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The AASL National Conference is the only national conference dedicated solely to school librarians and their unique role in education.

Now Accepting Proposals (click to set up account and access application)*
*Your login will be set after setting your account. The login box fields to the left will not work with your AASL/ALA information. 

Please see below for details regarding each type of proposal, dates & deadlines, and instructions for filling out the application.

AASL is currently accepting proposals for:

Exhibitors, publishers, and authors will have a separate submission process.  Please do not submit a vendor or author program using these applications. 

Submissions will be accepted only via online form. E-mail, mail, or fax submissions will not be accepted. All questions regarding programming at the AASL National Conference should be directed to aasl@ala.org.

Important Dates

Instructions & Tips for Submitting

Concurrent sessions

Fifty-minute-long concurrent sessions to be held on Friday, Oct. 17, and Saturday, Oct. 18. Proposals should include up to three learning objectives and address how the session aligns with the AASL “National School Library Standards for Learners, School Librarians, and School Libraries.” Proposals should relate to one of the conference strands – Collaboration, Collection Development, Design & Create, Leadership & Advocacy, Literacy, Teaching & Learning.

Research Empowering Practice sessions

Fifty-minute-long concurrent sessions to be held on Friday, Oct. 17, and Saturday, Oct. 18. Sessions offer the option to be part of a “Research Paper Presentation” which will include the presentation of 2-3 papers in one session, or “Research Presentation” that will be an in-depth fifty-minute presentation of research, application, and implications. Proposals should focus on incorporating original, current research from the field into the practice setting. Previously presented or published research is permitted.

IdeaLab presentations

The AASL IdeaLab will occur on Thursday, October 16, 2025, from 1:00-3:00 p.m., and showcases best practices, innovative ideas, and adaptive projects and practices. Small program presentations should offer visuals in handouts, laptop presentations, or samples. The AASL IdeaLab is considered the “speed learning” of the conference. While attendees will engage and explore with “Ideas” that spark further interest, presenters should generally be able to explain their table in 2-3 minutes to groups who visit.

Poster presentations

Poster presentations will occur on Thursday, October 16, 2025, from 1:00-3:00 p.m., but posters will remain up for attendees to peruse throughout the conference. Submissions are invited on any topic relevant to school libraries and may include a description of an innovative library program or practice; an analysis of a solution to a problem; a report of a research study; or any other presentation that would benefit attendees. Poster session presenters populate boards with pictures, data, graphs, diagrams, and narrative text and informally discuss their poster with conference attendees during the presentation session. Posters will then be moved for attendees to further peruse throughout the conference.

Important Dates

  • March 1, 2025 - Concurrent session proposals CLOSE
  • March 1, 2025 - Research Empowering Practice session proposals CLOSE
  • March-May, 2025 - Concurrent and Research proposal reviews and final determinations
  • July 1, 2025 - IdeaLab presentation proposals CLOSE
  • July 1, 2025 - Poster presentation proposals CLOSE
  • July-August, 2025 - Ideal and Poster proposal reviews and final determinations

Instructions & Tips for Submitting

Before starting your submission, AASL recommends reviewing the instructions for accessing and creating a profile and downloading the application Word document to familiarize yourself with the required information and draft your proposal.

AASL 2025 Proposal Instructions

AASL 2025 Editable Application (download)
This download also offers descriptions of what information should be included in the fields.