Thirty AASL members receive grants to attend first national conference

CHICAGO – Thirty members of the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) have been awarded a $750 travel grant in order to attend their first AASL national conference. Generously sponsored by Bound To Stay Bound Books, Inc. (BTSB), the grants will allow recipients to secure housing, transportation and/or registration for the AASL 16th National Conference & Exhibition taking place Nov. 14-17, 2013, in Hartford, Conn.

Grant recipients include:

Molly Ann Bates

Russellville Middle School

Russellville, Ala.

Ellen Sue Baum

Middleton High School

Middleton, Wis.

Deven Black

Castle Hill Middle School 127

Bronx, N.Y.

Sandra Bucher

Sequoya Middle School

Holtsville, N.Y.

Rebecca Buerkett

L.P. Quinn Elementary School

Tupper Lake, N.Y.

Melissa Jane Chiti

Glenn Elementary School

Durham, N.C.

Tracy Lynn Cline

Butterfield Trail Middle School

Van Buren, Ark.

Mary Ann Cole

Houston Middle School

Germantown, Tenn.

Cynthia Curtis

Hanes Magnet School

Winston-Salem, N.C.

Sarah DiLorenzo

Wilson Elementary

Norman, Okla.

Bonnie Lynn Eiche

John Thomas School of Discovery

Nixa, Mo.

Teralee ElBasri

Fla. State University

Tallahassee, Fla.

Stacy Ford

John F. Kennedy Elementary

Norman, Okla.

Daniel Gattuso

Daniel of Saint Thomas

Jenifer Elementary School

Waldorf, Md.

Teresa Gilham

Browning High School

Browning, Mont.

Martha Hickson

North Hunterdon High School

Annandale, N.J.

Mary Johnson

South Dakota State Library

Pierre, S.D.

Leticia Kalweit

Richard Mann Elementary School

Walworth, N.Y.

Christina Knight

Zachary High School

Zachary, La.

Soraya Laboy

Robison Middle School

Las Vegas, Nev.

Theresa Mai

Truscott Elementary School

Loveland, Colo.

Adrienne Matteson

White River Elementary

Noblesville, Ind.

Michelle Miller

Gorham Intermediate

Gorham, N.Y.

Susan Marie Nickel

Capital High School

Boise, Idaho

Nikki Robertson

Auburn High School

Auburn, Ala.

Carrie Shoolbred

Jesse Boyd Elementary School

Spartanburg, S.C.

Darshell Silva

Rocky Hill School

East Greenwich, R.I.

Amy Jo Southworth

Bay Shore High

Sayville, N.Y.

Roz Thompson

Tumwater High School

Tumwater, Wash.

Gretchen Zaitzeff

University High School

Normal, Ill.

Bob Sibert of BTSB said, "At Bound To Stay Bound Books we recognize the value of the professional librarian in our schools and take pride in being able to offer these grants to help further their knowledge and give them an opportunity to share their experiences with other professionals."

"AASL is grateful to Bound To Stay Bound Books for their insight in sponsoring this wonderful opportunity for first-time attendees to experience and participate in AASL’s national conference," said Susan Ballard, AASL president. "Through their generous support BTSB is making a difference in fostering high quality professional development for school librarians who in turn, will 'pay it forward" by returning to their learning communities and sharing what they have learned with administrators, teachers and most especially with students."

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.