Professional Organizations

The American Association of School Libraries (AASL) is a division of the American Library Association (ALA). They author the National School Library Standards, host biannual conferences, and provide professional development. This resource will help me as a school leader and professional to be well informed regarding current issues on the national level within the field of school librarianship.

Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) is another division of the American Library Association (ALA). They curate book lists, designate several book and media awards, host a national institute, and offer tools for everyday advocacy. This resource will be invaluable to me in future collection development and enhancement efforts. It will also help me to participate in advocacy at the grassroots level.

The Virginia Association of School Librarians (VAASL) is a state affiliate of AASL. VAASL facilitates collaboration, host an annual conference, grants several awards, and advocates for support of the school library as a learning community to ensure students succeed academically. Members are often colleagues and mentors experienced in applying both AASL standards and VA Standards of Learning. This resource will help me network, develop greater community relationships, and remain connected locally. 

The International Society for Technology in Education (ITSE) is a global organization that promotes technology use in classrooms. Their vision includes empowering educators and accelerating innovation to inspire learners. Furthermore, ITSE standards are fairly aligned with AASL standards. This resource will help me continue learning best technological practices, and how to successfully integrate technology into lessons while remaining focused on student learning.

Publications

Knowledge Quest is the official journal published by AASL bimonthly September thru June. Additionally, they publish an online blog across eleven topics that are highly relevant to school librarians, like: equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI), intellectual freedom, makerspaces, and STEM/STEAM. I have found the blog content to be helpful while completing assignments in the program, and am sure this resource will continue to serve me in my professional development.

School Library Journal (SLJ) is a publication focused on journalism and reviews targeted to librarians that serve children and teens. Their reviews cover print and digital resources, from books to databases. I particularly like the classroom section of the website that has subcategories like: classroom & curricula, ed tech, and elementary. This resource will be a helpful tool for evaluating new children’s literature and offers another touchpoint for remaining current on news in the profession.

Websites

Edutopia is an online community dedicated sharing and promoting tools and methods that are most successful in pre-K-12 education. I appreciate that they focus on, “core strategies that educate the whole child: project-based learning, comprehensive assessment, integrated studies, social and emotional learning, teacher development, and technology integration” (George Lucas Educational Foundation, 2022, para. 5). This resource will help me to be an effective educator librarian across all grade levels.

George Lucas Educational Foundation. (2022). Frequently Asked Questions [website]. Retrieved from https://www.edutopia.org/about/contact/faq

Blogs & Social Media

The Book Wrangler (Mike Rawls) has 92.3K followers on Instagram, and was a classroom teacher for 18 years before becoming an elementary school librarian. He creates beautiful book guides, interactive posters, and activities for elementary level library classes focused on current events and diversity. He also has 200+ created materials available for purchase thru the teacherspayteachers website, which I am sure will be helpful as I cultivate displays and lesson plans in the future.   

Storybook Maze (Araba Maze) is a self-proclaimed “Radical Street Librarian” working to eliminate Baltimore’s book deserts. She has 13.6K followers on Instagram and 68.4K followers on TikTok. Maze’s work has won funding awards and been featured on Good Morning America due to Maze’s enthusiasm and unique techniques. Though Maze is not a school librarian, her dedication to children’s access and innovation are inspiring and can be applied in school libraries.  

Podcasts

School Librarians United with Amy Hermon is a podcast that focuses on the practical details that go into running a successful school library. Each episode addresses real-life or day-to-day type issues and challenges faced by school librarians. Coverings include topics like: collaboration, annual evaluations, job interviewing, story-time strategies, inclusion, programming, censorship, parental outreach, and so much more! I personally found the “Preparing to Interview” episode helpful recently in my own job interview preparations.

_{Featured Image Citation: qiangxuer. (November 4, 2020). [two young girls reading photo]. Pixababy. Retrieved from https://pixabay.com/photos/girls-books-reading-read-library-5711423/}