Audrey Church | Longwood University (VA)
AASL President, 2016-2017

Having reviewed their 200+ page Board book, your 2016-2017 AASL Board of Directors met on Friday, June 23, and Saturday, June 24, at the ALA Annual Conference in Chicago for two action-packed, business-filled Board meetings.

Requests from four task forces for extensions in order to complete their work (Transform and Crisis Toolkit to 2018 ALA Midwinter; K-12 Regional Accrediting; Innovative Approaches to Literacy; and Position Statement on School and Public Library Cooperation to 2018 ALA Annual) were approved by the Board.

Completing an extensive and comprehensive policy review, the Board approved the following AASL policies:

• G1-G16: Professional Development
• H1-H6: State Affiliates
• I1-I7: Editorial
• J1-J15: Committee Commissions
• K1-K5: Affiliate Assembly
• L1: Sections
• N1: Social Media
• O1: Website

Additionally, the Board approved revisions of Policy A-4: AASL Endorsements; Policy B-8: Executive Committee Appointments Process; and Policy E-1: Nominations Process.

Also approved were the 2017-2019 Operational Plan; the FY18 Budget; sunsetting the National Institute Committee; and establishing a Social Media Recognition Committee. Tampa, FL, was selected as the site for our 2023 National Conference.

Bylaws changes in the following three areas were approved by the Board and will appear on the 2018 ALA/AASL ballot:

• Article V Nominations and Elections, Section 2, Leadership Development Committee regarding presidential appointment of a representative from the Knowledge Quest Editorial Board
• Article XI Affiliated Organizations, Section 2, Affiliate Assembly, and Article XII Sections, Section 2 Organization placing policies in the AASL Policy Manual
• Article XIII Interest Groups moving some of the current Special Interest Group language to the AASL Policy Manual

Our meetings in Chicago were focused and productive, thanks to the hard work of your Board members. It has been a privilege to serve with them during 2016-2017. If I were to characterize the year in one word, that word would be “advocacy.” It was a busy year—from ESSA workshops through our state affiliates to build advocacy for school libraries, to letters written collaboratively with the ALA Office for Library Advocacy for retention of school librarian positions, to the #Leg2SchoolLibrary initiative inviting our federal legislators to visit our libraries during their spring recess, to the resources created for “School Librarians as Learning Leaders.” Advocacy begins with each of us. Thank you for allowing me to serve as your 2016-2017 president.

Author: Audrey Church, Leadership Development Committee Chair and 2017-2018 AASL Past President

Categories: Association News, News