Jonathan Ricardo, 24, librarian. | Photo from Kolor Haus via Jonathan Ricardo
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Three.
He was three when Lola Matilde called him to sit with her in their living room and introduced him to the encyclopedia.
He was three when Lola Matilde read the book, sometimes a set of books, to him, which was an unusual thing to experience by a child that young.
While other children his age played outdoors, the three-year-old Jonathan Ricardo was ordered to stay indoors and read books.
In Lola Matilde’s eyes, Jonathan is a fast learner. And behold, twenty-one years later, Jonathan would end up in the top three in the licensure examinations for librarians in the Philippines.
But his Lola was no longer there when he received his most outstanding achievement; she died when he was already in his senior year of college and that was in August 2024 at the age 103.
Even after she left the world, Lola Matilde will forever live in Jonathan’s memory as he considered her a great part of his life.
Navigating his life chapter
Although his love for books was introduced at a young age, when Jonathan started to navigate what he wanted, being a librarian was not his first choice.
The 24-year-old lad from Cebu City actually wanted to be a journalist, given that he was also active in his school’s student publications.
But he realized that he did not have the fortitude to pursue it. Fortunately, his elder sister suggested that he pursue a degree in Library and Information Science in college.
READ: 555 pass September 2023 Librarians Licensure Examination — PRC
It may just be a passing statement from her sister, but he took the opportunity to enroll in the degree program and allowed himself to learn about it.
“I can’t recall times where I thought I would shift [into another degree] kay when I started getting into Library Science, I realized there’s just so much depth to this course because it’s so overlooked,” Jonathan said.
Just two weeks after he graduated in May 2024, Jonathan was fortunate enough to land a job as a librarian at one of the universities in Cebu City.
Jonathan Ricardo
Being a topnotcher
Jonathan admitted that he procrastinated when he started preparing for the licensure exam.
When he joined an online review in June, he said that he took it easy as he wanted it to be easy. But it was in July when he realized that he needed to get serious about it and discipline himself. The Librarians Computer-Based Licensure Examination was slated for September.
When he took the review seriously, he worked hard to self-review.
Part of disciplining himself was turning over his Switch Games to his sister and asking her to hide it out of his reach.
Jonathan said he had to remove all sense of comfort and remembered what his mentor said: “This is most probably going to be your last test, so make sure you don’t regret anything.”
When he went to Manila to take the exam on September 10 and 11, he said he felt uneasy and found it hard to sleep, worried that he might ruin the exam.
“The worst part was that I was pressuring myself because above things, I did want that sort of goal, not only to pass but also to top. But I didn’t know if I had it in me. If I did, I would put myself down,” he said.
“In my mind, I thought it was achievable (to top), and it was mine to lose gyud. And all that is left is naa ragyud nako if I wanted to follow through on my desire to top,” he added.
It was 1:13 a.m. when he learned that he had not only passed the exam but also topped it. Jonathan did not expect the result since he also doubted all of his answers at that time.
“Nakaingon pod ko nga the Lord truly is kind. Even if it is such an earthly desire, He still granted it to me. Akong na ask ragud ato niya kay ‘Lord, your will be done, whatever your plan is’ and it was in His will after all,” Jonathan said.
He also felt relieved and realized that if he put his mind to something, he could do it, even if the voice in his head kept telling him he couldn’t.
“Libraries are there for those people who do not have the privilege of going online.”
Librarianship
As a librarian, Jonathan believes that librarianship is a career that is being subsumed by technology.
“It’s our challenge as 21st-century librarians to make the library still valuable, not only as a source of information but also as a third space where people would go to do things and socialize. It is also a place where culture, humanity, and creativity are found,” Jonathan added.
Moreover, he also believes that it is in the libraries that the things that make up the civilization are preserved and continued.
“Libraries are there for those people who do not have the privilege of going online. Although there are already smartphones, WiFi, there is still a sector of society which cannot access those materials,” he added.
As a librarian, Jonathan Ricardo saw that angle as to why libraries remain relevant in the digital age.
Now that he is finally a licensed professional, Jonathan wants to take his own pace and not pressure himself. And while doing it, he wants to work hard to improve in the coming years.
Jonathan sees himself still a librarian in the next five years. Afterward, he might take museum studies, anthropology, or other interests that keep him close to culture and the humanities. /clorenciana