Ticketed & Special Events

Dinner with a Local Librarian

Wednesday, October 20 | 6:00 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.

What better way to experience what Salt Lake City has to offer than with those in the know – the locals! This evening event gives attendees the chance to have dinner with school librarians and local authors at restaurants handpicked to show off the city’s gastronomic delights. Eat, laugh, and learn about the conference host city during this informal, preconference event. A list of available restaurants and sign-up sheets will be available at registration Wednesday morning and space is limited.

🍴 Each attendee covers their own meal.

Welcome Home: AASL Welcoming Session

Thursday, October 21 | 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Whether it is your first national conference or your tenth, AASL feels like home. Every AASL National Conference has friends and colleagues with like-minded interests, but each one has something new for even the veterans. New sessions and presenters, new events, new city, and most important, new attendees!

Come one, come all! Discover, explore, and plan for the best conference you will ever attend. Make connections and meet new colleagues eager to join your PLN. This is a fun and interactive event where attendees will wander through a series of rooms to meet school librarians, learn about the conference, and leave prepared to get the most out of three packed days.

As you enter the hallway you will be greeted by volunteers and staff. Two large boards will offer options to get you started…

Step One

Pick which board you will post your message. The sentences start with the message below and you will write your finish to:

  • I’m interested in learning more about…
  • I’m most excited about…

Step Two

Find Your Place (Don’t worry! You can enter any room at any point! 😊)

I’m interested in learning more about…

  • Room 1 – How to Pick the Right Sessions
    Learn how to use the mobile app, understand the tracks/strands, which sessions will be recorded, etc.
  • Room 2 – How to Network and Make Connections
    Tips for tackling the exhibit hall, opportunities for networking, social events, etc.
  • Room 3 – Anything and Everything
    Non-session events including IdeaLab/Conversation Corner, Exhibit Hall Opening, Dessert with the Director, Rock Out Celebration.

I’m most excited about…

  • Room 1 – Authors
    What authors are speaking and signing at AASL21.
  • Room 2 – Research
    Hear about the Research Empowering Practice track/strand, research grant presentations, and opportunities for students to mingle with your professors
  • Room 3 – Meeting New People
    Find stickers, buttons, and ribbons to identify yourself, and see what stickers, buttons, and ribbons others might choose. What better way to strike up a conversation than by finding those common interests on someone else’s badge?!

Is this your first AASL conference?

AASL will be posting a how-to instruction video for everything you need to know before this session starts, including:

  • How to get to the registration desk
  • How to read the pocket program
  • How to download and use the conference app
  • Weather, travel, and dress code recommendations

This event is free to all AASL National Conference attendees.

Event sponsored by Infobase.


ISS Networking Reception

Thursday, October 21 | 8:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.

The AASL Independent Schools Section will host a networking reception at 8:00 p.m. Independent school librarians and their guests are invited to enjoy light refreshments, a cash bar and the ability to network with their peers in a casual, intimate setting. To attend this event, an additional registration fee of $40 and pre-registration is required.

🎟️ AASL members: $40

“Trust Me” Documentary Screening

Friday, October 22 | 6:00 p.m.

AASL has partnered with the Getting Better Foundation to host a 60-minute advance screening of the award-winning documentary “TRUST ME” “TRUST ME” shows how an avalanche of biased news and mis-information is undermining trust in society. This drives fear, which promotes racism, political polarization and mental health disorders. When fear goes up it erodes trust. When people don’t trust each other, they don’t help each other and progress stalls. Sensational media take advantage of our survival instincts to earn more clicks and ad revenue with shocking headlines and we’re enabling them each time we share. “TRUST ME” uses compelling human stories, facts and experts to show empirical realities and the right way to consume media.

This event is free to all AASL National Conference attendees.

Stream or License "TRUST ME"

The film screening and conversation with the director are available as part of AASL’s ongoing commitment to advancing the critical role of school librarians as media literacy educators. In addition to the screening, AASL and the Getting Better Foundation is offering school library professionals across the country the opportunity to stream the full 90-minute documentary August 16 through October 31, 2021. AASL members will receive a 50% discount on the retail price of $12.99.

The full documentary is also available in 14 day, one-year, or three-year licenses and is paired with a discussion guide written by the News Literacy Project.

 

Dessert with the Director

Friday, October 22 | 7:00 p.m.

Attendees will have an exclusive opportunity to engage in conversation with Rosemary Smith, the Impact Producer of “Trust Me” and the managing director of the Getting Better Foundation.

This event is free to all AASL National Conference attendees.

Rock Out Celebration

Saturday, October 23 | 6:30 p.m.

Join your colleagues to celebrate a terrific conference, good friends, and have some fun. We’ll have dancing, photo booth fun, and light refreshments.

This event is free to all AASL National Conference attendees.