The Hawaii Library Association held its annual conference on November 18th & 19th with both virtual and in-person events. I wanted to share some of my take-aways with you. Lessa Kanani‘opua Pelayo-Lozada, the current ALA president, opened the conference by sharing her thoughts on the kuleana of librarians today. She underscored the need for libraries to uplift diverse voices and protect students’ right to read. Across the country, libraries are facing a wave of book challenges and bans and, while Hawaii hasn’t been an epicenter of censorship, it’s in our students best interest to be proactive and prepared. You can find helpful resources at UniteAgainstBookBans.org. ALA also provides a printable PDF pamphlet with the Library Bill of Rights and Freedom to Read statement. If you are a HIDOE employee, you can find the state Materials Selection Policy and Controversial Issues Policy here. Educating yourself and your school community about this issue might feel like a risk. You can find the courage you need by reaching out to your community of library colleagues and educators including HASL members and leaders. Sacred Hearts librarian and HASL member Laurel Oshiro presented her experience genrefying the library. While it was a daunting task to accomplish, the changes have empowered Laurel’s students to use the library with more independence and with greater access to print resources. Reorganizing the books also allowed students and volunteers to play a more active role by reshelving books quickly and correctly, which frees Laurel to focus on other responsibilities, such as planning instruction and programming. Laurel drew on the expertise and assistance of others during this process. Kaimuki High School librarian Renea Ruark shared a color-coding system which became the backbone of the new organizational structure. Lauren Nielsen, who was a practicum student with Laurel at the time, assisted with critical steps of the projects such as determining categories, assessing book genres and topics, and physically rearranging the books. Laurel’s willingness to move beyond tradition and reimagine library policies and practices to meet students’ needs more effectively is an example we can all follow. Laurel generously shared the files she created in this Google Drive. After so many virtual events in the past three years, it was a joy to gather in person at the Saturday evening HLA social at the Bishop Museum. Several school librarians and HASL members were in attendance including Susan Clark and Eden Peart (pictured here). Seeing these new and old colleagues and friends reminded me how important it is to nurture relationships with library professionals. I rely on my friends in the library community for inspiration, support, feedback, encouragement, guidance, and celebration. While it’s hard to take the time away from our day-to-day responsibilities, I encourage you to participate in events like the HLA conference in order to fill your own bucket and return to your library communities with renewed passion and insight. Wishing you all a joyful holiday season! Caitlin Ramirez, HASL President
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