Awards

AASL Announces Inaugural Toor Scholarship Recipients

CHICAGO – Eight school librarians from across the country have been awarded an American Association of School Librarians' (AASL) Toor Scholarship for Strong Public-School Libraries. The Toor Family, in honor of their parents, Jay and Ruth Toor, established the Toor Scholarships for Strong Public-School Libraries.  The scholarships are awarded to public school librarians who have created and implemented a local public awareness/marketing campaign that promotes and positions their school library as a necessary resource in the community.

Hawthorne Elementary School Wins ALA’s 2023 Jaffarian Award for Growing Readers, Growing Leaders Program

CHICAGO — The American Library Association (ALA) has awarded its 2023 Sara Jaffarian School Library Program Award to Hawthorne Elementary School in Louisville, Kentucky for the Growing Readers, Growing Leaders program.

The $5,000 Jaffarian Award, supported by ALA’s Cultural Communities Fund, recognizes excellence in humanities programming in school libraries that serve grades K-8.

AASL Announces 2023 Best Digital Tools for Teaching & Learning

CHICAGO – The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) has released its annual list of Best Digital Tools for Teaching & Learning. The Best Digital Tools provide opportunities for school librarians to enhance learning, engage learners, and collaborate with educators. The list can be found at www.ala.org/aasl/best.

ALA announces 240 recipients of library accessibility funding for small and rural libraries

CHICAGO — The American Library Association (ALA) today announced the first recipients of its Libraries Transforming Communities (LTC): Accessible Small and Rural Communities grants, an initiative that will offer more than $7 million to small and rural libraries to increase the accessibility of facilities, services and programs to better serve people with disabilities.

2023 AASL Research Grants Awarded

CHICAGO – Three research papers have been awarded the 2023 American Association of School Librarians (AASL) Research Grants by the Educators of School Librarians Section (ESLS) of AASL. Sponsored by ABC-CLIO, the grants recognize excellence in manuscripts addressing a persistent and recurring challenge in the field of school librarianship. Each grant consists of a $350 award and the researchers will present their papers at the 2023 AASL National Conference in Tampa, Florida.

Recipients of the 2023 AASL Research Grants are:

West Maple Elementary School named National School Library of the Year

CHICAGO – West Maple Elementary School, located in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, is the recipient of the American Association of School Librarians’ (AASL) 2023 National School Library of the Year (NSLY) Award. Sponsored by Follett, the NSLY Award annually honors a school library that exemplifies the implementation of AASL's National School Library Standards for Learners, School Librarians, and School Libraries. West Maple Elementary will receive a crystal obelisk – the symbol of school library excellence – and $10,000 toward its school libraries.

Three public libraries awarded ALA’s 2023 Peggy Barber Tribute Grant

CHICAGO — The American Library Association (ALA) has awarded its 2023 Peggy Barber Tribute Grant, a programming grant named after the transformative ALA leader, to Brookings (S.D.) Public Library, Gill Memorial Library (Paulsboro, N.J.) and Mount Kisco (N.Y.) Public Library.

Carlsbad (N.M.) Public Library and Lexington (Neb.) Public Library Awarded ALA’s Libraries Transform Communities Engagement Grant

CHICAGO  — The American Library Association (ALA) has awarded its fourth Libraries Transform Communities Engagement Grant to Carlsbad (N.M.) Public Library and Lexington (Neb.) Public Library to support the libraries’ efforts in adult literacy and early childhood education.

Travel Grants Available for First-Time AASL National Conference Attendees

CHICAGO — Thirty travel grants are available to school library professionals wishing to attend the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) National Conference for the first time. The $750 grants for first-time attendees of the conference are sponsored by Bound to Stay Bound Books. Those interested in applying can access the application at www.ala.org/aasl/conferences/aasl23/btsb.  The deadline for applications is April 24, 2023. Late applications will not be considered.

“Global Human Rights Research Project” receives AASL Roald Dahl's Miss Honey Social Justice

CHICAGO – The “Global Human Rights Research Project” from Prospect Sierra School in El Cerrito, California, is the recipient of the 2023 American Association of School Librarians’ (AASL) Roald Dahl's Miss Honey Social Justice Award. Sponsored by Penguin Random House, the Roald Dahl Award recognizes collaboration between school librarians and teachers in the instruction of social justice using school library resources.