2025 American Association of School Libraries (AASL) National Conference (Oct. 16-18, 2025)
As an aspiring school librarian, and current assistant to library operations for the upper & school library, I gained a plethora of valuable information from this conference hosted by AASl that can be applied to my practice.
I learned all about leadership & advocacy, DEIB, SEL, active learning & curriculum in school libraries from sessions led by authors, librarians, presenters, and other leaders in the field. It was inspiring to hear authors’ perspectives on how their writing can help children feel seen, represented, and enter new worlds; alongside skilled librarians’ perspectives on best practices and strategies for engagement.
I was particularly touched by the Author General Session with Jason Reynolds, where he shared how he hopes his books can serve as a buoy/life vest for librarians, educators, and students. He expressed how people invest in people and his goal is to pull in reluctant readers who might say “I didn’t…