Lapu schools get digital science library

Seven schools and two institutions in Lapu-Lapu City each received a digital science library from the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).

The beneficiaries are the Science and Technology Education Center, Felipe F. Matbagon Memorial High School, Lapu-Lapu Mini City Hall, Marigondon National High School, Nemesio-Epifania Taneo Memorial High School, Lapu-Lapu City College, Pangan-an High School, Sta. Rosa National High School, and Lapu-Lapu City Library.

Called STARBOOKS, the information kiosks were turned over last week by the DOST to the Lapu-Lapu City government at the Hoops Dome.

STARBOOKS is an acronym for Science and Technology Academic And Research-Based Openly Operated Kiosk Stations, also known as library in a box. This was developed by DOST’s Science and Technology Information Institute.

The kiosk does not require Internet connection to access digitized resources in text, video and audio formats from books, magazines, journals, scientific and research papers, “TamangDOSTkarte” livelihood videos, and Britannica Ultimate Encyclopedia.

TOPICS

Topics covered include food and nutrition, health and medicine, energy, environment, livelihood technologies, among others. All information is available only through read-only format.

“With STARBOOKS, I know our students will now have easy access to learning resources and become more interested in science and other relevant topics,” Mayor Paz Radaza said during the turnover ceremonies.

“I look forward (to the time) that the children of this city will all be digitally literate. I want the academe and the students to embrace innovation,” she added.

Radaza encouraged the educators to provide digital programs to the young to provide them competitive edge.

“If we train our young on digital technology, if we include digital technology in our K to 12 program, we will be able to provide a workforce that is highly capable in this digital age,” she said.

She encouraged the students to use STARBOOKS and become another Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison or another Steve Jobs of Apple, Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook, or Bill Gates of Microsoft.

“I want to see the day that no Oponganon is left behind because I believe in good governance. Magkuyog tang tanan (Let’s go together),” she added.
strategies

Engineer Edilberto Paradela, DOST 7 regional director, said the deployment of STARBOOKS is one of DOST’s strategies in making science and technology accessible and available to students.

STARBOOKS is one of five projects awarded with the 2015 American Library Association (ALA) Presidential Citation for Innovative International Library Projects last June.

The project has been deployed to several local government units, non-governmental organizations and institutions all over the country, he said.

According to ALA, STARBOOKS was acknowledged for “making science and technology materials available to the general public in remote areas that have few information resources, no libraries and little or no Internet connectivity.”

Rajyl Muleta, data controller IV from STII and who presented STARBOOKS during the launching, reiterated that since the Philippines lacks human capital in the field of science and technology, “we want the students in the near future to go for science and technology.”

STARBOOKS was also one of the many product technologies from the Asean region exhibited during the Kuala Lumpur Engineering Science Fair last Oct. 30 to Nov. 1, 2015 in Malaysia.

In the upcoming National Biotechnology Week from Nov. 23-28, 2015 at SM City Dasmariñas, Cavite, STARBOOKS will also be on exhibit with STII staff members on hand to assist those who want to try out DOST’s “library in a box.” /with S&T Media Service