It is spring so that means that School Library Media Month is just around the corner in April! What do you have planned? This year’s theme is: Join the circle of knowledge @ your library® The AASL School Library Media Month Task Force has been hard at work collaborating to give you some ideas and support for this celebration. All AASL members will soon be receiving a SLMM poster that was created out of a partnership of AASL, American Girl Publishing and HBO. The poster will feature Abigail Breslin in her new role as Kit: An American Girl. The movie will be coming out this summer. The poster also has activities and curriculum ties for this novel and its setting during the Great Depression. Check out the SLMM web page: http://www.ala.org/ala/aasl/aaslissues/aasladvocacy/schoollibrary.cfm for many new additions, including the PSAs by School Library Media Month spokesperson Carmen Deedy, links to activity ideas and pdfs of the poster and reproducible activities.
Also don’t forget that the AASL elections are now open. All members need to go vote and make your voice heard! The 4,282 ALSC members, and 5,688 YALSA members constitute a strong youth presence within ALA. Add to that the 9,380 AASL members who represent a specific type of library! Representation by all of the above reflected on the governing ALA Council will give voice to youth services and school libraries. By sheer numbers, these combined divisions are a major voting block in ALA.
It is critical that Council has many voices speaking for youth and school members. On our web page, AASL has listed those candidates who are members of youth divisions: http://www.ala.org/ala/aasl/aboutaasl/aaslgovernance/aaslelections/aaslelections.cfm.
Please pay special attention to credentials for the candidates. We can really make a difference on Council if every AASL, ALSC, and YALSA member votes.
Melissa P. Johnston, AASL SLMM Task Force Chair
Media Specialist, Silver City Elementary School
Forsyth County
