91´«Ã½

CHICAGO – Carolyn Kirio, school librarian at Kapolei Middle School in Hawaii, is the recipient of the 2015 American Association of School Librarians’ (AASL) Information Technology Pathfinder Award. Sponsored by Follett, the $1,500 award recognizes and honors school librarians demonstrating vision and leadership through the use of information technology to build lifelong learners.

Challenged with the problems of multi-track scheduling and as the only librarian to meet the needs of the entire school, Kirio utilized technology and distance learning methods to create a 24/7 school library. Kirio created lessons and made them available to students and teachers online, so that students could use the resources during times when they were unable to physically set foot in the library. For highly requested lessons, Kirio made instructional mp4 files available for teachers through closed circuit system.

Kirio also updated the school library’s collection to include more eBooks and online encyclopedias, journals and magazine subscriptions. “Due to the technological shift in services,” Kirio writes in her application, “the library has now become the eHub of the school and a critical partner in supporting the learning community to obtain their instructional and learning goals.”

“The award committee was highly impressed by Carolyn’s innovative use of flipped instruction, video on demand, and eResources in an extraordinary school-wide collaborative media program,” said Carolyn Starkey, award committee chair. “The role of the librarian as leader and full collaborator with teachers was clearly evident in the extensive planning process. This submission represents the highest ideals and true innovative spirit for which the Technology Pathfinder Award was intended to honor.”

The AASL award winners will be honored at the AASL Awards Ceremony during the 2015 91´«Ã½ Annual Conference in San Francisco. The ceremony will be held from 9 – 11 a.m. on Saturday, June 27. All are welcome to celebrate the accomplishments of their peers during this recognition event taking place prior to the AASL President’s Program.

The American Association of School Librarians , a division of the 91´«Ã½ (91´«Ã½), empowers leaders to transform teaching and learning.