��Vlog�ٷ�

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa

Library and Information Science Program

Category: Awards

Matt Brown is 2025 HSPLS Librarian of the Year

Extraordinary dedication. Humble leadership. Tireless outreach. Exemplary service. Trusted and beloved librarian. These accolades only begin to describe Matthew Brown, recipient of the 2025 Hawaiʻi State Public Library System’s Librarian of the Year Award. He was honored on February 18, 2026, at the annual membership meeting hosted by the Friends of the Library of Hawai‘i in the State Library Courtyard.

A 2012 LIS alumnus, Matt has devoted 12 years of service to the Hawai‘i State Public Library System (HSPLS). He currently serves as Managing Librarian at the Library for the Blind and Print Disabled and previously worked at Wahiawā Public Library. Matt has also been a District Administrator, overseeing 24 library branches across Oʻahu and Hawaiʻi Island.

Matt was also recognized by the Hawai‘i House of Representatives and the City and County of Honolulu for his outstanding leadership and sustained commitment to public service. The patron who nominated Matt shared, “Matt goes above and beyond his duties and responsibilities to anticipate and address the needs of the blind and visually impaired community. He keeps up with the latest devices for braille and audio readers and is truly interested in learning about them.”

Dr. Andrew Wertheimer, Program Director of the Library and Information Science Graduate Program, also praised Matt’s contributions: “Matt is always lending a hand to build bridges between the LIS Program and HSPLS. He helped advance the internship program and is a frequent guest speaker in many classes, where he shares his passion for libraries.”

In accepting the award, Matt reflected on the collective spirit behind his work: “I am blessed to work alongside an incredible staff, a wonderful cadre of volunteers, and outstanding library leadership in HSPLS who make all things possible. This award truly reflects the remarkable efforts of our library networks across the state and our shared commitment to serving the public. To borrow from Helen Keller, ‘Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.’”

Congratulations, Matt, on this well-deserved honor!

February 25, 2026
Emerging Library Leaders Imada and Nagasako Receive First Nicolich Award

Graduating ��Vlog�ٷ�M LIS Program students Brianne Imada and Martina Nagasako are the first recipients of the Lillian Nicolich Memorial Award. The award is presented to a graduating student who lifts others up and can demonstrate “supporting the larger community,” and “problem solving for others.”

Brianne Imada researched how libraries are developing a “Trauma-Informed” practice that builds on her previous degree in Social Work. She recently gave a presentation on how she developed that project as a way of encouraging other students to create their own meaningful research. She also volunteered to help a book drive for women inmates and helped Chaminade library expand their resources for mental health for students. She’s also helped other students to enjoy life beyond campus and has been a mentor and friend to many.

Martina Nagasako is both a graduating student and the School Library Media Specialist at Lāhainā Intermediate. There, she’s been a strong force to help students cope with life after the Maui fires and imagine new paths. One student praised Martina for a book subscription program she started after the fires. Students received a personalized box of books from the library along with other fun goodies to “promote a joyful experience and resilience in a difficult time.” A fellow student noted how “This project epitomizes the spirit of this award as it was a creative use of resources, demonstrated empathy for students’ wellbeing, and promoted lifelong learning through a connection with literacy.” She’s also been involved with the Hawai’i Association of School Librarians.

The award was just launched this year by alumni who remember the late Lillian Nicolich (NICK-oh-lich) who graduated from the LIS Program in 2006, and passed away in 2024. Lillian was a friend, problemsolver, and adventurer who volunteered to help the Program as it coped with the 2004 Hamilton Library flood. You can learn more about Lillian and the award criteria at /lis/introducing-the-lillian-nicolich-memorial-award/

Award candidates were selected from the semester’s graduating MLISc cohort by an award committee appointed by the LIS Program Director. The committee collected nominations from LIS students, faculty, and the professional community. Nominations highlighted how Imada and Nagasako positively impacted the LIS program and community, demonstrated empathy for the wellbeing of others, exhibited collaborative problem solving to address challenging needs and situations, and promoted lifelong learning.

