Nice Nhet

We were required to attend as per instruction of our professor in LIS 260, Ma’am Sharon a forum entitled “Strategies of Effective Searching of Information” last July 16, 2008. The rain was continuously pouring at that time due to typhoon Helen but it never hinders us to attend the much awaited forum.

 

I am fortunate that the City Government of Marikina shouldered the forum expenses amounting 200 pesos each participants. I am with my two (2) officemates and we are on official business.

 

I am so excited and set a very high expectation in the forum. The topic is very timely for my LIS 260 and for my profession. I also assumed that aside from the usual searching technologies that I know, I will add something advance in my list thru this forum.

 

Summing up the event, I came up with the following comments:

1. The speaker just read her PowerPoint presentations and was not able to explain the content thoroughly.
2. The transition in each slide was too fast. Therefore, important details were not given emphasis and clarifications like the Information Literacy Program, Web Harvesting, EBSCO, Pathfinder etc.
3. The questions raised by the participants were not answered by the speaker satisfactorily instead, she diverts her answers in other issues and connects it to the raised concern.
4. The forum was not able to attain their stated objectives which are as follows:
   1. To learn the new techniques in searching information.
   2. To know the research tools in searching information.  For me, no NEW techniques and tools were presented and it was not explained well to the participants.
5. It seems like the speaker was in hurry to finish her presentation and it was obvious that she was not prepared for the forum. Even the PowerPoint presentation was not that impressive. She even included her son’s photo commenting “anak ko yan, gwapo no? which is not necessary in this formal event.
6. No kit or handouts were given instead, she offered a CD copy of her presentation with additional 50 pesos payment and making side comments like “di naman kami katulad ng PAARL na maraming pondo.” Business? We were supposed to get that copy for free because we already paid 200 pesos.
7. Lack of certificates. Unfortunately, I am one of those who were not given the (low cost or xeroxed) certificate which is needed as our attachment and proof for attending the forum. They told us that they will email our certificates later. Well, there was lack of coordination between the organizers to reproduce additional certificates since the anticipated number of participants increased.
8. No evaluation sheet or feedback form was given for our comments and suggestions. This will indeed help them to improve next time.

 This was actually my very first time to attend a seminar displeased and disappointed because I cannot extract anything new and updated on the content. The 200 pesos payment for two-hour forum (which is actually reading of slides only), with children snacks and photocopied certificate is for me too much or expensive.

 

My 200 pesos would have bought eight kilos of rice where I could enjoy eating with my family for two days or my allowance for one day or 10 hours internet surfing in a computer rental shop.

 

Maybe because I expected too much and it was not achieved, it was really not worth the pay. I am sure that I am not the only one feeling this. There are others who came a long way outside Manila leaving their loaded work, filing a leave of absence, ignoring the heavy rain, having a long trip and paying the expensive fare, I am luckier!

 

The title should have been BASIC Strategies in Information Searching. Their title and objectives were really deceiving to the real content being presented.

 

Eyeing on their objectives, “to learn NEW techniques in searching information” was really interesting. Sadly, I may say that they fail to meet their own objectives. I should suggest that the speaker of this topic must be a Librarian 2.0 or someone more expert in this field. The speaker must also be equipped and capable of answering the participants’ queries.

 

After the forum, I told myself I should have spent my day at the UP Registrar’s office for my campus I.D or should have cataloged many books or have uploaded my new reading assignment. Sorry to say, but I really wasted my time in the said activity.

 

Our ordinary class with Ma’am Sharon and recently with Sir Robert was incomparable with this forum.

 

But looking at the experience positively, I learned the following:

 

As organizers we should:

1. Invite a speaker expert in the subject matter.
2. Give a clear title to the forum.
3. Make sure the “fee” you are to give suits the type and quality of the forum that you will have.
4. Make sure that all the participants will get certificates after the forum.
5. Ensure that the participants will learn something new and will look forward for another forum.  

As a speaker:

1. Make sure you can meet the participants’ expectations base on your profile.
2. Prepare a very nice and interesting presentation.
3. You must have mastery on the subject matter you are to discuss.
4. Know your participants for you to know the level of your presentation.
5. Avoid too much side comments when delivering your presentation. It makes some of the participants irritated.

Sorry I’m a bad girl :)