenty (20) years of age;

(c) He is in good health and of good moral character; and

(d) He is a graduate of a school, college or university recognized by the Government with any of the following degrees:

(1) Bachelor of Library Science or Information Science;

(2) Bachelor of Science in Library Science or Information Science; CEHcSI

(3) Bachelor of Science in Education major/specialization in Library Science or Bachelor of Arts major in Library Science;

(4) Master of Library Science or Information Science; and

(5) Master of Arts in Library Science.

The Board shall require any person applying for examination to submit the following supporting documents with an accomplished prescribed application form:

(a) Certificate of Live Birth issued by the Local Civil Registrar or a certified copy thereof issued by the National Census and Statistic Office;

(b) Diploma/Transcript of Records with Special Order Number (xerox copy to be retained);

(c) Certificate of Naturalization, if necessary.

SECTION 7. Rating in the Examinations. — To pass the examination, an examinee must obtain an average rating of seventy-five percent (75%) with no rating below sixty percent (60%) in any subject.

SECTION 8. All successful candidates shall be required to take a professional oath before the Board prior to entering the practice of librarianship in the Philippines on a date and place determined by the Board and approved by the Commission, or before a person authorized to administer the oath. The successful examinee shall register at the Professional Regulation Commission after having taken his/her oath and upon payment of the required fees shall be issued a certificate of registration and a professional license as Librarian.

SECTION 9. Registration Without Examination. — The Board shall grant to any person, upon application and payment of the required fees, a certificate of registration and professional license as a librarian without taking licensure examination, who on the date of the effectivity of this Act on Dec. 5, 1990, possesses the requirements a, b, and c in Section 13 of Republic Act No. 6966, and who qualifies under any of the categories hereunder mentioned prescribed under Section 18 of this law:

(a) A librarian and a supervising librarian eligible and are holders of bachelor's degree;

(b) A first grade eligible, or its equivalent and a holder of bachelor's degree with at least eighteen (18) units in Library Science and at least five (5) years experience in librarianship; and TcCSIa

(c) First grade eligible, or its equivalent, and is a holder of a Master's Degree in Library Science and/or Information Science.

Provided, That those qualified under any of the foregoing categories shall be given three (3) years from the organization of the Board for Librarians on Nov. 8, 1991 within which to register and be included in the roster of professionals.

The Board shall require the following documents to be submitted with prescribed application form for exemption:

(a) Certificate of a Librarian/Supervising Librarian eligibility duly authenticated by the Civil Service Commission;

(b) Diploma and Transcript of Records with Special Order Number or certified xerox copy by the school authority;

(c) Service Records indicating the position title with the duties for the position duly certified by the Personnel Officer;

(d) Certification of good moral character issued by three (3) persons of good standing in his/her community among whom must be the Barangay Captain/Chairman (Original Copy); and

 

(e) NBI and Ombudsman Clearances for government employees or only NBI Clearance for private sector. SCaEcD

SECTION 10. Refusal to Issue Certificate. — The Board may refuse to issue certificate of registration to any person convicted by a court of competent jurisdiction of any criminal offense involving moral turpitude, or any person guilty of unprofessional, unethical, immoral, or dishonorable conduct or to any person of unsound mind. In the event of refusal to issue a certificate, the Board shall forthwith furnish the applicant a written statement setting forth its reason for such action, which statement shall be incorporated in the records of the Board.

SECTION 11. Suppletory Rules. — The rules and regulations on application, examination, rating, and registration in Article III of "The Rules and Regulations Governing the Regulation and Practice of Professionals" shall be suppletorily applicable.

ARTICLE III

Administrative Investigation

SECTION 12. Administrative Investigations and Procedures. — The Board shall investigate and adopt all the provisions in Article IV, V and VI of the Rules and Regulations implementing P.D. 223 relative to administrative investigation of complaints and violations of R.A. No. 6966 and the Rules and Regulations implementing said law and all violations in the practice of librarianship filed against professionally registered librarians, examinees in the licensure examination or holders of temporary certificates.

ARTICLE IV

Reinstatement

SECTION 13. After the lapse of two (2) years from the date of surrender of his/her certificate of registration and professional license, out of equity and justice, the Board may reinstate to the practice of librarianship a registered librarian with a revoked certificate of registration if he/she has proved that during the period of nonpractice he/she led an exemplary life, did not commit a dishonorable and immoral act, and did not violate R.A. 6966 and other statutes and the Rules and Policies of the Board and the Commission.

ARTICLE V

Transitory Provision

SECTION 14. All incumbents librarians, or its equivalent, from the public and private sectors shall, in order to be issued with the six (6) years temporary certificates under Section 29, Article IV of R.A. 6966 must submit their applications with the certified copies of their appointments duly issued by the heads of their agencies, if from the public sector, or the certified copies of their contracts of service or employment duly issued by their companies or employers, if from the private sector.

The fee for the said certificate shall be fixed, charged, and collected by the Commission. EScIAa

ARTICLE VI

Effectivity

SECTION 15. These herein Rules and Regulations shall take effect after fifteen (15) days following the completion of its publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.

DONE in the City of Manila this 2nd day of June, 1992.

(SGD.) IRENE D. AMORESChairman

(SGD.) SUSIMA L. GONZALESMember

(SGD.) BELEN B. ANGELESMember

ATTESTED TO:

(SGD.) CARLOS G. ALMELORSecretaryRegulatory Boards

APPROVED:

(SGD.) HERMOGENES P. POBRECommission Chairman

(SGD.) MARIANO A. MENDIETAAssociate Commissioner

(SGD.) ARMANDO C. PASCUALAssociate Commissioner

Published in the Official Gazette, Vol. 88 No. 29, on July 20, 1992.