Are you looking for a fulfilling short-term volunteer opportunity? Look no further! We have the opportunity that you have been looking for.  It is a flexible opportunity that will fit into your schedule no matter how busy you are in your already too packed school librarian day! Want to know more?  Read on.

We’d love for you to consider reviewing conference proposals for the 2025 AASL conference in St. Louis. Reading and reviewing proposals will provide you with an opportunity to support the professional development of school librarians while influencing the sessions that will be offered at the 2025 conference. Not only is reviewing proposals a rewarding experience, but it is essential in ensuring that the conference meets the needs of school librarians everywhere.

Reviews will be conducted online within a four-week time frame, making this a flexible opportunity that fits well into even the busiest schedule. Each reviewer will be asked to assess proposals based on relevance and the ability to address key topics in school librarianship, helping AASL put together a well-rounded and engaging program.  You’ll have a rubric to work from making the process seamless and very user friendly.  And, if you enjoy sharing your thoughts and opinions (and who doesn’t?), this opportunity is for you!

You’ll be able to log in and work on a few at a time, for a period of about 4 weeks.  Most years, reviewers have about 30 proposals to review. One of the things that the programming co-chairs are always looking for are your comments on the proposal. You will get to share your thoughts in a comments section about why you like, are not sure about, or really don’t think the proposal works for the conference.

If you are thinking that you don’t have the experience or the expertise to review conference proposals – we’re going to stop you right there! We need reviewers who are experienced and novice school librarians. The conference committee wants to make sure the conference in St. Louis has engaging, valuable, and amazing sessions for all levels of school librarianship – so we welcome all manner of school librarians to the table for reviewing proposals.  Whether you are an experienced school librarian or new to the field, this opportunity allows you to share your expertise and contribute to the growth of the profession.

Both of the authors started our conference journeys by reading proposals.  It was a wonderful opportunity to shape the conference and to know that we contributed to our own learning in a really meaningful way. We recall being a bit nervous about the commitment and the time needed, but found the whole process to be extremely smooth, well run, and easy to complete.

Finally, even if you were not ready to submit your proposal for the upcoming 2025 AASL conference (proposal deadline March 1, 2025) this time around, by reviewing proposals you gain a valuable learning opportunity for submitting proposals in the future. By gaining insight into how proposals are evaluated, you’ll gain insights into what makes a strong submission, helping you better understand the process and be ready to submit in 2027!

If you’re interested in reviewing proposals, please apply!