FROM FORUMS TO SHOWDOWNS: THE EVOLUTION OF THE JRU BOOK TALK

Through the initiative of the library in 2005, an experimental forum that partnered books and speakers was held for the very first time within the confines of the university. Dubbed the JRU "Book Talk", the near-monthly program was launched to give more exposure to the library collection so that more people would use them. Guest speakers from inside and out the campus were tapped to give their thoughts on a personal book to hopefully inspire a new generation of readers. Now on its twelfth year, the talk has become one of the signature events of the Jose Rizal University libraries.

The latest Book Talk program for the College division.

Throughout its course of evolution, the Book Talk has steadily reinvented itself to accommodate various types of audiences. Breaking new ground was a constant challenge, but would ultimately lead to a more diverse and impartial type of setting for everyone involved. The following is the brief history of a fairly untested program whose continuous success has eventually turned it into tradition.

The Start of Something Good

The first Book Talk was conducted on May 25, 2005 at the JRU Audiovisual Room, in front of an audience of students, faculty, and administrators of the university. Prof. Eleazar E. Ricote, Area Head of the MPA Program of the Graduate School, presented an oral review of the book The New Public Service: Serving, Not Steering by authors Janet and Robert B. Denhardt. This single forum would eventually kickstart a series of talks concerning numerous topics of interest to both faculty and members of the community.

Number one: Prof. Ricote delivers the very first Book Talk of the University.

By March 1, 2006, a total of thirteen Book Talks had been achieved for the school year, the last of which was graced by Dr. Agnes B. Pajares, principal of the High School division at the time. Dr. Pajares capped off the first season of the Book Talk with an empowering discussion of David Cottrell's 12 Choices That Lead to Your Success.

Even as the first chapter of the Book Talk drew to a close, plans were already underway for a second season.  It had been an ambitious project, but a fruitful one nevertheless, and the organizers have only begun to scratch the surface.

The Youth Speaks

By 2007, the Book Talk started shifting from the norm of having adults as speakers to featuring young presenters. One of the university's very own High School students, Ms. Leoni Abigail Valencia, made history by taking center stage on Valentine's Day with a review on the book Being Happy! by author Andrew Matthews. Her participation in the talks would soon open the door for other teenage speakers. By August of the same year, a second High School student, Ms. Franchesca L. Buenaflor, would take the podium with her book of choice The Heart of the Soul: Emotional Awareness by co-authors Gary Zukav and Linda Francis. The inclusion of High School pupils in the Book Talk would become a regular practice from here on.

Ms. Valencia becomes the first student speaker in the Book Talk.

The Showdown Begins

At this point in time, the raw talent of High School students had been proven enough to produce an entire program for, and in celebration of National Book Week 2007, the University's first Book Talk Showdown was held on November 29, consisting of an all-High School set of speakers. This was now a competition to find young readers who were also gifted talkers. Following a set of guidelines to promote their chosen book, the Showdown determined its top speakers based on their fluency and coherence.

Spreading its Wings

It was at its fifth edition in 2008 where the Book Talk presented not one, but two debuts, owing to its ever growing potential. While High School speakers have been incorporated into the event since February 2007, students from other departments have yet to be involved.

On July 2008, Mr. John Romelle J. Soriano stepped up to the plate. A junior and president of the ECOSOC Organization at the time, Mr. Soriano represented the College division and delivered an engaging analysis of Thomas L. Friedman's The World is Flat: A Brief History of the 21st Century.

Mr. Soriano gives his thoughts on the book The World is Flat.

Following suit a few months later, Mr. Christian Gilbert U. Balais from Grade VI would become the youngest speaker to debut so far, proving that Elementary students could stand toe to toe with their older peers and impressing the audience with his presentation of the book His Friend, Eric by author Dina Ocampo.

The youngest speaker so far: Mr. Balais from the Elementary division.

Unsurprisingly, the High School Book Talk Showdown that started last year would make a return, officially turning it into a series. This would be followed by several more, and for a number of years, the High School would be the only division to have exclusive use of the program.

By the end of the school year, ten Book Talks have been successfully concluded for 2008-2009, and showed no signs of slowing down.

Moving Forward

Through the years, each succeeding Book Talk would retain much of the elements that made the previous ones a success. And true to its claim, various topics of interest have in fact, been reviewed in the talk thus far – from academic to literary, physiological to spiritual, investigative to motivational, plus everything else in between. In retrospect, it was the collective output of faculty, staff, administrators, students, alumni, and professionals that helped build the foundations of the Book Talk and bring it to new heights.

All Together Now

In all truth, the possibilities of the Book Talk Showdown had always been too great to be limited to a single division, and thus it was natural for the other departments of the University to follow suit albeit at a considerably later period. On December 3, 2014, the very first Elementary School Book Talk Showdown was held at the University auditorium, with six young readers put into the limelight and bravely taking on the challenge.

 

The invitation for the first Elementary Book Talk Showdown.

This milestone would be duplicated the following year by an eager College division with the initial launch of its own Showdown on February 24, 2015.

 

Showdown number one for the College divison.

The year after that, the Graduate School Book Talk Showdown would finally make its long-awaited debut on January 14, 2016.

 

The Graduate School's first Showdown makes its debut.

To date, the Book Talk Showdown for the Elementary division is on its fourth year, the College also on its fourth, and the Graduate School, its third.

Only recently, a mere two years since its incorporation into the academic landscape, the Senior High School division gamely threw its own hat in the ring and presented five of its best in the desire to produce well-deserved champions of their own. This was realized in the first ever SHS Book Talk Showdown last November 27, 2017.

Count us in: The Senior High School steps up.

The Future

The rich history of this program that started on May 2005 cannot truly be embodied in a few pages of paragraphs, as the long list of speakers involved (young and old, novices and professionals) deserve highlights all their own. Much has changed in the twelve years of the Book Talk's existence, but the reason behind its creation – to attract more readers through the promotion of the library collection – remains intact.

At present, the library collection is richer than ever, and authors have become bolder in their ideas and more deliberate in their target audience. Shiyali Ramamrita Ranganathan, widely considered as the father of library science, firmly believed in the philosophy "every reader their book," and "every book its reader." Somewhere in the campus is a student waiting to discover the perfect book, and somewhere in the library is a book waiting to be found by the perfect reader. For twelve years, each speaker has strived to convince their audience to take the initiative, for there is everything to gain, and nothing to lose. This endeavor won't be stopping anytime soon.

See you at the next Book Talk!