Jay Michael O. Diola is a librarian and a mentor who trains staff, students, and faculty on library technology. He exhibits excellent communication and creativity in designing engaging library instruction and integrates various library activities technology tools and online platforms.  Jay is interested in creating library content in different formats and in providing training and programs for other librarians to improve the quality of library services in the country. Jay is the head librarian at De La Salle Santiago Zobel School. He is an Apple Certified Teacher, Google Certified Educator Level 2, and a textbook author.  In his winning submission, Jay shares his experience about creating an interactive virtual library in response to the pandemic. This was done using Minecraft Education Edition and integrating various platforms including the online reference service, Grabrarian.

“Even a simple idea for a greater purpose goes a long way. This project made me realize that aside from the challenges that the pandemic brings. It also gave us a lot of opportunities to be creative. This award only strengthens my belief that even a simple idea goes a long way. It also gives my team and me the inspiration to seek out more innovations to improve our field. Recognition like this from a very reputable organization allows us to share our idea with a wider audience.”