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DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 27 April) – The four-story modern public library of the local government here is scheduled to open in June this year, an official of the City Library & Information Center said on Monday.
Salome “Sandy” Enoc, officer-in-charge (OIC)-City Librarian, told Davao City Disaster Radio (DCDR 87.5) that they are now doing some finishing touches on the interior of the building while the installation of gadgets is ongoing and is expected for completion by next month. The construction of the building, which is located along C. Bangoy Street in Barangay 34-D, started on April 24, 2018. Enoc said the new library will replace the old library located on the third floor of the Sanggunian Panlungsod building. She said materials from the old public library have been transferred to the new building. She said the management has yet to decide whether to open the library 24/7 as previously announced, as the usual issues confronting the old library was that it was only open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The librarian said they have yet to conduct another survey to find out the preference of the Dabawenyos to make its services more responsive to their needs, including what other facilities they look for in a public library. “We will conduct another survey so that we will know their comments and what they want to include so that our service becomes responsive. If we conduct a survey, please answer so that you can help our city library,” Enoc said. She said the management is leasing a portion of the ground floor to interested parties who want to open a coffee shop. In a notice released in January last year, the Davao City Library & Information Center announced the space open for rental has a total area of 75 square meters at the New Davao City Library Building. Enoc said the application for lease was previously approved in favor of Gatchi Gatchalian, former president of Davao Tourism Association (DATA), before he died in March this year. Gatchalian founded a chain of homegrown coffeeshops, Blugré, and the now defunct Saging Repablik. She said the city is now reopening the lease to interested parties. In a press release issued in February, Enoc said the new library will have an informal reading area for the kids, adult reading room, an amphitheater, information technology center, and a conference room. She added that an organic garden will be put up on the rooftop of the new building. (Antonio L. Colina IV / MindaNews)
