Bertice Berry to speak at opening session of AASL 11th National Conference

Contact: Andrea Parker


312-280-1396

For Immediate Release


November 2002

Bertice Berry to speak at opening session of AASL 11th National Conference

Well-known motivational speaker, sociologist, author, lecturer, educator and former television talk show host Bertice Berry will speak at the opening general session of the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) 11th National Conference and Exhibition in Kansas City, Mo., October 22-26, 2003.

Berry, who describes her rise from an impoverished background in Wilmington, Del., to teaching sociology and statistics at Kent University and hosting her own nationally syndicated television talk show, is scheduled to speak Thursday, October 23, 2003, 3:30-5:30 p.m.

Berry is the best selling author of an inspirational memoir, "I'm On My Way, But Your Foot Is On My Head." Her first work of fiction, "Redemption Song," published by Double Day in 2000, also is a best seller and has been praised by critics for its entertaining and inspirational qualities. In the summer of 2002, she released "Jim & Louella's Homemade Heart-fix Remedy," "a celebration of the connections between past and present, the importance of family, and the pleasures of the body and the heart."

In addition to a successful writing career, Berry, who was once told by a high school teacher that she wasn't college material, also has showcased her abilities on the small screen. She was the host and co-executive producer of her own nationally syndicated talk show, "The Bertice Berry Show." She also hosted "USA Live," a four-hour live interview and entertainment show on the USA Cable Network. She's been a featured guest on other television programs, including "The Oprah Winfrey Show," "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno," and "BET Live" with Tavis Smiley.

Berry's background and her insightful perspective on the complexities of life lend themselves to the overall theme "Information Matters" of the AASL 11th National Conference.

For more information about Berry, visit her Web site
http://berticeberry.com. For additional information about AASL's National Conference go to
www.ala.org/aasl/kc.

AASL, a division of the American Library Association (ALA), promotes the improvement and extension of library media 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 media field.