AASL Research Paper Award
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The current award cycle has ended. The award applications will open on February 1, 2027.
Submissions can be either self-nominations from the author(s) who published the paper, or someone can submit a paper for consideration written by someone else.
2026 Recipients
Jenna Spiering, Jennifer Moore, and Valerie Byrd Fort, University of South Carolina, “Navigating the Impact of State Regulations on School Librarians’ Collection Development Practices.”
Pamela C. Harland, Plymouth State University (NH), Susan D. Ballard, Independent Consultant, retired District Supervisor (NH), and Rachel V. Small, Teacher Librarian, Burlington Public Schools (MA), “Building Consensus for School Librarian Collaboration: A Delphi Study.”
Award Information
The AASL Research Paper Award recognizes excellence in manuscripts addressing a persistent and recurring challenge in the field of school librarianship. The American Association of School Librarians (AASL), through the Educators of School Librarians Section (ESLS), will invite submissions of papers on original research with this focus. Full papers submitted can either be:
- Articles published in a peer-reviewed journal with a publication date no earlier than January 1, 2023; OR
- Completed research papers ready for submission to a peer-reviewed journal, or currently under review.
Submissions may include, but are not limited to, the following themes:
- Technology Leadership
- Instructional or Curriculum Design
- Shared Foundations as outlined in the 2018 AASL National School Library Standards
- Digital Literacy Skills Integrated in Content Learning
- Inquiry Learning
- Technology-Enabled Learning
- Collaborative Learning in the School Library
- Inclusiveness and Respect for Diversity
- Literacy
The paper must:
- Describes a significant issue OR unique topic in the field of school librarianship
- Presents a clear rationale, model, and/or theoretical framework
- Includes a thorough literature review providing an overview of existing research and evidence
- Offers a complete and thorough synthesis of a body or research to develop an argument OR provides a detailed methodology and results from an original empirical study
- Illustrates how research findings may be applied to the field
- If selected, at least one author must be able to attend the AASL National Conference or ALA Annual Conference (dependent upon year) to present.
* Please note: This downloadable version is for informational purposes only. All applications must be submitted online, via the Apply Now button that will appear at the top of the page when the next award season opens in early September.
Allison Cline
Deputy Executive Director
| 2025 |
Brenda Boyer, Instructor, Rutgers University, and Ewa Dziedzic-Elliott, Education Librarian, The College of New Jersey, “What I had, what I needed: First-year students reflect on how their high school experience prepared them for college research.” Rhys Dreeszen Bowman, PhD student, University of South Carolina, and Jenna Spiering, Assistant Professor, University of South Carolina, “Contesting Queer Books: Analyzing the Discourses in Public Comment Sections at School Board Meetings.” Jenna Spiering, Assistant Professor, University of South Carolina, and Kate Kedley, Associate Professor, University of South Carolina, “From Book Rating to Book Bans: A Critical Content Analysis of BookLooks.org’s Report Cards on LGBTQIA+ Titles.” |
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