The AASL National Conference is the only national conference devoted solely to the needs of school librarians. In 2021, concurrent sessions focused on AASL's National School Library Standards for Learners, School Librarians, and School Libraries, giving school librarians and other educator attendees an opportunity to dig deep into the guiding document of the profession.
Cultivating Expertise in Multiple Literacies
Preview Available
Credits: None available.
"Multiple literacies" is essentially the content area in which school librarians are expected to provide instructional leadership to their students and faculty. In this session, participants will define “multiple literacies,” discuss effective strategies for integrating them into the curriculum, and explore the best resources for cultivating ongoing expertise in these literacies.
Speaker(s):Credits: None available.
Self-care and social-emotional wellbeing is extremely important in order for students and teachers to be their best selves. Attendees will have hands-on experience with mindfulness techniques and curated resources will be shared. Crowd-sourced resources will be curated, as well as actionable tips to take the first steps to create a school library that is inclusive and mindful of all learners, including those struggling with self-identification, mental disorders (including depression and anxiety).
Manga in the School Library: What, Why, & How?
Preview Available
Credits: None available.
Have you wanted to add manga to your library collection but don't know where to start? Are you overwhelmed by the available manga series that are unreviewed? This introduction to manga will help you get started on what manga is, why you should make space for it on your shelves, what titles you should purchase to develop your collection, and how to catalog, process, and protect your books. Manga newbies and otaku welcome!
Speaker(s):Credits: None available.
Civil rights education is often criticized for being limited to biographies of a few leaders and the “I Have a Dream” speech. This session will present an overview of how graphic novels can be paired with primary sources to teach the civil rights movement to middle and high school students. A variety of resources and instructional strategies will be provided. Participants will collaborate and share ideas on how to use these resources to make the civil rights movement more relevant to students.
The Librarian/Principal Partnership: Breaking Through Misperceptions
Preview Available
Credits: None available.
Relationships between school librarians and principals should be shining examples of collaboration, targeted success and comprehensive provision. Unfortunately, many librarians and administrators find their alliances fall short of this standard. This session, presented by a librarian and principal, will examine misperceptions and other possible reasons for ineffective librarian/principal relationships. Participants will gain insight on how to build a better partnership.
Speaker(s):
Engaging Families in Digital Citizenship Initiatives
Preview Available
Credits: None available.
Don't just talk at families - engage them! Do you avoid digcit conversations because you feel like you must know the right answers? The good news is, you don't! Digcit is not black & white. There is no playbook. So let's invite families to a conversation instead of a presentation. In this session you will experience a condensed version of a digcit family event that puts participants at the center of the action & the school as the guide on the side. Leave with great ideas you can easily implement.
Speaker(s):
Poverty and Privilege: Intersectionality of Race and Class in Young People's Literature
Preview Available
Credits: None available.
How do our shared or differing cultural backgrounds affect the relationships and influence we have with our students? Two white, award-winning authors and former educators discuss how unpacking the racial and class biases of our identities better enable us to foster more positive and authentic relationships with the young people in our lives.
Speaker(s):
#LitFix, Monument Makers & other collaboration projects
Preview Available
Credits: None available.
Out of the pandemic came several new initiatives. Come learn about #LitFix, a digital book recommendation service with practical tips and resources to design & sustain your unique program back home. Learn how a teacher’s questions about GoogleSlides turned into a year long collaboration in Physics, First Line Fridays led to weekly contact with ELA teachers, and moving a signature math project all online was accomplished. You can equip your teachers with these tools and activities too.
Speaker(s):Credits: None available.
Do you want to connect with your limited English proficiency students but don't know how? Are they hesitant to come to the school library? Are you at a loss for how to help them find the books and information they want and need? This session will provide proven tips and tools on how to make your library a welcoming place and an information hub for Newcomer students. Bonus: These strategies and collection suggestions are great for reluctant readers of all ages!
We Don't Shush Here: Student Voice in the Library
Preview Available
Credits: None available.
Student voice is the notion that since students have the greatest stake in what happens on campus, they can and should have the greatest say in what happens there. Participants will understand student voice and the positive impact it has on students and school communities, see examples of student voice in action in Elizabethton, Tennessee and Manson, Iowa, and will create a plan to encourage student voice in their own school libraries.
