Featured Member
- iSchools News
- Jul 24
- 4 min read
Issue #4
Rhea Rowena Ubana-Apolinario
Asia-Pacific Region The Republic of the Philippines
University of the Philippines
School of Library and Information Studies
iSchools member since 2016
Hello Rhea! Please tell us a bit about you!
I am a faculty member at the School of Library and Information Studies, University of the Philippines Diliman (UP SLIS) and the current Dean of the School.
My research interests are in information professions, knowledge organizations, policy development, studies on personnel, assessment of standards and services, library as a place, and social change and libraries.
Prior to teaching at UP SLIS, I worked for almost a decade as an information professional in a Learning Resource Center of an international organization. While I enjoyed my work there, I believe my calling and passion is in teaching. As such, I joined UP SLIS thereafter and have been happily working there for almost 16 years. I am also very active in local professional organizations in the Philippines, where I held positions as President or Vice-President.
While I am delighted working at UP SLIS, I am more importantly enjoying being a wife and mother of our two wonderful girls, ages 7 and 18.
Please tell us a bit about your iSchool!
The UP School of Library and Information Studies (UP SLIS) is the pioneer library and information science (LIS) school in the Philippines. UP SLIS started as the Institute of Library Science, to the Institute of Library and Information Science, and finally to the School of Library and Information Studies (UP SLIS). The change in name is a reflection of the changes it went through over the years. Presently, we are celebrating the 111th year of LIS education in the Philippines, and UP SLIS is celebrating its 64 years as a separate degree granting unit at the University of the Philippines.
Our 64th anniversary is a recognition and celebration of our School, its past, present, and future. History informs us that LIS education in the Philippines has evolved immensely to what it is today. It has undergone major advances as aftermaths of local developments in the librarianship profession. With a legacy that spans decades, UP SLIS has been at the forefront of LIS education in the Philippines.
UP SLIS is currently offering four (4) academic programs, namely: BLIS (Bachelor of Library and Information Science); MLIS (Master of Library and Information Science); MSLIS (Master of Science in Library and Information Science); and MARM (Master in Archives and Records Management). Preparations have also started in developing a PhD program.
UP SLIS is also the Center of Excellence in Library and Information Science in the Philippines as recognized by the Philippine Commission on Higher Education, and is a proud member of the iSchools, Southeast Asia-Pacific Audiovisual Archive Association (SEAPAVAA), and the International Council on Archives (ICA).
Your school joined the iSchools Organization already in 2016. What benefits do you see in belonging to the global iSchools Organization? How has it impacted you?
Membership and involvement in a global organization like the iSchools provides international connections and networks that are helpful in ensuring that educators, researchers, and information professionals learn from each other and take these learnings to their teaching, research, and extension activities.
These connections and networks enable us to be updated with the current trends and development, both in the teaching and practice of LIS. These linkages facilitate collaborative research and teaching. It not only benefits UP SLIS, but as well as the teachers and students, practitioners, and the whole LIS community.
For this reason, we endeavor to look for, maintain, and nurture these connections and networks.
You are organizing IFDIK 2025 this year, please tell us a bit about it!
We are very excited to host the International Forum on Data, Information, and Knowledge for Sustainable and Ethical Societies (IFDIK 2025) this December 3-5!
IFDIK 2025 provides an excellent venue for various scholars, practitioners, and students to gather, discuss, and collaborate on how they practice or advance data, information, and knowledge to help build sustainable and ethical societies.
IFDIK 2025 is the umbrella conference for the three co-located important international conferences, namely:
The 27th International Conference on Asia-Pacific Digital Libraries (ICADL 2025)
The 12th Asia-Pacific Conference on Library Information Education and Practice (A-LIEP 2025)
Asia-Pacific iConference 2025 (the annual meeting of Asia-Pacific chapter of iSchools, or the AP iSchools)
We are delighted to welcome library and information science educators, researchers, practitioners, and students to IFDIK 2025! Call for Papers is extended until 31 July 2025.
More details about the IFDIK here: https://ifdik2025.com
IFDIK 2025 will also be a wonderful event for PhD students and early career researchers to present their work! If you could give just one advice to future information scientists, what would it be?
As future information scientists, make the most out of your membership and involvement in iSchools or any similar organizations. Learn from and collaborate with our colleagues all over the world. Do not stop asking questions. Our field is an exciting, vibrant, and dynamic one, that is constantly evolving, and you should be ready for it. Enjoy and have fun too!
Thank you very much, Rhea!
Featured Members is a new iSchools Feature series spotlighting members of iSchools who are part of the development and organization of thought provoking projects or conferences. Please contact admin@ischools-inc.org in case you would like to be featured as well.
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