To make a donation, click on the link below, that will take you to the giving page that preselects the Lillian Nicolich Memorial Fund:

You can also send a check to University of Hawaiʻi Foundation, P.O. Box 11270, Honolulu, HI 96828-0270, ATTN: Gift Processing/Eriza Bareng. Please include “Lillian Nicolich Memorial Fund” on the memo section of your check. Mahalo!The LIS Program has over 70 graduate students who are studying to be librarians and archivists. The Program is #36 on the US News & World Report list of “Best Library and Information Science Programs.”

January 12, 2026
LIS Celebrates our 60th Anniversary!

Aloha kākou! In honor of our program’s 60th anniversary, Governor Josh Green, M.D., proclaimed November 16-22, 2025, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Library & Information Science Program Week in Hawaiʻi. To students, alumni, staff, faculty and the Hawaiʻi LIS community past, present and future, this is your celebration too. We have the deepest respect for all the work you do, and we’re honored to have been part of the LIS community for 60 years!

To start the week, we held an informal gathering in the LIS space in Hamilton Library where current students mingled with alumni from as far back as the 1960s, and enjoyed food, conversation and slideshows of decades of LIS photographs from Dr. Wertheimer’s collection!

The LIS Program was established in 1965 under the deanship of Dr. Ralph R. Shaw, and has maintained full accreditation status through the American Library Association for 60 years, graduating 1,841 students who now serve in public, school, academic and special libraries, as well as museums and archives in Hawai‘i, the continental United States and around the world. LIS graduates constitute approximately two-thirds of the professional workforce for librarians, archivists and other information professionals in the Hawai‘i, and we continue to evolve our curriculum and student experience to prepare our graduates to become compassionate, effective and reflective information professionals.

LIS is one of five Programs within the newly formed School of Communication and Information, in the College of Social Sciences. Our mission is to educate leaders in the information professions. Through research, teaching and service, we contribute to knowledge, solve problems and prepare individuals to thrive in diverse information environments, with an emphasis on Hawaiʻi and the Asia-Pacific region. Our values guide our activities, priorities and interactions, and reflect those of the State of Hawaiʻi and University of Hawaiʻi. We honor and strive to continuously deepen our understanding and practice of the Native Hawaiian values embedded in the concepts of aloha, ʻohana and kuleana.

In Governor Green’s proclamation, he “encourage[s] all residents to join in celebrating the 60th anniversary of the University of Hawaiʻi Mānoaʻs Library and Information Science Program. Mahalo to the faculty, staff, students and graduates for all you have and continue to do to bring the guiding principles of aloha, ʻohana and kuleana to the people of Hawaiʻi.”

November 17, 2025
Announcing the 2024-2025 Blair Award Recipients

LIS students Kerri Glickstein, Serina Kerbaugh, and Keeley Terpstra have been selected as the Fall 2024 recipients of the Robert and Rita Blair Memorial Award, and Rachel Jacobson and Brooke Jones were selected as the Spring 2025 recipients. This award is presented to graduating students who show special promise in providing library services to children and youth. The LIS faculty select awardees based on high academic standing and strong evidence of professional leadership.

For a course project, Glickstein and Terpstra collaborated to create maker kits for the Lānaʻi Public & School Library. A resident of Lānaʻi, Glickstein observed the lack of craft stores and places to buy greeting cards. Terpstra researched best practices for maker kits, Glickstein partnered with the Maui Friends of the Library to cover supplies, and together they produced kits for the community to make greeting cards, origami, and crochet projects as well as explore engineering concepts using Snap Circuits. In her ePortfolio Glickstein remarked that the Maker Kits are “still being used regularly, especially by students in the upper elementary and middle school grades.”

Kerbaugh completed a school library practicum at Likelike Elementary School and an internship at Waiʻanae Public Library. She also volunteered for several LIS and school library projects, such as serving as a tour guide for library club students from Honouliuli Middle School on their visit to the ��Vlog�ٷ� Mānoa Hamilton Library. Kerbaugh reflected, “Receiving this award is a welcome reminder of how much I love helping and working with younger people. I feel inspired to continue this important work and create engaging, accessible, and inclusive library spaces.”

