AkASL News and Events

New Spring Puffin!

April 26, 2009

This issue of the Puffin is packed with 22 pages of important news, fun stories, professional development opportunities, awards, info on the School Librarian Leadership Academy and highlights of the fantastic AKLA conerence in Kodiak. Pics from Kodiak!

Alaska Internet Circle of Safety

April 9, 2009

"The Alaska Internet Circle of Safety is a resource for adults who would like to
teach their children to be responsible online citizens. This project was funded
by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and is a joint effort of the
Alaska State Library and the Alaska Library Association." This link is also on our links page.

Book Bonanza Contest... Money!

March 18, 2009

Check out the criteria, guidelines and purpose of the AkASL Book Bonanza collection development essay contest.  Application deadline is April 30th, 2009!

Battle of the Books Selection Meeting

March 18, 2009

Battle of the Books Title Selection Workshop
March 28th
@ State Library in Anchorage
344 W. Third Avenue, Suite 125
(same building as the post office)
Time: 10:00 AM

Join us to help select titles for the 2010 Battle of the Books!

AKLA Conference & AkASL Wiki

March 8, 2009

Check out the official conference wiki for handouts and notes from session presenters. Visitors to the conference wiki will not be able to join, but can view and comment on pages. A great way to keep all of the conference info easy to access!

There is also a conference page on the AkASL wiki where you can add your own notes, materials, and share the wonderful ways you use what you learn at the conference.

Remember that a wiki is only as good as the members make it... and all Alaska school librarians members!

AkASL Election Results

March 5, 2009

Congratulations to new 2009-2010 officers! Elections will be officially certified at the AkASL General Membership meeting at the AKLA Conference in Kodiak on Sunday March 15 from 5-7 pm between the last session of the day and the awards banquet.

Be sure to join us in Kodiak to find out what is coming for AkASL in the coming year. Here's the results!

President Elect  --Ann Morgester
Region 4 Representative (Southeast) -- Ginny Blackson
Region 3 Representative (Anchorage)-- Kerri Geppert
Region 2 Representative (South Central) -- Katie Conover
Region 1 Representative (North and South) -- Susan Richards
Treasurer ­ Janet Madsen

Shall the constitution be changed to extend the Treasurer's term and include
a treasurer-elect?  Shall the constitution be amended to read: A treasurer
shall be elected every 3 years. A treasurer-elect shall be elected on the
second year in order to be trained and debriefed during the treasurer's
final year.
52 ­ Yes
1 ­ No

AKLA Conference Fast Approaches!

Kodiak, AK March 13-16, 2009 - Conference home page

The pre-conference offers sessions on advocacy and Copyright for schools, while the varied hosts of speakers include Roland Smith for the authors luncheon! YA lit, lots of technology and two sessions designed just to provide time to share what we love to do in our libraries.

If you have great things to share, be sure to bring along your ideas, samples and handouts to the conference. Digital presentations and docs are welcome. We will be able to gather and share all the great ideas.

Don't forget to use the AkASL Wiki to post your conference findings and items you may bring for the share sessions!

See you in Kodiak!

Deadlines, Deadlines, Deadlines!

February 11, 2009

AkASL E-Board Elections close February 23-- Place your vote online today!

AkASL Awards:
SLOY & LKB Service Award Nominations close Friday Februrary 13.
Pat-on-the-Back Administrator Award Nominations close February 27.
Get those nominations in today!

Puffin Winter Issue Online

January 31, 2009

Check it out! The winter Puffin is available on-line for your enjoyment.
Find out what’s happening around the state by reading the regional news
pages; check out information about the 2009 AKLA conference in
Kodiak, information about elections and awards and much more.

Don’t forget; we’d like to hear from you too. You may submit area news
or an article any time before March 29, 2009 for the spring issue.

Website Makeover

January 25, 2009

AkASL is happy to begin a new and updated website for our members and others looking for information about school libraries in Alaska. As with any revision we will continue to move old pages over to the new layout, and will likely to have a few snags!

If you find any missing pages or links that do not work please report them to the webmaster below. We have found that some of the document links are broken in the process.

