History
The NagaCity Public Library was renamed Raul S. Roco Library on 26 October 2005, the late senator’s 64th birth anniversary, through Resolution No. 2005-079 of the Sangguniang Panglungsod of Naga.
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The NagaCity Public Library was renamed Raul S. Roco Library on 26 October 2005, the late senator’s 64th birth anniversary, through Resolution No. 2005-079 of the Sangguniang Panglungsod of Naga.
It was renamed in memory of the late Raul S. Roco, who was an exemplary student, a humanist lawyer, a consummate artist, a brilliant Constitutionalist, an accomplished lawmaker, a distinguished Senator, a reformist education secretary, an outstanding public servant, and a foremost Bicolano.
Originally established as Camarines Sur Branch Library through a resolution of the Provincial Board of Camarines Sur on April 1921, it became one of the first eight libraries organized in the country.
For the duration of the Second World War – from 1941 to 1945, it remained closed, only to reopen after April 1, 1946.
Upon its reopening, it lagged behind the fast rehabilitation that characterized the postwar days. The situation was attributed to mismanagement.
Another crisis overtook the library when on August 1, 1956, the Provincial Board of Camarines Sur abolished it, believing that its services were more for the benefit of NagaCity residents than of the people of Camarines Sur. But the Provincial Board of Camarines Sur later conceded the management of the Library to the City Government of Naga through Resolution No.124 Series of 1956.
Given a new mandate, NagaCity Public Library ceased to be the coordinating agency of all municipal libraries operating in Camarines Sur province.
From 1957 to 1958, the library rented a building along Barlin Street to house its facilities and deliver its services.
In 1979, the NagaCity Public Library moved to a building just fronting the Plaza Rizal and it became readily accessible to the public.
In 1983, it acquired a new Bookmobile from the National Library which served the readers and students of public elementary schools located in the upland barangays of NAgaCity.
In 1996, it became the only public library in the Philippines that provided Internet service to its clientele.
In its determination to provide an excellent atmosphere for reading and research, the library moved on 18 November 2004 to its present location, a newly-constructed, modern, and fully equipped building within the City Hall Compound. The reading area can accommodate 500 readers with special provisions for persons with disabilities
In 2005, the Department of Education signed a Memorandum of Agreement for a two-year administration of the Library HUB project in NagaCity. It was also designated as the Regional Access Point for the Philippine E-Library project in Bicol by the National Library. In the same year, the library website was launched providing information on its services and programs, including its online catalog.
In 2007, it was designated the City Government of Naga and Raul S. Roco Foundation as the Secretariat to the Annual Regional Search for the Raul S. Roco Youth Achievement Awards. Every year, the search provides recognition to youth organizations in Bicol whose community projects were inspired by Senator Roco. On the same year, the edifice became a wi-fi zone offering free connections to Internet Service.
This year, on the ground floor of the library, was inaugurated the new training center for visually impaired individuals with the appellation – the NagaCityResourceCenter for the Blind. This section provides computer and livelihood training to the visually challenged individual in NagaCity.
Through the years, the Raul S. Roco Library has served as the primary information center in the region. It is the permanent home to Senator Raul S. Roco’s Memorabilia, and to the awards conferred on the NagaCity government. It has one of the widest collections of books and reference materials among the Local Government Unit administered libraries. It caters particularly to the library requirements of high school and college students. It also has a designated area for preschool and elementary pupils. Its collection includes materials for general circulation and general reference. It also has periodicals, AV materials, electronic resources, and Filipiniana sections. In addition, it has Local Governance, Research, and Bikoliana special sections.