Curriculum Vitae:Nyla Lee (Ching) Fujii-Babb
EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND:
University of Hawaii at Manoa - Bachelor of Arts in Speech Communications with emphasis in Storytelling and Reader's Theatre. 1969
University of Hawaii at Manoa, Graduate School of Library and Information Studies - Master's Degree in Library Science. 1970
Continuing Education course work in:
Traditional Literature and Folklore
Hawaiian Language and Language for Hula
Drama and Dance
Educational Communications
SELECTED RELATED WORK EXPERIENCE:
Expressions; Hawaii’s Storytelling and Performance Arts Company,
1995 to current
Private small business in partnership with Musician Jeffry Stephen Babb for touring to national storytelling festivals and other venues. Please request a full resume of performances as a storyteller, this curriculum vitae represents library-related work only.
SCEP Artist, University of Hawaii at Manoa – Outreach College, Statewide Cultural Extension Program, 1995 to current
Duties: Artist on the roster of the Statewide Cultural Extension Program. Storytelling performances, workshops, and residencies scheduled through the Outreach College
Adjunct Faculty, University of Hawaii at Manoa – Department of Information and Computer Sciences, Library and Information Science Program. Fall1999 to current
Duties: Instructor for LIS 681 Books and Media for Children, Summer 2006
Instructor for LIS 685 Traditional Literature and Oral Narration Fall 1999 to current as scheduled.
Instructor for LIS 689 Asian American Resources for Children and Youth, Summer, 2004 and as scheduled.
Librarian and Administrator, Retired: Hawaii State Public Library System 1970 to 2004 – full resume available upon request – summary below:
Branch Manager and Children's Librarian, Salt Lake/Moanalua Public Library, Hawaii State Public Library System, 1995 to retirement 5/1/2004
Duties: Reference and reader's advisory for all clients. Administrator of a medium size public library with 12 fulltime and 5 part-time employees. Produce storytelling and life-long learning programs for Salt Lake/Moanalua community. Maintain the Adult and Children's collection of materials.
Director of Program Development Services Section, Hawaii State Public Library System: 1991-1995 ( Downsized)
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Duties: Managing Librarian and Manager of the section that plans and administers all
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statewide programs for public libraries including grant-funded programs. Writes and administers grants, liaison with private corporations including Marriott and other funding trusts. Creates performance programs, auditions performers, and tours programs to libraries statewide - promotes life-long learning –library-without-walls concepts. Liaison with national ALA campaigns for libraries. Managed a total budget including State and grant funds of nearly $200,000. a year for library programs statewide. On the State Librarian’s Management Team.
Statewide Coordinator of Young Adult Services: 1987 - 1991
Duties: Plans, directs and administers all programs and materials selection for young adults ages 12 to 18 in the Hawaii State Public Library System.
Various Positions from 1970 to 1987 at:
Kalihi –Palama Public Library – Branch Manager
Kalihi –Palama Public Library and Liliha Public Library (interim), Children’s
Waipahu Public Library – Children’s Librarian and Branch Manager (TA)
Kaneohe Regional Library – Bookmobile Librarian
Hawaii State Library – Librarian in Children’s & Young Adult Services Sections
Hawaii State Library – Ref. Librn. – Language, Literature and History
Kapahulu Bible Church Preschool: Interim Dir./Teacher, 1970
Duties: Taught children ages 2 1/2 to 5. Responsible for curriculum development, budget, facilities, supervision of the staff, and the health and welfare of 35 children.
Kapahulu Bible Church Preschool: Chairman of the Preschool Board (unpaid position), 1971.
Duties: Responsible for program planning, facility maintenance, accreditation, salary recommendations, tuition recommendations, interviewing and hiring staff and liaison with the Church Board.
Na Lima Ho'ike: founding member of this puppetry troupe, 1975-1990
MEMBERSHIP IN PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS:
- Treasurer of the Board of Directors of Monkey Waterfall Dance Theatre Co. 2012 to
current.
- American Library Association/ Public Library Association
- Hawaii Library Association: past-sec. and past-chair. of the Children's and Youth Section; past-sec. and past-chair. of the Public Library Section.
- Storytelling Association of Hawaii: past-Board member
- NAS formerly known as National Association for the Perpetuation and Preservation of Storytelling (NAPPS): roster artist
- Retired member of the Board of Directors of Kumu Kahua Theatre Company
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- Retired member of the Board: Friends of Salt Lake Library
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Selected AWARDS, GRANTS AND PUBLICATIONS:
Voiceovers and Narrator for DVD’s: “Ganbare; Don’t Give Up,” “Nation Within: The Story of
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America's Annexation of the Nation of Hawaii”, “The First Battle, The Battle for Equality in War-Time Hawaii. “ Tom Coffman Productions 1994 to 2006
Voiceover Narrator for “Biography Hawaii’s Koji Ariyoshi” a production of KHET and the UHManoa Biography Research Center
State Foundation for Culture and the Arts Guest Instructor for the Lanai Art Center’s “Art and
Story Youth Project,” 2005 to current
Statewide Tour and Concert –Featured Performer with Caldecott Award-winning
author/illustrator Gerald McDermott and Yukie Shiroma in McDermott in Motion, 2006-
2007
Nat. Storytelling Network Grant Recipient for Storytelling to Benefit Local Communities, 2004
Invited Featured Storyteller at Various Storytelling Festivals – Ojai CA, Hawaii, Illinois, St.Louis, Bay Area California, San Juan Capistrano, etc. 1980 to 2007
Hawaii State Public Library System Employee of the Year, 2002
Invited Featured Teller and Exchange Teller at the National Storytelling Festival in Jonesborough, Tenn. 1997 and 2000.
