Pahoa Public & School Library Awarded ‘Team of the Year’

Pahoa Public & School Library’s team of staff members were recently selected as the 2015 Team of the Year by the Hawai’i State Public Library System.

The team, made up of Branch Manager Gaila Vidunas, Rosemary Brown, and Susan Watters provided an “amazing level of dedication and commitment to their Big Island community and to the values of HSPLS by providing a safe, welcoming place for residents of Pahoa to turn to during the Pu’u O’o volcanic eruption and lava flow,” according to HSPLS officials.

File photo.

As the June 27, 2014 lava flow threatened the community of Pahoa, the library acted as a community hub with free Wi-Fi and informational support for the town of Pahoa and neighboring communities.

In addition to the Pahoa team, HSPLS awarded Miriam Sato as the 2015 Employee of the Year.

Sato is the Head of the Hawai’i State Library’s Business, Science & Technology Section. She wrote and received a $100,000 grant from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority Investor Education Foundation and the American Library Association. The funds provide HSPLS patrons with information resources that support financial literacy.

Jaclyn Ching, Library Assistant III of Aiea Public Library, is the recipient of the Sustained Superior Performance Award.

The Pahoa Public & School Library team was honored at the Governor’s Awards Ceremony in the State Capitol House Chamber on Friday.