AASL presents 2003 awards recipients

Contact: Keidra Chaney, AASL Coordinator of

Member and Affiliate Relations

312-280-4381

For Immediate Release

July 11, 2003

AASL presents 2003 awards recipients

The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) is pleased to announce the 2003 recipients of the AASL awards program.

The AASL Collaborative School Library Media Award of $2,500 has been awarded to school library media specialist Leslie Preddy along with schoolteachers Howard Ely, Cathy Littleton, Jenny Moore and Stephanie Quinlan. The Collaborative School Library Media Award, sponsored by the Sagebrush Corporation, recognizes and encourages collaboration and partnerships between school library media specialists and teachers in meeting goals outlined in Information Power: Building Partnerships for Learning through joint planning of a program, unit or event in support of the curriculum and using media center resources.

AASL/Highsmith Research Grant has been awarded to Bonnie Grimble of Carmel (Ind.) High School, for her proposed study “Teachers’ Perspectives and Influence on Use of Electronic Resources in the High School Media Center.” The grant, sponsored by The Highsmith Co., Inc. was established in 1993. Winners receive up to $5,000 to conduct innovative research aimed at measuring and evaluating the impact of school library media programs on learning and education.

The ABC-CLIO Leadership Grant, up to $1,750, is given to school library media associations that are AASL affiliates for planning and implementing leadership programs at the state, regional or local levels. The 2003 grant, donated by ABC-CLIO Schools, has been awarded to the Minnesota Educational Media Organization.

Barbara E. De Spain, principal of Lois Lenski Elementary School, Centennial, Colo., is the recipient of the Distinguished School Administrator Award, sponsored by SIRS. An award of $2,000 is given to a school administrator who has made worthy contributions to the operations of an exemplary school library media center and to advancing the role of the school library media center in the educational program.

The Frances Henne Award has been awarded to Teresa Diaz of Johnston High School, Austin, Texas. The award, sponsored by Greenwood Publishing Group, is awarded to a school library media specialist with five or fewer years in the field, to attend an American Library Association (ALA) Annual Conference or AASL National Conference for the first time.

The Information Technology Pathfinder Award, sponsored by the Follett Software Company, was awarded in the secondary school category to Sarah McElrath of the Lakeshore Middle School, Grand Haven, Mich. The $1,250 award recognizes school library media specialists demonstrating vision and leadership through the use of information technology to build lifelong learners. The elementary school category was not awarded this year.

The National School Library Media Program of the Year Award is sponsored by Follett Library Resources. Winners receive a crystal obelisk and $10,000 ($30,000 total) in three categories. The award recognizes large and small school districts and a single school for exemplary school library media programs that are fully integrated into the school’s curriculum. The 2003 award has been awarded to Millard Public School District, Omaha, Neb., for the large school district category. Liberty (Mo.) Public School District has been awarded in the small school district category, and Cherry Creek High School, Greenwood Colo., in the single school category.

The AASL awards were presented to each winner during a ceremony and luncheon held during the 2003 ALA Annual Conference in Toronto. The guest speaker was children’s author Penny Pollack, presented by Little, Brown Children’s Books.

The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) is a division of the American Library Association (ALA). AASL 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.