Raymond Pun

Ray Pun struggled with English as he grew up in New York City, the child of Chinese immigrants. His teachers put him in ESL and remedial reading programs, which meant spending a lot of time in libraries. They felt like a second home to him.

People of many cultures and ages came together to explore ideas, learn skills, and often developed friendships. Libraries hosted classes and groups, held events, and welcomed everyone no matter their background or skill. After two master’s degrees and a doctorate in education, Ray now serves as the academic and research librarian at the Alder Graduate School of Education, a teacher residency program in California, where he collaborates with teacher educators to train and retain excellent teachers.

“My work as a librarian helps me connect with people from different cultures and backgrounds and share and raise awareness of their challenges and stories that are often not told or seen in stories and public spaces. Libraries are the heart of our communities. They honor marginalized voices and foster a sense of belonging in our communities.”

Ray has organized public programs in libraries celebrating diverse voices and experiences like Arab American novelist Ameen Rihani at The New York Public Library or the Yokuts and Mono peoples in a Talk Story Program at California State University in Fresno. Ray often speaks at conferences on how libraries can inspire communities to live the values of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility.