Previous Story
JKPL welcomes new librarian
|
Posted on Jan 22 2014
The Joeten-Kiyu Public Library recently welcomed a new librarian, Rosalyn Ajoste, who has been hired as technical services librarian.
The 34-year-old former public school teacher will report directly to JKPL executive director John Oliver Gonzales.
Ajoste recently completed her Master’s in Library and Information Science with a certificate in School Librarianship from the University of North Texas in Denton. She finished her bachelor’s degree in European History from University of Hawaii-Manoa.
She also is a scholar of LEAP, which stands for Library Education for the U.S. Affiliated Pacific. It’s a scholarship launched by the IMLS Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian program through a grant partnership between UNT/PREL to increase the number of indigenous librarians from the region.
Some of Ajoste’s responsibilities involve cataloguing JKPL’s inventory of books and other materials and help in crafting the state library’s five- and 10-year plans. Ajoste will also be serving as the library’s de facto archivist.
One of her goals is to continue to make the JKPL as well as satellite libraries on Tinian and Rota the “best library in Micronesia.”
She also believes that having an informed citizenry is part of the democratic process and one way to achieve this is putting information within reach of the community.
Ajoste also plans to make available the library’s Pacific collection to academics and historians who are doing research about the region.
Other immediate goals include increasing the patronage of the library.
A resident of Susupe, Ajoste is the daughter of Filipino immigrants from Zambales, Philippines. She said her family has made Saipan their home the past 41 years.
Prior to joining JKPL, she has taught at Kagman High School for six years, Marianas High School for three years, and Saipan Southern High School for two years.
