VAASL 2023 Annual Conference
November 01, 2023 - November 03, 2023
Westfields Marriott
14750 Conference Center Drive
Chantilly
,
VA 20151
703-818-0300
Conference Overview
Virginia Association of School Librarians (VAASL) 2023 Annual Conference
Librarians are Essential for Student Success!
You are invited to attend the 2023 VAASL Annual Conference, November 1-3, 2023, at the Westfields Marriott Hotel in Chantilly. This year's theme is "Librarians are Essential for Student Success!" School Librarians, in our many roles, empower students to think, create, share, and grow. Join us as we come together to discuss what makes us essential to student success.
We are so excited to be welcoming the following authors and speakers:
Aisha Saeed is an award-winning and New York Times bestselling author of books for children. Her middle grade novel Amal Unbound (Penguin) received multiple starred reviews and was a Global Read Aloud for 2018. Her picture book, Bilal Cooks Daal (Simon and Schuster) received an APALA honor. Aisha is also a founding member of the nonprofit We Need Diverse Books.
Hena Khan is an award-winning author of picture books and middle grade fiction. Her middle grade novel Amina's Voice launched Simon & Schuster's groundbreaking Salaam Reads imprint and was named a Best Book of 2017 by the Washington Post, NPR, Kirkus Reviews, and others. The sequel, Amina's Song, won the 2021 Asian/Pacific Award for Children's Literature. Hena wrote the popular Zayd Saleem Chasing the Dream series, and More to the Story, a novel inspired by her all-time favorite book, Little Women. Hena's acclaimed picture books include Golden Domes and Silver Lanterns, Under My Hijab, Crescent Moons and Pointed Minarets, Night of the Moon, and It's Ramadan, Curious George.
Lisa Fipps won 13 awards for her debut middle-grade novel, Starfish, including the 2022 Michael L. Printz Honor Book Award. The novel in verse was selected for 44 state award/book lists, and was a Virginia Reads selection in Middle Grades in 2021-22. She has done virtual and in-person author visits with thousands of children in America, Canada, and China, in addition to being a guest speaker and panelist at festivals and conferences. Starfish has been translated into Turkish, Korean, and Spanish, and will soon be coming out in other languages. Her second middle-grade novel in verse will be released in spring 2024. Lisa is also an award-winning former journalist, and an award-winning former library marketing director.
Jarrett Lerner, author-illustrator, is the award-winning creator of the EngiNerds series of Middle Grade novels, the Geeger the Robot series of early chapter books, the activity books Give This Book a Title and Give This Book a Cover, The Hunger Heroes series of graphic novel chapter books, and the Nat the Cat series of early readers. In addition to writing, drawing, and visiting schools and libraries across the country, Jarrett co-founded and co-organizes the #KidsNeedBooks and #KidsNeedMentors projects, and regularly spearheads fundraisers for various reading- and book-related causes.
The conference begins on Wednesday afternoon with concurrent sessions and workshops. Wednesday evening, we will highlight our Makerspace activities with an Ice Cream Social, a wonderful chance to reconnect with old friends and network with colleagues. Thursday is a full day of sessions, author keynotes, and vendor treats. We continue with great sessions and speakers until we say goodbye on Friday afternoon.
The VAASL Board and Conference Planning Committee have worked hard to maximize the value of your annual conference registration fee. This all-inclusive conference includes an Ice Cream Social, President's Breakfast Reception, and lunch on both Thursday and Friday.
Don't miss out on this great professional development and networking conference with fellow school librarians and educators. Register early to take advantage of the savings reflected in the Early Bird registration rates until September 15, 2023.
Conference Fees and Payment Procedures
ADVANCE REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED.
ONSITE REGISTRATION WILL OPEN AT 12:00PM WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 1ST
ONSITE RATES:
__MEMBER - FULL CONFERENCE: $385.00
__NONMEMBER - FULL CONFERENCE: $445.00
__MEMBER - THURSDAY OR FRIDAY
ONLY: $325.00
__NONMEMBER - THURSDAY OR FRIDAY
ONLY: $385.00
Payment Procedures
Registrants may pay with a credit card online or receive an invoice to pay with check or purchase order by mail.
Please make your check or purchase order payable to VAASL and mail to: VAASL Conference, c/o Conference Solutions, P.O. Box 7276, Fairfax Station, VA 22039-7276.
Purchase orders may also be faxed to Conference Solutions at 703-493-9377 or scanned and emailed to vaasl@customconference.com. Please include a copy of the invoice with the purchase order.
Membership Reminder
To register for the conference using the member rate, your non-lifetime membership must be renewed/processed prior to arrival at the conference. The VAASL membership year is October 1 - September 30. If you renew your membership on or after May 1, 2023, your membership will continue through September 30, 2024.
To renew your membership or join VAASL, visit the VAASL Home Page (VAASL.org) and click on Join/Renew Now in the Quick Links.
Your VAASL Region
Your VAASL Region is determined by your work address. If you are unsure of your region, go to VAASL.org/regions and click on the handy map.
Conference Registration Fees
Your all inclusive conference registration fee includes the Wednesday Ice Cream Social, President's Breakfast Reception Thursday morning, and Thursday and Friday lunch.
Non-member registration includes a VAASL membership for 2023-2024.
| Fees |
|---|
Cancellation fee - on or before October 01, 2023- $75.00. No refunds after October 01, 2023.
Ticketed Events
All of the following meal functions are part of your conference registration fee, however, you MUST check each one that you plan to attend on the registration form to receive a ticket in your conference envelope.
This will allow us to give the hotel an accurate count for the food events, while containing costs as much as possible. The hotel requires a final number from us at least a week prior to the conference.
Following is the list of Ticketed Events:
| Date | Start Time | End Time | Function Name | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 01, 2023 | 07:00 PM | 08:30 PM | Maker Space - Ice Cream Social | $0.00 |
| November 02, 2023 | 07:45 AM | 08:45 AM | President's Breakfast Reception | $0.00 |
| November 02, 2023 | 12:00 PM | 01:00 PM | Thursday Lunch | $0.00 |
| November 03, 2023 | 12:00 PM | 01:00 PM | Friday Lunch | $0.00 |
Click here to view/print a description of the above functions.
Hotel Accommodations
Conference Hotel - Westfields Marriott
VAASL has reserved a block of hotel rooms at the Westfields Marriott at a discounted rate of only $165.00 per night. This is an incredible rate for Northern Virginia! Reserve your room early as these rooms will go fast.
All accommodations boast pillowtop bedding, marble bathrooms and premium toiletries. VAASL has also contracted for complimentary Internet in our group's guest rooms.
You can also call Marriott 800 Reservations, 1-888-236-2427, and reference the Virginia Association of School Librarians.
The cut-off date for reservations in the block is October 11, 2023, or UNTIL THE ROOM BLOCK IS FILLED.
Cancellation policy - 72 hours prior to arrival.
