2026 Hawaii School Library Conference: Full Schedule

The 2026 Hawaii School Library Conference, centered on the theme "Think. Create. Share. Grow." invites school library professionals to dive deep into the four domains of the AASL Standards Framework for Learners. This theme is a call to action, emphasizing the pivotal role school librarians play in empowering students to become ethical, critical, and collaborative citizens in the digital age.

What to Expect

Through engaging keynotes, hands-on workshops, and collaborative sessions, we will explore practical strategies to:

🧠 Think (Inquire & Analyze): Equip students with the critical thinking and research skills necessary to navigate complex information landscapes, evaluate sources, and become proficient users and creators of knowledge.
💡 Create (Design & Construct): Foster innovation and digital literacy by integrating tools and practices that encourage learners to design solutions, construct new understandings, and express their ideas creatively.
🤝 Share (Collaborate & Connect): Highlight the importance of the library as a hub for collaboration, ethical digital citizenship, and connection, promoting respectful dialogue and the responsible sharing of ideas and resources within the school and global community.
🌱 Grow (Explore & Engage): Focus on the personal and professional development of both students and librarians, championing a mindset of continuous learning, adaptation, and reflective practice that fuels lifelong literacy and intellectual growth.

Join us in celebrating the vital work of Hawaii’s school librarians as we collectively cultivate the future-ready learner by embedding these essential domains into every facet of the school library program.

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10:10am HST

From Topic Pages to Classroom Practice: Using HIDOE Gale Resources in Middle and High School

Friday August 7, 2026 10:10am - 11:10am HST

Piinaio Ballroom 1

Discover powerful ways to elevate middle and high school instruction using Gale resources from the HIDOE. This session focuses on using Topic Pages from the In Context resources to supplement classroom units of study and library learning across content areas. Explore how curated Topic Pages provide trusted content, multimedia, and primary sources on topics ranging from Financial Literacy and Manifest Destiny to Endangered Species, American Revolution, Climate Change, and Plate Tectonics. In addition, this training highlights the wide variety of premade, ready-to-use student activities and lesson plans available on the Gale Support Site, designed to seamlessly connect the library to the classroom. Explore engaging student activities such as Escape Rooms, Searching Skills activities, Novel Studies, DBQs, Choice Boards, Argumentative and Persuasive Writing tasks, CER activities, and more. Walk away with practical strategies and classroom-ready resources that support inquiry, critical thinking, and active learning in middle and high school classrooms. A guest librarian will join us to share firsthand experiences and instructional strategies for integrating Gale resources into classroom teaching and library instruction. **Will send over contact information as a follow-up after we finalize the details.

Speakers

Caroline Lee

Librarian, Honouliuli Middle School

Middle school librarian

Carolyn Kirio

Librarian, W. R. Farrington High

Carolyn H. Kirio is a Librarian at Farrington High School where she collaborates and instructs with teachers in project-based learning work. She has presented at state and national conferences and has coauthored Collaborating for Project-based Learning in Grades 9-12 (Linworth Publishing, 2008). In 2006 the American Association of School Librarians selected Kapolei High's library as one of the National School Library Media Programs of the Year (SLMPY), in 2015 awarded Kirio with the Information Technology Pathfinder Award, and in 2016 President Ob... Read More →

Tammi Burke

Senior Training Consultant, Gale in partnership with the HIDOE

Tammi Burke is a Senior Training Consultant at Gale with over a decade of experience helping librarians and educators maximize their Gale resources. A former educator with degrees in Education and Advertising/PR, Tammi combines instructional expertise with a passion for practical... Read More →

Friday August 7, 2026 10:10am - 11:10am HST
Piinaio Ballroom 1

Breakout

10:10am HST

Getting Started with Beanstack

Friday August 7, 2026 10:10am - 11:10am HST

Palolo Room 1 & 2

Learn the basics of Beanstack and how to use it from logging in to incentives for readers. Time will be given for participants to plan their own reading challenge implementation.

Speakers

Dianne Pang

Librarian, Kaimuki Middle School

I am a middle school librarian.