In their academic journey, Terpstra developed resources to enrich the reading experiences for children and tweens. They collaborated with Dianne Pang, librarian at Kaimuki Middle School, to expand Pang’s collection of Hawaiian and LGBTQ+ materials for this age group. In another course, they devised a unique pathfinder of recipe books for youngsters that included a section inspired by literature. Their projects reflect both creativity and resourcefulness. As they move forward, Terpstra wants to support the inclusion of indigenous knowledge within library collections. They state: “Being a librarian is not just about managing information; it is about fostering relationships, understanding community needs, and advocating for those who have been, and continue to be, sidelined.”

As a student, Jones was an active member of the Hawaiʻi Library Association (HLA) Advocacy Committee. Jones was instrumental in spearheading the inaugural Hawaiʻi Love My Library Day in 2023. As the event co-chair, she played a pivotal role in developing this new event, aimed at raising awareness about the importance of libraries across the state of Hawaiʻi, featuring sign-waving, activities for families, and raffle prizes from local companies. Jones also completed an internship at Pearl City Public Library where she focused on children’s services, offering storytime programs and assisting patrons at the children’s reference desk.

Jacobson was also an active student member of the HLA Advocacy Committee, and organized the second Love My Library Day in 2024. In this role she coordinated volunteers, fundraised, publicized the event, and even emceed it. In reflecting on this experience in her ePortfolio, Jacobson remarks, “This experience not only provided an invaluable opportunity to collaborate with an amazing group of librarians, but also offered firsthand insight into the intricacies of event planning and volunteer management.” Jacobson also gained further practical experience during her practicum at Ahuimanu Elementary School where she designed and delivered information literacy instruction, created book displays to promote a love for reading, and supported collection development.

September 18, 2025
Kylie Flood Named HSPLS Employee of the Year

Photo: Kylie Flood with Hawaiʻi State Librarian Stacey Aldrich and Governor Josh Green. Photo courtesy of Gov.Flickr.

Kylie Kaʻeo Flood was honored as the Employee of the Year for the Hawaiʻi State Public Library System (HSPLS) at the Governor’s Award Ceremony on September 24, 2024. Kylie is the Hawaiian/ Pacific and Adult Librarian at the Nānākuli Public Library. She is a 2016 alumna of the ��Vlog�ٷ�M LIS Program. This annual award spotlights individuals “who embody the spirit of service and commitment that make public libraries vital to the community.” Kylie says that the award also recognizes the value of having a “wonderful team” at Nānākuli. She is grateful for head librarian Kelsey Domingo‘s supportive leadership as well as the entire staff’s collaborative approach to programs and services.

It was always Kylie’s dream to work in her community of Nānākuli. While still a student in LIS, she and her colleague Michiko Joseph, a librarian at ��Vlog�ٷ� West Oʻahu, envisioned a genealogy project that would meet the needs of the Nānākuli Hawaiian Homestead community. Kylie indicated that this community represents the densest Native Hawaiian population in the state.

When Kylie officially joined the library staff six years ago, the genealogy program became a reality. She said, “Knowing where you come from is a very important part of Hawaiian culture.”

Since 2018, Kylie has facilitated a series of workshops and meetings that deal with family research and genealogy. With support from ��Vlog�ٷ� West Oʻahu, the initiative invites a range of professionals to share their skills and knowledge with the Native Hawaiian community. According to Kylie, guests have included university students studying the land deed issues as well as historians, archivists, and cultural experts from Alu Like, Bishop Museum, and the Hawaiʻi State Archives. During the pandemic, the in-person presentations became virtual sessions hosted on the channel. This dramatically widened the program’s outreach to individuals across the state.

Kylie’s future plans include sponsoring webinars that feature Darcie Hind Posz, a Fellow of the American Society of Genealogists. Posz has published a volume entitled Research in Hawaii that focuses on resources available in-person and online for those whose ancestral families resided in Hawai‘i from Kingdom to Territory to Statehood.

