AASL to announce 2010 Best Web sites list and present programming guidelines for ASD children in annual preconferences

Contact: Stephanie Book


AASL Manager, Communication


(312) 280-4389


sbook@ala.org

NEWS


For Immediate Release


February 2, 2009

CHICAGO – The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) announces two pre-conferences scheduled for ALA’s Annual Conference taking place June 24-29, 2010 in Washington, D.C.

In 2009 AASL announced the “The Best Web sites for Teaching and Learning,” a resource for school librarians and their teacher colleagues that lists and honors the top-25 Internet sites for enhancing learning and curriculum development and considered the "best of the best" by AASL. At the 2010 preconference, "AASL’s Top 25 Web sites for Teaching and Learning: Categories, Criteria, and Collaborative Strategies," AASL will announce its 2010 list, and members of the Best Web sites for Teaching and Learning Committee will take participants through these new and innovative, authoritative curriculum Web sites. For this full-day preconference attendees are asked to bring a laptop to this interactive session for hands-on learning. Information, strategies and ideas will be captured and posted on the committee's wiki for sharing and learning after the conference session. For more information on AASL’s Best Web sites for Teaching and Learning visit
http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/aasl/guidelinesandstandards/bestlist/bestwebsites.cfm

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Working with the Quirky Kids: Library Service for Children along the Autism Spectrum,"a follow-up to the ALA 2009 program "Serving Students along the Autism Spectrum," will focus on specific activities for librarians working with ASD children, in both school and public library settings. In this interactive preconference workshop
Alison Ernst and Patty Saidenburg will feature an overview of the Autism Spectrum Disorder and related behaviors seen in children; general guidelines of creating programming for ASD children; specific examples of programs and activities for ASD children in libraries; and lead discussion of support of ASD children’s families and caregivers in the library setting. This half-day preconference will be held from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

AASL's half- and full-day preconferences will be held on Friday, June 25, before ALA 2010 Annual Conference in Washington, D.C. AASL preconferences are designed to benefit school librarians. For schedules, pricing, and more information about these workshops and other AASL programs in Washington, D.C., visit
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 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 field.