AASL selects 2006 awards recipients
Contact:
Kathy Agarwal
AASL Communications Specialist
Phone:
312-280-4381
For Immediate Release
May 16, 2006
AASL selects 2006 awards recipients
CHICAGO - The American Association of School Librarians (AASL), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), is pleased to announce the 2006 recipients of its annual awards.
The
AASL Collaborative School Library Media Award of $2,500 has been awarded to Melissa Bergin, school library media specialist, Niskayuna (N.Y.) High School.
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.
The
AASL/Highsmith Research Grant has been awarded to a research project titled "
Partners in Achievement: Libraries and Students (PALS)
Improving Student Achievement through Data Use for Library Media Specialists," submitted by Judith Dzikowski of Syracuse, N.Y.
The grant, sponsored by The Highsmith Co., Inc., was established in 1993 to conduct innovative research aimed at measuring and evaluating the impact of school library media programs on learning and education.
The monetary award is up to $5,000, based on research expenses.
Michael Eisenberg, a dean emeritus and professor at University of Washington Information School, and an accomplished conference presenter, writer and advocate for school library media issues, is the recipient of the
Distinguished Service Award, sponsored by Baker & Taylor.The $3,000 award recognizes an individual member of the library profession who has, over a significant period of time, made an outstanding national contribution to school librarianship and school library development.
Kay McBride, a library specialist at Pasadena (Texas) Independent School District, is the recipient of the
Distinguished School Administrator
Award, sponsored by SIRS/ProQuest. 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 Gladys Fox from Showalter Middle School in Tukwila, Wash.
The award, sponsored by Greenwood Publishing Group, is given 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 recognizes and honors a school library media specialist demonstrating vision and leadership through the use of information technology to build lifelong learners.
The Elementary category winner is Julie Masterson-Smith from Manor Intermediate School in Honeoye Falls, N.Y.
The Secondary category winner is Sara Reibman from the Biblioteca Las Americas, Mercedes, Texas.
Sponsored by Follett Software Company, the award gives $1,000 to the school library media specialist and $500 to the library.
Catherine Crain, a librarian at Thompson Intermediate School in Houston, Texas, is the recipient of the
Intellectual Freedom Award.
Crain has dealt with a very difficult book challenge and had a large role in revising the district's book selection policy.
The award, $2,000 to the recipient and $1,000 to the media center of the recipient's choice, sponsored by ProQuest, is given for upholding the principles of intellectual freedom as set forth by AASL and the American Library Association.
The
National School Library Media Program of the Year Award is sponsored by Follett Library Resources.
The award recognizes school districts and single schools for exemplary school library media programs that are fully integrated into the school's curriculum. Winners receive a crystal obelisk and $10,000 each, in two categories (one District award and two Single schools).
The 2006 award has been given to Hilliard (Ohio) School District in the School District category, and to Biblioteca Las Americas in Mercedes, Texas and Kapolei (Hawaii) High School, in the Single School category.
Kipapa Kahelahela of Hawaii is the recipient of the
School Librarian's Workshop Scholarship, awarded to a full-time graduate student (at an ALA-accredited library school program or in a school library media program that meets the ALA curriculum guidelines for the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education) preparing to become a school library media specialist at the preschool, elementary, or secondary level.
The $3,000 scholarship is donated by Jay W. Toor, president of Library Learning Resources.
The AASL awards will be presented to the winners during a ceremony and luncheon held on Monday, June 26, during the 2006 ALA Annual Conference in Chicago.
Special guest speakers for the event are young adult non-fiction authors Ann Bausum and Sue Macy. For more information about the event, please visit the AASL web site
http://www.ala.org/aasl/annual.
The American Association of School Librarians,
www.aasl.org, 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.