October 25, 2024
Wertheimer Honored by Library Historians

Our very own Associate Professor Andrew Wertheimer was recognized by the American Library Association (ALA) Library History Round Table (LHRT) as the inaugural winner of their Distinguished Service in Library History Award. For the past three decades Wertheimer has tried to advance research that explore transnational aspects of Asian American library history and build bridges with scholars and practitioners in the Asia-Pacific region. He also served as Chair of the LHRT and served on the editorial boards of LHRT’s Libraries: Culture, History, and Society, as well as Library History and Library Quarterly. Wertheimer co-edited Library History Research in America 25 years ago at the LHRT’s semi-centennial. He is currently involved in an oral history project on North American library historians. The Distinguished Service in Library History Award honors the career of a person with a lifetime of scholarship and service in the field of library history. The award recipient will have a record of contributions that demonstrate length, breadth, and depth of involvement in library history. The recipient will have made a significant impact on the work of the Round Table or on the library history community at large.

Link

July 24, 2023
LIS Alumna Shelley Lau Awarded 2022 HASL Golden Key Award

Shelley Lau, an LIS alumna, was awarded the 2022 Golden Key Award by the Hawaii Association of School Librarians. The Golden Key Award recognizes school librarians who have provided exemplary service to the profession. She was presented with a framed certificate of recognition at the HASL spring social on April 23.

Lau was nominated by Betty Arai, librarian at Mililani High School. In her nomination, Betty wrote:

Shelley has mentored and inspired so many librarians throughout her career. She exemplifies 21st century library skills and her schoolwide literacy programs highlight the value of having a certified school librarian. Her schoolwide literacy programs highlight the value of having a certified school librarian. Her lesson plans are the best that I’ve ever seen. I am also so inspired by her workshops that she leads at numerous past HASL conferences which help to elevate our profession. Thankful to know someone as dedicated and knowledgeable as her in the field.

In addition to supporting HASL, Lau has been an invaluable resource for preparing Hawaii’s future school librarians. She has visited several LIS courses to share insights about her role as an elementary school librarian, and has been a cooperating librarian for LIS students completing their school library practicum. We thank Shelley for her support of the LIS program at ��Vlog�ٷ� Manoa and are delighted to hear about her recognition as the 2022 Golden Key Award recipient.

Congratulations, Shelley!

April 26, 2022
LIS Alumna Kelly McDermott Wins Outstanding Paper Award at Teaching, Colleges & Community 2022 Worldwide Conference

Congratulations to LIS alumna Kelly McDermott, who won the Outstanding Paper Award at the Teaching, Colleges & Community 2022 Worldwide Conference. Her paper, , highlighted instructional approaches to improve students’ application of information literacy skills using quantitative and qualitive data sets. The article will be published in the conference proceedings and in the International Journal of Educational Media and Technology.

Kelly is a recent LIS graduate with a strong interest in academic librarianship, information literacy, student development, and programmatic efforts. In winning this coveted award, Kelly said, “I am grateful for all of the support I received in the LIS program. The faculty are top-notch and really helped me to learn, apply, and research. This award is a reflection of the ��Vlog�ٷ� LIS program and community and is a nice launching point for the next stage of my career.”

Kudos, Kelly! We are proud of your achievements and are fortunate that you chose to serve the library community.

April 19, 2022
Fall 2021 Blair Award Recipients: Sarah Arzate and Lauren Nielsen

Sarah Arzate and Lauren Nielsen are the fall 2021 recipients of the Robert and Rita Blair Memorial Award. This coveted award is presented to graduating students who show special promise in providing library services to children and youth. The LIS faculty select the awardees based on high academic standing and strong evidence of professional leadership.

While a student in the LIS program, Sarah Arzate has been focused on children’s services via co-founding The Makana Aniani Hawai`i Children’s Book Award program, and fostering a collaborative community of practice with colleagues via working with the ��Vlog�ٷ�M LIS student group, Hui Dui. Sarah’s interests have involved school media and public library services. We look forward to more amazing contributions to the LIS profession from Sarah, throughout her career.

Nielsen served as president of Hui Dui, holding virtual events and a virtual student graduation ceremony during the COVID-19 pandemic. As a practicum student in the Sacred Hearts Academy Elementary Library, she and her cooperating librarian, Laurel Oshiro, collaborated to genrefy the collection to make it easier for students and teachers to find books by topic. Lauren and Laurel are co-presenting about these efforts at the upcoming fall 2021 conference of the Hawaiʻi Library Association and the Pacific Islands Association of Libraries, Archives, and Museums.

