Maryland Flag with banner that reads Lead

Mission Statement:

MASL engages the school library community by providing opportunities for growth, leadership, innovation, and advocacy.

Core Values:

  • MASL values, and research supports, the importance of a full-time, certificated school librarian administering an adequately funded, effective school library program.
  • MASL values equitable access to a diverse collection of high-quality resources in a variety of formats.
  • MASL values the freedom to read self-selected materials.
  • MASL values diversity within the school library community
  • MASL values the membership of all staff functioning in school libraries, as well as others interested in excellence in school librarianship.

MASL’s Vision for the Future:

  • Members from every county representing a variety of people from the school library community.
  • A diverse workforce of school librarians.
  • A full-time, certificated school librarian administering an adequately funded, effective school library program in every school.
  • Members frequently recognized for innovation, leadership, advocacy, and excellence nationally.
  • Students having access to diverse fiction and non-fiction resources in a variety of formats in every school library.
  • Students having the ability to frequently self-select reading materials.

MASL Meetings:

The MASL Executive Board meets monthly. All MASL members are welcomed and encouraged to attend these meetings. Every effort will be made to advertise meeting times and dates a week in advance. Meetings will be posted on the calendar. Participants can log in via the web portal to the meeting.

Executive Board Positions:

Elections are held annually in the spring. A call for nominations is made each year around February. Elections are held using an anonymous electronic voting link. If you are a member in good standing, you will receive a link to vote.

President:

The president is a 3-year term consisting of:

  • President-elect (year 1)
  • President (year 2)
  • Past-president (year 3)

President-Elect collaborates with the President to learn the role of the President, and assists and supports the President as needed. The President-Elect shall automatically become President at the end of the term as President-Elect.

Secretary:

The secretary is a 2-year position and is responsible for correspondence and taking notes at the monthly MASL meetings.

Treasurer:

The treasurer is a 2-year term. The treasurer balances the MASL budget,deposits and disburses funds, files tax forms, and pays invoices.

Member-at-Large:

The member-at-large represents interests of the general membership at Executive Board meetings. The Members-at-large work with members of the executive board on projects and are members of the executive board. This is a 1-year term. There are 3 members-at-large elected yearly and a variety of geographic region representation is encouraged.

Delegate:

The delegate is a 2-year position. The Delegate serves as a representative to AASL and reports back to MASL. This position involves:
compensated travel to ALA Annual (June), ALA Mid-Winter (January/February) conferences, and meetings (virtual and/or in-person) with colleagues from Affiliate Assembly Region 2 (DE., NY., PA., NJ., DC, MD.)

  • Construct concerns and commendations with MASL Leadership and AASL Region 2
  • members that are passed on to AASL Affiliate Assembly for AASL Executive Board consideration and approval
  • Promote AASL events, activities, and offerings to state members
  • Communicate AASL activities to state members
  • Send Affiliate events, award winners, and activities to AASL for national promotion