About AASL Communities of Practice (CoP)

AASL’s Communities of Practice (CoP) are an opportunity for AASL members with a shared learning need to come together. Member passions, interests, or concerns can be shared through best practices, collective learning, and resource aggregation and development.

One size does not fit all! Similar to how school librarians create personalized learning for students, CoPs address the needs of members in ways that make sense and allow for change over time. Join one, or two, or all CoPs (free to AASL members!) and be on the ground floor in creating the community you want.

To join, click the community link below. If you are not already logged into AASL Connect, you will be prompted to do so and redirected to the community. Click the “Join Now” button in the upper left hand of the page. You will be prompted to select your communication preferences and then you’re in!

These initial groups and their descriptions are based on a membership survey conducted by the Member Engagement Committee and approved by the AASL Board of Directors. It is assumed that some CoPs may change focus, others may be too expansive and may split into more focused CoPs, or new ones will be discovered. The CoPs will be reviewed annually for recommendations on changes or additions.

While each CoP organization and structure will be determined by its membership, all CoPs will share one formality: an annual virtual meeting of the CoP membership. All CoPs will meet annually during the second week of July (exact date and time TBD). The AASL Membership Engagement Committee will liaison with the CoPs and during the annual meeting the committee will check in to see what structure the community would like to create and determine if there are leadership roles needed. A leadership role within a CoP is a great opportunity for anyone looking to volunteer as there is no formal appointment process and the length and time commitment is determined by the group.

Possible CoP leadership roles and activities:

• Discussion Monitor: posts questions or topics for group discussion on a regular basis.
• Meeting Coordinator: while the CoP will have one scheduled meeting through AASL headquarters, CoPs have access to AASL virtual meeting rooms and the meeting coordinator can schedule and promote meetings throughout the year.
• Special Event/Project Coordinator: several volunteers under this role could include events/projects such as facilitating a book club or professional article read, presenting a guest speaker, or creating a session submission for ALA Annual or AASL National Conference, etc.