$50,000 available through 2008 AASL awards program

Contact: Kathy Agarwal


Communications Specialist


312-280-4381


kagarwal@ala.org
For Immediate Release


September 18, 2007

$50,000 available through 2008 AASL awards program

CHICAGO – More than $50,000 is available in 2008 through the annual awards program of the American Association of School Librarians (AASL), a division of the American Library Association (ALA). Eleven awards, grants and scholarships recognize and support outstanding contributions to the school library media field in a variety of categories, including leadership, reading, information technology and distinguished service to the profession. Applications are now available for download from the AASL Web site at
http://www.ala.org/aasl/awards .

“The AASL awards program recognizes the best of the best in the school library media community,” said AASL President Sara Kelly Johns. “We would like to encourage our members to apply for the grants and awards in order to showcase their achievement on the national stage and to strengthen support for excellence in their own workplaces and communities.”

The 2008 AASL awards include:

  • The
    AASL Collaborative School Library Media Award: $2,500, sponsored by Tandem Library Books, 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 Research Grant: Up to $5,000, based on research expenses, established in 1993 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, sponsored by ABC-CLIO, 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
    Distinguished Service Award: $3,000, sponsored by Baker & Taylor, 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.



  • The
    Distinguished School Administrator Award: $2,000, sponsored by SIRS/ProQuest, 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: $1,250, sponsored by Greenwood Publishing Group, enables 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: $1,000 to the school library media specialist and $500 to the library, sponsored by Follett Software Company, recognizes and honors a school library media specialist who demonstrates vision and leadership through the use of information technology to build lifelong learners. There are two categories: Elementary and Secondary.



  • The
    Innovative Reading Grant: $2,500, sponsored by Coughlan Publishing (Capstone Press, Compass Books, Picture Window Books, Stone Arch Books and Red Brick Learning), designed to fund literacy projects for grades K-9 that promote the importance of reading and facilitate literacy development by supporting current reading research, practice and policy.



  • The
    Intellectual Freedom Award: $2,000 to winner, and $1,000 for media center of the winner’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 (NSLMPY) Award: 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 school awards).



  • 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.

Applications for 2008 and detailed information about each award are now available on the AASL Web site at
http://www.ala.org/aasl/awards .

The American Association of School Librarians,
http://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.