 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
We're grateful for the efforts of our staff!
Jennifer Relacion Our new Acting Librarian, Jennifer Relacion, was born in Toronto, Canada. Both of her parents were born and raised on Kaua'i; her mom, Helen is from Kilauea, and her dad, John, was brought up in the Ahukini area. The family moved back to Kaua'i when Jennifer was 3 years old. Jennifer attended St. Catherine's School for nine years (she was in the school's first kindergarten class), then went to high school at Kapa'a High & Intermediate. She and Lani Kawahara were classmates there!She continued her education at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa, obtaining a degree in Sociology. After college, she worked and lived on O'ahu for a few more years. In 1996, Jen moved back home to Kaua'i following the death of her father. She worked at various jobs for three years before she got what she calls her "lucky call" from Lani when the Princeville Library opened. She started three months after its opening, and has been there and loving her job ever since. Jennifer says, "In the seven years I've been here, I have been fortunate to work with Lani, and have learned so much about the library, from the processing of books and materials, to circulating these items to the public and answering reference questions. With all the great books we have in circulation, I often find it difficult to choose which ones to read. J So when I'm not reading (or when I take too long to finish a book, like The Da Vinci Code), I look forward to spending time with my family and two dogs. I occasionally entertain myself with a selection of DVDs, or go out to the movies. I also enjoy beading jewelry and baking my favorite chocolate chip cookies for friends and family. " The Friends welcome Jennifer in her new capacity as Acting Librarian, and we look forward to working with her to continue making the Princeville Library an integral and valued part of our community. [ top ]
Article by Connie Copenhaver “Dream retirement job seeks perfect employee” is not how Princeville Library and Jean Ann became acquainted, but it could not have been a better match. Born in Providence, Rhode Island, raised in small towns in New York, well educated, and always involved in activities, Jean Ann brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to our North Shore community. Completing her BA and MA in English at the College of Saint Rose and SUNY at Albany in only four years, Jean Ann was hired to be the Dean of Freshmen at Saint Rose immediately after graduation. Simultaneously, she went to St. John’s University on Long Island for her Ph. D in English. She was offered the deanship of a new university in Connecticut (Sacred Heart University – the first Catholic university run by lay people), and thus Jean Ann became the youngest dean in the United States at the age of 25. Jean Ann earned her counseling certification over the summers, and has headed up admissions and financial aid programs at various colleges. She formed Flaherty and Associates (college counseling and consulting), and began consulting for SUNY before becoming Director of Admissions and Financial Aid at Purchase, a flagship of conservatory art education, just outside of New York City. For the next seven years she went on recruitment trips in New York State and beyond seeking dancers, actors, musicians, and artists, as well as liberal arts students. Following the call to “Go West, young woman,” Jean Ann was hired by Mills College in Oakland, California, where she recruited national and international students. This opportunity enabled her to travel world wide. Becoming interested in mature women students who had not finished degrees, Jean Ann helped to expand a program for these talented women. After six years at Mills College, Jean Ann moved to Holy Names University, also in Oakland, where she served as Dean of Adult and Graduate Education. During these years Hawaii was one of her recruitment areas, and, after many visits, she chose to take early retirement, moving to Princeville in 2003. Part of her family had had a residence on Kauai since 1991. Jean Ann feels she is “so blessed to be able to work here and to meet different and interesting people every day.” She particularly enjoys getting to work with young children, since most of her professional life dealt with adults. She now works full-time as a Library Assistant III, and, in her “spare time,” her own business allows her to continue work in the college counseling profession and in interior design. [ top ]
