Since the library has allowed me to conduct a needs assessment interview and observation inside the Children’s Area, the tasks felt attainable and comfortable for me. After Sir Neil signed the consent form to be my gatekeeper, I regularly checked in to see how the library is doing and the calendar of activities in line. From this, the needs assessment pointed to important angles where an instructional gap is present. Through the needs assessment, the findings show that there are discrepancies in reading motivation when solitary reading is applied in libraries, causing implications in regular library use and literacy. Librarians also recommend social reading to mitigate this. Through comprehensive research, we also found that reading with others or with a community creates a reading culture or a sense of belonging among learners, encouraging the active members of the academic sphere, subsequently generating richer reading motivation to achieve academically. This pointed to a challenge and an opportunity for libraries to step up to being hubs for diaogue and shared experiences, rather than just solitary reading. 

This made me think of why using a library as a place to start such an initiative. Through a review of significant and related literature, it can be said that the library is identified not only as a repository of books but also as a community hotspot with the potential to nurture social learning. The book club format leverages this by transforming the library into a hub for dialogue, peer-to-peer support, and shared experiences.

From this stance, a title for the special project was born, “Tara sa Lib-BRO!” as my project alludes to three words: libro or book, “lib”, a shorter word for library, and “bro”, a common Filipino endearment for friends. Tara sa Lib-BRO!, if not already obvious, tackles the importance of reading, but puts a focus on “reading with our bros” or what we call social reading. As a bookworm since childhood, this has been more of a passion project, tackling an activity I love the most. By mid- April, the instructional problem had been identified, and I started writing the project proposal. Alongside this, a draft of an instructional plan and flow was underway. 

By the end of the month, I sought feedback and suggestions from Sir Neil regarding the Instructional Plan to ensure that it aligns with his expertise and vision for the library’s literacy initiatives. This process highlighted the importance of collaboration with a content expert, especially when designing an intervention that directly impacts learners and the community. His input not only validated the strengths of the plan but also helped me refine areas that needed more practicality and alignment with the library’s actual context.

I realized that instructional design is not a solitary effort; it is strengthened through dialogue, negotiation, and openness to revisions. Consulting with a gatekeeper and expert like Sir Neil grounded the project in the realities of the library’s resources, user demographics, and existing literacy challenges. It also allowed me to see how theory and instructional frameworks, such as ADDIE, must always be adapted to the lived experiences of learners and practitioners.

This experience reminded me that humility and flexibility are essential qualities in designing programs for real-world application. By welcoming constructive criticism, I was able to improve the plan and ensure its feasibility, relevance, and sustainability. Ultimately, the revisions made the Instructional Plan not just my own work, but a shared product shaped by collaboration—one that stands a greater chance of making a meaningful impact on the library community.