The new website layout is designed to be ready for viewing with handheld technologies, so you can keep up to date on school library new wherever you are. Thanks for your patience through this transition.

Also, send in any photos you have that you would like to share and we will start a slide show! (keep at web size images please)

AkASL 2009 Election January 23 - February 23

January 19, 2009

AkASL voting goes electronic! Voting information and ballot link will be emailed to all AkASL members through the Regional Reps. (See Regions)

The ballot will include eboard elections and a vote on a constitutional change regarding the length and progression of the term for the treasurer. The change will enable an incoming treasurer to spend one term overlapping with the outgoing treasurer to assure a smooth transition for this important job. See the new ballot language below, and view the existing AkASL Constitution to compare.

If you do not receive the ballot information by January 23 contact your area representative.
The ballot includes:
4 Regional Representatives, 1 year term each
Treasurer, currently a 2 year term
President-elect, 3 year Committment: president-elect, president and past-president
Constitutional Change:
Ballot Questions: Shall the constitution be changed to extend the Treasurer's term and include a treasurer-elect?
Shall the constitution be amended to read:
A treasurer shall be elected every 3 years. A treasurer-elect shall
be elected on the second year in order to be trained and debriefed
during the treasurer's final year.

2009 AkASL Award Nominations Open through February 13!

January 14, 2009

Nominations are now open for the following awards:

• AkASL School Librarian of the Year Award
• AkASL Linda K. Barrett Service Award
• AkASL Administrator: "Pat on the Back" Award

Visit the awards homepage, or the links above for information and nomination forms.

AkLA Conference Program and Registration Now Online

January 12, 2009

Check it out at the AKLA Conference Home Page

Start planning for AKLA 2009 with a Travel Grant
Application Deadline January 9, 2009

November 3, 2008

Alaska Association of School Librarians Travel Grant Application
2009 AKLA Conference – Kodiak, AK March 13-16, 2009
Application Deadline January 9, 2009 – Award Notifications January 16, 2009
Application pdf

Grant recipients will be reimbursed up to $1,100 for the cost of air or ferry transportation, lodging and $125 toward conference registration.  Grant recipients must be AkASL members.  Grant recipients will be required to submit appropriate receipts, an AKASL Travel Grant Reimbursement form, and an article for the Puffin newsletter by April 6, 2009 to receive their reimbursement funds.

Please e-mail or FAX your application or questions to: Ginny Blackson, AKASL Travel Grant Coordinator

Fax: (907) 747-3229            email: blacksong@mail.ssd.k12.ak.us

Help
get the
School Library Collection
Development Grant
funded this legislative session!

Write... Write... Write...

For sample letters and POMs see

AkASL Legislative Action Page

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New FAll Puffin is here

October 27, 2008
Be sure to download the new fall Puffin, the AkASL newsletter on Alaska School Libraries. In this issue you will find 20 incredible pages!

Renew your AkASL membership today!

Another great School Librarian's Leadership Academy!

Peggy Sharp presenting in Anchorage
for the Academy 2008

Ways to send comments on SLCD grant

Find prepared label sheets in MS Word format to attach to postcards and mail. Share with friends and colleagues to gather support for funding the School Library Collection Development Grant. See Legislative Action page for sample statements and labels!

New flyer on School Library Collection Development Grant

Gary Hartzell Anchorage workshop travel grant recipients.

October 8, 2008
Sharon Wolshen, Fairbanks North Star Borough
Lorrie Heagy, Juneau School District
Michael Matiatos, Sitka School District
Bonnie Laber, Kenai Peninsula Borough School District
Annice Bender, Kashunamiut School District
Congratulations.

Help get $1.1 million School Library Collection Development Grant FUNDED!

October 3, 2008
The Governor’s budget is being formulated right now... take action today!

Start writing today to support funding of Sec. 3 Chapter 55 SLA 2008 the "Public School Library Collection Development Grant." You can read or print out the law as enrolled at:
http://www.legis.state.ak.us/basis/get_bill_text.asp?hsid=SB0119Z&session=25
Alaska statutes AS14.56.360-375.

