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CHICAGO – Four school libraries from across the country have been awarded American Association of School Librarians' (AASL) Inspire COVID Recovery Grants. Made possible by the generosity of AASL member Marina “Marney” Welmers, the grant program provides funds to addresses collection loss and remote access requirements due to COVID-19 school closures. A first round of recovery grants was awarded in the fall of 2020.

Offered as a special extension of the Inspire Collection Development Grant, the grant can be used to recover collections and extend learning through an increase in online and remote resources.

Recipients of the second round of grants include:

• Cindy Buerkle, school librarian, Otselic Valley Central School, South Otselic, New York
• Taylor Inverarity, teacher librarian, Turner Middle School, Kansas City, Kansas
• Amanda Jones, teacher librarian, Live Oak Middle School, Denham, Louisiana
• Chari Kauffman, librarian, North Shore Middle School, Houston, Texas

“These grants have allowed school librarians and school libraries to regain their footing and – in cases of virtual resources – extend learning for their students,” said AASL President Kathy Carroll. “In physical settings or in remote learning, school libraries have remained safe havens throughout the uncertainties of the pandemic. Marney Welmers's forward-thinking commitment has allowed AASL to provide some relief to school librarians worried about the impact of COVID-19-related school closures. Thank you, Marney, for your continuing generosity.”

The AASL award winners will be recognized during the , taking place October 21-23 in Salt Lake City, Utah.

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