Hanako Ishizuka-Gunderson (she/her) has been in the library field for over a decade. Working in various libraries at different capacities, she has finally returned to pursue her master’s degree in library and information science from Dominican University after a 10-year hiatus from academia. Juggling motherhood and a full-time position at the University of California Irvine’s Special Collections and Archives as a Public Service Library Assistant, she is enjoying her time as a student and thriving in her current position. During the FOCAS internship, she was privileged to work with Ipiku, an organization dedicated to safeguarding the Micronesian cultural heritage. Founded by Micronesian scholars, the organization works hard to document and preserve their history and scholarship for future generations, both on the islands and within the Micronesian diaspora. Her team has been tasked with establishing a digital repository from the ground up.
Having Polynesian heritage, she understands the importance of preserving the history of marginalized communities. Though daunting, she is passionate about setting the groundwork to help ensure the community can sustain archival principles long after we leave. She hopes to support them and provide them with the tools to instill confidence in their skills and knowledge to make the decisions that are best fit for their communities.