CHICAGO – Thirty members of the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) have been awarded a $750 travel grant in order to attend their first AASL national conference. Generously sponsored by Bound To Stay Bound Books, Inc. (BTSB), the grants will allow recipients to secure housing, transportation and/or registration for the AASL 17th National Conference & Exhibition taking place Nov. 5-8, 2015, in Columbus, Ohio.

Grant recipients include:

Joanna Gerakios

Pitt County Schools

Greenville, N.C.

Ellen Ketchum

Santa Fe Trail Middle School

Olathe, Kansas

Josephine Crenshaw

Ripley High School

Ripley, Tennessee

Amanda McCoy

Pauline Central Primary School

Topeka, Kansas

Margaret Alice Donahue

Henry E. Lackey High School

Indian Head, Maryland

Cherity Pennington

Shawnee Middle School

Shawnee, Oklahoma

Heather Lister

Hershey Middle School

Hershey, Pennsylvania

Emmie Stuart

Percy Priest Elementary

Nashville, Tennessee

Maria Muhlbauer

Pioneer Middle School

Yorkshire, New York

Lea Michelle Porter

West Fork Elementary School

West Fork, Arkansas

Lisa Manganello

South Brunswick High School

Monmouth Junction, New Jersey

Lisa Bates Hightower

Riser Middle School

West Monroe, Louisiana

Rosan Cable

Pacifica High School

Garden Grove, California

Kristy Buchanan

Castro Elementary School

Denver, Colorado

Jamie Rivers

Mansfield High School

Mansfield, Louisiana

Nancy Jo Lambert

Reedy High School

Frisco, Texas

Crystal Ann Puryear

Wilkerson Traditional Elementary

Louisville, Kentucky

Barbara Mason

Antioch High School

Antioch, Illinois

Jennifer McDonald

C. Grant Grimshaw Elementary School

LaFayette, New York

Leah Bishop

Freedom Middle School

Franklin, Tennessee

Stephanie Stieglitz

The Lane

Hinsdale, Illinois

Elizabeth D. Graham

Woodland Heights Elementary School

Spartanburg, South Carolina

Denise Higgins

Pinebrook Elementary School

Aldie, Virginia

Michelle Lynn Carter

Kitley Elementary School

Indianapolis, Indiana

Jessica Lynn Thompson

Tye River Elementary School

Arrington, Virginia

Bethany Thornton

Indian Head Elementary School

Indian Head, Maryland

Crystal Steele Joyce

Old Richmond Elementary School

Tobaccoville, North Carolina

Mary Morgan Ryan

Oak School

Hinsdale, Illinois

Angela Maria Hunt

Minnieville Elementary School

Woodbridge, Virginia

Angie Woods

Station Camp Elementary

Gallatin, Tennessee

Bob Sibert, president of Bound To Stay Bound Books, said, “At Bound To Stay Bound Books we recognize the value of the professional librarian in our schools and take pride in being able to offer these grants to help further their knowledge and give them an opportunity to share their experiences with other professionals."

“We are so appreciative of Bound To Stay Bound Books’ continuing support with their sponsorship of the first-time national conference attendee travel grants,” said AASL President Terri Grief. “Through the grants, BTSB creates a stronger and more knowledgeable professional which in turn creates stronger and more knowledgeable students. The AASL national conference is an extraordinary professional development event and BTSB allows school librarians to participate and then to share their experience with others in their states.”

The AASL National Conference & Exhibition is the only national conference dedicated solely to the needs of school librarians and their roles as educational leaders. The 17^th National Conference & Exhibition, “,” taking place Nov. 5-8, 2015, will feature preconference workshops, concurrent sessions and an exhibition featuring companies relevant to the profession.

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