Filipino librarians and social change: an interpretative phenomenological analysis

While social change is usually brought about by massive occurrences, such as population shifts, political upheavals, and the natural environment, it can also be led by individuals or professions that contribute change in society, through their own ways. It is around this foundation that this study examines Filipino librarians and social change by looking into how Filipino librarians, understand social change through their lived experiences in their own context, how they respond to and affect social changes in their communities, and why they engage in such activities as well as the reason behind their advocacies. The study used a qualitative phenomenological method which used the Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) approach in order to determine the understanding of Filipino librarians of social change. A semi-structured interview guide was used as the research instrument. Several librarians from different types of libraries were interviewed in order to understand social change from their perspectives and lived experiences. Aside from manual coding, the software Atlas.ti was also utilized to analyze data from the interview, where themes were later derived to form an understanding of social change. The study revealed that Filipino librarians associate social change to education, and respond to the changes happening to society through their advocacies, activities, and programs. Their motivation in engaging with such activities is their passion and love for their profession. Filipino librarians also want to help society by influencing people to create informed decisions and creating an impact through their advocacies. The findings help us understand social change through a personal level while showing how librarians leveraged their skills, especially as educators, to remain relevant in today’s world. It also showed the importance of librarians in fostering a more knowledgeable and empowered community capable of driving social change.