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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:

  • đź§  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.

  • đź’ˇ 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.

Venue: Makiki Room clear filter
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Friday, August 7
 

10:10am HST

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

Speakers
avatar for Mychal Threets

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

12:50pm HST

From Dusty Shelves to Dynamic Space: Reimagining the School Library
Friday August 7, 2026 12:50pm - 1:50pm HST
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
DS

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

2:00pm HST

Stories that Stick: Building Emotional Connections to Literature
Friday August 7, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm HST
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
avatar for Amanda Kordeliski

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
 
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