Aloha kākou! My name is Jennifer Kau‘i Young, and I am the Children's Librarian at the Kailua-Kona Public Library. I currently also serve as the interim Branch Manager. As an ʻōiwi and kama‘āina of Moku O Keawe, I am passionate about representing and serving the community that raised me.
I earned my Bachelor’s Degree in Linguistics at the University of Hawai‘i Hilo in 2010. After being hired as a Library Assistant for the Hawai‘i State Public Library System in 2013, I decided to pursue my Masters in Library and Information Science at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. Soon after earning my MLISc, I was promoted into my current position.
Literacy and equity are professional principles that are dear to me. Having grown up under the mentorship of my elementary school librarian, I understand firsthand how impactful access to libraries and librarians are.
Literacy, like any other skill, takes work to develop. The best way to ensure that someone does the work to acquire a skill is to encourage them to fall in love with the work. I do all that I can to connect with my young patrons, to make sure that I’m acquiring materials and hosting activities that ignite their interest in learning to read. When they think of their connection with our public library, I want our keiki and their ‘ohana to see it as their explorative learning space.
Public libraries overall are envisioned as spaces of equity, abundant with materials and staff that are equipped to support everyone in acquiring the information, knowledge, and skills that they seek. I aim to hold our organization accountable to this ideal by advocating for and supporting access to such resources, so that anyone can be successful in the educational goals they choose to pursue.
I earned my Bachelor’s Degree in Linguistics at the University of Hawai‘i Hilo in 2010. After being hired as a Library Assistant for the Hawai‘i State Public Library System in 2013, I decided to pursue my Masters in Library and Information Science at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. Soon after earning my MLISc, I was promoted into my current position.
Literacy and equity are professional principles that are dear to me. Having grown up under the mentorship of my elementary school librarian, I understand firsthand how impactful access to libraries and librarians are.
Literacy, like any other skill, takes work to develop. The best way to ensure that someone does the work to acquire a skill is to encourage them to fall in love with the work. I do all that I can to connect with my young patrons, to make sure that I’m acquiring materials and hosting activities that ignite their interest in learning to read. When they think of their connection with our public library, I want our keiki and their ‘ohana to see it as their explorative learning space.
Public libraries overall are envisioned as spaces of equity, abundant with materials and staff that are equipped to support everyone in acquiring the information, knowledge, and skills that they seek. I aim to hold our organization accountable to this ideal by advocating for and supporting access to such resources, so that anyone can be successful in the educational goals they choose to pursue.