ALSC selects Kristin Tarnas as 2024 Emerging Leader

CHICAGO — The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), announced Kristin Tarnas of the Hawai’i Preparatory Academy, in Waimea, Hawai’i, as its representative in the 2024 Emerging Leaders program. 

Kristin Tarnas is a teacher librarian at Hawai’i Preparatory Academy, where she serves as the K-8 librarian on the Village Campus. She received an MSEd from Bank Street College of Education and an MLIS from UH Manoa. 

“There are very few areas of life in which I have felt the right to or luxury of absolute certainty, but I am absolutely certain about all we do to connect children with stories and information that reflect and uplift them and their communities,” Tarnas said. “Advocating for children and the books that matter to them requires understanding, work and leadership. This is where librarians come in and come together! I applied to be part of ALA’s Emerging Leaders program to learn and work with other librarians, and I am especially grateful to represent librarians who dedicate their hearts, minds and hands to providing library service to children.”

“I’m thrilled to welcome Kristin as the ALSC sponsored Emerging Leader,” said Jonda C. McNair, ALSC President. “Kristin saw a need in her community: more opportunities for children in Hawai’i to see themselves and their environment in children’s literature. She made changes in collection development so that her students were able to see themselves in the books in their libraries, and she helped to create the Ānuenue Hawaiʻi Keiki Book Award to honor and encourage children’s books for and about Hawai’i. She is already a leader, and ALSC is excited to see the skills, experiences and ideas she will bring to and further develop as part of the Emerging Leaders program at ALA.” 

As ALSC’s representative for the 2024 Emerging Leaders program, Tarnas will attend the 2024 LibLearnX, as well as the 2024 ALA Annual Conference in San Diego.

The Emerging Leaders program enables newer librarians from across the country to participate in workgroups, network with peers, gain an inside look into ALA's structure and have an opportunity to serve the profession in a leadership capacity. Emerging Leaders receive up to $1,000 each to participate in LibLearnX and Annual Conference, and each participant is expected to provide years of service to ALA or one of its units.

About the Association for Library Service to Children

ALSC, a division of the ALA, is the world’s largest organization dedicated to the support and enhancement of library service to children. With a network of more than 4,000 children’s and youth librarians, literature experts, publishers and educational faculty, ALSC is committed to creating a better future for children through libraries. To learn more about ALSC, visit ALSC’s website at www.ala.org/alsc.