ALSC Profile | February 2026
Tori Ogawa
Youth Services Librarian
Kitsap Regional Library, Kingston Branch
Kingston, Washington
ALSC Membership: 9 years
Where did you attend library school?
University of Hawaii at Manoa
What do you love most about your current job?
I honestly love almost everything about my job, but if I had to choose, I’d say what I love most is the community I serve. I love getting to know the children and their families when they come in for weekly storytime and programs or when I go to the schools. It feels so rewarding when a kid smiles because of something I get to help them with, or when they recognize me as the library lady outside of the library. The kids bring so much joy and laughter to my life with all the funny things they say and do, and seeing them happy and loving the library makes me love being a librarian even more.
What is on your bucket list?
One thing on my bucket list is to touch every continent. I love traveling and would like to visit as many countries as I can in my lifetime, but my goal is to touch each continent at least once. When I wrote this bucket list item, I used the word "touch" because I wasn’t sure I would be able to set foot in Antarctica, so I just wanted to get close enough to touch it by boat. I’ve been very fortunate to have been to 4 of the 7 continents already.
What can always make you feel better after a bad day?
After a bad day, two things will make it better. The first is playing and cuddling with my dog. He is so sweet and silly that giving him love and scritches makes me feel happy. Then we curl up on the couch and watch funny videos from my favorite K-pop groups, BTS and Seventeen. They have great music too, but their variety shows never fail to make me laugh.
If you could live in any fictional book universe, which would you choose and why?
The Tea Dragon Society world from the graphic novels by Katie O’Neill. I love tea, and the fact that there are adorable, tiny, magical tea dragons with the tea leaves growing on their backs is the best. The world and its landscape are beautiful, and it feels so cozy with so much love, kindness, and friendship.
What’s the best meal you’ve ever had?
The best meal I’ve ever had was at a restaurant in Tokyo called Tanetsu. We went to celebrate my nephew’s Okuizome, or first meal ceremony, with my family and my sister-in-law's family. After the ceremony, the restaurant served us a multiple-course meal, and every single item was delicious. There was fresh sashimi, crab meat, plated back in the crab shell, assorted tempura, and a perfectly cooked, melt-in-your-mouth steak. They served a Japanese beef stew with the softest meat and rich flavor, yet it still felt light. The star of the meal was the abalone rice, which was rice steamed with abalone and a light broth, topped with green onions. It made you feel so warm inside. Finally, for dessert, they served warabi mochi, which was so soft and coated in kinako powder, with adzuki bean paste on the side. It was a perfect combination of good food, great company, and a special celebration.
What activities did you love to do with your family growing up?
I grew up in Hawaii, so one of my favorite things to do with my family was to go to the beach and have beach barbecues. We would load up the car, head to the beach in the afternoon, and stay until sunset. My brother and I would go swimming with my dad, or he’d teach us to go surfing. We’d take breaks, eat musubi, and drink Hawaiian Sun juice. Then we’d play in the sand, getting buried to our necks or making giant holes. My mom and dad would fire up the hibachi grill, and we’d eat grilled steaks and chicken. We’d watch the sun go down, then pack up everything in the fading light.
