American Association of School Librarians (AASL) Conference
St. Louis, November 16–18
Attendee: Upper School Librarian, Burke’s
The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) Conference is a national gathering for school librarians, offering sessions on research, best practices, innovation, author presentations, and a large exhibition hall featuring vendors and publishers.
Big Takeaways
A central takeaway from this year’s conference was that there remain significant gaps in services and products designed specifically for school librarians. While there is exciting innovation in some areas, there are still a number of underdeveloped resources.
Student News Sources
I have been actively searching for a reliable student news resource that presents multiple perspectives and encourages critical thinking. At a vendor session, I explored a potential alternative to our current platform, Newsela. Unfortunately, the product’s emphasis on being “unbiased” results in articles that are purely factual, lacking discussion of public opinion or interpretation, which is important for developing media literacy. For now, it remains a challenge to find high-quality, accessible opinion pieces for middle schoolers. We will need to continue seeking creative ways to expose students to diverse viewpoints in current events.
Literature for Younger Teens
One of the most affirming discoveries of the conference was a poster session on the Young Teen Lit movement. This initiative, led by two middle school librarians, advocates for more literature written specifically for 12–15 year-olds, a group often caught between middle grade and YA publishing. Their recommended reading list validated our current collection (we own nearly every title!) but also highlighted the scarcity of materials for this age group. I plan to continue using their website to stay updated on new releases and add to our offerings as publishers begin to fill this gap.
Goals and Collaborations
Storytelling
A continuing goal for this year is collaboration with the 7th grade Public Speaking, where I teach storytelling techniques that help students craft more engaging speeches. I learned about a new digital storytelling platform through Adobe Express, which seems like a promising tool for students to share personal stories, book reviews, and academic content. Integrating this platform into HEART could not only enrich storytelling skills but also support students’ work in public speaking, writing, and application essays.
Literary Appreciation
Fostering literary appreciation remains a core focus of my work. I’ve long been interested in creating a mock book award group to teach students how to evaluate books critically and articulate what makes a story effective. However, time constraints make it challenging for students to read full-length novels during our brief meetings. After attending a session that modeled the use of picture books for this purpose, I’m inspired to move forward with this idea. Picture books provide rich opportunities for analysis and discussion across all ages and reading levels, and I look forward to implementing this approach soon.
Recommendation
I highly recommend the AASL Conference to all school librarians. It provides invaluable professional development for librarians at every career stage and in all types of schools. I always leave this conference inspired and full of new ideas, and I look forward to attending again in two years.
Information: https://aasl.secure-platform.com/2025