Thirty AASL members receive grants to attend first conference

Contact: Melissa B. Jacobsen


AASL Communications Specialist


(312) 280-4381


mjacobsen@ala.org

NEWS


For Immediate Release


May 18, 2009

CHICAGO – Thirty members of the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) will receive a $750 travel grant to attend their first AASL National Conference. The grants are sponsored by Bound To Stay Bound Books, Inc. (BTSB). The AASL 14th National Conference & Exhibition will be held in Charlotte, N.C., Nov. 5-8.

"The BTSB travel grant winners demonstrated their enthusiasm about the professional development opportunities awaiting them at the conference by indicating specific topics of interest," said Janice Ostrom, AASL Awards Committee chair. "This experience will affect even more people when they share what they learn with their local learning community after the conference."

Recipients of the grant – Ileana Armengol; Julie Brem; Pam Campbell; Lindsay Cesari; Sara Churchill; Janie Cowan; Emily Davenport; Lori Dubbs; Jennifer Donaldson; Cheryl Dowling; Kimberly Dyar; Sharon Freeze; Cheryl Gooch; Annmarie Gorensek; Jennifer Heath; Kelli Hughes; Janelle Hernandez; Alison Jack; Khristi Jenkins; Linn McDonald; Crystal Miranda; Lindsay Scott; Laura Simeon; Hattie Smart; Shannon Southard; Suzanne Spiceland; Jennifer Varney; Douglas Walden; Laura Warren-Gross; and Steven Yates – will use the grant to secure housing, transportation and/or registration for the conference.

Bob Sibert of BTSB said, "At Bound To Stay Bound we recognize the value of the professional library media specialist in our schools and take pride in being able to offer these grants to help further their knowledge and give them an opportunity to share their experiences with other professionals."

The AASL 14th National Conference & Exhibition, "Rev up learning @ your library," is the only national conference dedicated solely to the needs of school library media specialists and their roles as educational leaders. The AASL National Conference will feature 10 preconferences, numerous concurrent sessions, more than 200 exhibiting companies, educational and school tours, a storytelling festival and special appearances by award-winning authors. For more information on AASL's 14th National Conference & Exhibition, visit
http://www.ala.org/aasl/charlotte .

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.