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CHICAGO — The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) invites proposals for preconference workshops and concurrent sessions to be presented during its 17th National Conference & Exhibition taking place Nov. 5-8, 2015, in Columbus, Ohio. The preconference workshop deadline is Friday, Aug. 15, 2014, and the concurrent session deadline is Friday, Nov. 7, 2014. More information is available at .

AASL seeks proposals half- or full-day preconference workshops and for concurrent sessions lasting 75 minutes. Preconference workshops will be held Wed., Nov. 4 and Thurs., Nov. 5. Concurrent sessions will be held on Friday, Nov. 6 and Saturday, Nov. 7. Proposals should include up to three learning objectives and should address how the session supports the AASL strategic plan, the AASL Standards for the 21st-Century Learner, and/or Empowering Learners: Guidelines for School Library Programs. Additionally, concurrent session proposals should focus on one of the content strands, including Common Core State Standards; leadership; literacy and reading; program administration; teaching and learning; or authors.

The AASL national conference committee will evaluate proposals for clarity, originality and timeliness. Consideration 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;
• Design includes activities that will incorporate various learning styles;
• Demonstrates how learning outcomes will be achieved.

Submissions will only be accepted via online form: , . Email, mail or fax submissions will not be accepted. All questions regarding programming at the AASL 17th National Conference & Exhibition should be directed to aasl@ala.org or (800) 545-2433, ext. 4382.

The AASL National Conference & Exhibition is the only national conference dedicated solely to the needs of school librarians and their roles as educational leaders. It features preconference workshops, concurrent sessions and an exhibition featuring companies relevant to the school library profession. More information on the conference, including special events, author appearances, and keynote presenters will be available on or before January 2015.

The American Association of School Librarians, , a division of the 91´«Ã½ (91´«Ã½), promotes the improvement and extension of library services in elementary and secondary schools as a means of strengthening the total education program. Its mission is to advocate excellence, facilitate change and develop leaders in the school library field.