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For the Record
AASL's Bi-Annual Newsletter on the Business of the Association
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President's Report
Terri Grief | McCracken County (KY) High School Library
President, 2014 - 2015
 San Francisco is a lovely city to end a year of service as AASL President. The highlight of the meeting was the Leadership Development Summit which was my presidential initiative. Over 60 members from across the United States participated in the summit and took back information to their state associations that will trickle down to developing leaders at the state level.
The AASL Board met to do the work of the association. Some of the significant items were reports from the External Relations Task Force who identified three associations for us to pursue as partners. They recommended NEA, PTA and the NAESSP/NASSP (elementary and secondary principal associations). We approved an AASL Affiliate of the Year Award. We approved the actions of the Policy Review Working Group and were truly amazed at their thoroughness and efficiency completing this massive task. They will continue to work on additional sections. We also approved a Student Transition Scholarship. More information on these and other issues can be found in the board minutes which will be posted soon on the AASL website.
The Strategic Plan has been our anchor this year and we have stayed true to the goals we set in it. All of the actions that I listed above supported our goals in the Strategic Plan. This makes our decision making thoughtful and targeted.
I feel truly blessed by this experience. My year was filled with many happy memories, meeting lots of new friends and revisiting old ones. I especially enjoyed traveling to the state conferences and my awesome visit to Sharjah, UAE. My takeaway from this year is that we are all more alike than different. We have the same aspirations for our profession and deal with the same struggles from Washington, USA, to Doha, Qatar. We are a passionate group and we are stronger because we are united. Thank you so much for allowing me to represent you this year.
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President-Elect's Report
Leslie Preddy | Perry Meridian Middle School (IN)
President-Elect, 2014 - 2015
 It is a transformative time in school libraries, which includes transitioning to a new AASL Board of Directors as of July 1st. As many enjoyed summer recuperation and preparations for the coming school year, your new AASL Board came together for the first time, laying the foundation for the coming year. The Board began with mentorship and committee liaison training; then dug right into timely work of the association. The Community of Scholars Task Force has been extended in order to most effectively complete the work set before them. A National Conference Optimization Task Force is being established to develop a toolkit to help state affiliates fully take advantage of the opportunity hosting the AASL national conference affords a state. During this inaugural meeting, Steven Yates was elected as the AASL Board Representative to the AASL Executive Committee. The Executive Committee includes the President, Past President, President-Elect, Treasurer, AASL Representative to ALA Council and the Board Representative. Your AASL Board members are here to represent you on a national level and we, as well as the AASL office staff, are available through e-mail and phone any time you need us. Ahead of us this year, through the work of my 2015-2016 Presidential Initiative Think Tank, we will look toward the future, examining education’s critical issues, envisioning the future of school libraries, and exploring the needs of school library patrons in a technology-driven world. Watch for further updates on this work as the initiative unfolds.
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Treasurer's Report
Robbie Nickel | Sage Elementary School (NV)
Treasurer, 2014 - 2017
 The 2015 AASL budget is expected to align with projections. This year the AASL Board of Directors and the AASL staff worked hard to keep expenses and revenues in check while aligning the budget with AASL’s strategic plan initiatives. The 2016 budget was approved by the Board of Directors at the ALA Annual Conference and outlines a conservative fiscal approach.
The AASL National Conference in Columbus is rapidly approaching. Registration for the event is on schedule and programming changes and additions will provide many new opportunities for attendees. School librarians are encouraged to bring along their administrator, and they too will find programming and activities right up their alley.
As indicated in the 2015 Virtual Membership Meeting, AASL’s online courses are doing well with increases seen in the number of courses offered and in attendance. A task force is looking at the Fall Forum format and examining possible alternative options. AASL is establishing a process to help student members continue their memberships with a competitive scholarship program as they transition to professional jobs.
All in all, your treasurer, the AASL Board and staff are working to continue to grow and develop initiatives that fulfill our mission “to empower leaders to transform teaching and learning.”
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Councilor's Report
Valerie Edwards | TeachingBooks (WI)
AASL Representative to ALA Council, 2012 - 2015
 Much of the work in front of ALA Council this conference focused on clarification and reiteration of the philosophy of equity and access in services for all. After hearing numerous reports from ALA Officers and Committees, Council members turned their attention to the following Council Documents (CD):
In addition, 17 Memorial resolutions and 5 Tribute resolutions were presented and approved.
It has been a pleasure to serve AASL’s members as Division Councilor these past few years. I know that you will be well served by incoming Division Councilor, Diane Chen.
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Affiliate Assembly Chair's Report
Carrie Turner | Westside Community Schools (NE)
Affiliate Chair, 2014 - 2015
 The AASL Affiliate meetings in San Francisco were well attended and members worked hard on the fourteen Concerns and eighteen Commendations submitted by affiliate organizations.
Of the fourteen Concerns, one was already being addressed by AASL and the affiliate members felt another should be worked on by the affiliate organizations. Similar Concerns were combined and eight were sent to the AASL Board of Directors for approval. Concerns discussed looking into the recent trend of utilizing non-library professionals to run school libraries, utilizing library facility/staff to facilitate standardized testing, and school library advocacy efforts.
Nine Commendations were approved and sent to the AASL Board of Directors. Among them were The Oregon Department of Education for approving school library standards, The Summer Institute for Human Rights and Genocide Studies in New York, Redskins Read (Washington Redskins Charitable Foundation), the United Way of Delaware’s Imagination Library Week, New Jersey’s Maker Day, Wondermore, NHL EverFi’s Ignition Digital Citizenship Course, Know County Public Library’s Children’s Festival of Reading, and the New York State Council for the Social Studies statewide convention collaboration.
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