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Aloha HLA friends and colleagues,
The HLA Board expresses its deep concern for the recent devastation and loss of life inflicted by the wildfires on Maui and Hawaiʻi Island. Our thoughts are with all who have been affected by this tragedy. We would like to offer support to our library ʻohana in its efforts to rebuild and recover, and we stand by to assist once those efforts commence. If there are ways for the HLA community to contribute to those efforts, we will provide that information at a later date once the full scope of damage has been assessed. In the coming days and weeks, please keep those in our library ʻohana who have been impacted by these wildfires in your thoughts. The HLA Board sends our aloha. For information about how you can support those on Maui, please click on the button below.
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The Hawaii Library Association grieves with the families and friends of all those victimized by gun violence. The number of mass shootings, including the rise of such incidents at schools at the primary, secondary, and higher educational levels,* directly impact our library communities and lifelong learners that we support.
The American Library Association has recognized the need to pass a number of resolutions related to gun violence through the years. HLA takes a moment to recognize this and also to stand against such violence, especially in the wake of the recent racist shooting in Buffalo, NY and the elementary school shooting in Uvalde, Texas. Words cannot express how important it is, more than ever, to come together and support one another in the face of these tragic events. We encourage our colleagues and friends to learn more about safety and gun policies, as well as to continue to foster conversations around this issue in our communities and workplaces.** *More research on gun violence incidents in schools, here. **Further Pew Research here. Please see below for an opportunity, that we were asked to share with our membership:
The Children’s Literature Lecture Award Committee is seeking suggestions for our 2023 honoree. The lecturer may be an author, critic, librarian, historian, or teacher of children’s literature, of any country, who shall prepare a paper considered to be a significant contribution to the field of children’s literature. The lecture will be given in April or May of 2023 at a site to be chosen next year. ALSC members are welcome to send suggestions to the committee for consideration. Please send your proposed lecturer(s), with supporting rationale for each recommendation. The nomination form is available online and the deadline for submissions is July 31. Recent past lecturers include Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop, Neil Gaiman, Dr. Debbie Reese, Naomi Shihab Nye, and Jacqueline Woodson. The complete list of past lecturers is on the ALSC website. The 2023 lecturer will be announced at the 2022 ALA LibLearnX next January in San Antonio. For more details about the lecture, please visit the Children’s Literature Lecture Award site. The Hawai‘i Library Association stands with library workers, patrons, and the communities we serve who are discriminated against and are subject to violence based solely on their race or ethnicity. We do this in support of our brothers and sisters in the ALA Black Caucus “Statement Condemning Increased Violence and Racism Towards Black Americans and People of Color.”
Libraries, at their core, are communities where all are welcome. We stand for diversity, equity, inclusion, and open access to information. The pervasive and institutionalized racism in our society today denies these principles, promotes oppression, and dehumanizes our brothers and sisters. We must work together to end such racism and discrimination. While libraries have long considered themselves as neutral ground, there is no neutrality in the face of oppression. Using power and structure to limit others is contrary to our principles and mission. All have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. All have the right to have their voice heard. We cannot be silent. We cannot just stand by. Change will not happen overnight. But it will only happen as we work together. Libraries can facilitate this work by providing safe spaces, by helping educate, and by supporting those who feel voiceless. Let us stand together and lift up those who have been pushed down, kneeled upon, and discarded. Let us stand together as libraries, as communities, and as sisters and brothers. Let us stand together and support those who need it most. Let us stand together so Black People and People of Color can breathe freely. Let us stand together as one ‘ohana. After careful review of current circumstances and out of an abundance of caution, the HLA Board has cancelled the HLA Spring Meeting. Concerns related to COVID-19 have impacted every facet of our society, including libraries. We are often the frontline of community interaction and work with many vulnerable members of our population. As each of us develop response plans to the current circumstances, we would encourage a review of ALA’s Pandemic Preparedness site (http://www.ala.org/tools/atoz/pandemic-preparedness) for library specific resources and the CDC’s Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) site (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html) and the State of Hawai‘i’s Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) site (https://health.hawaii.gov/docd/advisories/novel-coronavirus-2019/)
In the meantime the HLA Board hopes everyone will be safe and be able to make a smooth transition to serving our users during this challenge. |
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