You Are Not Alone
This year has been tough for many of us. When I stood for election nearly a year and a half ago, I had no idea how much would change in our families, in our communities, in our institutions, in our profession, in our nation and in the world, or how we would continue to be tested in new ways every day.
With those changes, during these extraordinarily intense and anxious 8 months of the COVID-19 pandemic, has come the understanding that more than ever, the personal is the professional, and that Advocacy and Activism, my Presidential theme, begins with self-advocacy and self-care.
So, I wanted to check in and see how you, your family, your community and your institution are doing. I also wanted to thank you for all that you are doing for yourself, your family, your community and your institution, as well as for our association.
It is my honor to serve as the 2020-2021 President of the Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association (APALA), along with our Vice President Raymond Pun and the other wonderful new and returning members of the APALA Executive Board. APALA was one of the first professional associations that I joined as a graduate student in library school and I always found it to be the warmest and most welcoming of both new and veteran members.
So, even as I worried about the rise in COVID-19 related anti-Asian hate crimes and the safety of our fellow Black, indigenous, and people of color, I knew that with me was the strength and spirit of my grandparents, who survived war-torn China, my parents, who braved making a new life in a new country, and all of us. Through it all, as it became clear that the pandemic was not ending anytime soon, I realized that even when I was by myself physically, I was never alone. Together, with our association and our community of information professionals and allies, and through continued Advocacy and Activism, we will not merely survive this pandemic. We will thrive.
We must continue to organize, activate and advocate for our families, our communities, our institutions and ourselves, both in good times and bad, to help mitigate whatever the world throws our way. We have already seen the fruits of this labor in the first week of November. During a world-wide pandemic largely blamed on Asians, Americans turned out in record numbers to elect Kamala Harris, the first South Asian American, Black and female Vice-President Elect in its history.
While the elections are not the end of our work and our struggle, they are a sign that as rough as things might be, we cannot give up hope and we cannot give up advocating with and for our communities.
Many thanks to our 2019-2020 Executive Board and committees, who ensured that the past year was filled with amazing accomplishments, despite the pandemic! For the first time, APALA endorsed an ALA President-Elect candidate – APALA Life Member Patty Wong! We are grateful for her years of service to APALA and the profession, her commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion, her deep experience and passion for librarianship and congratulate her for becoming the first Asian-American ALA President-Elect. Throughout this unprecedented last year, APALA member volunteers and leaders gave time within our own organization AND shared their experiences and talents throughout the profession. Embodying APALA Past President Alanna Aiko Moore’s presidential theme last year, “Strength in Solidarity,” APALA released 4 statements:
- National Associations of Librarians of Color Denounce Racially Fueled Violence (Joint Statement)
- APALA condemns rise in xenophobia and racism due to the novel coronavirus outbreak
- APALA and CALA condemn Against the Grain article (with CALA)
- APALA stands with BCALA and Black Lives Matter
APALA also sponsored 4 Council Resolutions:
- Tribute Resolution Honoring the 40th Anniversary of the Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association (APALA)
- A Memorial Resolution Honoring Gayatri Singh
- A Memorial Resolution Honoring Dr. Yen-Tsai Feng
- A Memorial Resolution Honoring Thomas Low
APALA’s Constitution and Bylaws Committee updated our manual and our Family Literacy Focus Committee gave two Talk Story Grants ($750 each) in July. Our Media and Publicity Committee completed a total APALA website redesign, improving its performance and appearance. And, the Membership Committee helped welcome 169 new members last year! Our Mentoring Committee made 16 mentor-mentee matches, and the Program Planning Committee coordinated 3 webinars, including our ALA 2020 Virtual Program with Reforma and the Social Responsibilities Round Table – “Behind the Wires: American Concentration Camps Then and Now.” APALA’s Scholarship and Awards Committee selected the 3 recipients of APALA’s Emerging Leader Fellowship (Jamie Kurumaji), Travel Grant (Jeneanne Ka-makana-lani Len Tai Lock) and Scholarship (Patricia Ledesma Villon) and the Board approved the creation of the new Gayatri Singh Memorial Travel Award, after dedicated APALA member, activist and colleague Gayatri Singh. This past year was also the second time that our Asian Pacific American Awards for Literature were announced as part of the Youth Media Awards at ALA Midwinter and the first time that the APALA Literature Award Ceremony was held virtually!
Even during a pandemic, we are continuing to celebrate APALA’s 40th anniversary and we still have many exciting projects underway, thanks to the work of our 2020-2021 Executive Board and our Committee Chairs and members!
We are beginning to work on APALA’s next Strategic Plan and will be asking for your feedback to help guide our strategic direction from 2022-2027. Our board members and committees are working on new ways to support and engage our members and celebrate our anniversary.
Our Program Planning Committee will also be compiling your feedback to help guide upcoming webinars and programming for ALA Annual 2021. The Board and Committee Chairs also hope to increase membership, deepen our fundraising capacity, and offer more volunteer opportunities to grow the capacity and impact of our association. Author interviews, member highlights, and our quarterly newsletter continue to engage both new and future members.
APALA is also proud to endorse our second ALA President-Elect candidate – our own Executive Director, Lessa Kenani’olua Pelayo-Lozada!
The Executive Board and I will continue to seek out partnerships, projects and programs that will benefit our members and welcome your suggestions! We will also be celebrating our 40th Anniversary as an organization at Annual in 2021, so please keep your eyes open for future events!
Finally, in order for APALA to continue to be successful, we need all of us. I encourage you to participate and get involved. I look forward to collaborating with you to expand the reach and support of our organization, so that we can all survive and thrive together. Wishing you all a happy and peaceful Diwali, and belated mid-Autumn Festival, Indigenous People’s Day, and Armistice/Remembrance/Veteran’s Day.
Yours in activism, advocacy and community health,
Candice Wing-yee Mack
APALA President 2020-2021