Lessa Kananiʻopua Pelayo-Lozada is an American librarian. She is the adult services assistant manager for the Palos Verdes Library District in Southern California. In 2021, Pelayo-Lozada was elected as president of the American Library Association for the 2022-2023 term; she is the youngest person to be elected ALA president as well as the first Pacific Islander.
Lessa Kananiʻopua Pelayo-Lozada | |
|---|---|
| President of the American Library Association | |
| In office 2022–2023 | |
| Preceded by | Patty Wong |
| Succeeded by | Emily Drabinski |
| Personal details | |
| Born | California, United States |
| Occupation | Librarian |
Early life and education
editLessa Kananiʻopua Pelayo was born in Southern California.[1] She is multiracial, describing her heritage as "half white and half Hawaiian-Filipino-Portuguese-with a smidge of Chinese."[2] Pelayo-Lozada has described her background as a multiracial Native Hawaiian raised on the Continent as being influential in her work in diversity, equity, and inclusion.[2][3]
She grew up in Torrance and Gardena, graduating from Bishop Montgomery High School in 2003.[3]
Pelayo-Lozada attended El Camino College, receiving an associate degree in philosophy in 2005.[4] She went on to earn two degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles: a bachelor's degree in sociology in 2007 and a Master of Library and Information Science in 2009.[4][5] She wrote her master's thesis describing how cultural information is retained and disseminated among those in the Native Hawaiian diaspora in Southern California.[6]
Career in librarianship
editPelayo-Lozada has worked in multiple public libraries in the Los Angeles area, beginning as a library aide for the Los Angeles Public Library from 2006 to 2010.[7] From 2009 to 2015, she worked as a youth librarian at Redondo Beach Public Library, the Glendale Public Library, and the library of the city of Rancho Cucamonga.[7] She joined the Palos Verdes Library District in 2016 as a youth services librarian.[3] In 2018 Pelayo-Lozada became the library district's adult services assistant manager.[3]
Service to librarianship
editPelayo-Lozada has held multiple leadership roles within the American Library Association (ALA), including chairing the Advisory Committee for ALA's Office for Diversity, Literacy, and Outreach Services from 2016 to 2017.[4] She has served on the ALA Council for several terms, as well as a term on the ALA Executive Board from 2017 to 2020.[8]
In April 2021, Pelayo-Lozada was elected as president of ALA for 2022-2023.[8] After winning, she released a statement discussing her intention to work to make ALA a more inclusive and antiracist organization as well as "a model of organizational excellence and sustainability."[8] She is the first Pacific Islander and the youngest person to be elected president of ALA.[3]
From 2016 to 2017, she was the president of the Asian Pacific American Librarians Association, later going on to become the organization's Executive Director.[9] She also helped establish "Talk Story: Sharing Stories, Sharing Culture," a literacy program specifically designed for Asian Pacific American and American Indian/Alaska Native children.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b "Lessa Pelayo-Lozada". Asian Pacific American Librarians Association. November 15, 2019. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
- ^ a b Pelayo-Lozada, Lessa Kananiʻopua (February 11, 2013). "You're Native Hawaiian, So What Island Are You From?". Asian Pacific American Librarians Association. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e Hixon, Michael (April 22, 2021). "Palos Verdes library employee named American Library Association president". Palos Verdes Peninsula News. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
- ^ a b c "Lessa Kananiʻopua Pelayo-Lozada [candidate statement]" (PDF). American Library Association. 2017. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
- ^ "About Us". Center for the Study of Multicultural Children's Literature. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
- ^ "LLAMA 2011 Emerging Leaders' Bios". ELLLAMA2011. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
- ^ a b "Lessa Kananiʻopua Pelayo-Lozada". LinkedIn. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
- ^ a b c Albanese, Andrew (April 15, 2021). "Pelayo-Lozada Elected ALA President". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
- ^ "Executive Board". Asian Pacific American Librarians Association. Retrieved May 11, 2021.