Dr. Agripina Maribbay (Vice President for Academics) and Dr. Rosalinda Tanguilan, (Director, Knowledge and Information Resource Network) participated in the International Library Benchmarking Tour organized by the Philippine Association of Academic/Research Librarians, Inc. (PAARL) on October 19-29. On its 10th year of benchmarking libraries, PAARL has chosen Munich, Germany and Prague, Czech Republic, Europe’s well-known cities for their cultural heritage sites, museums, galleries, and highly coveted libraries.
The group visited and interacted with the management of Technical University of Munich Library; Klementinum Library and Museum, Bavarian State Library, Prague City Library. They also had a chance to visit some cultural sites like: BMW and Welt Museum, German Museum of Science and Technology, Czech National Museum, Prague Castle, Charles Bridge, Old Town, and National Technical Museum.
The said international benchmarking tour of PAARL aimed: a) to see and appreciate the architecture and design of libraries in Munich and Prague; b) to establish international linkages and foster collaboration across international network of libraries; and c) to evaluate and learn from best practices and experiences of librarians in Europe, particularly in terms of services, processes, projects, resources, and staff development.
Dr. Maribbay and Dr. Tanguilan had also the rare opportunity to travel to Rome, Italy where they attended mass at the St. Peter’s Basilica which was officiated by Pope Francis himself. The Sistine Chapel, Colesseum, museums and galleries where among the places they also visited.
