AASL Announces Toor Scholarship Recipients

CHICAGO – Four school librarians from across the country have been awarded an American Association of School Librarians (AASL) Toor Scholarship for Strong Public-School Libraries. The Toor Family, in honor of their parents, Jay and Ruth Toor, established the Toor Scholarships for Strong Public-School Libraries. The scholarships are awarded to public school librarians who have created and implemented a local public awareness/marketing campaign that promotes and positions their school library as a necessary resource in the community.

“These scholarship recipients are making remarkable contributions through programs and projects that not only raise awareness within their local communities but also have far-reaching implications,” said Nichole Ballard-Long, chair of the award committee. “The committee was particularly impressed with the replicability of these initiatives and looks forward to sharing the recipients’ work with the broader school librarian community. From a miniComicCon to the Sparking Early Literacy Grant, the #K12Librarians4AllWA campaign, and a Mental Health and Wellness Fair, each school librarian will find inspiration to develop impactful projects, programs, or campaigns tailored to their own unique community.”

The 2025 recipients include:

• Robbie Barber, Teacher-Librarian, Tucker High School, Tucker, Georgia
• Charlotte Chung, Library Media Specialist, Suncrest Elementary School, Morgantown, West Virginia
• Sarah Logan, Teacher-Librarian, Skyridge Middle School, Camas, Washington
• Jason Parker, Teacher Librarian, Rock Canyon High School, Littleton, Colorado

The Toor Scholarship for Strong Public-School Libraries provides a $1,000 scholarship to cover travel to attend the biennial AASL National Conference. Recipients will participate in a concurrent session panel to present their local public awareness/marketing campaign. Additional campaign promotion will include opportunities to publish articles and host webinars on AASL’s various platforms. More information is available on the AASL website at www.ala.org/aasl/awards.

Becky Calzada, president of AASL, stated, "Advocating for school libraries and the vital role of school librarians in a learner-centered education system is an ongoing priority. The more school librarians engage with their communities and extend their influence beyond the school, the more their value is recognized. This awareness spreads from one community to the next, reaching future generations over time. These dedicated professionals deserve not only recognition but also gratitude for cultivating engagement, knowledge and access to incredible programs with the learners and families they serve—an essential effort to ensure every learner has equitable access to both a school library and a librarian."

The AASL award winners will be recognized at the 2025 AASL National Conference, which will be held October 16-18 in St. Louis, Missouri.

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