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Gregory Lum AASL National Conference Grant 

Gregory 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 honor the memory of his wife to help cover registration, travel, lodging, and meals for AASL25 in St. Louis, Missouri (Oct. 16–18, 2025). 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. 

Application deadline: March 21, 2025
Applicant requirements and preferences: 

  • Have an application which models clarity and completeness.

  • Have an OLA/OASL membership. [updated for 2025]

  • Have at least one full year of prior experience working in school libraries. [updated for 2025]

  • Have a current library media endorsement.

  • Be currently working in an Oregon private or public school library. Must be .5 FTE or more. 

  • District librarians who have direct contact with students (ex: provide instruction) are eligible to apply.  [updated for 2025]

  • Classified personnel, pre-school librarians, library consultants, or online school library personnel are not eligible.  [updated for 2025]

  • Preference will be given to applicants who have never attended an AASL National Conference. [updated for 2025]

  • The recipient of the Gregory Lum AASL National Conference Grant from the previous cycle is ineligible to apply for the current cycle. [updated for 2025]

Congratulations to Delia Fields, our inaugural grant recipient in 2023!

 Delia Fields, 2023 Grant Recipient

Delia Fields, teacher-librarian, serving Hermiston High School and two middle schools in Hermiston, in northeastern Oregon. This is Delia's 29th year in education, and her 10th as a licensed, full-time, teacher-librarian and she calls it, 'the career she knew was in her soul, but didn't dare hope to see it realized' because she knew what a precious commodity that school librarians had become in some regions.

"I am beyond thrilled and thankful to be the inaugural recipient of the Gregory Lum AASL National Conference Grant and to be able to experience the national conference with fellow school librarians. I look forward to learning as much as I can from library leaders and to bringing back to the Hermiston School District new ideas along with strong school library frameworks that are packaged in ways that work with today's technologies and student capabilities."