AASL Research Paper Awards Announced

CHICAGO – Three research papers have been awarded the 2025 American Association of School Librarians (AASL) Research Paper Award by the Educators of School Librarians Section (ESLS) of AASL. Sponsored by ABC-CLIO, the grants recognize excellence in manuscripts addressing a persistent and recurring challenge in the field of school librarianship. Each grant consists of a $350 award, and the researchers will present their papers at the 2025 AASL National Conference in St. Louis, Missouri.

Recipients of the 2025 AASL Research Grants are:

Brenda Boyer, Instructor, Rutgers University, and Ewa Dziedzic-Elliott, Education Librarian, The College of New Jersey, “What I had, what I needed: First-year students reflect on how their high school experience prepared them for college research.”

Rhys Dreeszen Bowman, PhD student, University of South Carolina, and Jenna Spiering, Assistant Professor, University of South Carolina, “Contesting Queer Books: Analyzing the Discourses in Public Comment Sections at School Board Meetings.”

Jenna Spiering, Assistant Professor, University of South Carolina, and Kate Kedley, Associate Professor, University of South Carolina, “From Book Rating to Book Bans: A Critical Content Analysis of BookLooks.org’s Report Cards on LGBTQIA+ Titles.”

“The research explored in this year’s recipients' work reinforces the role of school librarians' research to spotlight important issues,” said Mary Ann Harland, ESLS chair. “Boyer and Dziedzic-Elliott explore how first-year college students perceive the gaps between their high school education and the research skills required in college, revealing a general lack of preparedness for academic research tasks. The articles, by Bowman, Spiering and Kedley, critically examine contemporary challenges to queer literature in schools—one analyzing public discourse at school board meetings and the other deconstructing the evaluative criteria used by BookLooks.org to justify bans on LGBTQIA+ books.”

"Research findings guide best practices, shape resource acquisition, and drive library program expansion—demonstrating how effective school libraries and skilled school librarians directly impact learning, literacy, and school-wide success," said AASL President Becky Calzada. "By providing evidence of their impact on academic achievement and curation of an inclusive collection, this research powerfully reaffirms the essential role of school libraries and school librarians in fostering student success, preparing students for college and careers, and pursuing educational excellence. It highlights the critical need for every learner to have access to a certified school librarian and a fully funded library—not just for their immediate academic success, but for a lifetime of learning.”

The AASL award winners will be recognized during the 2025 AASL National Conference taking place October 16-19 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.

Bloomsbury/ABC-CLIO is a leading publisher of reference and nonfiction for students, educators, and researchers striving at all levels of academic inquiry. Whether it be primary documents, historical reference, or audiovisual resources, we are committed to enhancing the research experience with engaging and dynamic digital resources of the highest quality.