Innovative library programs on display during school tours at AASL national conference

CHICAGO – School tours planned during the American Association of School Librarians’ (AASL) 16th National Conference & Exhibition will put on display the best and brightest school library programs in Hartford, Conn. Tours to these educational facilities will take place prior the opening of “Rising to the Challenge,” taking place Nov. 14-17, 2013. More information is available at national.aasl.org/tours.

During the Elementary School Tour on Thursday, Nov. 14, attendees will visit Duffy Elementary School, where the school library is an active learning environment that provides a diverse collection of children’s literature and technology resources for more than 575 students and staff. The program’s Wi-Fi capabilities and laptop mobile labs allows access to network technology resources throughout the building. In addition, the library program facilitates a student “Be the Media” video team that covers school news and broadcasts on local community television.

The Middle and High School Tour on Wednesday, Nov. 13, will take attendees to Glastonbury High School and Sage Park Middle School. At Glastonbury, collaboration is the key to their school library program. The program is fully integrated into the English and social studies curriculum and the school librarians and classroom teachers assist and assess mandatory research projects completed by the students each year. The library is now in its first year of a 1:1 iPad initiative for the freshman and sophomore levels and is looking to “flip” its classroom in order to encourage student collaborative work. Transition is also in place at Sage Park, where the school is shifting its curriculum to focus on the Common Core State Standards, integrating new technology and working towards the district goal of empowering all students as lifelong learners. Collaboration is also a key component to Sage Park’s program. Curriculum in information literacy and technology is delivered through collaborative projects with classroom teachers and subject specialists.

Independent School Tour 1 on Wednesday, Nov. 13, will take attendees to visit the Swain Library at Hamden Hall Country Day school. Swain Library is the very hub of the school community, due to its strong program and also to its location - in the school courtyard. The library hosts side by side facilities for the lower school students and the middle and upper school students. Both feature fully integrated technology facilities with personal computers, laptops, iPads and WiFi.

The Hulbert Taft, Jr. Library at The Taft School takes center stage during the Independent School Tour 2 on Thursday, Nov. 14. The library houses more than 10 distinct collections, with the main circulating collection comprising the bulk of the library's 58,000 volumes. The library's mission is to provide a place where students can work individually and in small groups, where they can browse through open shelves and sample new interests - and where teachers can pursue their own research and passions.

Registration for the AASL 16th National Conference & Exhibition is now open at national.aasl.org. Those wishing to join their colleagues for dedicated learning and networking are encouraged to register before the Aug. 22 early bird deadline to save $100 on registration rates. An additional registration fee is required for tour attendance and space is limited.

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.