Hawaii State Public Library System Manager of the Year, 1993
Hawaii State Public Library System Certificate of Merit, Sustained Superior Performance -
HSPLS/BOE, 1992
Allie Beth Martin Award - Public Library Association, 1990
Hawaii State Public Library System Employee of the Month and Year, 1985
Hawaii Committee for the Humanities Grant for Pearl Harbor Remembered an Oral History Touring Performance for the 60th Anniversary for the Bombing of Pearl Harbor, 2001, 2002
“A Trip to Hawaii’ Maui-of-a-Thousand –Tricks and Other Stories from a Pacific Paradise” a
workshop for Non-Native storytellers introducing Polynesian folklore and the Hawaiian language. Published in the Proceedings of the National Storytelling Conference, San Diego, CA. 1999
Voices from My Island Home; Stories and Songs of Hawaii’s people. Compact Disk of original
and folk stories adapted by Nyla Ching-Fujii (Babb) with music by Jeffrey Stephen Babb
and Makoto Miyashita, Honolulu:JSB Productions, 1996
Number of original stories published in:
Carroll, Rick. Hawaii’s Best Spooky Tales series. Bess Press
Carroll, Rick. Madame Pele. Bess Press
Carroll, Rick and Marcie. Travelers’ Tales Guides: Hawaii; true stories of the island spirit
Hawaii Committee for the Humanities Grants for the Hawaii State Public Library System’s
ALA Award winning – “On Stage” series and "Local Literature-in-Performance" series,
1987 to 1995 reaching over 10,000 teens in public libraries statewide. A sample list:
“Love Triangles; Pele and Hiiaka and the Courtship of Myles Standish”
“Classic Teens; Shakespeare
“Gotta Match” (Pride and Prejudice, Cyrano De Bergerac, etc.)
“Talk Show” (Mark Twain, George Bernard Shaw and local literature)History of the
English Language. 3
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Polihale and other Kaua'i Legends; a storytelling audiocassette. Adapted from Kaua'i Tales and
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Polihale and other Kaua'i Tale by Frederick Wichman. Edited and adapted for storytelling by
Nyla Fujii and John Wat with additional voices from Brenda Freitas-Obregon and Woody
Fern. Published by Bamboo Ridge Press, 1992.
"Storytelling: A Cultural Inheritance", Literature and Hawaii's Children, 1992 Conference
Readings.
"Ha'i Moolelo: To Tell a Tale, Hawaiian Resources", Literature and Hawaii's Children;
Imagination: A Bridge to Magic Realms in the Humanities, 1986 Proceedings
"Variations on a Theme X 3: Theme Centered Storyhours and Booktalks", Hawaii Library
Association Journal. vol. 41, 1984.
WORKSHOP AND LECTURE HIGHLIGHTS:
Workshop presenter or main conference speaker at many organizations including:
Adult Basic Education, Moanalua, Farrington, and Waipahu Complexes
American Library Association Pre-conference - Chicago
Department of Health, Statewide Conference for Hawaiian Health
DOE Central, Leeward and Honolulu Districts - Kupuna Training Workshops
DOE Maui, Honolulu, Central, Leeward, Windward District Teacher and Librarian
Hawaii Association for the Education of Young Children
Hawaii Association of Social Studies Teachers
Hawaii Association of Teachers of English
Hawaii Association of Teachers of English as a Secondary Language
Hawaii Conference of Lutheran Schools
Hawaii Conference of Southern Baptist Teachers
Hawaii Library Association - Spring, Fall, and Tri-conference
Managerstart and Homestart Parent-Teacher Meetings
International Association of School Library Administrators
Kamehameha Schools' Teachers' Institute Day
Lanai Culture and Arts Center
Literature and Hawaii's Children, 1984, 1986, 1988, 1990, 1992
Native Hawaiian Health Conference " E OLA KINO”
Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Kupuna Conferences on Hawaiiana Materials for Children
Pacific Basin Conference for Pacific Air Forces Librarians
Pacific Basin Military Early Childhood Alliance of the Pacific (MECAP)
Public Library Association Conference in Portland Oregon on Ethnic Literature in Performance – a new wave of booktalking and outreach
T.A.L.E.S. (Teachers and Librarians Engaged in Storytelling) courses for
The University of Hawaii at Manoa, summer session, 1991 and 1992.
PERSONAL NARRATIVE:
Born and raised in Honolulu and a graduate of Kaimuki High School, Nyla Lee Ching-Fujii (Babb) is of Asian and Hawaiian ancestry. Widowed with one child, Nyla married musician Jeffry Stephen Babb in 1996. Together and as soloists they have performed in Hawaii, Boston, California, St. Louis, Tennessee, and Illinois.
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