Beta Phi Mu Volunteers at MLA Conference
Members of Beta Phi Mu Xi Chapter volunteered at the 2009 Medical Library Association's Annual Conference at the Hawaii Convention Center. They manned the hospitality booth on Sunday, May 17, 2009, from 6:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. directing attendees to the nearest bus stop to get back to their hotel, or to visitor attractions such as the Arizona Memorial and Iolani Palace.
New Initiates Inducted on May 24
On Sunday, May 24, 2009, five new initiates were inducted into the Xi Chapter of Beta Phi Mu, the international honor society in library and information science, which was founded at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa in 1968. The ceremony was held in the Queen Lili'uokalani Student Services Center and featured guest speaker Dr. Loriene Roy, past president of the American Library Association (2007-2008) and the musical stylings of jazz guitarist Shoji Ledward. Dr. Roy is the Director and Founder of "If I Can Read, I Can Do Anything," a national reading club for Native American children and "Honoring Generations," an IMLS funded graduate scholarship program for indigenous students. She is a member of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, enrolled on the White Earth Reservation. Dr. Roy taught a 3-week summer course in Indigenous Librarianship at UH Manoa.
During the initiation ceremony, Frans Josef Albarillo, May 2009 graduate and new Beta Phi Mu initiate, was awarded the 2009 Beta Phi Mu Scholarship for his outstanding academic record and his service to his fellow students in the LIS Program.
Beta Phi Mu membership is by invitation only. The UH LIS faculty select graduates from among the top 25 percent of each graduating class. They look for candidates who have demonstrated excellence in academics, as well as dedicated service to the profession, the LIS program, and to fellow students. You may join any time after you have been nominated; however, our initiation ceremony is only held once each year, usually a week after the May commencement. There is a one-time $100 initiation fee, which goes to BPM national headquarters. Members should renew their BPM memberships by joining a chapter. Xi Chapter charges $10 annual dues, which finances our initiation ceremony, scholarship and other activities.
Beta Phi Mu at FOLH Annual Booksale
Beta Phi Mu Xi Chapter members volunteered as cashiers, adders, and stockers at the annual Friends of the Library of Hawai'i Booksale at McKinley High School on Saturday, June 20, 2009. Funds raised from the booksale pay for scholarships for graduate students in the LIS Program at UH Manoa, professional development for working librarians in the Hawaii State Public Library System, and the popular summer reading programs for children, young adults, and adults.