With the exception of the National School Library Program of the Year Award, the deadline for AASL awards and grants is February 1, 2014. The National School Library Program of the Year Award deadline is January 1, 2014.

Applications now open include the Innovative Reading Grant ($2,500), sponsored by Capstone, which is designed to fund literacy projects for grades K-9, and the Intellectual Freedom Award, which grants $2,000 to the winner and $1,000 to the school library of the winner’s choice, sponsored by ProQuest, and given for upholding the principles of intellectual freedom as set forth by AASL and the American Library Association (ALA).

With the exception of the National School Library Program of the Year Award, the deadline for AASL awards and grants is February 1, 2014. The National School Library Program of the Year Award deadline is January 1, 2014. All applications will close at 4:30 p.m. CST on the day of the deadline.

Supported by the NEA Library, Information Literacy, and Technology Caucus, and presented by Susan Ridgeway, AASL member and advocacy chair for the Ohio Educational Library Media Association, the NEA measure promises to support AASL in its upcoming lobbying efforts.

“I am so happy that the item passed unanimously,” says Ridgeway. “That tells me that my colleagues agree wholeheartedly with all of the studies that have been conducted in the last twenty years. They know students perform better when they have access to certified school librarians. This will send a clear message to the Senate that this portion of the ESEA needs to be included and the whole bill needs to be passed by both houses as soon as possible.”

Adds Gail Dickinson, AASL president, “This high profile show of support by NEA will encourage school librarians across the nation. AASL would like to thank the NEA, the caucus, and Susan for championing the profession and we look forward to continuing our strong partnership.”

The Strengthening America’s Schools Act was introduced in the Senate last month by Tom Harkin (D-IA), Patty Murray (D-WA), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Jack Reed (D-RI). It is the first piece of legislation to recognize the role school library programs play in student learning since 1965, according to the American Library Association.

Youth services division presidents Gail Dickinson (AASL), Shannon Peterson (YALSA), and Starr LaTronica (ALSC) pose with the ALA’s new Declaration for the Right to Libraries.

Right out of the gate, Barbara Stripling, ALA’s incoming president, drew upon the theme “Libraries Change Lives” in kicking off the organization’s “America’s Right to Libraries” campaign, which aims to raise awareness of the variety of services that libraries provide throughout the country. As part of her presentation, Stripling unveiled the Declaration for the Right to Libraries and reminded attendees that ALA is hoping librarians from all types of libraries will gather hundreds of thousands of patron signatures in the coming months. ALA plans to structure a one- or two-week window later this year when school libraries in particular across the country can host signing ceremonies, creating opportunities for ALA to leverage strong national media coverage and public support for the cause.

In the meantime, the initial promotion of the declaration is proceeding as planned. “At Board III, I signed [the declaration] flanked by immediate past-president Susan Ballard and President-elect Terri Grief,” AASL President Gail Dickinson tells School LibraryJournal.  “It was also  presented at Affiliate Assembly, so that our state affiliates are also aware. I am sure that both the legislation and the advocacy committees are working to publicize it.”

As promised by ALA last month, a new implementation task force has already been formed to continue the work of the School Library Task Force. The new committee will be co-chaired by Gina J. Millsap, CEO of Topeka Shawnee County Public Library (KS) and Terry Kirk Grief, AASL president-elect.

“The increased emphasis on preparing all students to be college and career ready and the widespread adoption of the Common Core State Standards and integration of technology have opened an unprecedented door to school library leadership,” the ALA leadership says.

Adds Margaux DelGuidice, a 2013 Movers & Shaker, “Meeting with fellow members of the AASL/YALSA/ALSC Joint Task Force on the Common Core in person and making out the work we will do together,” was one of the key moments in her conference experience this year.

Technology was also front-and-center, with recommended lists for apps and websites creating lots of buzz, attendees say. For the first time ever, AASL announced its list of Best Apps for Teaching and Learning; the committee’s selections were made using the AASL’s Standard’s for 21^st Century Learning as a guide. And for the fifth year, the organization announced its Best Websites for Teaching and Learning in six categories, including media sharing, curriculum collaboration, and social networking.

Additional AASL business included updates from Dickerson on the search for a new AASL executive director. “Conducting a search for this position, which is so important to school libraries, is a thoughtful and reflective process, with a lot of discussion to ensure that the person selected is our best candidate from a pool of highly qualified applicants,” she tells SLJ.

In addition, ALSC announced three Summer Reading Lists for kindergarten through eighth grade. Each of the lists has 25 titles selected by the organization’s Quicklists Consulting Committee and its School-Age Programs and Services Committee.

