AASL seeking presenters for 2012 ALA Annual Conference

CHICAGO – The American Association of School Librarians (AASL), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), is now seeking presenter proposals for the ALA 2012 Annual Conference. The conference will be held June 21 – 26, 2012, in Anaheim, Calif. The deadline to submit a proposal is 5 p.m. CDT on May 24, 2011.

Proposal submissions will be accepted for 1 1/2-hour concurrent sessions or half- to full-day preconference professional development programs. Program content must address at least one of the three areas of responsibility: learning and teaching; information access; or program administration, as identified in “Empowering Learners: Guidelines for School Library Programs.” Proposals will be evaluated for clarity, originality and timeliness. Special attention will be given to proposals that incorporate one or more of these characteristics:

• Demonstrates innovative thinking and/or new perspectives
• Presents strategies for effectively implementing new ideas and technology
• Incorporates at least one active learning exercise
• Design includes activities that will incorporate various learning styles
• Demonstrates how learning outcomes would be achieved
• Supports the AASL strategic plan, the “Standards for the 21st-Century Learner” and the “Empowering Learners: Guidelines for School Library Programs.”

Notifications will be issued on or before July 15, 2011 to all whose proposals have been selected. For more information on submitting a proposal, visit http://www.ala.org/aasl/aaslrfp. Applicants must submit their proposals online using the proposal submission form. Faxed, e-mailed or mailed proposal submissions will not be accepted. Individuals with questions are asked to contact Melissa Jacobsen at mjacobsen@ala.org.  

The American Association of School Librarians, www.aasl.org, a division of the American Library Association (ALA), promotes the improvement and extension of library 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 field.