Friday August 7, 2026 10:10am - 11:10am HST
Palolo Room 1 & 2

Breakout

10:10am HST

Learn360 Streaming IRL - Elementary Session

Friday August 7, 2026 10:10am - 11:10am HST

Palolo Room 3 & 4

Curious about ways to engage students and support teachers with streaming videos and online interactives in Learn360? Hear real-life success stories supporting reading, writing, and math, from several Hawai'i K-5 schools. Learn360 is provided free to all Hawai'i public schools, thanks to the Hawai'i Dept of Education, so this fun session will have something for everyone!

Speakers

Hilly Kravitz

Customer Success Manager, Infobase Learning

Hilly has been supporting Hawaii and mainland K-12 schools for 15+ years, helping to integrate educational technology and boost usage of digital resources. Hilly is based in Seattle WA and graduated from Washington University in St. Louis. Hilly is a Customer Success Manager at... Read More →

Sonya Smallwood

Business Development Consultant, Infobase Learning

Sonya has dedicated her entire career to education, beginning in the classroom where she taught across multiple grade levels. For the past decade, she has worked in edtech, partnering with schools to ensure they have access to high-quality resources that support student success. Sonya... Read More →

Friday August 7, 2026 10:10am - 11:10am HST
Palolo Room 3 & 4

Breakout

10:10am HST

Mychal Threets

Friday August 7, 2026 10:10am - 11:10am HST

Makiki Room

Speakers

Mychal Threets

Resident Librarian & Reading Rainbow Host, PBS and PBS Kids

Mychal Threets is a librarian, mental health advocate, and, by his own admission, the library’s number-one fan. A lifelong lover of libraries, Mychal was homeschooled and raised among the stacks, receiving his first library card at the age of five.

He began his career as a library shelver at the same library he grew up in, eventually working his way up to become its Supervising Librarian. Mychal is open and honest about his mental health, sharing his experiences in hopes of helping others on their own journeys. He’s known... Read More →

Friday August 7, 2026 10:10am - 11:10am HST
Makiki Room

Breakout

12:50pm HST

3D Printing: Transforming and Inspiring Creators Using Makers Empire™

Friday August 7, 2026 12:50pm - 1:50pm HST

Palolo Room 1 & 2

3D printing is one of the most versatile technologies, and Makers Empire™ is the world's most fun and easy to use 3D design tool, offering endless possibilities for creativity, problem-solving, and hands-on learning. In this session, we will explore the Makers Empire program and its Teacher Dashboard to learn how this program can be seamlessly integrated into our libraries to create immersive, interactive, and dynamic library hubs. We will explore how to gain access to the necessary 3D printing resources and we will outline the practical steps needed to integrate 3D printing into our libraries, including designing cross-disciplinary projects, project-based learning activities, and student print shops. At the end of this session, attendees will leave with practical tools, lesson plan ideas, and resources to confidently consider implementing 3D printing in their schools - transforming and inspiring the next generation of creators.

Speakers

Angela Ramey

School Librarian, Ho'okele Elementary School

School Librarian - Ho'okele Elementary School

Friday August 7, 2026 12:50pm - 1:50pm HST
Palolo Room 1 & 2

Breakout

12:50pm HST

Confidently Wrong: AI Hallucinations and the Librarian’s Role in Teaching Truth

Friday August 7, 2026 12:50pm - 1:50pm HST

Naio Room

Artificial intelligence can generate lesson plans, summarize articles, answer research questions and completely fabricate information with alarming confidence. In this engaging and interactive session, Governor W. R. Farrington High School's librarian, Carolyn Kirio, teams up with “Lex,” an AI co-presenter, to explore the world of AI hallucinations: what they are, why they happen, and why librarians are uniquely positioned to help students navigate them.
Through live demonstrations, audience interaction, humorous AI dialogue, and practical instructional strategies, participants will learn how to teach verification, source evaluation, and algorithmic literacy in an age of increasingly convincing misinformation. Attendees will leave with ready-to-use lesson ideas, verification strategies, and approaches aligned to American Association of School Librarians standards that can immediately be adapted for their own libraries and classrooms, reinforcing the idea that while AI can generate confident answers instantly, truth still requires investigation, verification, and critical thinking.
In the age of AI, confidence is easy, truth takes work.

