APALA Summer Newsletter – July 2025

President’s Message

Dear APALA members,

This is a very bittersweet message to write. My final presidential term is ending, and what a ride it’s been. You all have been with me for two whole years and I couldn’t be more proud of the work we’ve accomplished together. This experience has taught me much about people power and the importance of community.

Looking back on the last two years, we’ve definitely grown as an organization. With growth comes discomfort and uncertainty, so I thank you for your kind words and support through it all. I have certainly not been perfect, and I appreciate the grace APALA has shown me as I navigated this hefty role.

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Announcements & News

The 5th National Joint Conference of Librarians of Color will be held October 7-11, 2026, at the Spokane Convention Center in Spokane, Washington.
The 2025-2026 APALA Mentoring Program application is now open for both early career and mid-career protégés, as well as mentors! The application will close July 31, 2025.
APALA 2025 election results have been announced. Congratulations to the newly elected folks!
The 2025 Talk Story Grant recipients were announced. Congratulations to Farrington High School, Women of Wai’anae, Frankford Public Library, and Hortonville Public Library! Read the announcement here.
The APALA Scholarship and Awards Committee is excited to announce Carol Ng-He as the 2025 recipient of the Gayatri Singh Award. Read the full announcement here.
The 2025 APALA Travel Grant winner was announced. Congratulations Joe Lee!
Talk Story is pleased to announce its 2023–2024 Best of the Best Booklist and translated Talk Story Prompt Cards. Read the press release here.
Danilo Baylen was recently awarded Outstanding Alumnus for Library and Information Science in April 2025 and Centennial Scholar in October 2024 from The University of Alabama.
West Visayas State University (WVSU) conferred the Doctor of Humanities, honoris causa, to Dr. Danilo M. Baylen on June 10, 2025. Dr. Baylen also served as the distinguished keynote speaker for the WVSU 2025 Graduate School Commencement Exercises on the same day.The debut middle grade novel The Legendary Mo Seto (Aladdin/Simon & Schuster) by Canadian author A.Y. Chan, has just won the 2025 Forest of Reading Silver Birch Award.