21/09/2026
๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ง๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐๐ข๐๐ซ๐๐ซ๐ฒ ๐๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ค๐ ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐ฐ
When ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐ฎ๐น ๐๐ฎ๐ was declared through ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฐ๐น๐ฎ๐บ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ก๐ผ. ๐ญ๐ฌ๐ด๐ญ on ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ฆ๐ฒ๐ฝ๐๐ฒ๐บ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ญ๐ต๐ณ๐ฎ, its effects reached beyond the halls of government and the university classroom. At the University of the Philippines, the University Library also underwent changes that shaped how people worked, entered the library, and accessed information.
The suspension of classes following the declaration brought immediate adjustments to Library operations. Changes were made to working hours and other library procedures, while policies on overdue books were modified to accommodate the disruption of academic activities.
By ๐๐ค๐ต๐ฐ๐ฃ๐ฆ๐ณ 1972, persons entering the University libraries were required to present properly countersigned identification cards, while bags and portfolios were subject to inspection. Two security officers were assigned to the Main Library. Only students, faculty, staff, and individuals with legitimate university business and proper identification were permitted entry, while other visitors were required to register with Security.
The changes in library access were also reflected in its collections. On 10 ๐๐ฆ๐ฃ๐ณ๐ถ๐ข๐ณ๐บ 1973, several books and publications were withdrawn from general circulation following a recommendation from the U.P. Security Division. These included works by Filipino writers and publications associated with political and ideological movements. Among them were ๐๐ฆ๐ณ๐ฏ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ๐ฐ ๐๐ฃ๐ข๐บ๐ข'๐ด ๐๐ฆ๐ต๐ณ๐ข๐บ๐ข๐ญ ๐ช๐ฏ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐๐ฉ๐ช๐ญ๐ช๐ฑ๐ฑ๐ช๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ด ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐๐ฏ๐ต๐ฐ๐ญ๐ฅ ๐๐ฉ๐ช๐ญ๐ช๐ฑ๐ฑ๐ช๐ฏ๐ฆ ๐๐ต๐ฐ๐ณ๐บ; ๐๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ข๐ต๐ฐ ๐๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ด๐ต๐ข๐ฏ๐ต๐ช๐ฏ๐ฐ'๐ด ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐บ๐ข ๐ฑ๐ข๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฉ๐ญ๐ฆ๐ต๐ด; ๐๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ๐ฐ ๐๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ๐ช๐ค๐ฉ๐ฐ'๐ด ๐๐ช๐ฎ๐ข๐จ๐ด๐ช๐ฌ; ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ธ๐ณ๐ช๐ต๐ช๐ฏ๐จ๐ด ๐ฃ๐บ ๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฅ๐ช๐ฎ๐ช๐ณ ๐๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ช๐ฏ, ๐๐ข๐ฐ ๐๐ด๐ฆ-๐๐ถ๐ฏ๐จ, ๐๐ข๐ณ๐ญ ๐๐ข๐ณ๐น, and ๐๐ฐ๐ด๐ฆ ๐๐ข. ๐๐ช๐ด๐ฐ๐ฏ. The materials were transferred to the stacks and made available for room use only. The use of some titles described as โsubversiveโ was likewise regulated in the Reserve Section.
Martial Law also affected periodical and indexing activities. By the end of 1972, the Library recorded a decline in the number of periodical titles being indexed, as some publications appeared irregularly while others were suspended. Changes in the academic environment also required new reading lists and adjustments to Library services.
Despite these changes, the need for information remained. Reference and research inquiries increased substantially. The Library recorded 949 reference and research queries during the reported year, compared with 383 in the previous year, a 147% increase. As policies and institutions rapidly changed under the New Society, the University community increasingly relied on the Library for research and reference materials.
More than five decades later, the Libraryโs records reveal how Martial Law was felt not only through national policies, but also in the everyday experience of entering a library, borrowing a book, and seeking information. Amid changes in security, circulation, and access to publications, the University Library continued to serve as a place where knowledge was sought and shared. These records remind us that during a period when access to information was increasingly regulated, the Library remained a vital part of the University communityโs pursuit of knowledge.
References:
University of the Philippines, Library. (1973). ๐๐ฏ๐ฏ๐ถ๐ข๐ญ ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ต๐ด 1972โ73. University of the Philippines.
University of the Philippines, Library. (1972). ๐๐ฏ๐ช๐ท๐ฆ๐ณ๐ด๐ช๐ต๐บ ๐๐ช๐ฃ๐ณ๐ข๐ณ๐บ ๐๐ฆ๐ค๐ฐ๐ณ๐ฅ๐ด (๐๐ฐ๐น 265, ๐๐ฐ๐ญ๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ณ 5). University of the Philippines, University Archives, Quezon City, Philippines.