November 24, 2021
LIS Student Jade Sunouchi Receives 2021 HLA Scholarship

A belated congratulations to our student, Jade Sunouchi, for receiving the 2021 HLA Student Scholarship! Jade is studying to become an academic librarian and serves as an officer for the student chapter of ALA.

HLA awards one $1,000 student scholarship annually, with one year free membership to HLA.

June 15, 2021
Hinaikawaihiʻilei Keala Receives Josephine Forman Scholarship from Society of American Archivists

Hinaikawaihiʻilei Keala is the of the sponsored by the General Commission on Archives and History of the United Methodist Church, in cooperation with the Society of American Archivists (SAA). The $10,000 scholarship provides financial support to minority students pursuing graduate education in archival science, encourages students to pursue careers as archivists, and promotes the diversification of the American archives profession.

Keala is pursuing a dual master’s degree in Hawaiian studies and library and information science with an Archives Certification at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. She is a graduate research assistant for Native Hawaiian Student Services at the university, a student service office under the Hawaiʻinuiākea School of Hawaiian Knowledge that offers culture-based and experiential learning opportunities for Native Hawaiian students. Keala oversees the officeʻs Kekaulike internship program and assists with programming. Her passion for preserving Hawaiian culture and history led her to pursue a career in archives. Seeing a need for the Hawaiian language to be present in archival access points, she is focused on preserving and providing access to Hawaiian-language archival materials for the Indigenous community.

Keala has devoted her career to serving her community and Hawaiian people. As one of her recommenders wrote, “She engages in the work she does because she cares about issues of justice and humanity and wants to see positive changes made in our community. As such, an investment in Keala is an investment in the larger communities of Hawaiʻi that she is committed to and will continue to work in service for.”

The Josephine Forman Scholarship was established in 2010 and is named for Josephine Forman, who served as archivist for eighteen years at the Southwest Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church.

(Text provided courtesy of SAA: https://www2.archivists.org/node/25427)

June 14, 2021
Sidney Louie Receives Donald Peterson Student Travel Award from Society of American Archivists

Sidney Louie, a graduate student in the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa Library and Information Science Program, is the of the given by the Society of American Archivists (SAA). The award supports students and recent graduates from graduate archival programs within North America to attend SAA’s Annual Meeting. The goal of the scholarship is to stimulate greater participation in the activities of SAA, such as presenting research or actively participating in an SAA-sponsored committee or section.

After working for thirty years in event and media marketing, Louie transitioned to archival studies. She works part time as a project assistant at ’Ulu’ulu: The Henry Ku’ualoha Giugni Moving Image Archive of Hawai’i at the University of Hawai’i – West O’ahu where she processes, describes, catalogs, and preserves several television programs containing Hawaiian cultural content. During the virtual Annual Meeting, Louie will participate in events hosted by the Committee on Public Awareness and Diversity Committee to connect and build networks with archivists outside Hawai’i.

Louie possesses intelligence, creativity, and a passion for preserving archives. Her supporter notes that they are “impressed by Louie’s passion for film and audiovisual media and her deep respect for the archival Hawaiian and Pacific cultural materials.”

The Donald Peterson Student Travel Award was established in 2005 and honors the memory of New York lawyer and philatelist Donald Peterson. Past recipients include Jeanie Pai (Queens College), Alexis Recto (University of California, Los Angeles), and Jessica Serrao (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill).

June 10, 2021
2021 Blair Award Recipients: Alita Charron and Phuong Nguyen

Alita Charron and Phuong Nguyen are the spring 2021 recipients of the Robert and Rita Blair Memorial Award. This coveted award is presented to graduating students who show special promise in providing library services to children and youth. The LIS faculty select awardees based on high academic standing and strong evidence of professional leadership.

Completing a practicum at Aina Haina Elementary Library during the COVID-19 pandemic, Charron created engaging and informative materials for students and teachers on topics such as using eBooks and copyright. Throughout her time in LIS, she participated in sessions held by the Hawaii Association of School Librarians (HASL), the Hawaii Library Association (HLA), and the ��Vlog�ٷ� Information Literacy Committee. She also presented a poster titled “Collaborative Partnerships” at the fall 2017 joint HASL/HLA conference. Most recently, Charron designed school library advocacy materials for HASL’s National Library Week program.

