AASL opens nominations for administrator collaborative

CHICAGO – The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) has opened nominations for school administrators to serve on its AASL School Leader Collaborative. Administrators must be nominated by an AASL member and both the administrator and the AASL member must be able to attend the 2019 AASL National Conference taking place Nov. 14-16 in Louisville, Kentucky. If appointed to serve, the administrator and their nominator will receive a shared $1,000 travel stipend and each will receive complimentary conference registration. Nominations must be submitted at www.ala.org/aasl/administrators before 11:59 p.m. on June 30, 2019.

"Does your administrator champion your work and understand your powerful role as a teacher and a leader," asks AASL President Kathryn Roots Lewis. "Does your school administrator know you are implementing the 'National School Library Standards?' If so, consider nominating your administrator for the first ever AASL School Leader Collaborative. Through the support of OverDrive Education along with AASL, this group of exemplary administrators will forge new understandings of and avenues for the profound impact school librarians and school administrators wield as they work together to impact all learners! Nominate your school administrator to be part of the AASL School Leader Collaborative!"

With support from OverDrive Education, AASL is launching the “AASL School Leader Collaborative: Administrators & School Librarians Transforming Teaching and Learning,” a two-year initiative that aims to strengthen AASL’s collaboration with school administrators. This initiative champions the school librarian’s integral role in teaching and learning. Responsibilities of AASL School Leader Collaborative include:

• Participate in monthly virtual meetings
• Attend AASL National Conference and participate in events
• Review and offer feedback on state-level materials
• Review and provide feedback on tools targeted to administrators for school/district use
• Serve as a voice in support for the role of school librarians 

The AASL School Leader Collaborative will serve as active ambassadors for school libraries. AASL leaders and K-12 administrators will convene to garner advocacy for school librarians that can be implemented at building, district, state and national levels. Administrators will provide feedback, messaging and advice on strategies to be taken by AASL. This sustained dialogue will deepen understanding of each other’s powerful roles for impacting teaching, learning, and school culture. 

The seven administrators who will serve on the advisory group will be selected by the AASL president, AASL president-elect, and AASL executive director, in consultation with the OverDrive Education representative.

About AASL
The American Association of School Librarians, www.aasl.org, a division of the American Library Association (ALA), empowers leaders to transform teaching and learning.

About OverDrive Education – a division of OverDrive
OverDrive Education is the leading global digital reading platform for K-12, offering the industry’s largest catalog of eBooks, audiobooks and streaming video. As a 100% digital company serving 43,000 libraries and schools worldwide, OverDrive combines technology with content to support learning and reading in the classroom, library and home on all major devices, including iOS®, Android™, Chromebook™, and Kindle® (US only). Founded in 1986, OverDrive and OverDrive Education are based in Cleveland, Ohio USA, and owned by Tokyo-based Rakuten.