The Olivarez College Information Resource Center acknowledges the legacy of its founders Dr. Pablo R. Olivarez and Dra. Rosario L. Olivarez, both were medical practitioners when they ventured to conquer ignorance by putting up an academic institution.

            The founders had a great passion for education. Their dream started to materialize when their brainchild of putting up a school for nursing began in 1976. To promptly answer their ministry’s call, they built a four-story building. The ground level housed the canteen; the second level housed the nursing laboratory and classrooms; the third level housed the storehouse of knowledge-library and the fourth level accommodates dormitory occupants.

            The year 1977 marked a milestone in the history of Olivarez College with the unprecedented increase in school population after a year of its opening. The library, being one of the support services of the institution, started to acquire a wide array of library materials to cater to the needs of the growing population and to supplement titles on other curricular offerings that were newly opened.

            It was in the 80’s that the mustard seed planted continued to grow and shine like stars in the academe. Hence, it necessitated hiring personnel to manage the library. The first librarian was Ms. Ruth Glori. After working for a good number of years in the library, she was succeeded by the competent and efficient Ms. Virginia Monares. The younger generation of librarians came in the 90’s. Mrs. Densie Credo was appointed library in-charge before Mr. Jorge Erwin Rada as the director of the library in 1999 and became the first licensed librarian of the college.

            The grandest achievement of the library unfolded in the late 90’s when the library consistently passed every accreditation they encountered from Nursing, Commerce, Liberal Arts, and Basic Education Programs.

            The first was the installation of the air-conditioned units that made the library conducive for learning in 1999, followed by several programs that really strengthened the services of the library for its clients.

            With the advent of computers in the 21st century, librarians took the initiative with the generous help of the administrators to hook in into global networking of information or the Internet.

              In 2004, the library hired Mr. Melquiades I. Alipo-on, a master’s degree holder and a licensed librarian.

           The year 2005 was favorable to the library for it made a quantum leap in tapping the computer expert to make a customized library program, spearheaded by a Computer Engineer, Mr. Alvin Lester Candare with the assistance of Mr. Gary Aure.

            In 2007, the construction of the 3-story building materialized. The two floors were allotted for the library expansion with a total floor area of 2,400 square meters. This was through the effort of the President and Founder of Olivarez College, Dr. Pablo R. Olivarez, with the assistance of his two siblings, Dr. Eric L. Olivarez and Mrs. Evangeline Olivarez Ilas.

            In 2008, the new state-of-the-art library with WI-FI facilities was formally inaugurated and blessed. The library was relocated to its new home at the Saturnina De Leon Hall, now known as the Information Resource Center with functional facilities like a computer section with internet access, Edtech Center equipped with modern technology, Photocopying Section, and Readers’ facilities such as Filipiniana, Reserve, General Reference, Serials, General Collection, Fiction, Archives, Special Collection, etc. Also available are the Readers Lounges, Individual Carrels, Intensive Reading Room, Discussion Room, and Multi-Media Room.

            In this same year, the library was able to add three young and skilled professional librarians namely: Ms. Leilani Alberto, Ms. Niña Gutierez, and Ms. Jean Razzell Perdiguerra to help the pioneers like Ms. Rose Villanueva, Mrs. Jesusa Cortes, Mrs. Densie Credo, Mr. Melquiades, and Mr. Jorge Rada. They worked forhand in hand to provide the library clientele the best services that it could offer.

            A wide array of instructional media materials is kept in EdTech Center. The state-of-the-art multi-media room, conference room, and auditorium are under the supervision of the Director of the Libraries, Mr. Jorge Erwin Rada, with the technical support of Mr. Romeo Reyes, Edmund Tabar, and Ernesto Castro and with the assistance of well-trained working scholars. Today classroom instruction has never been the same again.

         In 2009, the library hired Ms. Jacqueline Dinglasan as a High School Librarian. It was also this year that the Graduate School programs were granted Level I by the Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities Commission on Accreditation (PACUCOA). This accrediting agency gives formal recognition to an educational institution by attesting that its academic program maintains excellent standards in its educational operations, in the context of its aims and objectives.

          The year 2010 has been favorable to the IRC. The school administrators have continuously supported all programs of the library, especially in the collection building. The library has been in continuous service with, Mr. Melquiades I. Alipo-on.

            In 2011, Mr. Melquiades I. Alipon, Library Director contributed an article entitled: Olivarez College Library: Towards Intellectual Development to the official publication of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) HigherEd Capital. This article became the gateway of the library to visitors for benchmarking activities.

            The library was fortunate in 2012, a vibrant and dynamic young librarian was hired, Mr. Frederick Velasco. In the same year, Mr. Melquiades I. Alipo-on presented a paper at the international conference on his research on the Collaboration of Libraries in MUNPARLAS: Basis for Consortium.

            As part of the ongoing efforts to build cohesive and friendly relationships with its users, the library launched its Facebook Page in the summer of 2013. This page provides an engaging and participatory medium to communicate with many of our users.

            To further enhance research and support general education, the library acquired new notable collections in 2014. Additional e-books for students and faculty were acquired.

            Today, the library takes pride as it contributes to the fulfillment of the institution’s mission in its continued commitment to serve its clientele.

The Olivarez College Information Resource Center (OCIRC) is committed to providing a holistic approach to giving information resources to library clientele in their quest for academic excellence. Animated by the Olivarian motto of “Educating the Mind, Body, and Soul” the library commits to inculcating a passion for excellence through research, study and information science. In keeping with the mission, information resources are readily accessible to the library clientele.

The OCIRC leads in providing access to quality information in educating individuals for effective and lifelong learning. Guided by the goals and objectives of the institution, it affirms and commits itself to be the center of excellence in information resources in the print of technology-based information. The library commits to the broad-based support of its primary clientele the students, faculty, and staff while also recognizing its role in the community, particularly the residents of Parañaque City.

The OCIRC is committed to providing an array of services responsive to the needs of the Olivarian community. Specifically, it endeavors to:

1. Collect and provide access to a universe of materials that correlate to the curriculum and research of the College;

2. Strive to deploy information technologies to support the research needs of the clientele;

3. Engage in appropriate partnerships with other units and agencies to reinforce services; and

4. Pursue organizational effectiveness.