05/03/2026
MUST READ: Choose Bachelor of Library and Information Science (BLIS), a profession the Philippines urgently needs. 🫡
As of early 2025, the country had 11,136 registered librarians, a meaningful number, yet still far from sufficient for national needs.
For context, the Philippines has 60,429 basic education schools (SY 2021-2022) and 1,977 higher education institutions (HEIs) (as of January 4, 2024). Even before accounting for hospitals, corporate libraries, research centers, government agencies, and archives, the gap between required and available professionals is already clear.
The demand is not hypothetical. Staffing is required by standards.
For schools, DepEd’s Standards for Philippine Libraries set staffing expectations based on enrollment and explicitly recognize the need for appropriately staffed school libraries. DepEd’s school library development policy likewise emphasizes that schools must establish and strengthen functional libraries.
For HEIs, CHED Memorandum Order (CMO) No. 22, Series of 2021 requires adequate and qualified library personnel for face-to-face and online services, with minimum staffing tied to user population:
1,000 and below users: at least 1 full-time licensed librarian and 1 full-time support staff
Every additional 3,000 users (or fraction): at least +1 licensed librarian and +3 support staff
Public libraries are a legal mandate, yet many communities still lack them.
Republic Act No. 7743 (1994) mandates the establishment of congressional, city/municipal libraries, and barangay reading centers nationwide. However, long after its passage, compliance challenges persist. Many provisions of RA 7743 were not complied with, citing municipalities without libraries, the appointment of non-professional librarians, and inadequate budget allocation.
At the national level, efforts to strengthen public libraries continue. The National Library of the Philippines (NLP) reported that in 2022, there were about 1,620 affiliated public libraries, and it also noted constraints such as limited resources and insufficient human resource complement affecting support and monitoring.
Government performance documents likewise reflect the scale of NLP’s support through its Library Extension Program (e.g., 1,700 public libraries supported as a baseline).
Importantly, Philippine law is explicit on professional staffing in government libraries: only qualified and licensed librarians shall be employed as librarians in all government libraries.
BLIS is not only librarianship, but it is also a gateway to multiple high-impact careers.
Not all BLIS graduates pursue traditional librarianship, and that is a strength of the degree. BLIS builds transferable expertise in information organization, digital systems, records management, knowledge services, and user-focused support, skills that translate to roles in: archives and records management, research and analytics, knowledge management, digital curation, content/metadata services, information governance, and education support.
Yes! These skills are also valued abroad.
Library and information professionals are recognized in international labor and migration systems. For example:
-In the United States, the BLS projects about 13,500 openings per year (on average) for librarians and library media specialists over 2024–2034.
-Canada’s Job Bank reports regional outlooks for librarians (NOC 51100), including many “Moderate” outlook assessments for 2025-2027.
-Australia’s skilled occupation framework has included “librarian” (ANZSCO 224611) in its occupation lists (with an assessing authority indicated).
(International practice may require country-specific credential evaluation or additional graduate study, depending on the destination and role, but the BLIS skillset is globally transferable.)
Why pursue BLIS at Negros Oriental State University (NORSU)?
NORSU is actively strengthening its academic direction in BLIS, evidenced by the CHED NIR Regional Quality Assessment Team’s visit to the NORSU Main Library for the evaluation of the Bachelor of Library Information Science program for AY 2026-2027.
Choose BLIS at NORSU, because the country needs licensed information leaders, and your future can be both local in impact and global in reach. ❤
MUST READ: Choose Bachelor of Library and Information Science (BLIS), a profession the Philippines urgently needs. 🫡
As of early 2025, the country had 11,136 registered librarians, a meaningful number, yet still far from sufficient for national needs.
For context, the Philippines has 60,429 basic education schools (SY 2021-2022) and 1,977 higher education institutions (HEIs) (as of January 4, 2024). Even before accounting for hospitals, corporate libraries, research centers, government agencies, and archives, the gap between required and available professionals is already clear.
The demand is not hypothetical. Staffing is required by standards.
For schools, DepEd’s Standards for Philippine Libraries set staffing expectations based on enrollment and explicitly recognize the need for appropriately staffed school libraries. DepEd’s school library development policy likewise emphasizes that schools must establish and strengthen functional libraries.
For HEIs, CHED Memorandum Order (CMO) No. 22, Series of 2021 requires adequate and qualified library personnel for face-to-face and online services, with minimum staffing tied to user population:
1,000 and below users: at least 1 full-time licensed librarian and 1 full-time support staff
Every additional 3,000 users (or fraction): at least +1 licensed librarian and +3 support staff
Public libraries are a legal mandate, yet many communities still lack them.
Republic Act No. 7743 (1994) mandates the establishment of congressional, city/municipal libraries, and barangay reading centers nationwide. However, long after its passage, compliance challenges persist. Many provisions of RA 7743 were not complied with, citing municipalities without libraries, the appointment of non-professional librarians, and inadequate budget allocation.
At the national level, efforts to strengthen public libraries continue. The National Library of the Philippines (NLP) reported that in 2022, there were about 1,620 affiliated public libraries, and it also noted constraints such as limited resources and insufficient human resource complement affecting support and monitoring.
Government performance documents likewise reflect the scale of NLP’s support through its Library Extension Program (e.g., 1,700 public libraries supported as a baseline).
Importantly, Philippine law is explicit on professional staffing in government libraries: only qualified and licensed librarians shall be employed as librarians in all government libraries.
BLIS is not only librarianship, but it is also a gateway to multiple high-impact careers.
Not all BLIS graduates pursue traditional librarianship, and that is a strength of the degree. BLIS builds transferable expertise in information organization, digital systems, records management, knowledge services, and user-focused support, skills that translate to roles in: archives and records management, research and analytics, knowledge management, digital curation, content/metadata services, information governance, and education support.
Yes! These skills are also valued abroad.
Library and information professionals are recognized in international labor and migration systems. For example:
-In the United States, the BLS projects about 13,500 openings per year (on average) for librarians and library media specialists over 2024–2034.
-Canada’s Job Bank reports regional outlooks for librarians (NOC 51100), including many “Moderate” outlook assessments for 2025-2027.
-Australia’s skilled occupation framework has included “librarian” (ANZSCO 224611) in its occupation lists (with an assessing authority indicated).
(International practice may require country-specific credential evaluation or additional graduate study, depending on the destination and role, but the BLIS skillset is globally transferable.)
Why pursue BLIS at Negros Oriental State University (NORSU)?
NORSU is actively strengthening its academic direction in BLIS, evidenced by the CHED NIR Regional Quality Assessment Team’s visit to the NORSU Main Library for the evaluation of the Bachelor of Library Information Science program for AY 2026-2027.
Choose BLIS at NORSU, because the country needs licensed information leaders, and your future can be both local in impact and global in reach.