The law allows for an annual grant of $3,000 to be made available to Alaskan school libraries that meet the following criteria:

Provides physical space that can be identified as a library and is reserved for that purpose; 

Provides regularly scheduled library hours for all students;

Provides designated library personnel to staff the library; 

Provides evidence that library/information literacy standards are being promoted; 

Maintains an ongoing library budget to include library staffing and materials; 

See AkASL Legislative Action page for sample letters and POMs.

Update on Gary Hartzell Travel Grant
Thu, 02 Oct 2008 05:09:29 +0000
AkASL will award five Travel Grants for Gary Hartzell?s October 18, 2008 presentation at the Anchorage School District Board Room. Grant recipients will be reimbursed up to $1000 for the cost of transportation and one night of lodging. Grant recipients must be AkASL members and live at least 55 miles from the City of Anchorage. Grant recipients will be required to submit appropriate receipts, an AKASL Travel Reimbursement form, and an article for the Puffin newsletter by November 18, 2008 to receive their reimbursement funds. Travel Grant Application Deadline October 3, 2008 Award Notifications October 6, 2008 Please e-mail or FAX your application to: Ginny Blackson, AKASL Travel Grant Coordinator Fax: (907) 747-3229 email: ginnynorrisblackson@hotmail.com Authored by akasl. Hosted by Edublogs.

Gary Hartzell Workshop & Travel Grant
Thu, 25 Sep 2008 05:47:49 +0000
AkASL is very excited to bring Gary Hartzell, a national presenter on the value of libraries, to Alaska in October. This opportunity was made possible by AkASL and a grant from the Alaska State Library. Gary will be presenting at the Principal’s Conference and conducting workshops for librarians in Fairbanks, Anchorage and Mat-Su. The Anchorage workshop is offered for one credit, and five $1,000 travel grants are available to attend the workshop. The workshop will cover using research to promote your library program, how to build influence and be more visible, and a look at collaboration from various angles and recognizing the profound differences between elementary, middle, and high schools. For more information about travel grant see the grant application form at right. Information about workshop registration will follow. Authored by akasl. Hosted by Edublogs.

New Membership
Mon, 15 Sep 2008 05:59:39 +0000
It’s time to renew membership! See application link at left and send in your membership today. Membership in AkASL provides: access to grants eligibility for awards a voice in future professional development representation at AKLA and the State Library legislative action such as SB 119 which was signed into law on June 4, 2008, and is now called SLA Chapter 55. Priority for this year will be to have funding for the new law passed. AkASL works for ALL school librarians to help coordinate the annual conference, various workshops and the School Library Leadership Academy. Authored by akasl. Hosted by Edublogs.

SB119 passes into law!
Tue, 12 Aug 2008 05:28:21 +0000
Hard work, collaboration and belief in purpose pays off. SB 119 was signed into law on June 4, 2008, and is now called SLA Chapter 55. While we recognize our success there is still work ahead of us to support funding of the law. The State Library will request the funding through the Governor?s budget for the 2009-2010 school year. Stay tuned for more information on how you can help when the next legislative cycle begins. Authored by akasl. Hosted by Edublogs.

2008 School Library Leadership Academy
Sun, 03 Aug 2008 21:25:16 +0000
Happiness is… spending a whole week with a group of incredible school librarians, accepting the challenges of David Loertscher, using Web 2.0 tools in projects (instead of just learning about them), spending a very full day with Peggy Sharp, and meeting our new Commissioner of Education, Larry LeDoux a man who clearly believes in public education and the students we all serve. What a great way to bring the new school year into sight! The week of face to face time for Academy students is done! We continue to meet online till the end of September. Another great academy for school librarians on the move… Authored by robint. Hosted by Edublogs.

Alaska Library Association Conference 2009 - Kodiak
Thu, 24 Jul 2008 05:18:53 +0000
Be sure to mark your calendars for the upcoming Alaska Library Association conference in Kodiak. The dates are March 13-16, 2009. Pre-conference will be Friday, March 13, and the regular conference sessions will follow on March 14, 15 and 16. Although it is not yet posted, watch the AKLA website for detailed conference information in the next month or two. Last year’s popular online registration option will be available. (From Friday Bulletin, July 18, 2008) Authored by akasl. Hosted by Edublogs.

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