From left: Tom Fay, SPL Chief Librarian; Elena Gutierrez, SPL Collections Services Manager; and Jonna Ward, SPL Foundation CEO (Photo by Assunta Ng)
Over a hundred members of the Chinese community and supporters gathered at the Russell Investment Center to support the Seattle Library Foundation, raising more than $13,000. This event, part of the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month celebrations, was held in conjunction with the Seattle Public Library’s efforts to highlight contributions by Asian American authors and promote its collection of foreign-language books, particularly in Spanish, Chinese, and Japanese.
Gene Chang, his wife Sharon, and their colleague Mandy played pivotal roles in hosting the event, aiming to foster stronger ties between the community and the library foundation. The event, co-sponsored by eight predominantly Asian organizations, was the first of its kind for the foundation. Chang emphasized the importance of creating a bridge between the Seattle Public Library and the community, noting that while the foundation often discusses equity, diversity, and inclusion issues, there has been little focus on Asian American issues.
Assunta Ng, publisher of Northwest Asian Weekly, delivered an impactful speech on “How SPL Shapes My Path,” with less than 48 hours of preparation. Winston Lee wrote that “her passionate and humorous review of history and vision for the future captivated the audience.” The program also featured a panel discussion with Seattle Public Library leadership (SPL Chief Librarian Tom Fay, Elena Gutierrez, SPL Collections Services Manager; and Jonna Ward, SPL Foundation CEO) addressing the library’s challenges and resources.
Provided by Winston Lee
Various elected officials, including Bellevue Councilmember Janice Zahn, Newcastle Councilmember Sun Burford, and Edmonds Councilmember Will Chen, were present, showing their support for the community and the library foundation.
The Seattle Public Library has promoted a list of recommended reads by Asian American authors and will host a prominent author, Amy Tan, on May 29, as part of its AAPI Heritage Month celebrations.