AASL has announced the recipients of its 2017 awards. AASL awards and grants recognize excellence and showcase best practices in the school library field in categories that include collaboration, leadership and innovation. Recipients of this prestigious program are celebrated for their outstanding talent and dedication to the profession.
- National School Library Program of the Year Award
Awarded to: Baltimore County Public Schools, Baltimore County, Md
Sponsored by Follett, the award annually recognizes a school library program that meets the needs of the changing school and library environment and is fully integrated into the school’s curriculum. Recipient receives a crystal obelisk and $10,000. - Distinguished Service Award
Awarded to: Lesley Farmer, professor of library media at California State University Long Beach
Sponsored by Follett, the $3,000 award recognizes an individual member of the library profession who has, over a significant period of time, made an outstanding national contribution to school librarianship and school library development. - ABC-CLIO Leadership Grant
Awarded to: The Ohio Educational Library Media Association (OELMA)
Sponsored by ABC-CLIO, the up to $1,750 grant is awarded to school library associations that are AASL affiliates for planning and implementing leadership programs at the state, regional, or local levels. - Collaborative School Library Award
Awarded to: Mary Catherine Coleman, Sarah Beebe, Sarah Weitz, Bev Greenberg, and Tisha Johnson from Francis W. Parker School in Chicago, Ill.
Sponsored by Upstart, the $2,500 award recognizes and encourages collaboration and partnerships between school librarians and teachers in meeting goals outlined in AASL’s program guidelines through joint planning of a program, unit or event in support of the curriculum and using school library resources. - Distinguished School Administrator Award
Awarded to: Warren Drake, superintendent of schools, East Baton Rouge Parish (La.) School System
Sponsored by ProQuest, the $2,000 award is presented to a school administrator who has made worthy contributions to the operations of an exemplary school library and to advancing the role of the school library in the educational program. - Frances Henne Award
Awarded to: Julie Stivers, school librarian, Mt. Vernon Middle School in Raleigh, N.C.
Sponsored by ABC-CLIO, the $1,250 award enables a school librarian with five or fewer years in the field to attend an ALA Annual Conference or AASL National Conference for the first time. - Innovative Reading Grant
Awarded to: Alison Kirkpatrick, school librarian, River Road High School, Amarillo, Texas
Sponsored by Capstone, the $2,500 award supports the planning and implementation of a unique and innovative program for children that motivates and encourages reading, especially with struggling readers. - Inspire Collection Development Grants
Awarded to: El Camino High School, Oceanside, Ca.; George Washington High School, Danville, Va.; Roosevelt Middle School, Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Highland School of Technology, Gastonia, N.C.; Kagman High School, Saipan, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands; Jane Addams Campus Library, New York, N.Y.
Sponsored by Marina “Marney” Welmers, the grant assists an existing public middle or high school can extend, update, and diversify the book, online, subscription and/or software collections in their library in order to realize sustainable improvement in student achievement at their school. The Fund is $20,000 per year. The direct assistance grant shall be capped at $5,000. - Inspire Special Event Grants
Awarded to: Metropolitan Expeditionary Learning School, Forest Hills, N.Y.; Pine Grove Middle School, East Syracuse, N.Y.; Highland School of Technology, Gastonia, N.C.; Wadleigh Campus Library, New York, N.Y.; Classical Magnet School, Hartford, Conn.
Sponsored by Marina “Marney” Welmers, the grant supports a special event so that an existing public middle or high school library can create new or enhance its extracurricular activities in order to increase student academic achievement at their school. The fund is $10,000 per annum. The direct assistance is capped at $2,000 per grant. - Intellectual Freedom Award
Awarded to: Amy Bradley, school librarian, Risley Middle School, Brunswick, Ga.
Sponsored by ProQuest, the Intellectual Freedom Award is given for upholding the principles of intellectual freedom as set forth by the American Association of School Librarians and the American Library Association. The award includes $2,000 to the recipient and $1,000 to the school library program of the recipient’s choice. - Roald Dahl’s Miss Honey Social Justice Award
Awarded to: Anne Mlod, school librarian, and Cinda Gilmore, 4th-grade teacher, Genesee Elementary School, Auburn, N.Y.
Sponsored by Penguin Random House, the award recognizes and encourages collaboration and partnerships between school librarians and teachers in teaching social justice through joint planning of a program, unit or event in support of social justice using school library resources. The award includes $2,000 to the librarian, up to $1,000 in reimbursement towards travel and housing to attend the AASL awards presentation at the ALA Annual Conference, and a $5,000 book donation by Penguin Random House. - The Ruth Toor Grant for Strong Public School Libraries
Awarded to: Dana Kepler, school librarian, Park Hill High School, Kansas City, Mo.
Sponsored by Jay Toor, the award provides funding support on a competitive basis to public school libraries for the creation and implementation of a local public awareness/marketing campaign that promotes and positions their school library as a necessary resource in the community. The grant includes $3,000 to create and implement a project, and $2,000 for both the school librarian and school official to attend the AASL national conference or the ALA Annual Conference.
The AASL award winners will be honored at the AASL Awards Ceremony & President’s Program during the 2017 ALA Annual Conference in Chicago. The ceremony will be held from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. on Saturday, June 24. All are welcome to celebrate the accomplishments of their peers during this recognition event.
Author: Jen Habley
Jen Habley is the AASL Manager of Web Communications. She manages the AASL websites, writes press releases, coordinates AASL’s online learning opportunities, and oversees AASL’s web 2.0 tools. When not working, Jen spends time researching her family tree, reading, and watching hockey.
Categories: Association News, Awards Spotlight, News
Leave a Reply