Speakers

Carolyn Kirio

Librarian, W. R. Farrington High

Friday August 7, 2026 12:50pm - 1:50pm HST
Naio Room

Breakout

12:50pm HST

From Dusty Shelves to Dynamic Space: Reimagining the School Library

Friday August 7, 2026 12:50pm - 1:50pm HST

Makiki Room

This session outlines the step-by-step transformation of an underutilized library into a vibrant, student-centered hub. It covers weeding outdated materials, opening flexible and welcoming spaces, and genrefying the collection to improve access and engagement. Attendees will learn how in-service training can increase use of Sora and Beanstack, and how new furniture created collaborative meeting and learning spaces. The session also highlights creative ways to grow a reading culture, including a book vending machine, and offers practical ideas to help participants reimagine their own libraries as dynamic centers of literacy and community.

Speakers

Dori Seatriz

Librarian, Mililani Middle School

Dori Seatriz is a Hawaii educator with over 30 years of experience in the Department of Education. She has served as both a classroom teacher and a certified K–12 librarian. Throughout her career, she has remained committed to supporting student learning and academic growth... Read More →

Friday August 7, 2026 12:50pm - 1:50pm HST
Makiki Room

Breakout

12:50pm HST

Research Tools for the Classroom: Ready-to-Use Hawaiʻi Lessons

Friday August 7, 2026 12:50pm - 1:50pm HST

Palolo Room 3 & 4

This session shows how to use World Book Online and the Indigenous Peoples of Hawaiʻi eBook to build research lessons across grade levels. You’ll explore practical, ready-to-use ideas for elementary, middle, and high school that help students connect with local history and make research more meaningful.

Speakers

Jennifer Clayton

Online Sales Specialist, World Book, Inc.

Jennifer Clayton is an Online Sales Specialist at World Book, supporting schools and libraries across the country with digital research and literacy solutions. She works closely with educators to integrate World Book Online into classrooms through practical, student-centered stra... Read More →

Friday August 7, 2026 12:50pm - 1:50pm HST
Palolo Room 3 & 4

Breakout

12:50pm HST

Small Projects, Big Impact: Community Service in Your Library

Friday August 7, 2026 12:50pm - 1:50pm HST

Piinaio Ballroom 1

Slide Presentation

Community service doesn’t have to be complicated to be meaningful.

In this session, you’ll discover how simple, student-centered service projects can make a real difference—both in your community and in your school culture. Learn how to design and manage projects that connect to curriculum, build empathy, and give students a true sense of purpose, without adding more to your already full plate. From quick, low-prep ideas to larger initiatives, you’ll walk away with ready-to-use projects, strategies for building partnerships, and ways to make service a natural, powerful part of your library program.

Speakers

Kristina A. Holzweiss

School Library Media Specialist, Syosset Schools

Kristina A. Holzweiss (MLIS, MA) is a school library media specialist with additional certification in educational technology, computer science, and secondary English (7-12). She has taught all grades from k through 12, as well as on the college level. Kristina shares ideas and resources... Read More →

Friday August 7, 2026 12:50pm - 1:50pm HST
Piinaio Ballroom 1

Breakout

2:00pm HST

AI in the Library | Using Notebook LM

Friday August 7, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm HST

Piinaio Ballroom 1

In an era of overwhelming information, how can school librarians harness AI without sacrificing academic integrity? This hands-on workshop introduces NotebookLM, a powerful "source-grounded" AI that only knows what you tell it.
Designed for K–12 library professionals, this session moves beyond AI theory into immediate, practical applications for the school library setting.
We will explore how to use AI to differentiate complex materials for diverse learners and streamline administrative tasks by transforming dense documents into searchable databases or engaging audio summaries. Whether you are supporting early literacy or advanced secondary research, you’ll leave with the tools to model responsible, evidence-based AI use across your entire school community.

