President’s Message
It is my honor to serve as the 2019-2020 President of the Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association (APALA), along with our Vice President Candice Mack and the other amazing members of the APALA Executive Board. I have been an APALA member since I was a student in graduate school. I call it my home. This year, I hope to empower our members to get involved through my Presidential theme, Strength in Solidarity.
APALA was founded by librarians of diverse Asian and Pacific ancestries committed to working together toward a common goal: to create an organization that would address the needs of Asian and Pacific American librarians and those who serve Asian and Pacific American communities. We are immigrants, refugees, of mixed heritage, hailing from dozens of Asian, Native, and Pacific Islander heritages. Our members have varied socioeconomic and disability statuses and represent a multitude of sexual orientations and gender identities and gender expressions. …
Letter from the Executive Director
Aloha Kakou!
It is my deep pleasure to serve as your Executive Director for a three year term. I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again, that I am forever indebted to APALA for my professional and personal growth over the last ten years, and I hope that APALA has contributed to your professional story as well. Graduating at the height of the recession, full time professional gigs were slim, but I found a network and a support system in APALA that helped me grow the skills, knowledge, and network necessary to find meaningful work both within APALA and within my institution as a full time employee. I’ve served APALA in a number of capacities including as a member and chair of multiple literature awards committees, Chair of the Family Literacy and Focus Committee, recipient of the travel scholarship and APALA’s 2011 Emerging Leader. I also served as an at-large board member, secretary, 2016-2017 APALA President and was APALA’s JCLC 2018 Steering Committee representative. …
Remembering Gayatri Singh
On October 31, 2019, APALA lost a beloved member of our community when Gayatri Singh passed away from complications from a car accident. It was sudden and for many who knew her, unreal and too soon.
Gayatri graduated from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. From 2004 to 2006 she worked at UC Irvine and UC Riverside, and joined UC San Diego in 2007. For the past 13 years, she served as the Reference and Information Services Coordinator and the Librarian for Communication. Gayatri was involved in many national and local library associations, committees, and projects and APALA was lucky she chose to share her commitment and passion with us. …
NY Comic-Con Panel: Graphic Orientalism
NY Comic-Con Panel: #OwnVoices
Filipino American International Book Fest
ALA Annual Conference 2019 Travel Grant Report
Announcements & News
Sheila Garcia accepted a position as Liaison Librarian in Professional Programs at Grand Valley State University.
Y.T. Feng, the first Roy E. Larsen Librarian of Harvard College, passed away in early September.