apala and hawaiian librarians reception

On the evening of June 29, 2008, I went to the APALA (Asian Pacific American Librarians Association) and Hawaiian Librarians reception sponsored by outgoing ALA President Loriene Roy. It was a fantastic event.

I thought it might be one of those receptions where very few people attend and mingle. So, when I got there on time, I was afraid that it would be awkward. But it wasn't. Outside the presidential suite, I was greeted with an "Aloha" and given a kukui nut necklace. There were already quite a few people, and I was glad to see that there were a number of Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders there.

I went to the huge balcony and immediately started to talking to people until we officially started our festivities. Analu Josephides, a Hawaiian librarian, asked us to hold hands in a circle, and recited a Hawaiian prayer and welcome. After a presentation to Loriene and thank you's, the entertainment--hula and Hawaiian music--began. (As pictured below, Analu also joined the dancers in a couple of the dances.)

I spent the following two hours mingling. I met librarians from the Marshall Islands, Hawaii, the Philippines, and all over the US. I was exhausted by the end of the night. The reception was only supposed to be until 9pm, I think, but we were there til after that. We had prime view of the nightly fireworks at Disneyland. The balcony was directly in front of the fireworks. That was a great end to a great evening.