Introducing Launch Pad – AASL13’s onsite daily newspaper!

CHICAGO – The preview issue of Launch Pad, the newly named onsite daily newspaper for the American Association of School Librarians’ (AASL) 16th National Conference & Exhibition is now available at http://national.aasl.org/launch-pad. During the conference, taking place in Hartford, Conn., Nov. 14-17, Launch Pad will be available to attendees in a print and online edition on Thursday, Friday and Saturday mornings. The onsite daily newspaper contains up-to-date information on conference events, exhibits, local events and attractions.

Formerly called the AASL Advocate, the AASL13 daily was renamed via a contest open to AASL members and conference attendees. Names were solicited and four finalists – Aloft, Hot Air Highlights, The Hartford Current and Launch Pad - were chosen from the 38 entries received. A week-long online voting period resulted in the selection of Launch Pad as the title of the onsite newspaper. Val Edwards, IMC director at Monona Grove High School in Wis. submitted the winning name. She will receive a prize of her choice of any AASL publication.

“I came up with the idea straight from the conference logo and theme,” said Edwards. “The hot air balloon and ‘Rising to the Challenge’ made me think about space and air flight. Also, I always come away from the AASL conferences with lots of ideas and projects that I hope to ‘launch’ as soon as I return to my school so ‘Launch Pad’ just seemed like a natural descriptor for my conference experiences.”

The AASL national conference is the only national conference dedicated solely to the needs of school librarians and their roles as educational leaders. The 16th National Conference & Exhibition, "Rising to the Challenge," taking place Nov. 14–17, 2013, in Hartford, Conn., will feature preconference workshops, concurrent sessions and an exhibition featuring companies relevant to the school library profession.

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.