About IASL

What IASL Does for You

About IASL

The Iowa Association of School Librarians advocates for strong school library programs in all Iowa schools and provides leadership, education and support for its members.

To accomplish this mission, IASL will:

1. Articulate a vision for school library programs in Iowa.

2. Advocate for school library programs within the educational community, with governmental bodies and the public, (emphasizing the connection between high quality school library programs and student achievement).

3. Support the professional development of our members.

4. Foster 21st-century literacies in our schools, including reading and the effective use of technology.

5. Support state and national guidelines for school library programs.

6. Consult with and support the work of the Area Education Agencies' instructional resources programs.

7. Consult with the Department of Education and the State Library regarding certification and other issues related to school libraries and teacher librarians.

Previous Work

On April 27, 2019, IASL, partnered with ILA and EveryLibrary, successfully argued to remove from SSB 1190 language that would essentially eliminate the requirement to have a teacher librarian in every district. It was the culmination of an almost week-long battle of round-the-clock work, drafting arguments, lobbying, and constantly contacting senators on the committee. EveryLibrary brought the issue national attention, so not only did teacher librarians from Iowa rally to fight against section 13 of this bill, but our colleagues from around the country advocated for us as well. Check out the SSB 1190 Wakelet for a sample Twitter timeline.
IASL has representatives on the state teacher librarian leadership team. Consisting of classroom, AEA, and university librarians, the team has been working with the Department of Education to draft a rubric to aid school administrators in determining how well they use their school's library program and teacher librarians to help improve student achievement.
Planning the 2019 Summer Conference is underway! For details, click on the Conference Tab. Please be aware that the deadline for concurrent sessions proposals is April 1, 2019.
Not only are we having another big summer conference, but IASL is hosting the FIRST EVER Future Ready Librarians™ Edcamp on April 6.
Improved communication is our goal.
Increased opportunities to serve on state-wide committees to support Iowa Teacher Librarian are available to our Iowa teacher librarians. If you want to get involved, click on the "Get Involved" link under the Quick Links on the this page.
Along with Teacher-Librarian leaders across the state, IASL is working at all levels to advocate for teacher librarians in the State of Iowa.

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