Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 25, Number 5, 1 ʻApelila 2008 — New library president to stack shelves with diversity [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

New library president to stack shelves with diversity

By Liza Simūn ŪHA Public Affairs Specialist The nation's puhlie libraries will be buzzing with multieultural and multilingual resources, under a plan that is

being initiated by the first-ever Native American president of the American Library Association (ALA). During her visit earlier this year to

Hawai'i, Dr. Loriene Roy discussed why she is supporting programs to get more indigenous writers and publishers on puhlie library shelves. "It's especially important for ehildren to see a reflection of their eulture inside books. This says to them, 'We as a people are important,' " said Roy, who is an Anishinabe (Ojibwe) and a member of the Minnesota Ohippewa Tribe.

As part of her new ALA plan, Roy has created Gathering ofReaders, an international and virtual celebration of indigenous children's culture and literature. She selected the Nānākuli charter school - Ka Waihona o ka Na'auao, to represent Hawai'i in the web-linked activities of the new program. "Dr. Roy is encouraging educators to promote reading as an activity that is fun, and we are thrilled to be part of this approach because we know it will help our children heeome lifelong readers," said school librarian Analu Iosephides. As a participant in Gathering of Readers, the Nānākuli Hawaiian charter school will contribute to an online eolleehon of indigenous games and books about cultural practices to appeal to youngsters everywhere. On April 13, National Library Day, Gathering of Readers will sponsor a web-linked showcase aimed at highlighting media resources that positively portray native peoples. The Nānākuli school

will contribute information on books written in English and 'ōlelo Hawai'i. During her Hawai'i visit, Roy also met with Alu Like Ine. representatives, who are seeking nahonal accreditation for the state's only Native Hawaiian library. The library eolleehon started in 1985 as a community hookmohile service and has expanded to include a network of literacy programs based at Alu Like's Honolulu headquarters. Support for the growth of the Alu Like library has eome from many organizations, including the Hawaiian civic clubs and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. Like her predecessors at ALA, Roy encourages parents to read to their children. She said this activity is well-regarded in Native American culture for creating a special bond between generations. "We have a saying that the first person whose story makes a baby laugh owns the heart of the coimnunity," said Roy. □

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