Nguyen was actively involved in student leadership, serving on two LIS student organizations. As vice president of Hui Dui and secretary for the ALA Hawaii student chapter, she continued to build camaraderie during the pandemic by helping shift from in-person activities. In her capstone ePortfolio, Nguyen wrote, “Librarians are friends to the community, and I want to be on the other side of the desk at the library and help others start their own adventure and journey as their friend.” Most recently, Nguyen is getting experience in youth services, creating book talks and book trailers during her internship at Kaimuki Public Library.

May 5, 2021
��Vlog�ٷ�M LIS ALA-SC wins Student Chapter of the Year 2020-2021

Out of 64 student chapters nationwide, the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa American Library Association Student Chapter (ALA-SC) was named the ALA New Members Round Table (NMRT) Student Chapter of the Year 2020-2021. Previously, ALA-SC was Student Chapter of the Year in 2006 and runner-up in 2004.

The NMRT Student Chapter of the Year Award recognizes our chapter’s promising leaders and their outstanding contributions to the American Library Association, the ��Vlog�ٷ�M LIS Program, and the LIS profession.

At the 2021 ALA Annual Conference, the ALA-SC board will be awarded a $1,000 grant for the LIS Program. Congratulations to ALA-SC President Stephanie Robertson, Vice-President Jade Sunouchi, Secretary Phuong Nguyen, Treasurer Brianna Nakano, Designer and Webmaster Michelle Ann Carino, and Advisor Dr. Noriko Asato!

April 9, 2021
Diane Mokuau Named One of SLJ’s 2021 School Librarians of the Year

Diane Mokuau, librarian at Molokai High and Intermediate since 2002, has been along with Amanda Jones, teacher librarian at Live Oak Middle School in Louisiana. This is the sixth year that School Library Journal has presented this award that is sponsored by Scholastic Book Fairs. The award recognizes K-12 school library professionals for outstanding achievement and exemplary use of technology and services to foster multiple literacies. Diane is a proud LIS alumna.

She not only serves as librarian at her school but she also created the Molokai College and Career Tour Club that helps students visit the East and West coasts for college tours. This annual activity (on hold during the pandemic) has made students and their families, who have never left the small island, realize they are capable of going to college. Diane said, “I want our students to realize that the world is bigger than our island.”

Diane is also credited with growing the Molokai Services Cadre, comprised of librarians, a principal, and staff from public, school, and Native Hawaiian libraries. It started as an informal group gathering for meals and social sharing but it soon blossomed into a working ohana of professionals. The cohort support one another in a range of activities including weeding collections, sharing technology resources, and exchanging programs across the island.

From 2014 through 2019, Diane coauthored a million dollar grant from the federal government to develop the Molokai LIVE21st Century Learning Center, which provides homework assistance and enrichment activities to middle school students. Her latest effort in 2020 resulted in a $10,000 DOE Innovation grant to buy Kindles for elementary students and get high school students to serve as readers for elementary programs.

For decades, Diane has also connected her students with environmental initiatives. She has collaborated with the ecological nonprofit Molokai Cares to promote stewardship and recycling and encouraged students to embrace the value of malama aina, caring for the land. Diane jointly established Molokai’s Earth Day celebration with local partners and schools. She is currently spearheading a grant application to preserve the island’s history through maps and other resources.

As one of the winners this year, Diane received a $2,500 cash award and $2,500 in-kind digital and/or print products from Scholastic along with a Scholastic Book Fair’s special collection of books, and a book giveaway for every student in the school.

March 29, 2021
Halie Kerns Recognized with Blair Award

Halie Kerns was recognized as the Fall 2020 recipient of the Robert and Rita Blair Memorial Award. This coveted award is presented to graduating students who show special promise in providing library services to children and youth. The LIS faculty select awardees based on high academic standing and strong evidence of professional leadership.

In her e-portfolio, Kerns wrote, “Throughout my time in the LIS program, I have focused many of my studies on building diverse collections and striving for culturally competent librarianship.” She is demonstrating this as a graduate intern with the non-profit organization, . She and fellow student Jade Sunouchi also recently wrote on a Seed Library project in the most recent.

Congratulations, Halie!

