The Maryland School Librarian of the Year Award - 2024
Honoring a school librarian for exemplary service and outstanding achievements in the field of school library media.
Eligibility:
- Current member of the Maryland Association of School Librarians (MASL)
- MSDE Certified School Librarian
- Actively serving as a school librarian in a public, private, or independent school in Maryland that serves any students in grades PreK-12
- Serving in the same role/position for 3+ years
The nominee:
- exemplifies the five roles (program administrator, leader, information specialist, teacher, and instructional partner) of a library media specialist as set forth by the American Association of School Librarians (AASL).
- administers a library program that strives to meet the needs of all learners
- demonstrates a knowledge of and implements educational technologies into his/her library media and school curriculum
- maintains an ongoing collaborative partnership with students, educators, and the community
- demonstrates leadership in advancing the access to print, digital and technological resources
- promotes a love of reading through literacy initiatives
- promotes diversity and inclusion of all community members to feel welcome in the school library through programming, collection development, and physical space
- creates lessons, events, and/or initiatives that create a positive momentum for the culture and climate of the library
- shares a vision and desire to promote the mission of the library
- is recognized by colleagues, students, and the greater school community as an inspiration and an asset to the academic endeavors of the institution
All nominees who sufficiently meet the award criteria will receive a certificate of achievement. The award committee may elect to conduct site visits and/or virtual interviews with a small group of finalists. The chosen Maryland School Librarian of the Year will receive free registration to MASL 2024, along with a Maryland Themed Gift Basket sponsored by Taylor Book Group. The recipient is asked to submit a proposal and speak at the 2024 MASL Conference.
Nomination Process:
Applicants can self-nominate. Nominations may also come from supporters (principals, supervisors, colleagues, etc.), as long as the school librarian is made aware of the nomination and is willing to fulfill the expectations if selected. The initial nomination period will open January 1, 2024, and will remain open until 11:59 pm January 25, 2024. All nominees will be invited to apply for Round 1 of the Maryland School Librarian of the Year Award. Submissions for Round 1 will be open until 11:59 pm February 9, 2024. After the Round 1 screening, applicants who are chosen to continue will receive an email with instructions for completing Round 2. Application Round 2 should be completed by March 13, 2024 at 11:59 PM March 31, 2024 at 11:59PM. (New date due to adjusted timeline.) Application review will take place in March of 2024. Interviews and/or site visits may occur at the discretion of the judging committee. The recipient of the award will be announced in May 2024.
Application for Maryland School Librarian of the Year Award
Nominations:
- Submit all nominations at https://forms.gle/XCArn3QoAyu2as4w6
- Nominator Information- Name and email addresses
- Nominee Information- Name, school, principal, nominator, and email addresses
- Short Response- In 240 characters or less, what makes this school librarian shine?
Application Round 1: January 26- February 9, 2024
- Nominees will receive a link via email following their nomination.
- Biography- The nominee will provide a 150 word (or less) biography highlighting awards, honors, education, and other pertinent information appropriate for a press release.
- Resume- Library work experience, initiatives, presentations, grants, awards, leadership, outside experiences
- Essay Questions- maximum of 2 pages double spaced
Application Round 2 (Finalists): February 14- March 13, 2024 February 26- March 31, 2024
- Round 1 applications will be reviewed and narrowed to a cohort of finalists. Nominees/Finalists will be notified via email no later than February 14, 2024 if they are chosen to move on to Round 2. Submission directions will be included in the notification email.
- Elevator Pitch- The nominee will submit a video of 30-60 seconds in length as an elevator pitch for libraries. The video should be published on YouTube as an unlisted video so that judges may view, but it is not public to all. Please include the link to the YouTube video in your nomination packet.
- Artifacts- Please include up to 5 artifacts that are representative of the nominees skills and accomplishments. These artifacts can include pictures, testimonials, letters of recommendation, written artifacts, copies of presentations, web pages, publications, and other items as needed. Please be sure to provide an explanation for each artifact.
- Conference Proposal- The SLOY winner will be required to present at the MASL conference. Complete a conference presentation proposal that includes: Title, Description, Presentation Objectives, Description of how your presentation will motivate and inspire librarians and support the AASL standards, Description of participant interaction and/or hands-on learning that will be included in your presentation.
- Interviews/Site Visits- Interviews and/or site visits may be scheduled individually with the finalists following the submission of Application Round 2.
Questions should be directed to: [email protected]
Click Here for a Printable Version of this page.
|
