AASL Chapter of the Year Application: Governance Activities

• Brittany Tignor is a chapter representative for AASL. Additionally, she has served as:
  • Member, Affiliate of the Year Award Committee, 2020
  • Chair of the Intellectual Freedom Award Committee, 2019
  • Member of the Intellectual Freedom Award Committee, 2018
  • Region 2 Representative, 2018
• Dedra Van Gelder has served on the committee for the Miss Honey Social Justice Award for 3 years.
• Donna Mignardi served on the task force which re-wrote The Instructional Role of the School Librarian position statement.
• Jennifer Sturge is the chair-elect of the Supervisor Section of AASL. Additionally she:
  • Chaired The Instructional Role of the School Librarian Taskforce position statement committee. 
  • Co-chair of programs committee for AASL National Conference 2021
  • Reviewer for AASL conference 2019
  • Reviewer for ALA, 2018
  • Member of Leadership Development Committee
• Laura Hicks ran for national office in 2020. Additionally she has served as:
  • AASL Board of Directors, Region 2, 2016-2019
  • ALA Council
  • Member at Large 2019 - present
  • AASL Practice Committee 2020 - present
  • ALA Committee on Professional Ethics 2020 - present
• Lindsey Weaver is the second delegate to AASL
• Tanisha Love is MASL's delegate to AASL

Through the ABC-Clio Leadership Grant, MASL had the opportunity to run a book study for the members of MASL free of charge.  The book study focused on Judi Morellion's book on library leadership.  MASL held this book study virtually using the Schoology platform.  The book study was facilitated by Monique Gillis a school librarian at Northern High School in Calvert County and a MASL member. Through this book study members were able to earn a leadership badge. This opportunity is part of a series of professional development workshop to bring more leadership opportunities to school librarians.

MASL's advocacy committee is comprised of Tanisha Love, Marianne Fitzgerald, and Tim Steelman.  They attended an advocacy conference this summer and have been instrumental in supporting MASL's advocacy efforts.  The advocacy committee has sponsored two webinars this year on advocacy. MASL as a whole has been vocal in opposing cuts to school librarians in Queen Anne's, Talbot, and Harford counties in Maryland as well as supporting the school librarians in neighboring Washington D.C. As part of our school library advocacy efforts MASL participated and sponsored a webinar on the Kirwan Commission - the funding for Maryland's schools and how Kirwan will affect school libraries.

Each year, Maryland Libraries spends a day at our state house in Annapolis meeting with our legislators to promote public and school libraries. This past year, MASL had representatives from multiple counties attend Library Legislative Day. April Wathen, past president of MASL was on the House floor to accept the resolution in support of libraries.  School librarians involved in MASL met with state House and Senate members in collaboration with public librarians to discuss school library support and legislation.

MASL has had a presence at:

Mid Winter

ALA Annual

Chapter Meetings

AASL

The Kirwin Commission is tasked with creating the blueprint for the future of Maryland's public schools.  Brittany Tignor was part of the commission and arranged a webinar with one of the lawyers for the Kirwin Commission to discuss how the blueprint and funding model would impact school librarians.