BRIEF HISTORY OF THE LIBRARY

The Learning Resource Center of St. Louise de Marillac College of Sorsogon originated from the Colegio de la Milagrosa which was founded in 1937, in response to a felt need for Catholic Education of the youth of Sorsogon. It started operating as an extended school of Colegio de Sta Isabel Naga City for a period of two years. The site was a piece of land in the Southern portion bounded by Calle Reyes and Livingstone, now Burgos Street.
As part of the school building a reading room was provided where pupils and teachers had a place for studying and reading. According to Leovegilda S. Arnedo a teacher librarian assigned to supervise the readers, book collections were mostly donated by Colegio de Sta Isabel Naga City and from the Asia Foundation.

In 1940 to 1950, the library collection consisted only of minimal reference books and instructional materials. Library services were centralized to cater the college, high school and elementary departments.
In 1960, the college library was constructed at the first floor adjacent to the Registrar’s office. Elementary library occupied the first floor, while the High School library occupied the third floor, now renamed St. Vincent de Paul building.
A fulltime staff was employed to organize and catalog library resources with the assistance of clerical aide, working students and Sister in-charge of the library. A gradual increase of library collections which included periodicals, magazines, encyclopedias, atlases, yearbooks, reference books by major subjects, foreign literature and some Filipiniana resources were added. Selection and acquisition of library resources were done by the administrators and finance officer of the institution.

In 1970 to 1980 were the period of innovations, changes and improvements from College Department Library it became the Services Formation Department Library, then changed to Higher Education Department Library and presently called as the Higher Education Department Learning Resource Center. Integration of Elementary and High School Department into Basic Formation Department Library then changed to Basic Education Department Library and presently called a$ the Basic Education Department Learning Resource Center. An organized team of School evaluators from different Private Schools conducted Congregational Evaluation Visit (CEV) for the whole areas like Physical plant, Instruction, Faculty, Laboratories, Philosophy and Objectives, and Community Extension Services. After the CEV, the team commendations and recommendations awakened the school administration and all employees that included the Library and its services. So, there were expansions of the Learning Resource Center integrating the library facilities and collections to cope with the volume of resources needed by the growing population. BED LRC is located at the second floor of the Our Lady of Miraculous Medal Building in between the Students Affairs office and Religious education office adjacent to the Research Planning Development Center and music room.

In 1990, First formal PAASCU Accreditation visit to Basic Education Department and was granted level II Accreditation Status. SLMCS became the first PAASCU accredited school in Sorsogon City leveling it with other prestigious accredited schools all over the country.
The school received recognition by the Department of Education as Service Provider of the Alternative Learning System that caters to out-of-school youth and adults, because of poverty were unable to finish their schooling.
The Higher Education Department underwent the preliminary PAASCU Accreditation visit for Liberal Arts, Education and Commerce programs. It was during this time when the library plays an important role in the education process. The Learning Resource Center contributed to the success of education, and quality of educational resources.

In 2003, PAASCU First Formal survey was conducted and HED were granted level II status. The Basic Education Department received a five year level PAASCU Accreditation. At this time LRC houses more or less 16, 000 titles of well selected and organized library holdings to support the programs and objectives of the institution.
In April 2007, the Commission on Higher Education Visits was complemented because the library had updated and organized the collection well that met the information needed by the program to the fullest. In August 2007, the Archive which was located at the third floor of St. Louise de Marillac building was relocated to the HED LRC and was organized for safekeeping and accessibility, now renamed as the memorabilia which houses the International, historical memoirs of Vincentian heritage, religious articles and souvenir of school activities and events. It is the first of a kind among Daughters of Charity institutions in the Bicol Region.

In 2009, PAASCU second re-survey visit of the SLMCS Basic Education Department and the first re-survey visit of the Higher Education Department (Liberal Arts, Teacher education and Business programs). LRC revised cataloging system, automated circulation and system, online catalog, computerized logbook and attendance have been installed. The use of internet has been a tool for fast paced interactive learning communication and search for information.

In 2014, it’s the technology Innovation that poses a challenge of how library can still encourage learners to read books. ' to solve the what-to-do question the library had pushed through some technologies and facilities,. The monitoring team of the PRC Legaspi Regional Office concludes that SLMCS HED Library complied with the standards provided by CHED and RA 9246. (Jan. 15, 2014). The Library is now protected with two CCTV cameras to protect the ins and outs of the students as well as of library resources. The newly designed Discussion Room which small group session in connection with library assignments and an Archives area which houses the historical memoirs of the Vincentian heritage, religious articles and souvenirs of school activities and events. With the financial assistance from CHED-Region V, four (4) new set of flat screened desktop computers were being installed to promote and access library resources effectively.

In 2019, The LRC updated ten (10) computers with internet connectivity to facilitate information communication technology via electronic research services. To enhanced the library operations, it adopt “ SLiMS” an open source of library integrated software which contains bibliographic record in Marc format, that support and enhanced cataloguing of library resources. These are available to users through Online Public Access Catalog (OPAC) in SLMCS LRC.
 

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