Ateneo de Manila makes academic research public at the SM Book Nook

Ateneo de Manila University Journals Support Supervisor Ramil Balubal (rightmost) gives an overview of the University’s various publications to Arch. Shereen T. Sy, Pioneer of Book Nook (center) and SM North EDSA Senior Assistant Vice President for Mall Operations Ms. Jocelyn Ann C. Lapid-Clariño (second from left), as staff look on. PHOTO: SM Book Nook

In a move to make scholarly knowledge more accessible, the Ateneo de Manila University has donated a curated collection of its academic journals—spanning topics ranging from precolonial history to modern technology—to the Book Nook at SM North EDSA. The initiative reinforces the University’s commitment to bridging research and the public.

The donation features peer-reviewed texts across multiple disciplines and research areas, including Philippine history, culture, society, and interdisciplinary studies. Close to a hundred journal copies were turned over from across the Ateneo’s various signature publications, including Perspective in the Arts and Humanities, Budhi: A Journal of Ideas and Culture, Social Transformations: Journal of the Global South, Journal of Management for Global Sustainability, and Philippine Studies: Historical and Ethnographic Viewpoints, with the latest issues from 2019 to 2025.

By bringing these journals into a public, community-oriented space, the initiative opens new pathways for learners, readers, and curious minds to engage with academic works beyond the classroom and traditional library settings.

Book Nook, a community reading initiative pioneered by Singapore-based architect Shereen Sy, reimagines everyday spaces as accessible hubs for learning and exchange. It currently has three locations in Metro Manila–at SM Podium, SM Aura Premier, and SM North EDSA–each designed as an open, free-to-use library that invites visitors to read, share, and donate books. The addition of Ateneo’s journals enriches the space by introducing peer-reviewed academic resources into a more relaxed and welcoming environment.

The Book Nook team welcomed the turnover and emphasized the significance of collaboration in advancing literacy and community engagement.

Through this initiative, the Ateneo de Manila University continues to extend the reach of its academic works, affirming the role of scholarship in public life and community development.