AASL web portal offers first peek at new standards resources and content

CHICAGO – The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) is excited to announce the release of several early materials addressing elements of the new “National School Library Standards for Learners, School Librarians, and School Libraries” which will launch in November at the AASL National Conference & Exhibition in Phoenix, Arizona. The early materials are featured on the AASL Standards web portal at standards.aasl.org.

“The upcoming Twitter chat will give us an opportunity to start discussing the Common Beliefs and Shared Foundations of the new standards,” said Mary Keeling, implementation task force chair. “To help people start thinking about the standards, we are releasing some early information in the form of Shared Foundations infographics on the web portal. These infographics capture the essence of the framework for learners and suggest some professional practices to get started. As we continue to develop materials, the web portal will grow to include many other resources to support your practice.”

Early materials available on the web portal include:

• “On the Horizon: New Standards to Dawn at AASL 2017”
  
  Featuring AASL’s updated Common Beliefs for the profession, this article from the Sept./Oct. “Knowledge Quest,” describes AASL’s process for researching and remodeling the standards. A timeline shows how AASL’s standards editorial board and implementation task force worked together to provide support materials and professional development immediately upon launch of the standards.

• Shared Foundation Infographics
  
  This collection of six Shared Foundation infographics summarize Competencies for learners and suggest starting points for school librarians implementing the “National School Library Standards.” These infographics will be central to a Twitter chat hosted by AASL on Mon., Sept. 18, at 6:00 p.m. Central at #AASLstandards.

• Standards Explainer Video – Evolved and Familiar
  
  Learn how the AASL Standards have evolved to reflect current learning environments while still honoring and carrying forward beloved elements from previous Standards.

The AASL Standards web portal will be the hub for “National School Library Standards” resources. Many downloadable support resources, including materials customized for various types of school librarians and stakeholders, are planned for the fall launch and beyond to help school librarians understand and communicate the new standards structure in their collaborations and communities.

AASL will also use the web portal to facilitate connections with professionals and provide a place for educators to share learning with others. As school librarians invent, tinker, and collaborate, the web portal message boards, Twitter chats, and blog posts will be the place to share what they are learning.

The AASL Standards web portal and the resources featured there are components of the “AASL National School Library Standards Implementation Plan” developed by AASL’s standards implementation task force. The three-year strategic plan will guide the development of support resources for librarian adoption and implementation of the AASL Standards including the development of branding, learning resources, partnerships, and outreach. For the latest information and resources, visit standards.aasl.org.

The American Association of School Librarians, www.aasl.org, a division of the American Library Association (ALA), empowers leaders to transform teaching and learning.

Related Links

National School Library Standards