Dear colleagues,
The CALASYS Subcommittee is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2026 CALASYS Mini-Grant Program. This year, two projects have been selected for funding in recognition of their strong contributions to preserving and highlighting the work of Chinese American librarians.
Yanling Liu, Coordinator of Information Literacy and Research Services, Indiana University Kokomo
Project: From Instruction to Impact: Documenting Chinese American Librarians’ Contributions Across the Knowledge Lifecycle
This project will develop a curated collection highlighting the diverse contributions of Chinese American librarians across information literacy, scholarly communication, and emerging areas such as AI-enhanced teaching.
Wanheng Li, Librarian for Asian Studies & Philosophy at Vanderbilt University; Vice President, CALA Southeast Chapter (on behalf of the CALA Southeast and Southwest Chapters)
Project: Southwest & Southeast Chapter Collection
This project focuses on preserving and centralizing chapter history, including conference materials, Chapter program/workshop materials and member scholarly works—helping to strengthen CALA’s institutional memory and ensure long-term access to chapter-level contributions.
Each awardee will receive $250 and will contribute at least 30 high-quality entries to the CALASYS repository.
We congratulate both recipients and thank all applicants for their thoughtful submissions and commitment to advancing CALASYS.
We look forward to seeing these collections develop and enrich our collective professional record!
The CALASYS Subcommittee
Sai Deng (Co-chair)
Suzhen Chen (Co-Chair)
Elaine Kong
Yu Huang
Dear CALA Officers and Committee Chairs:
Please submit your annual reports by June 6, 2026.
Instructions:
Dear CALA Members,
We are happy to announce CALA 2026 Annual Program at the ALA Conference in Chicago!
1. ALA/CALA 2026 President’s Program Panel Discussion: Sustaining Excellence: Creative Problem-Solving in Challenging Times
Time and Location: 1 - 2pm, June 28, W192, McCormick Place Convention Center
Panelists:
Shali Zhang (Dean of Libraries and Professor, Auburn University),
Donghua Tao (Associate University Librarian for the Health Sciences of University of Illinois, Chicago)
Lian Ruan (Head Librarian, Illinois Fire Service Institute)
Moderator: Lei Jin (Associate Dean, Toronto Metropolitan University)
2. CALA Poster Session
Time and Location: 2:30 - 3:30pm, Sunday June 28, W192, McCormick Place Convention Center
CALA members will showcase their projects in poster formats. All are welcome to attend. Thank you for those submitted your poster proposals, we continue to review proposals in ongoing basis till the end of May. Please consider submit a poster using this Submission Link.
3. CALA Banquet (details to be confirmed, registration form will be sent out in May)
Time: 6pm, Saturday June 27, 2026
Hope to see many of you!
Sincerely,
Conference Program Committee & Local Arrangement
Lei Jin (co-chair)
Mingyan Li (co-chair)
Yanli Li
Yanling Liu
Zhaohui Liu
Please submit your mid-year(interim) reports by 12/31/2025.
Dear CALA Members and Friends,
The CALA Newsletter Subcommittee is inviting YOU to contribute to the next issue of the fall CALA Newsletter. We'd like to feature your voices and stories. You are welcome to submit to any of the topics below, and/or write an article on the topic of our resilience amidst uncertainty. CALA members and non-members of the association can submit articles focused on areas of interest to the Chinese American Librarian community. See Past Issues, for examples.
Topics can be focused on, but not limited to, the following areas:
News & Announcements
Feature stories
Conferences & Travels
Reviews
Trends
Small albums (of people, events, etc.)
Memorials
*** Note: The official reports from various CALA Committees, Task Forces and Chapters are archived on the CALA Website and are not included in the newsletter. This is per the Executive Board's policy.
Article requirements:
Please submit your article using one of the following two options:
1. Email a completed article as a MS Word document to calanewsletter@gmail.com OR 2. Upload a completed article as a MS Word document using your Google account. If pictures accompany your article, please embed in the document. There will be light editing of all articles.
1. Email a completed article as a MS Word document to calanewsletter@gmail.com OR
2. Upload a completed article as a MS Word document using your Google account. If pictures accompany your article, please embed in the document. There will be light editing of all articles.
Please refrain from sending articles directly to individuals of the CALA Newsletter Subcommittee.
We look forward to hearing from you!
With much appreciation,
The CALA Newsletter Subcommittee, calanewsletter@gmail.com
Esther De-Leon, co-chair
Jen Woo, co-chair
Allison Wong, member
Chi-Yuen Wu, member
The Chinese American Librarians Association (CALA) Best Research Awards Subcommittee (2024-2025) is pleased to announce that Jia Mi, Electronic Resources and Serials Librarian at the R. Barbara Gitenstein Library, The College of New Jersey, is the recipient of the 2025 Sheila Suen Lai Research Grant.
