KASL March Newsletter
YOUR STATE-LEVEL SCHOOL LIBRARY ORGANIZATION
March is Women's History Month! How might your school library celebrate?
DISTRICT SPOTLIGHT! SKASL
- SKASL is a local affiliate of the Kentucky Association of School Librarians. If you are a librarian in one of the following counties, please join the Southern Kentucky Association of School Librarians (SKASL)! Counties include: Allen, Barren, Butler, Cumberland, Edmonson, Logan, Metcalfe, Monroe, Muhlenberg, Ohio, Simpson, Todd, and Warren. Interested in joining? You can pay your yearly dues here!
- Visit SKASL's website for more information.
District News
GRASL Awards and Grants nominations are due March 12. Nominees must be a paid member of GRASL. Winners of GRASL awards and grants will be automatically nominated for the same KASL awards. For more information, check out the GRASL Awards and Grants webpage at
https://sites.google.com/view/grasl/grasl-awards-grants?authuser=0 or contact GRASL Award Chair Elizabeth Muster at
elizabeth.muster@daviess.kyschools.us.
GRASL's Virtual Spring PD is Wednesday, April 21. This 1/2-day PD will include literacy and technology sessions, the announcement of KASL Awards and Grant winners, and a brief business meeting. For more information or to register to present, please contact Kelli McDaniel at kelli.mcdaniel@union.kyschools.us.
Important Advocacy Information
Kentucky Library Media Specialist requirements:
As the tentative staffing allocations’ deadline approaches, keep in mind that a school librarian must be included in that allocation. KRS 158.102 requires each district to allocate a fully certified media librarian to each A1 school. An A1 school is defined as a school under administrative control of a principal or head teacher and eligible to establish a school-based decision making council. Two or more schools may share a media librarian; however, each school council must agree, and this agreement must be noted in the meetings’ minutes.
In addition, KRS 160.345(2)(g) requires each school council to consult with the school media librarian on the maintenance of the school library media center, including the purchase of instructional materials, information technology, and equipment. The final decision relative to the school media budget and expenditure remains under the purview of the school council. As councils are reviewing budgets, please ensure that they are consulting with the school librarian on any needs for the library and how those purchases would enhance student achievement.
If you have questions regarding legal requirements relating to library media specialists, please email KDE School Library Lead James Allen. Or if you need infographics or additional information to share with administrators regarding the value and importance of certified school librarians, please contact KASL Advocacy Chair Tara Griffith (tlagriffith@gmail.com).
GRREC Library Network Meeting OPEN to ALL!
Click here to register for GRREC's LMS Network happening April 20th 8:30-11:30am CT via Zoom. More information below:
Ky Academic Standards for Library Media!
Vote in the ALA/AASL Elections & Register for AASL National Conference
AASL has launched a survey to conclude the series of surveys launched in the spring of 2020 capturing the state of school libraries during pandemic school closures. The final survey can be accessed at
www.ala.org/aasl/snapshot and is open through March 26, 2021.
