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Kagman library wins national award
CHICAGO—Kagman High School is one of six recipients of the 2017 American Association of School Librarians’ Inspire Collection Development Grant.
Made possible by the generosity of AASL member Marina “Marney” Welmers, the Inspire grants provide funds for public middle or high school libraries to update their existing collections.
“Kagman High School was the most distant application for the grant,” said Floyd Pentlin, grant committee chair. “Located in the Northern Mariana Islands, a U.S. territory, the physical geography of Saipan makes it difficult for students to access the local public library, leaving the school library as the main source of information for students. With the grant, the librarian will provide her students with the electronic resources they lack and significantly develop digital-literacy instruction.”
The Inspire Collection Development Grant provides funds to extend, update, and diversify a school’s book, online, subscription and/or software collections to improve student achievement. Public school libraries may apply for up to $5,000, and up to $20,000 per year is awarded annually.
“The committee reviewed multiple grant applications, all with detailed plans to invigorate their school library collections,” added Pentlin. “Making it difficult for the committee to decide was the fact that the applications were extremely well written and all presented compelling arguments for funding. At Kagman High School, 82 percent of the students read below grade level and the school has a graduation rate of only 57 percent.”
The AASL award winners and grant recipients will be honored at the AASL awards ceremony and president’s program during the 2017 ALA Annual Conference in Chicago. The ceremony will be held from 9am to 12pm on Saturday, June 24. All are welcome to celebrate the accomplishments of their peers during this recognition event.
The American Association of School Librarians, www.aasl.org, a division of the American Library Association, empowers leaders to transform teaching and learning. (PR)
