READ Collection Statement of Philosophy

After a library tour, each class is then given a library instruction session about Hawai`i Voyager, the University of Hawai`i library system's public access catalog (PAC). The library instruction session takes place in the library's electronic classroom where 12 terminals are used for an online demonstration by the librarian, after which interactive searching is done by the students. Students use worksheets as READ Collection titles are searched for availability, location(s) and multiple copies, if any.

Many of the titles in the READ Collection are fiction by classic writers such as, Mark Twain, Jack London, Rudyard Kipling, Willa Cather, and John Steinbeck, as well as contemporary works by Barbara Kingsolver, Stephen King, Victor Villasenor, Toni Morrison, and Amy Tan. Some young adult literature was chosen for inclusion because universal themes in this genre appeal to some of our younger students. Nonfiction titles have been included in addition to biographies. myths. poetry and short stories. Hawaii students, because of our population's diversity, are especially interested in titles with cultural themes. Titles about Hawaii, because of their popularity, are indicated by a palm tree logo on the READ Collection lists provided at this web site.

The initial development of the READ Collection was a collaborative effort since Ellen Okuma works closely with HawCC faculty and UHH librarians to encourage more reading by HawCC students. Jim Mimaki, retired reading professor, had a list of recommended titles he used for beginning reading classes. But the library's conversion to UHCARL PAC in 1992 coupled with a demand by mutiple reading sections for the limited number of books caused access problems for beginning reading students. They had a difficult time doing an online search for titles and then trying to use the Library of Congress classification system to find books on the shelf. Having the separate READ Collection and using it for the focus of library instruction with reading classes appears to have solved some of the previous problems. Students have even been seen returning to the collection to get more books to read beyond their class requirement.

Mahalo to the following for helping develop the READ Collection:

 
• Ken Herrick, UHH Library Director of Mookini Library (shared by UHH and HawCC), supported the concept of purchasing books for a separate collection (which eventually became the READ Collection) to encourage HawCC students to do more reading.
• Irene Mesina (Honolulu Community College librarian) offered suggestions for multicultural publishers' sources
• Mary Marko and Shirley Vashishta (Kapiolani Community College librarians) shared the background on their READ Collection
• Jim Mimaki and other HawCC English faculty--Gwen Kimura, Kayleen Sato, Birch Robison, Barry Guerrero, and Carolyn Han--suggested titles
• UHH librarians--Helen Rogers, Susan Maesato, and Junko Nowaki--suggested titles and assisted with collection development guidelines
• Cynthia Reis and Avis Nomura, UHH library staff members, ordered, received, and processed READ books for binding
• Laura Nagamine, UHH library staff member, assisted by making READ books look as attractive as possible (dust covers are left on and blue reader symbol is added)
• Coreen Ishimaru, UHH librarian, developed cataloging guidelines for READ titles

• "we need more copies of Bruce Lee's biography"
• "I shared the book WHEN THE RAINBOW GODDESS WEPT with my mom who is from the Philippines; she cried when she read it"
• "you mean pidgin is okay to read for my book report?"
• "I read some of HILO LEGENDS to my kids and they liked it"
• "I didn't know Jack London wrote Hawaii stories; I liked the `Sheriff of Kona'"
• "I never finished a complete book until GO ASK ALICE"

 Return to the READ Collection home page.