In looking back on Thursday, October 19th’s AASL 2023 Awards Ceremony, I do feel I was justified in recognizing all Delawarean invested individuals that have made it possible for us to make huge steps forward in strengthening our ties between public and school librarians. The Toor family and Ruth Toor do indeed a legacy of librarianship to be represented and it is rightly so this year a piece of Delaware was recognized in their role as they try to bring value and recognition to all those in past years that serve in the big “L”. The timelines we have for DASL over last months – has been a HUGE consorted effort!
In researching a little about Ruth Toor, her life, after fleeing the Nazi’s was miraculous. Looking at her obituary creates involves a mixture of admiration and sadness at a missed opportunity to celebrate how she devoted her life to so many in a profession she believed in. She was added to a Wall of Fame for her accomplishments, her books show her thought process and dedication to the profession, and her long-time collaboration with Hilda K. Weisburg still lives on today. In fact, Hilda K. Weisburg, as an author, continues to represent what Ruth Toor would have wanted to keep doing today, advocating and more advocating, and emphasizing as of late, why communicating is so priceless. It is awesome to here her latest take on the AASL standards and Classroom Management.
Even 6 years ago Ruth Toor’s book Being Indispensable, is STILL SO VALID today and branding ourselves as Certified School Librarians.
In stating the branding of leaders, it is amazing to see the below individuals and what they have done to further the role of librarianship:
The ceremony thanks to Allison Cline, Jennisen Lucas, and Kathy Lester was truly an amazing event, despite being so early in the AM, I was in admiration of so much everyone had done in the various awards received. Think of the companies, as sponsors, that believe in the idea of librarianship and we should keep going back to them and thanking them for supporting libraries and librarians. Throughout the days of the conference, I had many come up to me and congratulate me that I had never met, and to know and see so many librarians and advocates of librarianship across the state – was the real award. it is needed and invaluable for you as a librarian, and as a librarian group to already be thinking of what award can be yours to apply for, to create a platform of advocacy. It is just as important to thank the supporters and sponsors that build that platform to rally behind advocacy in libraries every day,.
As we finished early in the AM, it was fitting that the very next session I was headed to in Thursday, October 19th, was Analyzing Propaganda and Teaching Media Literacy by Kim Klett from Echoes & Reflections, as Ruth Toor had escaped the Nazis as that four year old. Stay tuned for these amazing resources from this first session- and thank you for everyone that support so many in this field- it helps reach so many current students that will in turn, support this field for generations to come.
The gallery below shows the amazing winners, awards, and meeting up with fellow Delawareans at AASL!
PAVEing a Blog 