December 1, 2020
Drs. Asato & Wertheimer win 2019 IJIDI Outstanding Paper Award

Drs. Asato and Wertheimer’s recent peer-reviewed publication, “” (International Journal of Information, Diversity, & Inclusion – IJIDI, Spring 2019 issue, volume 3, issue 1), was voted by the journal’s editorial board for the 2019 IJIDI Outstanding Paper Award in the category of “Research Articles.”

Referees cited strengths of Asato and Wertheimer’s article in the areas of methodology, transformative promise of the topic for ongoing research, and a readable and accessible writing style. In turn, Asato and Wertheimer’s paper has been nominated for the 2019 ALA Jesse Shera Distinguished Published Research award.

A hearty congratulations to Dr. Noriko Asato and Dr. Andrew Wertheimer for such a deserving award!

For those interested, you can .

January 31, 2020
Vanda Moore Wins LIS Blair Award

Congratulations to Vanda Moore, the fall 2019 recipient of the Robert and Rita Blair Memorial Award. This coveted award is presented to graduating students who show special promise in providing library services to children and youth. The LIS faculty select the awardees based on high academic standing and strong evidence of professional leadership.

Vanda has served as secretary of the Progressive Librarians Guild student chapter at ��Vlog�ٷ� Manoa. In addition, she volunteered at the Barr Memorial Library in Fort Knox, Kentucky.

Vanda is a recipient of the Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowship, with a focus on Indonesian. Throughout her time at LIS, she worked as a library assistant at the Sunset Reference Center, as an archives and manuscripts student assistant with the Hamilton Library Archives, and as a cataloguing assistant with Hamilton Library.

December 16, 2019
Diane Mokuau Receives HSTA Award

Diane Mokuau, librarian at Molokai High and Intermediate, received the 2019 S.T.A.C.Y. Award for Teaching Excellence from the Hawaii State Teachers Association (HSTA). She is a 1998 alumna of the LIS program. The S.T.A.C.Y. Award for Teaching Excellence was established to celebrate the outstanding work of the late Stacy Nishina, a public school teacher, longtime HSTA staff member and supporter of all HSTA state candidates for the NEA Foundation Awards for Teaching Excellence. The award was announced on April 13 at the HSTA’s state convention at the Hawai‘i Convention Center. With this award, Diane becomes HSTA’s nominee for the NEA Foundation’s 2020 Horace Mann Award for Teaching Excellence and NEA Member Benefits Award.

Diane has lived on Molokai for nearly 30 years and, according to HSTA Vice President Osa Tui Jr., she has been instrumental in shaping the island’s learning environment. A national board-certified teacher as well as librarian, Diane has been at Molokai High for 15 years and has earned an impressive reputation as an unwavering advocate for her community and for educators statewide. In introducing Diane, Tui said:

With her skills honed over the years, Diane has put her organizing into action for her community. She also advocates for non-classroom teachers and rural school faculties and the challenges faced by both of those constituencies. She has worked hard to ensure that her library is well utilized, often operating at maximum capacity. Her acquisitions over the years of various technology and customized resources help to ensure that student literacy is improved and sustained and can target all levels of students throughout her school.

Among her achievements: Diane jointly wrote a five-year, $1 million grant to develop the Molokai LIVE 21^st Century Community Learning Center that provides homework assistance and enrichment activities for middle and high school students. She also serves as secretary of the HSTA’s Molokai chapter. In 2016, the Hawaii Association of School Librarians recognized Diane with the Golden Key Award for her outstanding work in school libraries.

April 24, 2019
Dr. Asato Wins Archives Award

Dr. Noriko Asato was awarded the 2018 Lei Lau Kukui Mentor & Educator Award by the SAA-Student Chapter for her supporting excellence in archival internships. The award was also given to Leilani Dawson and Helen Wong Smith of the ��Vlog�ٷ� Mānoa Archives. Previous recipients include archival faculty and adjuncts Deborah Dunn, Nicolita Garces, and Andrew Wertheimer.

December 13, 2018
Lori Chun Receives ADK Award

Lori Chun, librarian at Kaimuki High School and an alumnus of the ��Vlog�ٷ�M LIS Program, is being awarded an Excellence in Education Award by Alpha Delta Kappa (ADK). She will be recognized at the ADK Northwest/Southwest Regional Conference in Anchorage, Alaska, in July. ADK is a national organization of women educators dedicated to educational excellence, altruism, and world understanding.

