AASL Exploratorium to showcase school library media best practices

Contact: Melissa B. Jacobsen


Communications Specialist


312-280-4381


mjacobsen@ala.org

NEWS


For Immediate Release


June 2, 2009

CHICAGO – The American Association of School Librarians (AASL), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), is making available its lineup for the annual Exploratorium at the AASL 14th National Conference & Exhibition. With more than 90 individual learning stations, the complete list can be found online at
http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/aasl/conferencesandevents/national/charlotte2009/forattendees/events/exploratorium2009.cfm.

The Exploratorium will be held from 1 to 3 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 5. This two-hour educational session will showcase “best practices” from the school library media community. Attendees can browse at their own pace, spending as much or as little time as they wish at each station. The Exploratorium provides a national forum to share school library media successes from a school, district or state level and is open to National Conference registrants.

Attendees will have a chance to get a first-hand knowledge of many new practices that are transforming the library media center into the hub of the school. Topic areas include: motivating children and adolescents to read and reflect; understanding and implementing the AASL learning standards; previews of research revolving around the AASL learning standards; improving learning strategies; and incorporating new media to help children and adolescents engage in thinking, creativity and reflection.

"Twitter your way through the Exploratorium… fast, fun and so cool," exclaimed Ann Marie Pipkin, AASL National Conference chair. "Let the Exploratorium make you a star! Your colleagues will love all the new ideas that they will get from your visits to the different learning stations. Aren’t you smart and so hip?"

Discounted early bird registration for the AASL National Conference is now open at
http://www.ala.org/aasl/charlotte. The conference will feature three full-day and five half-day preconference workshops, several school and educational tours, more than 100 educational sessions, author events and more than 200 exhibiting companies.

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.