Generating a stir during the conference was Chris Harris, coordinator of the school library system for the Genesee Valley (NY) Educational Partnership, who introduced the new “Here Be Fiction” program during the “Maintaining Teen E-Collections” presentation. The program makes fiction available in ebook format to school librarians. August House, Bancroft Press, Picture Window Books, Lerner, and Stone Arch Books are the first publishers to be involved. With the program, librarians will be able to download such titles as Kate McMullan’s Nice Shot Cupid (Stone Arch, 2011) to a mobile device or reader. The program will go live on July 15, when selected school librarians around the country will have free access during their summer vacations to read and review ebook fiction.

ALA also spotlighted a number of authors are helping libraries have access to digital media through its new “Authors for Library Ebooks” campaign, which aims to assist ALA in its negotiations with publishers on reaching a sustainable solution for library ebook lending. Cory Doctorow, Ursula K. Le Guin, and Jodi Picoult are just some of the participating authors who have sign on in support of great access to ebooks through libraries.

Says Le Guin, “So, dear reader, if your library doesn’t have the e-book you’d like to read, please don’t complain to your librarian. Complain to your publisher. Tell him to wake up and get real.”

Adds Picoult, “Whether it’s a digital file or a paper copy, I want readers to find my books—and all books—in their libraries. I stand with libraries—and I invite other authors to join me in the campaign for library e-books for all.”

Inaugural brunch attendees build with blocks to illustrate Stripling’s collaboration theme.

A highlight of the conference, youth librarians tell SLJ, was the programming centered around STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) education, which was presented by the ALA Public Programming Office in conjunction with NASA and the Space Science Institute. Two sessions introduced new resources now available to libraries to introduce students and patrons to STEM topics: a traveling exhibit, Discover Tech: Engineering Make a World of Difference, and a new STEM online community, STARnetLibraries. The exhibit will be traveling around the country for the next year, while the site’s goal is connect libraries with STEM professionals.

Some conference attendees also enjoyed last Tuesday’s inaugural brunch to welcome Stripling and the new division presidents, with tables were decorated with Legos and building blocks to illustrate Stripling’s call for collaboration and building connections.

The close of the conference also marked the retirement of Julie Walker, AASL executive director.  The association is in the process of selecting her successor.

The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) announced its inaugural list of the Best Apps for Teaching and Learning. Revealed Jun 30 at the American Library Association annual conference, the 25 selected apps cover a broad range of subjects, inspire curriculum connections, and can be used with multiple grades. While chosen with school librarians and classroom instruction in mind, these apps can also be adapted for use in public library programming.

The Best Apps for Teaching and Learning Taskforce, chaired by Melissa Jacobs-Israel, developed a set of criteria based on the Standards for the 21st-Century Learner and selected apps in five distinct categories: books, STEM, organization and management, social sciences, and content creation.

The committee considered whether the apps were well designed, user-friendly, and filled with pop-up ads or other unnecessary distractions. According to the committee, the winning apps encourage deep inquiry, critical thinking skills, and engaging learning experiences. The result is a well-rounded list that will be very useful for teachers and librarians, particularly those new to the world of integrating apps into classrooms and programs.

The list included a few of my own tried and true favorites like Toontastic (a fun and funny content creation app for elementary students) and Evernote (as one committee member noted, “I run my life on Evernote”). There were a few surprises as well. The following are apps that looked so exciting that I downloaded them as they were announced by the selection committee:

Shakespeare in Bits—Hamlet: Where was this when I was in ninth grade? Full-cast narration, animated scenes and character webs help students visualize and further explore the Bard’s famous creation. The original play can also be purchased in-app.

Tinkerbox: This is what great STEM apps can be. Combining engineering, puzzles, and design, children are encouraged to problem solve, apply new skills, and use their imaginations. They can invent crazy machines and share them with friends or with the app developer.

Videolicious: There are a ton of video creation apps, but very few are simple enough for most kids to use successfully and powerful enough to produce high-quality creations. This one hits both marks. Kids can choose photo or video content already saved on their device, record a narration, and select a copyright-free song from the in-app library.

Kiera Parrott is head of children’s services at Darien Library, CT, and a blogger for ALSC.

Unveiled June 29 at the American Library Association annual conference in Chicago, the list includes digital storytelling tools such as FlipSnack, for creating books from PDFs, and Inklewriter, an interactive writing platform by Cambridge, MA, startup inkle, designers of the Poems by Heart app for Penguin Classics. Then there’s Biblionasium, a social reading site for kids that’s already being used by a California elementary school for summer reading. (Please let us know how you’re using or plan to use these tools in the comments.)

