An Amazing Array of AASL Opportunities

By Audrey Church, Leadership Development Committee Chair and 2017-2018 AASL Past President on 01/10/2017 • ( 0 )

All you can eat pancakes at IHOP! 75% off holiday decorations! Act now to upgrade your data plan or to buy that new car at 0% financing! As the new year begins, opportunities abound, and, while we don’t have pancakes, holiday swag, data plans, or new vehicles at AASL, we do have an amazing array of opportunities in front of us…but time is running out!

Share your knowledge, experience, and expertise with colleagues! Submit a concurrent session proposal for the 18th National Conference and Exhibition, “Beyond the Horizon,” to be held in November 2017 in Phoenix, AZ. The deadline to submit is January 27!

Know someone who is deserving of an AASL Award? The application deadline is February 1.

Collaborative School Library Award “recognizes and encourages collaboration and partnerships between school librarians and teachers in meeting goals outlined in Empowering Learners: Guidelines for School Library Programs.”
Distinguished School Administrator Award “honors 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.”
Distinguished Service 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.”
Frances Henne Award “recognizes a school librarian with five years or less experience who demonstrates leadership qualities with students, teachers and administrators.”
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.”
Roald Dahl’s Miss Honey Social Justice 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,”

How about an AASL Grant? Grant amounts range from $1,750 to $5,000! The application deadline is February 1.

ABC-CLIO Leadership Grant is “given to school library associations that are AASL affiliates for planning and implementing leadership programs at the state, regional, or local levels.”
Innovative Reading Grant “supports the planning and implementation of a unique and innovative program for children which motivates and encourages reading, especially with struggling readers.”
Through the Inspire Collection Development Grant “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.”
Inspire Special Event 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.”
Ruth Toor Grant for Strong Public School Libraries “provides funding support on a competitive basis to public school libraries—located in the United States and led by a certified school librarian—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.”

Suggest Apps and Websites for the 2017 lists! The deadline is March 1.

Best Apps for Teaching & Learning is “a recognition honoring apps of exceptional value to inquiry-based teaching and learning as embodied in the American Association of School Librarians’ Standards for the 21st-Century Learner.” Nominate an app!
Best Websites for Teaching & Learning “honors websites, tools, and resources of exceptional value to inquiry-based teaching and learning as embodied in the American Association of School Librarians’ Standards for the 21st-Century Learner.” Nominate a website!

Making Your Library Epic: Creating Innovative Spaces for Student Learning (Course runs from February 6-27.)
Learn to Tweet: Build Your Twitter Talent 140 Characters at a Time (Course runs from March 6-31.)

As we begin a new year, AASL offers so many opportunities—from conference presentations to awards to grants to online PD! …but do not delay. Deadlines loom!