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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7:30am HST

Continental Breakfast

Friday August 7, 2026 7:30am - 8:30am HST

Piinaio Ballroom 1

Friday August 7, 2026 7:30am - 8:30am HST
Piinaio Ballroom 1

General

7:30am HST

Registration

Friday August 7, 2026 7:30am - 8:30am HST

Foyer

Friday August 7, 2026 7:30am - 8:30am HST
Foyer

General

8:30am HST

Welcome

Friday August 7, 2026 8:30am - 9:00am HST

Piinaio Ballroom 1

Partners

Library Media Services

Hawaii State Department of Education

Friday August 7, 2026 8:30am - 9:00am HST
Piinaio Ballroom 1

General

9:00am HST

Keynote: Libraries Are the Heart of Our Schools

Friday August 7, 2026 9:00am - 10:00am HST

Piinaio Ballroom 1

Slide Presentation

When a library becomes more than a place to check out books, it becomes the heart of a school.

In this keynote, Kristina A. Holzweiss shares how school libraries can transform into dynamic hubs of connection, creativity, and impact. Grounded in real stories from the field, this session explores how libraries support not just literacy, but belonging, student voice, and meaningful learning experiences that extend far beyond the walls of the school.

You’ll discover how to position your library at the center of your school’s mission by aligning with instructional goals, building authentic partnerships, and creating experiences that matter to students and the wider community. From innovative programming and makerspaces to service learning and advocacy, this keynote offers a clear path to elevating the role of the library in ways that are visible, valued, and sustainable.

Whether you’re a librarian, educator, or school leader, you’ll leave with practical strategies and a renewed sense of purpose—ready to lead with heart, tell your story, and ensure your library is not just a space, but a force for change.

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 9:00am - 10:00am HST
Piinaio Ballroom 1

General

11:10am HST

Exhibitor Exploration

Friday August 7, 2026 11:10am - 11:40am HST

Piinaio Ballroom 2

Exhibitors

Beanstack

Beanstack helps public libraries, schools, and school districts grow their reading culture and motivate readers to read more.

World Book

World Book provides trusted, engaging, and up-to-date content in both print and digital formats, supporting learning and research for all ages. With expert-reviewed articles, interactive features, and continuously updated resources, it’s a go-to source for homes, libraries, and... Read More →

Capstone

Capstone is the nation’s leading educational publisher of K-5 digital solutions, children’s books, and literacy programs for school libraries, classrooms, and at-home reading. Home of the award-winning PebbleGo™ curriculum-connected learning tool, Capstone has a passion for... Read More →

The Library Corporation

The Library Corporation is a woman-owned, international technology company with industry-leading support, providing enterprise software systems, hardware solutions, and data services that are trusted by more than 5,500 libraries and media centers worldwide.

Sora, by OverDrive Education

The Sora student reading platform is designed to ignite a love of reading. Named one of TIME's Best Inventions, Sora provides every student digital access to the right books, including required curriculum titles, class sets and choice reading. Sora serves 62,000 schools worldwide... Read More →

Gale

Gale develops essential, curriculum-aligned content that empowers educators to solve curriculum challenges, keep students engaged in learning, and help schools curate a virtual non-fiction library.

Infobase

Infobase delivers award-winning multimedia reference content, online tools and technology, and professional development and training solutions to the school and library communities. For 80+ years, Infobase has been a reliable, authoritative resource providing flexible options for... Read More →

Hawaii Association of School Librarians

Professional association (501c(3)) for school librarians in Hawaiʻi

Bess Press

Bess Press Publishing is an educational content producer and distributor of Hawaiian and Pacific island studies curriculum for Pre-K through High School and is comprised of varying divisions focused on educational publishing, trade publishing, online publishing, distribution, and... Read More →

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Library and Information Science

The Library & Information Science Program at UH Mānoa offers an ALA-accredited master’s degree which allows teachers to add the School Librarian teaching field to their teaching license. We also welcome school librarians for continuing education.

Follett School Solutions

Follett Content Solutions provides solutions for your library and classroom content needs, including curated book lists, Follett Book eFairs, Makerspace and hands-on learning resources, International Baccalaureate materials, genrefication and new school services, and more!