91´«Ã½

CHICAGO – The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) is pleased to announce The Rosen Publishing Group as the new sponsor of the AASL Distinguished Service Award. The prestigious award recognizes an individual member of the library profession who has, over a significant period, made an outstanding national contribution to school librarianship and school library development. Nominated by their peers in the profession, award recipients receive $3,000 and are honored at the AASL Awards Ceremony during 91´«Ã½ Annual Conference.

“Rosen Publishing is proud to sponsor the AASL Distinguished Service Award because we know that school library leaders make a huge difference in students' lives, academic outcomes, and career choices,” said CEO & President Roger Rosen. “We believe that excellence needs to be recognized and celebrated to let practitioners of this distinguished profession know that their work is appreciated within our community and beyond.”

Recognizing the accomplishments of school librarians since 1978, the award has evolved along with the profession. The relaunch of the award includes revised criteria that places equal weight on scholarly research along with service to the profession through leadership, advocacy, and/or mentorship. The award committee will evaluate nominees based on their demonstrated achievements in one or more of the following areas:

• Service and visionary leadership to the organized profession through AASL and related organizations.
• Publication of a body of scholarly and/or theoretical writing contributing to school library development.
• Influencing the planning and development of an exemplary school library through legislative efforts, implementation of standards based on the National School Library Standards for Learners, School Libraries, and School Librarians, or the teaching and/or mentoring of future school library professionals.
• Developing and sustaining a school library or body of practice of such depth and scope as to warrant special recognition.

"It is so important to recognize and honor those leaders who have made lifetime contributions to the school library profession and AASL," said Kathryn Roots Lewis, AASL president. "I'd like to thank Rosen for their sponsorship of the Distinguished Service Award. It is a testament to the many ways Rosen champions school librarians."

Nominations for the 2019 AASL Distinguished Service Award will open in fall 2018.

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

Established in 1950, the Rosen Publishing Group helps create future-ready students, pre-K-12, with compelling, curriculum-aligned content across a range of subjects and formats. Rosen's digital portfolio provides interactive eBooks and databases, including and the Science and Social Studies programs. Spotlight on the Civil Rights Movement and Civic Action, two of its newest programs, are designed to inspire a generation of democracy-ready digital citizens.

Rosen Professional has launched its inaugural online PD program: : Teaching Computational Thinking Across the Curriculum.