| | | AASL empowers leaders to transform teaching and learning. | | | | | Scotts Ridge Middle School named National School Library of the Year Scotts Ridge Middle School, located in Ridgefield, Connecticut, is the recipient of the AASL 2025 National School Library of the Year (NSLY) Award. Sponsored by Follett Content, 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. Scotts Ridge Middle School will receive a crystal obelisk – the symbol of school library excellence – and $10,000 toward its school library. | | AASL Announces 2025 Best Digital Tools for Teaching & Learning 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 year's list provides new platforms that are reshaping how students and educators connect, create, and collaborate," said Committee Chair Molly Dettmann. | | AASL President's Program Brings Banned Together Author Ashley Hope Pérez to ALA Annual Conference AASL President Becky Calzada will host Ashley Hope Pérez, author of Banned Together: Our Fight for Readers' Rights, for a compelling conversation on the transformative power of books. Together, they will explore the critical question, "What is lost when books are kept from teens?" This insightful discussion will be part of the AASL President's Program at the 2025 ALA Annual Conference. Ashley Hope Pérez's appearance is sponsored by Holiday House. | | Explore Invention and Innovation With Easily Sharable, Classroom-Ready Materials From the Library of Congress A new publication in "Discover and Learn with the Library," an educational series published by the Library of Congress in association with ALA Editions, "Invention and Innovation" delves into a myriad of fascinating concepts, creations, visionary individuals, and vivid characters in the nation's life over the centuries. Offering classroom-ready materials for grades 6–12, this resource is designed to support state curricula and teaching standards. | Stone Bridge High School Awarded ALA's 2025 Jaffarian Award for Historical Artifact Footlocker Program ALA has awarded its 2025 Sara Jaffarian School Library Program Award to Stone Bridge High School in Ashburn, Virginia, for its Historical Artifact Footlocker Program. The $5,000 Jaffarian Award recognizes excellence in humanities programming in school libraries that serve grades K-12. The Historical Artifact Footlocker Program, begun at Stone Bridge High School by school librarians Laura Channing and Erin Curry, has grown into a county-wide initiative. Footlockers are available for loan to all 37 secondary schools in the district, reaching over 4,000 students in its first year. | | | | Save $50 on AASL National Conference Registration Register today to attend three days packed with education, networking, and new discoveries surrounded by other school librarians from across the country. Highlights include keynotes, 140+ sessions including author panels and research presentations, IdeaLab and Posters, 100+ exhibitors, and endless networking opportunities. Use promo code AASL50 before June 30 and save $50 on full conference registration! | Add a School Tour to your AASL National Conference Experience Discover what's possible when you step inside some of the most innovative and inspiring school libraries in the St Louis area! Join fellow librarians on exclusive tours during the national conference to see cutting-edge spaces, creative programming, and real-world best practices in action. Whether you're looking for fresh ideas, tech integration inspiration, or ways to advocate for your own library, this tour will spark your imagination and reignite your passion for the future of school libraries. Southwest Is a Preferred Carrier for AASL25 You can now save on airfareby flying Southwest! Eligible travelers attending AASL25 can take advantage of discounted fares when traveling to/from St. Louis. | | AASL Chapter News & Events | | | Celebrate Children's Book Week With Dog Man and Friends This Fall! Every Child a Reader has joined forces with Dav Pilkey, the bestselling author and award-winning illustrator of Dog Man, to bring fun materials and up to 50,000 free books to communities across the country for Children's Book Week this fall, November 3-9. New Dog Man Gets Caught Reading posters and 50,000 free books will be distributed to schools and libraries across the U.S. as part of the "Power Up with Reading" Children's Book Week Celebration. Speak Up Surveys Open Until June 30 The school year may be wrapping up, but Speak Up surveys remain open until June 30-a pivotal window for districts to gather essential insights that will shape their strategic planning and programs for the year ahead. These surveys explore key issues in K–12 education, including the integration and impact of technology, AI, cybersecurity, and inclusive practices. They also examine student safety, school-to-home communication, and the evolving perspectives of students, families, and educators on these topics. Anti-Defmation League Education Offers No Cost Online Courses Echoes & Reflections, part of Anti-Defamation League Educations, offers online courses to support students' study of the history of the Holocaust and its ongoing meaning in the world today. Courses are asynchronous, with built-in opportunities for discussion and guidance with an expert facilitator, as well as other educator participants-and at no cost. Courses for June include: Online Hate: Teaching about Holocaust Denial and Distortion in the Digital Age and Decoding Propaganda: Empowering Critical Thinking through Media Literacy. | | | | | | | | | AASL IN THE KNOW | May 2025: Standards, Second Edition | | | | | | | | Copyright © 2025 AASL, All rights reserved. AASL, 225 N. Michigan Ave, Suite 1300, Chicago, IL 60601 ALA Privacy Policy | | | | | | | |