FROM THE FRINGES: Libri amici sempiterni

FROM THE FRINGES: Libri amici sempiterni

By Jerome Aning | September 4, 2026

“Libri amici sempiterni” was one of the first Latin phrases I learned as a teen.  It translates to “Books are eternal friends” or “Books, lifelong friends”. I have been a voracious reader since I was a kid, experiencing the joy of reading works of fiction and nonfiction recommended by my friends, parents, teachers and the school librarian. An eclectic reader, my favorite genres include Philippine colonial history and culture, Rizaliana, classical history and mythology, biblical literature, royalty, the arts, the First World War, science fiction, gothic literature, espionage, mystery, humor, and movie tie-ins.

I nurtured the hobby of reading books for both leisure and knowledge through my professional life and as a journalist, I took interest in books about current events, world affairs, politics, law and biographies of the so-called newsmakers.  I once asked a retiring editor what to do in order to excel in news writing and her reply was “Read, read, and read more.” One can say that a well-read journalist also writes well.

Inevitably, I accumulated a small library that began taking up more and more space in our house. My TBR or “to be read” books started to increase in number, so much so that I once asked myself if I’m becoming more of a book collector rather than a book reader. All bibliophiles are familiar with the Japanese term “tsundoku” or the habit of acquiring books and reading materials and letting them pile up at home without reading them. I knew I had too many books when, one time, I purchased the second edition of a history book only to discover later that I got the first edition years earlier, put it on my TBR shelf and forgot about it.

For me, however, there is always the intention to read a book one has acquired. The real problem is the lack of time to read it, maybe because one is busy with his or her work, study, family duties, other social activities. Also, one usually has many other hobbies aside from reading books to busy himself or herself with. Thanks to the pandemic and later, my year-long self-imposed sabbatical from media work, I was able to reduce a bit my backlog of TBR books.  And heeding the wise observation of a historian on the difficulty of preserving books in a tropical country like ours, I have also started acquiring available digital versions of my shelved books.  I plan to give away or sell some of my physical books some day so that other readers can enjoy them.

Gen Xers like me grew up saving up their allowances to later buy books from National, Alemar’s, Goodwill and later Fully Booked, New Day, Popular and Solidaridad, among others. Annual, monthly and pay-day sales are must-go “expeditions” for me and my book-loving friends. Then came Booksale which flooded the market with old stock, weeded and second-hand books, both local and imported.

Book lovers also find time to go to book fairs that gather publishers, traders, and authors promoting and selling their books. The Manila International Book Fair (MIBF) is the longest running such event in the country. Its venue has been, in recent years, the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City, with over 100 exhibitors participating and over 120,000 visitors coming annually. This year, the MIBF will be held from Sept. 9 to 13. I usually go with friends to the MIBF but to save time, we part ways when we get there as we make beelines for our favorite book stores’ kiosks, explore other booths or join some activities, and then later meet for a snack before going home with our treasured books.

There are also book fairs, read-alongs, read-a-thons, book writing workshops and other related activities held on or around Apr. 23, which was designated as World Book and Copyright Day by UNESCO in 1995. The date marks the anniversary of the deaths of William Shakespeare and Miguel de Cervantes, and the birth or death anniversaries of other prominent writers. The Dia del Libro festival held in Makati City last Apr. 25 was spearheaded by the Instituto Cervantes de Manila, the Spanish government’s cultural arm. The National Book Development Board (NBDB) also annually organizes, usually in March, the Philippine Book Festival (PBF), which showcases the best of Philippine literature and features book launches, author signings, workshops, exhibits, and other programs.

Internet-based commerce expanded the world of book lovers. Soon, online selling platforms are giving traditional book stores stiff competition in selling both new and “pre-loved” books. Nowadays, there are dedicated social media groups and pages where book sellers and book hunters can transact. There are even online book fairs and auctions.

The internet, of course, paved the way for the digital books that one can read online or download. With more and more works getting published digitally, there are predictions that physical books or the “dead tree” editions would be soon a thing of the past.  But young and old readers, I think, would still want to experience the extra pleasure of not just reading a physical book, but touching and even smelling its pages or hearing the sound of pages being turned. I recall the English statesman and philosopher Francis Bacon saying in his essay that “[s]ome books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested” but he was talking about whether one should read and understand just parts of a book or its entirety. Compared to a tablet used in reading a digital book, a physical book would hardly suffer any damage if, while reading it, you suddenly fall asleep and drop it on the floor. The main advantage of a digital book, on the other hand, is that can be stored in a smartphone, laptop or any date storage device and be easily brought anywhere.

It was recently disclosed that the Philippines is facing a literacy crisis among many young Filipino students who are struggling with basic reading comprehension. Government programs were put in place to increase reading proficiency and meet grade-level expectations by the end of the current school year. I think it would also help to inculcate in the young ones the habit of reading for pleasure.  Children should be given more time to read what they like, whether it’s a comic book or a romance novel. They should be given the opportunity to explore the various genres and find which ones interest them. Book distribution networks similar to the late singer Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library should be encouraged. Also, students should not be burdened too much by assigned academic readings and school text books should easier and more fun to read.

The joy of reading inevitably nurtures an eagerness or willingness to gain knowledge about many topics, both old and new. As former US first lady Laura Bush said: “A love of books, of holding a book, turning its pages, looking at its pictures, and living its fascinating stories, goes hand-in-hand with a love of learning.”

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