|
by Robin Cavaco On Friday, April 10th, the School of Communication and Information (SCI) had their 2026 Open House. Originally intended as an in-person event, it was moved onto Zoom due to the bad weather and campus closures. The event began with Library and Information Science’s Assistant Professor, Keahiahi Long, performing the opening oli, "O Lono 'Oe". Dean Denise Konan, Ph.D., Dean of College of Social Sciences, followed with the Welcome Remarks, the theme of the year (Human-Centered AI), and event agenda. SCI highlights were presented by Hye-ryeon Lee, Ph.D, Chair of SCI. Dr. Lee announced that the Library and Information Science (LIS) program placed #36 in the nation in 2025. Way to go, LIS! This year also marks the program’s 60th anniversary. Congratulations LIS for making it to 60 years! I wish you many more amazing decades. Looking back on my own LIS journey, I remember that when I began my studies in 2014, the department was in its own stand-alone college. Around 2015, they moved to be under the ICS (Information and Computer Science) program.
Dr. Brett Oppegaard, a SCI Journalism professor, introduced and welcomed the Keynote Speaker, Dr. S. Shyam Sundar, Director of the Center for Socially Responsible Artificial Intelligence at Penn State. He presented to us his “Human-Centered AI: Navigating Bias, Promoting Transparency, & Combating Misinformation” research.
Ending the Open House was the presentation of alumni recognitions. This year’s recognitions were exciting and emotional. Each alumni, including our very own Sunny Pai, who was HLA President in 2024, gave a brief thank you speech, reminiscing about their time in their program and how it helped them become who they are today. Besides the joy and honor we experienced, it was also just fun to see where everyone currently works; who knew one of our state senators majored in Journalism? Alumni and Executive Director of Shangri La, Ben Weitz, zoomed in from his office at the Shangri La, even inviting us to visit, and illustrating to prospective students how varied careers can be with this type of degree. Being able to feel a part of our alumni’s journeys helped foster a sense of connection and pride. Congratulations to all awardees! Recognized Awardees were:
0 Comments
by Ellen-Rae Cachola
Tracking Bills
The HLA Advocacy Committee has set up a tracker using BillTrack50 to help monitor bills of importance to libraries and the library profession. We focus on issues that impact the freedom to read and access to information. To sign up for alerts about bills that you are interested in and to submit testimony if hearings are scheduled, you may sign up for your own personal account with the Hawaiʻi State Legislature (click Register). These are the bills that are on our radar this 2026 legislative session:
Participation Guidelines For those of us who are city or state workers, we must participate in these events on our own free time, as individual citizens. For more information, please review the Hawaiʻi State Ethics Commission’s Quick Guide on Lobbying Activities for State Officials and Employees. If you are uncertain about what you are allowed to do, reach out to the State Ethics Commission for guidance. More Information HLA is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. Per IRS guidelines, HLA may educate the public and decision makers, through public education and discussion, on issues such as the freedom to read and civic education. The HLA Advocacy Committee is a group of volunteers working to build community support for libraries, strengthen relationships with stakeholders, and advocate for a better landscape for libraries and archives in Hawaiʻi. Learn more about our committee here. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions. by the HLA Community Engagement Committee Promoting the freedom to read lies at the heart of every library’s mission. This principle ensures that people of all ages and backgrounds can explore ideas, encounter new perspectives, and find stories that reflect and expand upon their own experiences.
Each year, Banned Books Week (BBW) elevates and celebrates our freedom to read and invites us to reflect on the harms of censorship. BBW brings together librarians, educators, writers, publishers, and readers to affirm that access to stories/ideas is essential to a healthy and democratic society. HLA is proud to contribute to BBW 2025 through two initiatives that uplift local voices and emphasize our commitment to intellectual freedom. Video Series Featuring Local Leaders HLA invited a range of local voices to share short personal reflections on why they believe intellectual freedom should be cherished and defended. Among those who shared statements are:
These snapshots will be shared publicly through HLA’s social media channels during Banned Books Week 2025, and underscore the power of diverse perspectives in resisting censorship. We invite you to view these stories via this HLA Youtube channel playlist. Community Reflections on Padlet HLA has also launched “Why I Read Freely” via Padlet, a digital wall of voices that gathers local insights from community members. Contributors can respond to prompts like:
About Banned Books Week Banned Books Week was started in 1982 by Judith F. Krug of the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom, in coalition with publishers, booksellers, and writers’ organizations. The annual event, observed nationally this year from October 5-11, draws attention to ongoing/increasing challenges to books in classrooms and libraries – many of which are related to race, gender, sexuality, history, etc. These attempts to censor undermine the core tenets of a civilized and educated society, and are ultimately attempts to silence voices, restrict perspectives, and narrow our understanding of the multi-faceted world we live in. Standing Together for Intellectual Freedom By encouraging curiosity, dialogue, and access to diverse viewpoints, Hawai‘i’s librarians and information professionals ensure that our libraries remain places where everyone can learn and explore without fear of restriction. HLA extends a heartfelt mahalo to all who continue to champion these values, in small or large ways, and to those who contributed to our BBW initiatives this year. Together, we celebrate not only the books themselves, but the essential freedom to seek and share the ideas that define who we are as a collective, diverse community. As a community, we are free to read and we are free to think. Let’s continue to protect that freedom for all, remembering that “Free People Read Freely.” With aloha - HLA’s Community Engagement Committee For the fifth consecutive year, the school library media specialization in the University of Hawaii at Manoa's Library and Information Science graduate program has been recognized as one of the top 10 programs in the nation by the U.S. News and World Report in its "America's Best Graduate Schools 2012." It was ranked eighth in the top ten. U.S. News and World Report analyzes more than 12,000 different graduate program areas for this special report. Rankings are based on expert opinions regarding program quality and statistical indicators that measure the quality of the faculty, research, and students.
"The ICS department is extremely proud of the five-year sustained record of excellence made by the LIS program's school library media specialization for having the U.S. News and World Report name it in the top 10 out of more than 12,000 different graduate program areas programs nationally," Martha Crosby, Information and Computer Sciences department chair, said in a press release. The graduates of the LIS Program make up 85 percent of the Hawaii DOE's school library workforce. Several of them have received national recognition. In 2007, Kapolei High School Library, led by Carolyn Kirio and Sandy Yamamoto, was cited as the National School Library Media Program of the Year by the American Association of School Librarians. This year, Kailua Elementary Library was selected as one of 35 exemplary programs across the nation by the AASL, and librarian Darren Tanaka was commended for his innovative approaches to learning. St. Francis and Hongwanji Mission School were among several schools nationwide to receive a 2011 Capstone Assisting Remarkable Educators grant. The grants are a part of a program by Capstone Digital, developer of personalized literacy environments for students, to help improve literacy in schools. More than 30 schools from 20 school districts across the country have been awarded matching grants, funding dollar for dollar their purchase of myON reader, an online personalized literacy environment developed by Capstone that matches students' interests and reading levels to a recommended booklist of more than 1,300 enhanced digital books.
"We're thrilled to help offset the federal funding many educators were counting on and offer these remarkable schools access to the resources and tools that will provide unlimited reading and learning opportunities for their students," said Todd Brekhus, president of Capstone Digital. |
Archives
May 2026
Categories
All
|
RSS Feed
