17/09/2026
๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐: ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐, ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ | ๐๐ญ๐จ๐ซ๐ฒ #๐๐
For some students, a library is defined by shelves, books, silence, and the pursuit of information. For Aron James Samonte, however, the STEAM Library became something more. A space where knowledge was accessed, connections were formed, and the meaning of student service was experienced firsthand.
Aron James Samonte is a fourth-year Bachelor of Science in Development Communication student under the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) of Batangas State University. A resident of Calicanto, Batangas, he has spent his undergraduate years not only pursuing academic excellence but also actively engaging in leadership and community service. His commitment to student involvement is reflected in his affiliations both within and beyond the university. He serves as the Public Information Officer of the Supreme Student Council - Pablo Borbon Campus and as Vice President of the CAS Honor Society. Beyond the university, he also serves as an SK Councilor in Brgy. Ticalan, San Juan, Batangas. His experiences further expanded when he became a Student Assistant at the STEAM Library, allowing him to experience the library not merely as a student seeking information, but also as someone who contributed to the service it provides.
Among the many moments he encountered within the library, one experience remains particularly memorable, the 35th Library and Information Services Month (LISM) Celebration. The event brought together different student organizations through an initiative of the library, providing them with an opportunity to introduce their advocacies, activities, and services to the student community. For Aron, the event became memorable because it brought together several dimensions of student life in one setting. It allowed him to experience the services offered by the STEAM Library while simultaneously witnessing the creativity and engagement of student organizations.
His perspective became even more meaningful because he experienced the event as a Student Assistant. From this position, he was able to observe the dedication of the library personnel beyond their conventional image as providers of books and information. He witnessed their eagerness to assist students, their attentiveness to their concerns, and their willingness to guide them throughout the event. More importantly, he saw that same commitment reflected in the library's regular operations. Their consistent effort to provide quality service transformed what could have been an ordinary academic space into an environment characterized by warmth, accessibility, and genuine support.
Throughout his undergraduate journey, the STEAM Library has served as an important academic resource for Aron. Its collection of books, research studies, and other scholarly references provided valuable support in completing academic requirements and developing their research. Whenever academic tasks demanded deeper investigation, the library offered materials that helped him and his peers broaden their understanding of their chosen topics.
The library's contribution extended beyond simply providing sources. Its resources also allowed Aron to become more familiar with the conventions of academic writing, particularly the appropriate format and structure of thesis writing. By examining existing scholarly works and research materials, he gained a clearer understanding of how academic knowledge is organized and communicated. In this sense, the library became part of his learning process, not only supplying information but also helping him develop the skills necessary to engage with information critically and academically.
What distinguishes the STEAM Library from other libraries Aron has encountered is its ability to move beyond the traditional boundaries of a library. While its academic resources remain fundamental to its purpose, its initiatives demonstrate that learning can also occur through interaction, participation, and community engagement.
The 35th LISM Celebration serves as one example of this distinctiveness. Through such initiatives, the library provides student organizations with a platform to present their ideas, conduct interactive activities, and establish meaningful connections with fellow students. In doing so, the library becomes more than a repository of knowledge. It becomes a venue where knowledge is shared, ideas are exchanged, and members of the university community encounter one another.
For Aron, this ability to create opportunities for engagement is one of the qualities that makes the STEAM Library remarkable. It encourages students to learn beyond the usual library setting and demonstrates that knowledge does not exist only within books and research papers. It can also emerge from conversations, collaborations, organizational activities, and shared experiences.
Looking toward the future, Aron hopes to see more events and initiatives that allow students to experience the library in similarly meaningful ways. He envisions a STEAM Library that continues to provide opportunities for Red Spartans to learn, participate, and connect. He also hopes that future initiatives will welcome a wider range of organizations, including groups from outside the BatStateU community. Such collaborations, in his view, could open new avenues for learning, knowledge sharing, and meaningful partnerships.
Yet, perhaps the most important lesson Aron carries from his library experience is not found on a bookshelf or within the pages of a research study. It is a lesson about people.
His message is simple but deeply personal โ believe in oneself and live life to the fullest. It is a principle he reminds himself of whenever he feels uncertain, discouraged, or lost. Interestingly, he finds that the same principle is reflected in the character of the people who make the STEAM Library what it is. He describes its staff as kind, hospitable, grateful, and genuinely appreciative of the students they serve.
For him, the library has gradually taken on the character of a family. It is a place where students are welcomed, supported, and reminded that they do not have to navigate their college journey alone. Behind every assistance offered, every question answered, and every student guided is a community of people willing to help them move forward.
Aron's story therefore reveals a broader understanding of what a library can become. It can begin as a place where a student searches for a book, develops a research paper, or studies for an academic requirement. Over time, however, it can become a place where that same student discovers confidence, encounters supportive people, participates in meaningful experiences, and learns the value of service.
