Delia Fields, Hermiston School District secondary school librarian, is the inaugural recipient of the Gregory Lum American Association of School Librarians (AASL) National Conference Grant.
The $2,000 grant will cover her travel expenses, conference registration, and hotel costs. Fields will then later serve on a committee to select the next recipient.
“I’ll bring back all sorts of great learning, connections, and resources to use with students and staff,” said Fields. “My position as the Region 6 representative on the Oregon Association of School Libraries board provided me with a bit of a foundation and an idea of how to make the most of a conference. I’ve been preparing.”
The grant was founded by former OASL President Gregory Lum, a retired teacher-librarian. The winner of the grant, a first-time conference attendee, is selected based on a number of criteria such as, a librarians’ impact on library and community, library philosophy, desire to grow professionally, and supervisor support.
Fields will travel to Tampa Bay to attend the 2023 AASL National Conference Oct. 19-21.
“Delia is a vital member of our school staff and of our school district community,” said Scott Depew, director of secondary education. “She directly serves three schools as the teacher-librarian and finds varied ways to share her library-based knowledge, resources, and support with staff and students. This is a wonderful opportunity for her and for our district.”
