F or the first time since its soft opening in 2007, the CFA library can boast of a major new development -- it now has an electronic card catalog. This provides a much needed tool for the computer search of books and other reference materials in the library. It also helps the library administrator in managing the book collection.

Currently, the electronic card catalog is available on the LAN (Local Area Network); it is a LAN-based application. The electronic card catalog is patterned on the manual system previously used by the CFA Library. The catalog was set up by IT assistant Mona Garcia.

CFA intends to re-stock the library with books on communication, faith, education and development. It hopes to grow into a functional resource center where supplementary materials on development communications will be available to CFA employees and project partners, especially those who work on CFA publications and productions.  

     Linda Plamio, who was the CFA librarian for 17 years, returned to CFA for half of 2007 in order to re-catalog and organize the books which were mostly a legacy of the old CFA and SCC collection.    The books are now categorized into four classes: the General Collection, Children's Books, Communication Books and CFA Publications. Under Children's Books are the supplementary books for CFA publications especially Pambata, Jesus and Gospel Komiks Magazines.  CFA Publications will be an archive section where every issue of CFA's seven publications from 1979 will be filed.

The library also has a newspaper-reading area and a computer for online research.  It is open during office hours under the supervision of the Archivist Ms. Alma Aro, who is concurrently CFA's Project Research Officer.