Jia Mi is recognized for her research project titled:
Language Representation and Bias in Large Language Models: A Comparative Study of Chinese and English for Equitable AI in Libraries
Her timely and critical research investigates how large language models handle linguistic representation and bias across languages, with a focus on Chinese and English. The project aims to inform more equitable and inclusive AI integration in library systems and services—an increasingly important area as libraries navigate the evolving role of artificial intelligence in information access and discovery.
The purpose of Sheila Suen Lai Research Grant is to encourage CALA members to engage in research activities that contribute towards the library and information science and are related to Chinese American Librarianship particularly.
Please join us in congratulating Jia Mi on this well-deserved recognition.
CALA Best Research Awards Subcommittee (2024-2025)
The Chinese American Librarians Association (CALA) Best Research Awards Subcommittee (2024-2025) is proud to announce that Dr. Jinxuan Ma, Associate Professor at the School of Library & Information Management, Emporia State University, is the recipient of the 2025 Sally C. Tseng’s Professional Development Grant.
Dr. Ma is recognized for her research project titled:
A longitudinal analysis of how reading habits influence the health outcomes of older adult readers
Her work explores the intersection of literacy, aging, and public health, and promises to make valuable contributions to both library services for older adults and broader interdisciplinary scholarship. This research highlights the vital role libraries can play in supporting the well-being of aging populations through sustained engagement with reading.
The Sally C. Tseng Professional Development Grant was established to support CALA members in advancing their professional growth through innovative research, training, and educational activities. It reflects CALA’s ongoing commitment to nurturing excellence, leadership, and service in the field of librarianship.
Please join us in congratulating Dr. Ma on receiving this year’s award and in celebrating her contributions to library research and community engagement.
The Chinese American Librarians Association (CALA) Best Research Awards Subcommittee (2024-2025) is pleased to announce that Dr. Leo Lo, Dean of the College of University Libraries and Learning Sciences at the University of New Mexico and incoming University Librarian and Dean of Libraries at the University of Virginia (effective September 15, 2025), is the recipient of the 2025 Jing Liao Annual Award for the Best Research.
Dr. Lo is recognized for his outstanding publication:
Lo, L. S. (2024). Evaluating AI literacy in academic libraries: A survey study with a focus on U.S. employees. College & Research Libraries, 85(5), 635–657. https://doi.org/10.5860/crl.85.5.635
His work offers timely and insightful analysis into the preparedness of academic library staff in navigating artificial intelligence technologies, contributing meaningfully to the growing discourse on AI literacy in the profession.
The Jing Liao Award for the Best Research honors the memory of Jing Liao (1954–2011), a long-time CALA member and a devoted, accomplished librarian at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Jing was a perfect exemplar of the pursuit of excellence in research and service throughout her career. This memorial award encourages CALA members to continue striving for excellence in research in the fields of information science and librarianship.
Please join us in congratulating Dr. Lo for this well-deserved recognition of scholarly achievement!
Yali Feng (Co-Chair) Jinxuan Ma Wei Zhang (Co-chair) Meingjie Zou
(Poster in PDF)
Join the Chinese American Librarians Association (CALA) for its first special virtual event honoring the 2025 CALA Best Book Award recipients. This engaging session features award-winning authors whose works highlight the resilience, artistry, and stories of Chinese Americans.
Date: Tuesday, June 24, 2025 Time: 2:00 – 3:00 PM EDT Zoom Link: Register for the Webinar
Featured Speakers and Talks:
Talk Title: Journey of a Thousand Miles: Bringing the Story of Mamie Tape to Life
Join author Traci Huahn and illustrator Michelle Jing Chan as they discuss their own journeys of bringing Mamie Tape’s story to life. Learn more about the history of Mamie Tape and her family, Traci’s extensive archival research and interviews with Mamie’s relatives, and Michelle’s "behind-the-scenes" art process.
Praised as the "definitive new biography" (Smithsonian Magazine) and a "worthy tribute to a groundbreaking artist" (Publishers Weekly), Karen Fang's Background Artist tells the extraordinary story of the Chinese immigrant artist, centenarian, and Disney Legend who helped make Bambi. In her talk for CALA, Fang will discuss Wong's early life under Chinese Exclusion, how his art practice countered the injustice of the era, and what lessons his long life provides us in this current moment.
Come hear from the author, illustrator, and scholar as they discuss the inspiration behind their creative process, the research that shaped their narratives, and the powerful messages at the heart of their award-winning books. Discover how these works illuminate overlooked chapters of Chinese American history, elevate voices long silenced, and celebrate the enduring impact of representation through storytelling and art.
Learn more about the award and recipients: https://cala-web.org/awards/bestbook/2025recipients
We look forward to celebrating these outstanding authors with you!
Recipients of 2025 CALA awards, grants, and scholarships have been selected or granted. Please click on the Awards tab to view the details.
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