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AASL NEWS
For Immediate Release
May 14, 2002
Contact: Keidra Chaney
Phone: 312-280-4381
Fax: 312-664-7459

AASL presents 2002 awards recipients

The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) is pleased to announce the 2002 recipients of the AASL awards program.

Media specialist Anieta Trame and teachers Sarah Knobloch and Tim Condron of Mattoon, (Ill.) Middle School are the winners of the AASL Collaborative School Library Media Award. The award, sponsored by the Sagebrush Corporation, recognizes collaboration and partnerships between school library media specialists and teachers through joint planning of a program, unit or event in support of the curriculum and using media center resources.

Linda Jordan and Diane Stanley, Waco, Texas, are the recipients of the AASL/Highsmith Research Grant for their project "Does Accelerated Reader Improve Children's Reading Ability and Achievement?" The grant, sponsored by The Highsmith Co., Inc. is given to researchers conducting projects that evaluate the impact of school library media programs on learning and education.

The ABC-CLIO Leadership Grant is awarded to AASL state affiliates for implementing leadership programs for members. This year's grant, donated by ABC-CLIO Schools, was awarded to the Nebraska Educational Media Association for their "Leadership & Technology @ Your Library" program.

William Meuer, principal of Norwood Park School, Chicago, is the recipient of the Distinguished School Administrator Award, sponsored by SIRS. The award is given to school administrators who make outstanding contributions to advancing the role of their school's library media center.

David Loerschter of San Jose, Calif., is the winner of the Distinguished Service Award, sponsored by Baker & Taylor Books, which recognizes a librarian who has made an outstanding contribution to the field.

The Frances Henne Award was given to Laura Stiles of Austin, Texas. The award, sponsored by Greenwood Publishing Group, is awarded to a school library media specialist with five or fewer years in the field, to attend American Library Association (ALA) Annual Conference or AASL National Conference for the first time.

The Information Technology Pathfinder Award, donated by the Follett Software Company, was awarded in the secondary category to Ken Vesey of the Lovett School in Atlanta, Ga. The award honors school library media specialists demonstrating vision and leadership through the use of information technology to build lifelong learners. The elementary category was not awarded this year.

The National School Library Media Program of the Year Award was presented in the single school category to James River High School in Midlothian, Va. The award, sponsored by Follett Library Resources, recognizes exemplary school library media programs that are fully integrated into the school's curriculum. More information about this year's NSLMPY Award recipient is available on the AASL Web site. The large and small district categories were not awarded this year.

The AASL awards will be presented to each winner during a ceremony and luncheon held on Monday, June 17, at the 2002 ALA Annual Conference in Atlanta, Ga. Invited to speak at the event are acclaimed author/illustrator team Brian Selznick and Pam Munoz Ryan, sponsored by Scholastic. Brian is the 2002 Caldecott Honor Winner for The Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins and Pam is the 2002 Pure Belpre Award Winner for Esperanza Rising. Selznick and Ryan collaborated on the ALA Notable Children's Book Amelia and Eleanor Go For a Ride and have just completed a new collaboration, When Marion Sang, a picture biography of Marian Anderson.

For more information on the event, please contact the AASL office at 800-545-2433 ext. 4381.

The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) is a division of the American Library Association (ALA). AASL promotes the improvement and extension of library media services in elementary and secondary schools as a means of strengthening the total education program. Its mission is to advocate excellence, facilitate change, and develop leaders in the school library media field.

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