Gregory Lum AASL National Conference GrantGregory Lum, retired teacher-librarian and an OASL Past President, has established a $2,000 grant to help fund first-time attendance to the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) national conference.
Lum commented, "I am excited about partnering with OASL to provide an opportunity for an Oregon teacher-librarian to attend the AASL national conference. I gained much knowledge and networked with other librarians from across the country when I attended national conferences." The Grant: This biennial grant, established by retired teacher librarian and OASL Past President Gregory Lum to help cover registration, travel, lodging, and meals for AASL27 in Portland, Oregon (Oct. 14–16, 2027)*. This is a fantastic opportunity to gain new insights, connect with fellow school librarians, and bring innovative ideas back to your students and school community.
* Note: Since the national conference will be in Portland, Oregon in 2027, Greg will fund two teacher-librarians with a grant of $1000 each.
Application form and deadline information will be updated in early 2027. Criteria and Scoring Rubric
Eligibility Applicant requirements and preferences:
Congratulations to Keely Nudo, our grant recipient in 2025! Keely and Mychal Threets (new host of Reading Rainbow and 2026 National Library Week Honorary Chair)
Keely Nudo, District Librarian PK-12/Teacher-Librarian PK-6 in Scappoose, serves all 5 school libraries in the district including 3 elementary schools, 1 middle school and 1 high school. Keely has been a teacher for over 30 years and this is her 4th year as a teacher-librarian. When Keely earned her doctorate in 2013 she never thought she would go back to school, but earning her Library Endorsement was one of the most rewarding things she has ever done as it opened a door to a new career in education that has shown her the impact a strong library program can have on the joy of learning.
"There are not a lot of opportunities in an educator's career where you get to spend a few days learning from the best of the best in your field, but AASL truly IS that opportunity! Words cannot fully express the gratitude I feel for being chosen as the 2025 Gregory Lum AASL National Conference award recipient. From the inspiring Keynote Speakers who lifted up a room of 1,000s of librarians in a time when the school library environment is the most challenging it has ever been to the 100s of dynamic presenters who shared amazing ideas and best practices covering so many diverse topics in school libraries to the hours of connected collaboration with many other Oregon school librarians; the AASL national conference in St. Louis did not disappoint. I have come home inspired, engaged and ready to share my learning with others so we can collectively improve the school library experience for not just my students, but for many students across our state. This positive personal and global impact would not have been possible without the support of Gregory Lum and his generous grant. Thank you Gregory, OASL and OLA for this amazing opportunity to grow as a professional and to positively impact my school libraries!"
Grant Recipients:
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