As she did last year, Valenza posted her take on NeverEndingSearch, Valenza’s School Library Journal blog.

Here in Chicago, AASL’s Best Websites for Teaching & Learning Committee just released its standards-aligned 2013 list.

Sites, apps, and tools are selected because they engage users through innovation, creativity, active participation, and collaboration. Honored websites, tools, and resources will provide exceptional value to inquiry-based teaching and learning.

Using Edcanvas as a platform for curation (see below), this year’s Committee described a fabulous array of tools in the categories of:

Media Sharing

Digital Storytelling

Manage & Organize

Social Networking & Communication

Content Resources

Curriculum Collaboration

The team confirmed several of my personal favorites: Pinterest, Smore, Easel.ly, TED Ed, and DPLA, for instance. But I learned about so many truly useful new tools this morning, my mind was racing with plans for both personal use and serious fall implementation.

Here is a list of some of those new-to-me discoveries:

Workflowy: for planning an organizing

FlipSnack: for digitally publishing professional looking flip books. I’ll check this out as an alternative to Issuu.

The American Library Association (ALA) annual conference is upon us, and I’m vexed with both Association for Library Services to Children (ALSC) and Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA). As I tool around the country helping folks engage with nonfiction and the Common Core, I keep seeing evidence of deeply-seated and unexamined prejudice against nonfiction in those two divisions.

I followed with real interest the discussion of the Caldecott Award at 75 on the Cooperative Children’s Book Center (CCBC) listserv. The first posts were about identity: the overwhelming number of winners that were both male and Caucasian. I asked about nonfiction in terms of genre and format. How many nonfiction winners have there been? And, how frequently has photography (often used in nonfiction books) been honored?

Though there were moving and passionate posts about Tanya Hoban and Nic Bishop, (I’d add Susan Kuklin and Charles Smith, to begin), no committee has seen fit to honor them. Indeed the only exceptions I’ve heard mentioned emphasize my point: Jacqueline Briggs Martin’s medal winner Snowflake Bently (Houghton Mifflin, 1998), illustrated by  Mary Azarian, is about a photographer, without his photographs, while Patrick McDonnell’s honor book Me…Jane (Little, Brown, 2011) has, drumroll, a single photo. Why, one might ask.

The answer rests in a rule that gets to the heart of the issue I am raising: Caldecott criteria require original artwork that has not been previously published. That means that a picture book that incorporates archival photography or images from a research institute can’t win. At a stroke, the medal eliminates from consideration any book that uses, say, NASA images. The award can go to a deceased artist, but I was told by an expert that the medal was initially designed to support living artists, thus the focus on new work.

The problem is that Caldecott criteria state that the award is presented in honor of “the most distinguished American picture book for children,” and defines distinguished as: “Marked by eminence and distinction; noted for significant achievement. Marked by excellence in quality. Marked by conspicuous excellence or eminence. Individually distinct.”

If the Caldecott is an award to encourage living artists, then (contra what I argued in The Horn Book years ago) we should have awards designed to encourage every brand of living artist. Affirmative action is affirmative action–let’s identify deserving sets of artists and make sure they get their due. But, if the Caldecott honors the most distinguished picture book, it cannot exclude a title that requires the primary use of archival images. When I read through the list of medalists, I see marvelous books and a line-up of wonderful artists deserving of their honors. But the members of that all-star team, no matter how luminary, are solely masters of ink and brush, paint, and pixel.

The Caldecott does not honor the most distinguished picture book; it honors the most distinguished rendered picture book. That is a crucial distinction because it signifies that great artistry can’t be found in the selection, layout, design, and display of images that have survived from the past. Indeed, one person who posted on the CCBC listserv intimated that she, and she assumed most others, believe photography is not an art form in the same manner as drawing, painting, or collage.

Another person pointed to the Robert F. Sibert medal as meeting the need for a nonfiction award. But that is not fair given that the Caldecott criteria state that the award selects and honors distinction. The Caldecott is the ne plus ultra, the cynosure, of awards–it cannot both assert its primacy, and–implicitly–disqualify whole categories of books. Moreover, Caldecott is an ALSC award–a division that stretches up to 8th grade, as once again the award rules stress. Surely those older readers of picture books–and we all know they are legion–often prefer photographs over drawings they see as childish. And yet this ALSC award inherently excludes those older books from consideration.

