As I strolled into the poster sessions, I had a general notion of what caught my interest. My checklist was concise, but I secretly yearned for some unexpected gems.

As a college preparatory librarian, my must-see list was:

• College Readiness: Academic & School Library Partnerships, A Statewide Organizational Approach – This collaboration between college and school librarians in New Jersey is fascinating. This collaboration reminded me of a 2019 AASL session called “Collaborating to Bridge the Gap between High School and College Level Research” by Kerrie Burch.
• Creating AASL’s Guidebook to Driving Inquiry in School Libraries is part of the ALA Emerging Leaders program; this group developed the linked resource for school librarians to access free of charge.
• Getting Reading Right with Choice, Voice, and Accessibility had such a crowd it was hard to get close, but I did get a photo of their poster and hope to check it out later.

My surprising finds include the following:

• Diverse Bookfinder – This poster entry is a project supported by IMLS, Bates, and The University of Florida Georg A. Smathers Libraries.  It is a free online tool to help you diversify your catalog with a collection analysis tool. Currently, the tool only analyzes picture books, but they will have added chapter books and YA in January.
• Normalized Barriers: The Structure and Performance of Library Routines – This study, sponsored by IMLS and The University of South Carolina, was conducted in public libraries; however, researchers are looking for school library participants for a future study.
• Investigating Principals’ Perceptions of the Role of School Librarians: A Mixed Methods Study – An excellent research poster by Deeth Ellis! See the photo below.
• Creative approaches for integrating WWII Graphic novels and primary sources in the classroom – Finally, this was my favorite from Jenna Spiering, Valerie Byrd Fort, and Liz Hartnett. My library and archives back in Tennessee have a primary source collection from WWI or The Great War, and this session inspired me to go back to my school to create a collection of graphic novels and picture books to support the collection and curricular connections! 
   

Reach out in the comments. We took pictures of most of the poster sessions.

Author: Hannah Byrd Little

Hello, I am the Library Director at The Webb School of Bell Buckle. I use my past experience in college and university libraries to help my current students in school libraries transition into college, career, and life. I am currently the lead Senior Class Adviser for the Capstone Project. I also served at the state level with the Tennessee Association of School Librarians executive board from 2009-2013 and was the TASL president in 2012. I am certified as a Library Information Specialist for PreK-12th grade, have a BS in Communications with a concentration in Advertising and Public Relations, a BS in Liberal Studies with a concentration in Education and Information Systems and a Masters in Library and Information Science.

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Categories: AASL National Conference, Professional Development