Speakers

RIeko Goo

school librarian, Mililani High School

Rieko Goo has been a Hawaii educator since 1993; including 13 years as an ELA teacher and 19 years as a certificated school librarian. Rieko is deeply committed to fostering literacy and driving instructional innovation across her school community.

Vic Millar

school librarian, Mililani High School

Vic Millar has been a librarian at Mililani High School since 2024. His passions include reading science fiction at the beach and listening to Stephen King audiobooks on Libby. He has no awards or honors to speak of, but he is a loyal Costco member and recently achieved Premium rewards... Read More →

Friday August 7, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm HST
Piinaio Ballroom 1

Breakout

2:00pm HST

Learn360 Streaming IRL - Middle/High School Session

Friday August 7, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm HST

Palolo Room 1 & 2

Curious about ways to engage students and support teachers with streaming videos and online interactives in Learn360 and Classroom Video on Demand? Support Hawai'i core standards for Science, Health, History, etc. Hear real-life success stories from Honouliuli, Ke'elikolani, and Waipahu Middle Schools, and Leilehua and Mililani High Schools. Learn360 and Classroom Video on Demand are provided free to all Hawai'i public schools, thanks to the Hawai'i Dept of Education, so this fun session will have something for everyone!

Speakers

Hilly Kravitz

Customer Success Manager, Infobase Learning

Sonya Smallwood

Business Development Consultant, Infobase Learning

Friday August 7, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm HST
Palolo Room 1 & 2

Breakout

2:00pm HST

One platform, every language learner: Digital tools for multilingual students

Friday August 7, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm HST

Palolo Room 3 & 4

Multilingual learners are one of the fastest-growing student populations in U.S. schools – and equitable access to tools that support their needs is essential for their success.

During this session, Jody Brookshire will share how digital reading platforms support language acquisition, increase access to relevant texts, and provide built-in scaffolds for multilingual students. Attendees will leave with actionable ideas for using Sora to boost literacy, engagement, and academic outcomes across diverse language needs.

We’ll also take a Hawaii-focused look at the past year—celebrating successes, reviewing key data highlights, and setting goals for the year ahead. Walk away with actionable strategies to manage your Sora platform and better support multilingual learners and their families.

Speakers

Jody Brookshire

Account Executive, Sora

Jody Brookshire is a passionate Educational Account Executive with over 27 years of experience in the e-learning and digital content industry. Throughout her career, Jody has demonstrated a deep commitment to championing literacy in K-12 schools by leveraging digital content, 21st-century... Read More →

Friday August 7, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm HST
Palolo Room 3 & 4

Breakout

2:00pm HST

Stories that Stick: Building Emotional Connections to Literature

Friday August 7, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm HST

Makiki Room

What makes a story linger long after the last page? This session explores how school librarians can center the affective side of reading to foster deep, lasting connections between learners and literature. Grounded in the AASL National School Library Standards, participants will examine how the Shared Foundations—particularly Include, Engage, and Curate—support the development of reading identity, voice, and choice. Through intentional collection development, reader’s advisory, and collaborative instructional design, librarians can create spaces where joy, relevance, and belonging drive reading engagement. Attendees will leave with practical strategies to spark curiosity, nurture empathy, and ensure every learner experiences the joy of reading stories that truly stick.

Speakers

Amanda Kordeliski

President, American Association of School Librarians

Amanda Kordeliski is the current president for the American Association of School Librarians and works as the Director of Libraries and Instructional Technology for Norman Public Schools. She has held a variety of leadership positions within the Oklahoma Library Association and Oklahoma... Read More →

Friday August 7, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm HST
Makiki Room

Breakout

10:10am HST

10:10am HST

10:10am HST

10:10am HST

12:50pm HST

12:50pm HST

12:50pm HST

12:50pm HST

12:50pm HST

2:00pm HST

2:00pm HST

2:00pm HST

2:00pm HST

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