That brings me to YALSA. I’ve been furious ever since that ALA division decided to remove nonfiction from its Best Books for Young Adults (BBYA) list. BBYA is now best fiction. While YALSA has made efforts to improve its nonfiction prize, it has never recognized a key flaw in its plan: the BBYA meetings were a public forum where future librarians, authors, and editors, and could listen and learn, and its nomination list was often used by teens as a reading/discussion list. There is no longer an up-to-date list of young adult nonfiction titles for reading groups to consider, or a public venue where stakeholders can discuss teen nonfiction. It’s ironic that this has happened just when librarians, authors, and editors are asking for guidance in how to select and craft quality nonfiction.

So there we have it. Sure, individual books are honored, as Steve Sheinkin’s Bomb (Macmillan, 2012) was this year. But nonfiction remains marginal–so marginal that neither ALSC nor YALSA seems to notice their abiding bias. The question is, why?

The award, established in 1978 and sponsored by Baker and Taylor, recognizes a member of the library profession “who has, over a significant period of time, made an outstanding national contribution to school librarianship and school library development,” AASL says.

Lance was nominated by Dr. Christie Koontz.

“In my opinion,” Koontz says, “after 20 years of working with Keith Curry Lance, there is no one more deserving.”

“We at SLJ and LJ are proud to have Keith as a partner,” says Rebecca T. Miller, editor-in-chief of School Library Journal, who worked with Curry Lance to launch the LJ Index (America’s Star Libraries) while at Library Journal. “Keith’s vision and dedication to helping librarians and educators use data to better understand the work they do has been a huge contribution to the field. We look forward to more!”

Adds Violet Harada, chair of the awards committee, “As a passionate and articulate advocate for libraries, Dr. Lance has validated what we inherently knew was good in our profession and he continues to challenge all of us to strive for excellence.”

Lance has authored more than two dozen monographs, most studies of the educational or general social impact of libraries, and authored or co-authored more than 50 articles in major library publications, including School Library Journal, AASL’s peer-reviewed online journal School Library Research, American Libraries, Library Journal, Library and Information Science Research, School Library Monthly and Teacher Librarian. His latest article for SLJ, “Librarian Required” [March, 2013], co-written by research partner Debra E. Kachel, examines the results of their study of school libraries in Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania School Libraries Pay Off: Investments in Student Achievement and Academic Standards. The research was presented at SLJ’s 2012 Leadership Summit.

Lance was the founding director of the Library Research Service of the Colorado State Library and has continued to work as a consultant after retirement, both independently and in association with the RSL Research Group. He has worked with library groups as a survey researcher, statistician, data analyst and conference and workshop speaker/facilitator.

“Over 20 years ago, Keith Curry Lance set the trajectory for scholarly research focusing on the impact of school libraries in the United States,” says Harada. “His work continues to be the bedrock upon which other studies build and his landmark efforts have had a profound impact on the definition of a quality school library program. It has influenced legislative action and program improvements across the nation.”

Lance has served on the AASL Research and Statistics Committee as both member and chair, research-related committees of the American Library Association, and several divisions. Additionally, he shared his expertise on committees devoted to library research and statistics associated with several federal agencies, including the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the National Commission on Libraries and Information Science, and the National Center for Education Statistics.

The Community Calendar is also a great place to visit if you’re looking for program inspiration. AASL has provided other great resources for celebrating School Library Month. You still have two weeks left—get moving!

“School libraries need to change,” efron wrote in her position statement for her recent AASL candidacy. “I believe school libraries are vital to education. Like the dinosaurs, we need to change to reflect our society, and the needs of our students.”

Says Sara Kelly Johns, AASL past president, “Her energy on behalf of school libraries was non-stop and non-relenting. Eva gave to ‘her’ librarians the tools they needed to be leaders in the school library profession.” Johns also recalls that efron never said “no” to a challenge if it meant learning more and sharing more with others, she tells School Library Journal.

Prior to Nassau BOCES, efron served as an assistant to the school library system director at Eastern Suffolk BOCES and was a high school librarian at Brentwood High School. From 1996 to 1998, she served as president of the New York Library Association’s section of school librarians and was a trustee of the Long Island Library Resources Council from 2004–2009.

Chris Harris of the Genesee Valley BOCES School Library System knew efron as a friend and colleague. “She was a mentor to whom I could turn for honest feedback, professional advice, and lively arguments about critical issues in school libraries,” he tells SLJ.  “She often said our discussions could clear a room of those who didn’t understand the respect behind our arguments.”