The Excellence in Education Award is a biennium recognition of ADK members for their outstanding contributions to education. To be eligible, the nominee must be actively engaged in the education profession whether in teaching, administration, or some specialized field of education. Nominated by a colleague or parent, nominees’ adjudication is based on professional dedication, knowledge, skills, professional achievement and success, school and community involvement, contributions to the educational process and active participation in Alpha Delta Kappa.

May 7, 2018
SAA-sc Inaugural Lei Lau Kukui Awards

Archives professionals Deborah Dunn, Nicolita Garces, and Dr. Andrew Wertheimer were awarded the Lei Lau Kukui Awards by the SAA-sc in honor of their significant support of archival education, mentoring, and leadership in Hawaiʻi. Awards were presented at the Association of Hawaiʻi Archivists 2016 holiday social.

Deborah Dunn works as Book Conservation Treatment Specialist in the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Hamilton Library Preservation Department and has taught courses in both Preservation Management as well as Conservation of Library and Archival Materials for the ��Vlog�ٷ�M LIS program. Nicolita “Nicki” Garces is Information Management Officer for Consuelo Foundation, earned her Library and Information Science master’s degree from the University of Hawaiʻi in December 2013, and holds interest in multicultural and indigenous librarianship and archives. Dr. Andrew Wertheimer is Associate Professor in the ��Vlog�ٷ�M LIS program, teaches courses with special focus on archival education, established the LIS Certificate in Archival Studies and Special Collections in 2007, and currently serves as faculty advisor for SAA-sc.

The lei lau kukui symbolizes the interwoven cooperation and sharing of information and support present in the Hawaiʻi archival community. SAA-sc is incredibly grateful for mentors, educators, and leaders who have created opportunities for learning both in and out of the classroom.

Mahalo and congratulations to the 2016 recipients!

January 3, 2017
Non-Resident Tuition Exemption Awards 2017-2018

The ��Vlog�ٷ� Mānoa has granted the LIS Program a limited number of Non-Resident Tuition Exemption Awards for the 2017-2018 academic year. This award allows non-residents and/or international students to pay for two academic years of full-time study in the Library & Information Science graduate program at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa beginning with the Fall 2017 semester.

In addition to the standard LIS program , applicants who wish to be considered for this award are encouraged to communicate a well-informed vision of their intended contributions to the realm of professional librarianship. Ideally, applicants will also indicate a passion for service by way of documented examples of community service and/or other volunteer activities.

Other factors which can bolster an applicant’s “attractiveness” to the LIS admissions committee would be demonstrated leadership skills, distinguished academic accomplishments, and/or entrepreneurship & innovation, just to name some examples.

Non-resident applicants who wish to be considered for this award must explicitly request such in their Statement of Objectives when applying to the LIS program. In consideration of the extra space required to communicate their qualifications, applicants are welcome to write an essay that goes a bit beyond the standard 500-1,000 word limit for this document.

Award applicants should well in advance of the April 1, 2017 deadline. Applicants will be notified the week of April 3, 2017 if they have been selected to receive one of the Tuition Exemption awards.

For more information on this opportunity, please contact us at LISinfo@hawaii.edu

Note: This award is not available to those students pursuing the option.

December 13, 2016
Blair Award Winners

Congratulations to Susan Davidson, Danielle Todd, and Katelyn Yoxtheimer, who are the spring 2014 recipients of the Robert and Rita Blair Memorial Award. This coveted award is presented to graduating students who show special promise in providing library services to children and youth. The LIS faculty select the awardees based on their high academic standing and strong evidence of professional leadership.

Susan has served as secretary of the ALA Student Chapter and volunteered at the Kailua Public Library. She also participated in a poster session sponsored by SLA-ASIS&T. Danielle has been president of Hui Dui and an active member of SLA-ASIS&T and the ALA Student Chapter. Katelyn has served as treasurer for the ALA Student Chapter and worked part time in the Farrington High School library. Best wishes to these outstanding students!

April 30, 2014