AASL Update
Melissa Johnston, AASL Liaison & AASL Board of Directors-Region
V
This summer’s AASL Board of Directors meeting on June
26, 2005, during the ALA Annual Conference in Chicago, focused
on finalizing and adopting our new Strategic Plan. The Strategic
Plan addresses the need for providing leadership for excellence
in the school library profession and school library programs,
which is the core purpose of the association. It sets an ambitious
agenda for AASL to achieve universal recognition of school library
media specialists as indispensable educational leaders. The AASL
Strategic Plan addresses five goal areas for the association
to fulfill its purpose: updating guidelines and standards, promoting
the importance of advocacy, providing valuable professional development,
increasing influence within ALA, and finally creating a community
that will be inclusive, accessible and supportive for all school
library media specialists. “Responding to what our members
are telling us is a major focus area,” said J. Linda Williams,
AASL President for 2005-2006 “ it is essential as we strategically
plan our initiatives and activities to communicate the vital
role of library media specialists as educators who increase student
achievement.”
I would urge you to get involved in AASL during this exciting
time of change! AASL is looking for people to volunteer for committees.
If you are interested please go to the website and fill out a
form: http://www.ala.org/aaslTemplate.cfm?Section=volunteeropps.
AASL depends on its members for support and feedback. All too
often I hear people state that they don’t feel that a national
organization does anything for them. It is up to you to get active
- make your concerns known and your voice heard in the national
organization!
AASL is our organization and it is striving to meet our needs
as building level media specailsit, but if you , promotes the
improvement and extension of library media services in elementary
and secondary schools as a means of strengthening the total education
program. Its mission is to advocate excellence, facilitate
change and develop leaders in the school library media field.
The AASL strategic planning process began in 2004 and involved
several days of face-to-face meetings with, at various times,
the Board of Directors, Regional Directors-Elect and AASL staff.
Other components of the planning process included feedback from
members and affiliate leaders, through two member surveys and
several member focus groups, such as member forums at state affiliate
conferences.
“Responding to what our members are telling us is a major
focus area,” said J. Linda Williams. “It is essential
as we strategically plan our initiatives and activities to communicate
the vital role of library media specialists as educators who
increase student achievement.”
As another part of the planning process, AASL will examine the
existing organizational structure to determine whether it adequately
supports carrying out the provisions of the Strategic Plan. For
more information about the Strategic Plan go to www.ala.org/aasl/strategicplanning.
The American Association of School Librarians <www.ala.org/aasl>,
a division of the American Library Association (ALA), promotes
the improvement and extension of library media services in elementary
and secondary schools as a means of strengthening the total education
program. Its mission is to advocate excellence, facilitate
change and develop leaders in the school library media field.