Many of efron’s colleagues last spent time with her at the American Library Association’s midwinter meeting in Seattle in January. Efron was a constant presence at ALA events and a devotee of SLJ’s own annual library summit, having attended since its inception in 2005.

“Eva introduced me to ALA and the SLJ Summit with pride and a sense of community,” Judi Dzikowski, iSchool field site supervisor at Syracuse University, said in a statement read at efron’s memorial, which was held March 24 in Dix Hills, NY. “She mentored me as we navigated the events, the exhibits, the committees, workshops and all that goes on with energy and always having fun.”

A native of western New York, efron attended Amherst High School. She received her BA degree from New York State University at Stony Brook and her Masters of Library Science from Saint John’s University. She is survived by her daughter Dawn Landry; her grandson Marty Landry; her stepchildren David and Nancy Efron; and her father Hugo Kahn.

I am in San Diego for ISTE and I missed the live excitement, but for the fourth year, AASL just announced its Top 25 Websites for Teacher and Learning.

These sites were selected because they foster the qualities of innovation, creativity, active participation, and collaboration. They are free, Web-based sites that are user friendly and encourage a community of learners to explore and discover.

Sites on the list are aligned to Standards for the 21st Century Learner and organized by category:

Media Sharing

Digital Storytelling

Manage & Organize

Social Networking & Communication

Content Resources

Curriculum Collaboration

Tips following each site description share how classroom teachers and teacher librarians may integrate the site into the instructional program.

This seriously rich list presents a whole bunch of new discoveries for me and I look forward to exploring this summer and incorporating several sites into my high school program and the online grad course I am writing.

Here are just a couple of the Committee’s finds I am eager to explore in the Media Sharing area:

Vialogues

Do more than watch a video: discuss, question, and comment. Vialogues puts the “think and do” into video watching. Vialogues allows you to post a video and then invite participants to answer questions, discuss or just comment. This asynchronous tool can be used for private or public interactions. Tip: Use this tool with media literacy lessons.

We spoke to the former school librarian about her plans for when she takes office, her advice to colleagues, and why it’s a riveting time for the profession.

What excites you most about being president of AASL?

I am so looking forward to gaining a new perspective on school librarianship by having conversations with school librarians across the country. School librarianship, no matter where and how you practice it, can be isolating as everyone strives to perform in their little box. Being president of this great organization and an excellent leader of this profession is a “box-busting” experience, and I am thrilled to start the adventure.

You’re taking over at a crucial time: school library positions and budgets are being cut nationwide. What can be done to give media specialists the recognition they deserve?

This is the third major downswing in terms of job-cutting that I have seen in my experience, and although it can be alarming, the profession is strong. Now is the time for celebration on what strong school librarians are doing to make a difference in teaching and learning. We can work to mitigate the job losses, but we have to be very careful to make sure that is not all that is in the news. Amazing success stories are all around us, and I would much rather a superintendent read about these positive situations than I would have a superintendent read that others at his level are cutting jobs. Cuts beget cuts, but I also think success begets success.

You’re right. Despite all the bad news, it’s certainly an exciting time to be a school librarian. What advice do you have for your colleagues in the profession?

My advice to any educator is to always focus on the child. Education is always one child at a time, so the role of the school librarian has to be measured in the impact on the learning of each child. My advice is for school librarians to really look at each student entering the library, and think about what that student needs to set and achieve positive goals. The librarian works school-wide and curriculum-wide, so we are the common thread in the instructional life of the student. I tell prospective school librarians that they now can be the teacher that they always wanted to be. The library as that school-wide and curriculum-wide classroom can be a true learning commons for each student. It’s not just about technology and ebooks. They are just tools. The learning is the thing.

How will your experience as a professor, librarian, and editor-in-chief help you in your new role?

School librarians are continually learning and continually teaching. Class does not end when the students leave the library. The librarian keeps teaching until the last faculty member has left the building. What I loved about being a building-level school librarian was the helping nature of the job. School librarians spend their time helping find resources, helping classroom teachers learn technology, and helping school-wide as education changes. In my role as a library educator, I always say that I am not teaching about the profession of librarianship, I am creating experiences in which people can become librarians. The process of becoming is always more difficult than simply learning about. I see my role as editor-in-chief of Library Media Connection as an extension of my role as a library science educator. I am continuing to help school librarians become stronger by providing opportunities for them to write for the profession and for them to read about the experiences of others. It’s all the same, really.

