AASL 2012 Elections

Director-Elect Region 9

Ken W. Stewart

Current Position:

School Librarian, 1995, Blue Valley High School, Stilwell, Kansas

Previous Positions:

Evening Supervisor, Greenlease Library, Rockhurst University, 1988-1994

Teacher, Kansas City Academy, 1991-1994

Zone Manager, Eastern Airlines, 1985-1988

Degrees and Certificates:

Emporia State University, MLS, 1997

University of Missouri Kansas City, MA Reading Education, 1992

University of Missouri Kansas City, BA English Education, 1990

University of Georgia, BBA International Trade, 1972

ALA and/or ALA-APA Activities:

2011/2013  AASL National Conference, co-chair

09/11 ALA Membership Committee, virtual member

09/11 AASL National Conference Virtual Conference Committee, chair

10/12 AASL Nominating Committee, member

2008  ALA Orientation, Training, and Leadership Development Committee, member

06/07  AASL National Conference Program Review Committee, co-chair

04/06  ALA  AASL Alliance for Association Excellence Committee, member

03/04  ALA Association of American University Presses Book Selection Committee, chair

03/04  ALA Intellectual Freedom Roundtable Oboler Award Committee, member

02/03  AASL National Conference Local Arrangements Committee Volunteer Coordinator, co-chair

01/02  KASL Intellectual Freedom Committee

99/03  ALA Association of American University Presses Book Selection Committee, member

01/03  AASL ICONnect On-line Courses Committee

01/03  ALA  Intellectual Freedom Roundtable Oboler Award Committee, member

98/00  AASL  Teaching for Learning Taskforce, member

Offices held in the ALA-APA, state, & regional library associations, and other associations:

AASL, co-chair, National Conference Committee, 2011-2013

AASL, chair, National Conference Virtual Conference Committee, 2009-2011

AASL, division representative, ALA Conference Committee, 2007-2008

AASL, co-chair, National Conference Program Review Committee, 2006-2007

ALA, chair, Association of American University Presses Book Selection Committee, 2003-2004

AASL, co-chair, National Conference Local Arrangements Volunteer Coordinator, 2002-2003

Honors and Awards (library and non-library):

National Endowment for the Humanities grant recipient.  June 1993

Arthur and Rochelle Belfer Foundation grant recipient, National Conference for Educators, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.   July 1998

American Memories Fellows Program, Library of Congress, July 1998

PICTT Project in association with the Eisenhower Presidential Museum and Library.  1998-1999

Major Accomplishments:

In October, 2010, I created and co-organized a half-day, city-wide college readiness dialog, consisting of school librarians and invited fellow-educators from public, private, and alternative high schools from both Kansas and Missouri.  96 attended the first event including academic librarians from 12 colleges and universities.  Virtually every school district in the Kansas City area was represented.  A second, full-day, dialog took place in November, 2011, which included Skype sessions from field experts, roundtable discussions, presentations, and a sharing-out of best practices.  Included this year were area public library systems from both states.  This has become an on-going event, drawing more and more school librarians into the mix.

Publications:

Stewart, Ken W. "The library blend: one media center's alluring brew." School Library Journal Aug. 1997: 26+. General OneFile. Web. 5 Dec. 2011.

Links for further information:

http://www.bluevalleyk12.org/bvhs/lmc

Statement of Professional Concerns:

Collaboration is the center of almost everything we do.  We collaborate with administrators in order to manage an efficient facility; with teachers to ensure that information literacy skills are incorporated into curriculum; and, with students to help them achieve success.  We are constantly in this mode.  It’s in our DNA.  With the introduction of Common Core into education, we need to look beyond our current relationships and collaborate with those beyond arms’ length, reaching out vertically.  What skills do elementary school librarians instill in their students to prepare them for middle school?  What information skills are taught in middle school to promote achievement in high school?  And, what is taught at the high school level to ensure success in college and/or career?  Stronger professional relationships and interactions between AASL and such divisions as the ACRL and ISS should be established and promoted; knowledge needs to be shared.

Member of ALA since:

1996