AASL Programming at the 2014 ALA Annual Conference

The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) invites proposal submissions for 60- or 90-minute concurrent sessions and half- or full-day preconference workshops to be presented during the American Library Association (ALA) 2014 Annual Conference.

The submissions deadline for preconference proposals is 11:59pm CDT on Monday, May 27, 2013. The submissions deadline for concurrent session proposals is 11:59pm CDT on Monday, August 26, 2013.

Proposal Guidelines

The recommended proposal submission length is approximately 300 words. Proposals should outline the main points of the program and its relevance to attendees. For preconference proposals, it is recommended that you show how you would incorporate at least one active learning exercise into your session. All proposals should include up to three learning objectives and should address how the session supports the AASL Strategic Plan, the AASL Standards for the 21^st-Century Learner and/or Empowering Learners: Guidelines for School Library Programs.

Program titles should be short (no more than 140 characters in length), but descriptive. Catchy titles, indicating benefits to the audience are encouraged.

A list of suggested topical areas is available, however submissions will be accepted outside of these suggested topical areas.

Submissions will only be accepted via online form. Email, mail, or fax submissions will not be accepted.

For preparation purposes, the proposal form is available as a Word document. The online form cannot be saved and returned to. A sample rubric is also available for informational purposes.

The primary/submitting author will receive an email message confirming the receipt of the abstract. Please notify your co-authors that the confirmation was received.

Selection Criteria

Submissions will be evaluated for clarity, originality and timeliness. Special attention will be given to submissions that incorporate one or more of these characteristics:

�         Demonstrates innovative thinking and/or new perspectives

�         Presents strategies for effectively implementing new ideas and technology

�         Incorporates at least one active hands-on learning exercise (Preconferences only)

�         Design includes activities that will incorporate various learning styles

�         Demonstrates how learning outcomes will be achieved

�         Supports the AASL Strategic Plan, the AASL Standards for the 21^st-Century Learner and/or Empowering Learners: Guidelines for School Library Programs.

Contact Information

All questions regarding AASL programming at the ALA 2014 Annual Conference should be directed to Melissa Jacobsen at mjacobsen@ala.org or (800) 545-2433 x4381.