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CHICAGO – Heidi Hayes Jacobs, an internationally recognized expert in the fields of curriculum and instruction, will speak during the opening general session of the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) 17^th National Conference & Exhibition. The conference, themed “Experience Education Evolution,” will be held Nov. 5-8, in Columbus, Ohio. Full conference details can be found at .

“As the president and founder of Curriculum Designers and Curriculum21, Dr. Heidi Hayes Jacobs does more than question ‘what year’ we are preparing our students for,” said national conference co-Chair Deb Logan. “Jacobs looks at the new forms of schools, teachers, structures and content that our 21st century learners need to be ready for 2028. Media, global, and digital literacy figure prominently in Jacobs’ image of what our students need to be prepared for 2028.”

Jacobs has consulted with a range of organizations nationally and internationally on issues and practices pertaining to curriculum mapping, dynamic instruction and 21st-century strategic planning. Her experience comes from her years as a teacher of high school, middle school and elementary children in Utah, Massachusetts and New York.

She has been interviewed and featured in many national dailies, magazines and radio programs and has published curriculum materials, including webinars and videos featured by the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

“Change is the constant in today’s educational environment,” Logan said. “Dr. Jacobs’ perspective will help school librarians do more than understand the changes in the evolving educational environment, her thoughts and vision will help prepare school librarians to provide and advocate for the kinds of learning experiences our students need.”

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 profession. More information on the conference, including special events, author appearances and keynote presenters is available at .

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