Interrelationships of Awareness, Organizational Support and Compliance of Public Libraries on Republic Act 7743

Abstract

Statement of the Problem. Republic Act (RA) 7743 is an act providing for the establishment of congressional, city and municipal libraries and barangay reading centres throughout the Philippines, which was enacted in 1994 with the goal to promote literacy, facilitate intellectual development and equitable access to information. It is a significant legislative measure in the Philippines that emphasizes the crucial role of knowledge and information in nation-building by establishing public libraries throughout the country. This study aimed to determine if organizational support and participants’ awareness on RA 7743 are associated with the extent of compliance on such Act. This was done by measuring first the extent of organizational support extended by the participants’ respective institutions for the implementation of RA 7743, their extent of awareness, and extent of compliance of their respective libraries to the said Act.

Methods. A descriptive-correlational design was employed in this study, using frequency, mean, and percentage to assess the extent of organizational support, awareness, and compliance, with RA 7743. While Pearson’s correlation coefficient was used to determine whether organizational support and awareness on RA 7743 are correlated with the extent of compliance to such Act. Data were gathered through a survey questionnaire using Google form, distributed via email and a total of 43 public librarians and/or public library OICs/administrators participated.

Results. Findings revealed a generally high level of organizational support, and the participants had a very high level of awareness on the said Act, with varying levels of awareness across different dimensions. Whereas compliance with the said Act was also reported to be generally very high, with also varying levels of awareness across different dimensions. Finally, the study revealed that there is a significant association among organizational support, awareness, and compliance with RA 7743, emphasizing the significance of organizational support and awareness in ensuring compliance with legal requirements.

Originality. The results offer valuable insights into library management to improve operations and decision-making in alignment with RA 7743 provisions. Thus, it is recommended to conduct a regular awareness campaign on the said Act and enhanced coordination and collaboration among stakeholders.