AASL Announces Recipients of 2019 Research Grant

CHICAGO – The Educators of School Librarians (ESLS) Section of the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) announces the recipients of the 2019 AASL Research Grant. Sponsored by School Library Connection, the grant recognizes excellence in manuscripts addressing a persistent and recurring challenge in the field of school librarianship. The grant consists of a $350 award and the opportunity to present the paper at the AASL National Conference. 

“School Library Connection is proud to shine a spotlight on this essential new research from these five leaders in the field,” writes David Paige, Editorial Director at Libraries Unlimited. “The diverse subject matter tackled by the winners—from intellectual freedom to e-book circulation to makerspaces—is a testament not only to the current dynamism of school library research but also to the incredible range of roles and responsibilities teacher librarians embrace everyday in their schools. In sponsoring this award, we aim to strengthen the bridge between research and practice, pointing librarians in the trenches to the best of the best research to support the continuous improvement of their programs and services.”

Recipients of the 2019 AASL Research Grant are:

• Sue C. Kimmel and Danielle E. Hartsfield for their article “Does ALA Ban Books? Examining the Discourse of Challenged Books,” published July 2019 in Library Quarterly.
• April Dawkins and Karen Gavigan for their article “E-Book Collections in High School Libraries: Factors Influencing Circulation and Usage,” published April 2019 in School Library Research.
• Heather Moorefield-Lang for “Lessons Learned: Intentional Implementation of Second Makerspaces,” published February 2019 in Reference Services Review.

“AASL is excited to share these three research topics during the upcoming national conference,” said AASL President Mary Keeling. “Each addresses important topics that concern all school librarians in their daily practice. Many thanks to School Library Connection for their support of this award.”

The research grant paper session will take place at 10:10 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 16, during the 2019 AASL National Conference in Louisville, Kentucky.

“ESLS is proud to present this research session,” said Elizabeth A. Burns, ESLS Chair. “This session captures a broad range of topics that impact the practice of school librarians in K-12 education. Bridging research to practice for school librarians, these timely projects support best practice, innovation, and school library core values.”

The American Association of School Librarians, www.aasl.org, a division of the American Library Association (ALA), empowers leaders to transform teaching and learning.