How have things changed-in the classroom and in the profession-since you were a school librarian?

The job has become both bigger and smaller. The logistical details involved with the administration of school libraries was so time-consuming that we were limited in what we could do, because maintaining the structure took so long. Now we have streamlined so much, and I think we could streamline so much more. I love the idea that we can grab new tools and new technologies without high implementation costs and tedious backroom work. What has never changed, though, is that librarians make a difference in the lives of children. No one ever pointed back to the library catalog as the change point in a life going downhill, but some regularly talk about their school librarians as making a difference for them. That will never change.

What role do you see school librarians playing with the common core standards?

As the common core standards become implemented in most states, librarians will need to continue to fulfill their role as leaders in school change and curriculum implementation. School librarians have always been translators and filters for implementation, helping to decide what strategies work best in schools. The common core gives us a common language to speak as a national profession, and we will have to seize the opportunities that are provided by the focus on the common core.

How important is advocacy for media specialists?

Advocacy is like breathing for school librarians. It’s essential for life, it’s a natural process, and it happens sometimes without us even thinking about it. We need to share our successes through advocacy, and I think this is one of the many successes that AASL has helped to achieve. The organization has a great structure to provide advocacy opportunities, resources, and experiences.

Would more collaboration between school and public libraries help?

Through new technologies and new abilities to network, there is a need for more collaboration with all types of libraries.

What are you the top issues that you’d like to tackle in your new role?

Having been elected for all of three weeks, I feel I am still learning about the role. Diversity of the profession is certainly an issue I would like to explore, and I want to talk more with both [outgoing AASL President] Carl Harvey and [AASL President Elect for 2012-2013] Susan Ballard on their thoughts as well.

The $1,500 honor recognizes two school librarians—one in elementary and another in secondary school—for demonstrating vision and leadership while using information technology to build lifelong learners. It is sponsored by Follett Software Company.

Mays (left), a media specialist at K-fifth grade Robbinsdale Spanish Immersion in New Hope, MN, works with students who mainly speak Spanish as a second language, helping them develop information literacy and research skills through technology.

The Robbinsdale Biblioteca supports the school’s Spanish language program by instilling a love of reading and helps students at all grade levels become empowered users of technology. When evaluating tech options, Mays sought those that would support information seeking and student-centered work, while remaining versatile enough to use in multiple grades and on multiple projects. She decided on TumbleBooks, an electronic database that offers books in Spanish, and CultureGrams, a state/geography database. Mays also sought free resources such as Google Apps, EasyBIB, and Type to Learn 4.

Mays admits that the biggest obstacle was teaching herself how to use the new tools. But once that hurdle was overcome, the librarian came up with Terrific Tuesday and Wacky Wednesday to provide students and teachers with tutorials on how to use them. Mays provides formal training sessions at least twice a month, on-the-spot training as needed, and structured professional development when requested by the staff or administration. She also collaborates with colleagues to teach kids basic computer skills, how to conduct research, and the principles of cyber safety.

Kahn (right) is a school librarian at Patrick F. Taylor Science and Technology Academy in Jefferson, LA, the only science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) school in the Jefferson Public School System, and the only school in the system to have a one-to-one laptop program.

The goals of Kahn’s library program are to help students develop a love of reading and to teach them how to access accurate and reliable information. She uses a Shelfari bookshelf embedded on the library’s website and sends email blasts to announce any new titles in her library.

To further entice students, her website includes book trailers (some made by students), and a series of digital book talks called, “Get Reading,”

“When a student arrives in the library out of breath and says, ‘Where is it? I want to check it out now!’ I know (that) this student has opened the email with a link to the list of newly (arrived) books,” Kahn states in her application. “Or when a student arrives asking for one of the books that I promoted in a ‘Get Reading’ episode, I get satisfaction knowing that my hard work has paid off.”

Kahn says technology helps her teach students how to access accurate and reliable information and become effective users of that information. When her teaching colleagues or students log onto their school-provided laptop, the library catalog opens as the homepage. As Kahn states in her application, “this was a first step in getting the library connection to technology embedded into the students’ and teachers’ minds.” Teaching teachers and students how to seek information from reliable resources is a key component of her library program.

Mays, Kahn, and other AASL award winners will be honored June 25 at AASL’s Awards luncheon during the American Library Association’s 2012 Annual Conference in Anaheim, CA. Carmen Agra Deedy, a bestselling author and ardent supporter of libraries, will be at the ceremony, courtesy of Peachtree Publishing. Ticket information can be found on the AASL website.