About AASL

The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) is the only national professional membership organization focused on school librarians and the school library community.
School librarians walk down a conference center hallway during the 2023 AASL National Conference

The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) is the only national professional membership organization focused on school librarians and the school library community. AASL has more than 7,000 members and serves school librarians in the United States, Canada, and around the world.

The AASL Chapter Assembly is a gathering of appointed delegates from state level school librarian organizations, which ensures the AASL Board of Directors is aware of matters of consequence to the school librarian field. AASL also maintains three member sections and several communities of practice that represent a special field of activity within the school library profession.

AASL became a division of ALA on January 1, 1951. Prior to independent division status, AASL was a section of American Library Association. Having supported the profession for more than 70 years, AASL understands the current realities and evolving dynamics of the professional environment and is positioned to help members achieve universal recognition of school librarians as indispensable educational leaders.

Mission

The American Association of School Librarians empowers leaders to transform teaching and learning.

Strategic Plan

AASL is a national organization proactive to issues, anticipatory of trends, and defining the future agenda for the profession through its strategic plan. The current strategic plan, approved by the AASL Board of Directors at the 2019 ALA Annual Conference, examines three critical issues: association relevance, membership development, and association governance and leadership.