Article by Connie Copenhaver The Princeville Library's janitor does it all ... inside and out! Anyone else might feel extremely harried by this daunting task, but not Harrie-lynn. A native Kauaian, Harrie-lynn lived on both Kauai and Oahu during her childhood. She loved the ocean and lived in a beach front house in Kahaluu. She began bowling in the 5th grade and enjoyed it immensely, as her whole family was always at the bowling alley (her mother was a professional bowler). She and her husband, Earl, have eleven children - his/hers/theirs. She and he both worked at Hanalei School as custodians prior to her taking the Library job in 2005. Her co-workers describe Harrie-lynn as a "team player", always attentive to the needs of both Library patrons and staff. Jean Ann Flaherty comments that she is, "ready to assist where needed without being asked. She is always cheerful, often singing while she works (and on key no less!)." In addition to keeping the inside of the Library clean, Harrie-lynn is also extremely efficient in maintaining the Library's exterior. On a weekly basis, she mows, trims overgrown hedges and trees, weed-whacks, blows leaves into disposable piles, waters plants and washes down the Library's entrance. Ever notice how clean the windows are? Well, we know who to thank now - Harrie-lynn! Our Librarian, Jennifer Relacion, notes the warmth and joy Harrie-lynn brings to her job. Jennifer says, "She is never without a kind word, a helping hand or a warm smile, for which we are all truly blessed. She has a gift for music and a wonderful sense of spirituality." It is Harrie-lynn who takes the initiative to decorate the Library for the holidays, or any special occasion, always doing it well. Harrie-lynn loves working for the Library, as she is pretty much able to arrange her own schedule. Additionally, she loves reading. She and her family belong to New Beginnings in Hanamaulu, going twice a week. All the kids are in Sunday school and the family attends Bible Study on Wednesday evenings. The next time you spot Harrie-lynn working, stop and say hello. And thank her for the wonderful job she is doing for us! [ top ]
Article by Dotty Nakea Local boy, Sage Ornellas' family roots go deep on the island of Kauai. His great-great-grandfather migrated here from Portugal in the 1800's, and the family has maintained a presence on Kauai ever since. Born in 1976, Sage grew up in the Kapa'a area, attending the public schools, and graduating from Kapa'a High in 1994. With an SAT score of 1450 (putting him in the top 1% nationwide), he had no trouble getting accepted at the University of Hawaii in Manoa. His sojourn on Oahu would last for eleven years, three of them spent at UH ("Go Rainbows!"), and the rest one suspects, having fun and working in a number of jobs as a "temp." In 2005 the call came to return to Kauai to help his family replant their 15 acre Kapa'a farm with lychee and longan trees. Once home, Sage, always an avid reader (at least two books a week, he says) began frequenting the Kapa'a Library. There he became friends with Lani Kawahara, Princeville's former librarian, and now the librarian at Kapa'a. Lani told him about the opening at the Princeville Library for a full time temporary position as a Library Assistant III. No stranger to "temp" jobs, Sage applied for, and got, the position in April of 2006. In July of 2007, after myriads of delays on the part of the state (Sage says, "They ran out of red tape, and kept having to order more."), his position became a full time permanent one. When you enter the Library you immediately sense the professionalism of the staff and the absolute respect they have for the patrons, the facility, and for one another. Observe a little longer; the camaraderie behind the front desk quickly becomes evident, and one gets the feeling that Sage, with an admittedly "strange sense of humor." is the Library's court jester. His affection for his fellow employees is also evident, as is theirs for him. He would like to say in this article that he has the utmost respect for the people he works with, and that working with them is a joy. Except, he says (as she appears in the break room during our interview for the article), "Jean Ann is always stealing my pencils." Jean Ann gasps and denies the allegation. Sage says, "That's alright though; she can't help it." Further good natured gasps from Jean Ann, and some more banter back and forth, give credence to the fact that special times exist here. Banish any thoughts of stereotypical stern, humorless, bookish librarians in this place! Living at home, in a unit attached to his parents house, and still working on the farm when he can, Sage makes time to hike to Kalalau with friends once a year for what he calls a "primitive recreational experience." And he makes time to read, still devouring at least two books a week. He reads everything except romances and westerns (but admits he has probably even read a few in those genre), and his favorite authors are Stephen King (in his earlier writings) and Tim Dorsey. The book, Aztec, by Gary Jennings, made quite an impression on him, and certifies, he says, his "weird taste." One of the great benefits of working at the Library, Sage remarks, is that it has allowed him to meet a number of very interesting people. He enjoys talking to people and answering any questions he can. He has one rule though, he says, when talking to patrons; he doesn't discuss "religion, politics, or the Superferry." The next time you are at the Library, make some time to get to know Sage better; you'll be glad you did! Just remember the rule ... |
Jean Ann Flaherty
