Gabriel Adriano Bernardo was aptly called the doyen of Filipino librarians because of his dedication to the profession which endured for almost half a century. He served as the first Chief Librarian of the University of the Philippines where he also started as a lecturer in library science in 1920 and rose to the rank of full professor in 1935. He retired in 1957 as Emeritus Librarian and Professor of Library Science. A conscientious and devoted scholar, Professor Bernardo was an eminent bibliographer of Filipiniana and an internationally recognized authority of Philippine and Indonesian folklore.
After his death in 1962, colleagues heralded him as a leading figure in the field describing him as a “man of culture with an unquenchable bibliographical thirst (Marina Dayrit),“ a burning passion for the ideals and accomplishments of scholarship, (Lee Ash)”, “ a nobleman with an innate modesty” (Carlos P. Romulo)”, “a highly principled man (Alfredo Roces)”, “unassuming, quiet manner belied his erudition (Mauro Garcia)”, “with a scholarly vision (E. Arsenio Manuel)” “with unobtrusive solitude and quiet sincerity, tireless, unyielding, uncompromising in his idealism (Tomas Fonacier)” “A full life lived with high and noble purpose” (Solomon V. Arnaldo), “meticulous to the point of perfection” and many more.1 His impact remains invaluable and his life continues to to inspire generations of information professionals that came after him.
As a tribute to this great man, the U.P. School of Library and Information Studies in 1974 initiated a memorial lecture series in his honor. Since then, an annual lecture has been given by leading scholars and practitioners of the profession and in allied fields. The GAB Memorial Lecture is the premier and longest running lecture series in the Philippines pertaining to library and information studies.
Now on its 45th year, the lecture continues to celebrate the life, work, and vision of Gabriel A. Bernardo.
1 Vallejo, R.M.(2007). Looking back while traveling into the future: The legacy of Gabriel A. Bernardo: A man for all time. Journal of Philippine Librarianship, 27(1&2) Delivered at the 28th Gabriel A. Bernardo Memorial Lecture Series held at the UPILIS, Diliman, Quezon City on March 14, 2007.
45th Gabriel A. Bernardo Memorial Lecturer
Amy VanScoy, MLIS, PhD
Amy VanScoy is an associate professor in the Department of Information Science at the University at Buffalo. As a former librarian, VanScoy’s research is centered at the intersection of theory and practice. She works to understand reference and information service practice at a conceptual level and to identify how formal theory is used by librarians in their work. Guided by her values for diversity, equity, and inclusion, as well as a global perspective, VanScoy aims to raise awareness of the important, complex, and often undervalued work that librarians do to support individuals and communities. VanScoy’s research has been funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the American Library Association and published in Library & Information Science Research, Journal of Documentation, and Library Quarterly. She presents at national and international conferences. She enjoys exploring new research methods and working with international collaborators.
Lecture Abstract
The Theory/Practice G̶a̶p̶ Link: Changing the Narrative about Theory in Library and Information Science
Theory is a term that tends to divide us: practitioners versus researchers and students versus educators. We repeat and reinforce the narrative of the intractable “theory/practice gap”. However, this gap might not be the wide gulf that we believe it to be. In fact, theory could be a concept that unifies us, helping us to create strong links between practitioners and researchers. Drawing on findings from my research and insights from fellow librarians and scholars, I challenge the narrative of the theory/practice gap and position theory as a unifying concept for our discipline.
This event is free and open to all. You may register at https://tinyurl.com/GAB2025. We look forward to seeing you there!
Published: 2025-02-19 23:59:53