BACOLOD CITY – The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) launched the Knowledge Resource Network (KRN) with three library partners in this city on Thursday.
The partnership was formalized with the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the BSP and City of Bacolod-Bacolod City Public Library, Carlos Hilado Memorial State College (CHMSC)-Fortune Towne, and University of St. La Salle (USLS).
Director Leonides Sumbi of the BSP regional office in Cebu said the collaboration helps fulfill the central bank’s vision to make Filipinos better informed and empowered with reliable and up-to-date sources of information to enable them to make better economic and financial decisions.
“Today marks the beginning of our partnership as we sign the MOU. We are thankful that your respective libraries have spared a space for the BSP publications and information materials. To us, it is not just a space, but it is BSP’s Knowledge Resource corner,” Sumbi said during the launch, held at the BSP Bacolod Branch Training Room 1.
During the MOU signing, Sumbi was joined by Bacolod City Mayor Evelio Leonardia, CHMSC president Renato Sorolla, and USLS president and Chancellor Bro. Joaquin Severino.
“By accepting us as your partner, and by accommodating our publications and information materials, your libraries have become a link in the network of libraries all over the country, which together with BSP’s 23 libraries, comprise the KRN of the BSP,” Sumbi said.
The BSP has 139 KRN partners nationwide, including the latest three in Bacolod.
The KRN seeks to establish a facility for information and knowledge-sharing and make BSP’s information materials easily discoverable in the partners’ library systems and available for use by their clients.
“With our collaboration under the BSP KRN, people who need information need not go to the BSP to access our data. Thus, they save time and resources,” Sumbi said.
Under the signed agreement, the BSP will establish and maintain BSP Knowledge Resource Collections, a space within the library premises of the KRN member with available BSP print materials, such as books, annual reports, inflation reports, statistical publications, brochures, pamphlets, posters and other information/learning materials, as well as online materials through the BSP website.
The KRN partners, in this case the Bacolod City Public Library, USLS and CHMSC, will provide the space, staff, furniture, shelves, and information technology equipment needed for the display and use of publications at the designated BSP Knowledge Resource Collection, as well as catalog all BSP publications and make them discoverable and available for clients, designate a reference librarian, and monitor the usage of BSP information materials and research requests. (Nanette Guadalquiver/PNA)
