Cebu City Public Library and Information Center traces its roots from the Cebu Branch Library of the Philippine Library and Museum, now the

National Library of the Philippines The National Library of the Philippines ( fil, Pambansang Aklatan ng Pilipinas or ''Aklatang Pambansa ng Pilipinas'', abbreviated NLP, es, Biblioteca Nacional de Filipinas) is the official national library of the Philippines. The complex is l ...

. It was organized and opened to the public on April 13, 1919, by Mr. Guillermo Restun, the Chief Librarian from the Ilo-ilo Branch. The province of

Cebu Cebu (; ceb, Sugbo), officially the Province of Cebu ( ceb, Lalawigan sa Sugbo; tl, Lalawigan ng Cebu; hil, Kapuroan sang Sugbo), is a province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region, and consists of a main island and 16 ...

took charge of the initial collection and other maintenance and operating expenses. Since its establishment, the public library has been housed in many different buildings until in 1938 an edifice was inaugurated for the library. The Rizal Memorial Library and Museum Building became its permanent home. This entire three story building served as a fount of knowledge among

education Education is a purposeful activity directed at achieving certain aims, such as transmitting knowledge or fostering skills and character traits. These aims may include the development of understanding, rationality, kindness, and honesty ...

-conscious Cebuanos. When the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

broke out, the library was closed. The building was utilized as headquarters by the Japanese Army, and books were either dumped, ruined or stolen. In 1953, the institution was reopened due to public clamor. The

Cebu City Cebu City, officially the City of Cebu ( ceb, Dakbayan sa Sugbo; fil, Lungsod ng Cebu; hil, Dakbanwa sang Sugbo), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the Central Visayas region of the Philippines and capital of the Cebu Province. Acc ...

Government appropriated a budget for the library collection and other operating expenses.

Close for Good

In December 2008, an announcement was made by Cebu City Acting Mayor Mike Rama that Cebu City's Rizal Memorial Library would be closed for good. Pressure from Friends of the Cebu City Public Library, with the help of media exposure, led to the welcome news that the building would be renovated for three to six months and the library restored. The renovation, however, has still not been completed, even though a report indicated that "Acting" Mayor Michael Rama wanted the library fully renovated before the end of the year.

Operations and facilities

The Cebu City Public Library and Information Center has started its 24-hour operations on March 9, 2018, upon the directive of Mayor

Tomas Osmeña Tomas dela Rama Osmeña (; born July 26, 1948), known as Tommy Osmeña, is a Filipino politician who served as the Mayor of Cebu City thrice: first from 1987 to 1995, again from 2001 to 2010, and lastly from 2016 to 2019. He also served as Congr ...

, it is the country's first public library that will be open for 24 hours. Carrier-grade Smart Wifi is now available to students, researchers and other visitors of the Cebu City Public Library and Information Center. In comparing the data of the number of visitors in the year 2017 and 2018, there had been an increase from 26,000 to 103,000 or 296%. The Library is also attributed to the success of students.

References

External links

* * {{Authority control Libraries in the Philippines Buildings and structures in Cebu City Library buildings completed in 1938 20th-century architecture in the Philippines