Alabama LM Update October 2026

We're excited to kick off another day of learning and collaboration with ALEX (AM) and two of our awesome secondary library in Shelby County (PM). Please join us!

📚 9:30 AM – ALEX: Adding SPARKL to your Library: 563495
📚 1:30 PM – Secondary Collaboration Ideas: 563498

Start the day with ALEX and discover how SPARKL can help you create engaging, interactive learning experiences for students. In the afternoon, hear from Alabama librarians Whitney Howton and Kelci McCaleb as they share ideas, strategies, and inspiration for meaningful collaboration at the secondary level.

Whether you're looking for new book promotion ideas, curriculum connections, or tools to support readers and educators, these sessions will provide practical ideas you can use right away.

All registration information is available on the First Fridays website, where you'll also find a graphic featuring the complete First Fridays lineup for the year. If a direct registration link does not work, simply search for the session number in PSPL.

We hope you'll join us as we continue to learn, collaborate, and grow together while celebrating great books and the resources that bring them to life!

Important Reminders:
✅ Register in PSPL before attending to receive credit
✅ If joining with a group, enter your name in the chat
✅ If your display name differs from your PSPL registration, enter your name in the chat
✅ Otherwise, no need to enter your name to avoid duplicate entries

✅ Platform login information is available in the “Notes” section of PSPL when you register

Looking for more professional learning opportunities? Check out this spreadsheet!

The Alabama School Library Association is happy to announce our Yellowhammer Top 10 Picture Book List. The 2026-2027 Resource Guide provides the complete list along with book summaries, lesson ideas with state standards, and lists of similar books. We are encouraging librarians from across the state of Alabama to read the Top 10 books to their students. In the spring, registered schools will receive a voting link to cast their students’ votes. Last year, we had over 17,000 kids vote for the winning books. The winning authors and illustrators receive a plaque. Our middle grade and young adult lists will be released in the spring. You do not have to be an ASLA member to participate. Please register your school today!

Grab your lunch and spend 30 minutes discovering more of what ALEX has to offer! The new ALEX Lunch & Learn Series features quick virtual sessions packed with practical tips and tools you can put to work right away.

Coming Up:

• November 18: Exploring Standards in ALEX
• December 16: Locating and Organizing Resources in ALEX
• January 13: Creating Lessons with the ALEX Lesson Plan Companion (LPC)

All sessions are 11:30 AM–12:00 PM. Join us to learn something new and discover even more ways ALEX can support your work! View Session Descriptions and Registration Information

The October 2026 Library Expo provided a wonderful opportunity to recognize outstanding school librarians from across Alabama. Congratulations to the recipients of the President’s Award and the Herman Moore LAMP Awards!

President’s Award

• Jacquelyn Wilson, Stonebridge Elementary School

Herman Moore LAMP Awards

Mobile

• Lacey Mabire, Belforest Elementary
• Susan Loy, Elsanor Elementary School
• Theresa Frank, J. Larry Newton Elementary School

Prattville

• Jessica Quinn, Eclectic Elementary School
• Janet Dempsey, Pike County Elementary School

Vestavia Hills/Birmingham

• Cynthia Garcia, Weaver Elementary School
• Kristie Barnett, Oxford Middle School
• Grindl Weldon, Locust Fork High School

Decatur

• Mary Underwood, Leighton Elementary School
• Dr. Cherryl A. Phillips Walker, Williams Middle School
• Julia Morrobel, New Century Technology High School
• Dawn Berryman, Hatton Elementary, Lawrence County

Congratulations to all of our honorees! We celebrate your dedication to students, educators, and strong school library programs across Alabama.

Thank you to Ms. Johnna Floyd, Blount County Schools, for sharing this article. For additional questions about The Achievery, contact Ms. Floyd at jtfloyd@blountboe.net.

The Achievery is a free K-12 resource that I utilize for many of my digital citizenship lessons. However, it also offers lessons for ELA, Science, Math, Social-Emotional learning, etc. I have found many of their lessons to be engaging and more kid-friendly than some of the other resources I have found. You can create a free account and it is a very user friendly site that allows you to search by categories and grade levels. It lists the state standards that align with the lesson and may also be useful to share with your teachers and colleagues as a resource they may want to utilize themselves. I use the Digital Literacy section regularly (which includes cybersecurity, digital citizenship,media literacy, and online safety) to find the most engaging, and grade level appropriate resources for my students. Using this in conjunction with other resources like Common Sense Media has helped me to create a more meaningful digital literacy curriculum scope for my students.

As Alabama schools implement the FOCUS Act, new research offers another perspective on the relationship between cellphones and student learning. UCLA researchers found that elementary students who owned cellphones demonstrated lower reading comprehension than students who did not, regardless of whether they brought their phones to school. Alabama’s FOCUS Act restricts student use and possession of wireless communication devices during the instructional day, with specified exceptions. Click here to read the article.

Perma-Bound is excited to offer Alabama educators two colorful posters featuring outstanding picture books! Explore titles that support the Alabama Social Studies Standards and celebrate the 2026–2027 Alabama Yellowhammer Picture Book Award nominees. Contact your local Perma-Bound representative to request your complimentary posters. Click here for a sample of the posters.

Are you intentionally integrating Library Learner Outcomes with Alabama Course of Study standards AND collaborating with classroom teachers to support student learning?

If so, I’d love to hear from you! Districts are looking for librarians who are doing this work successfully and can share their experiences, ideas, and strategies with others. Email me at susanne.estes@alsde.edu and tell me a little about what you’re doing. There may be opportunities to connect you with districts seeking librarians to help lead team professional learning.

Our department is getting lots of questions about the updated certification renewal process. The ALSDE is not advising on renewal requirements for 2028 and beyond at this time. The ALSDE is working through revisions and will provide guidance as soon as possible. For those that need assistance with creating a course in PSPL, directions are attached here. If your certificate expires June 30, 2027, you can click here for more information. As soon as more information is released, we will share that information with you.

Enjoy this book review and lesson plan from Christy Dark, K2 AMSTI Science Specialist

Authors: Ben Clanton, Corey R. Tabor & Andy Chou Musser

Recommended for Ages: 3 - 7

Book Summary:

Papilio is an exceptional read-aloud tool designed to captivate early elementary learners while delivering essential biological concepts. By pairing cheerful character-driven art with factual science, the book gives students a relatable guide through complex metamorphosis stages, including the mysterious chrysalis phase. Use this engaging text to anchor your life cycle lessons, spark curiosity, and seamlessly facilitate critical-thinking exercises around "real vs. pretend."

Continued here.

Have questions about school library programs, compliance monitoring, curriculum integration, or best practices? Join me for monthly Office Hours: a relaxed, open forum designed for K–12 librarians and their administrators to connect, ask questions, share ideas, or simply listen in.

We typically meet on the second Tuesday of each month, alternating between morning and afternoon sessions to fit a variety of schedules. No registration required—just drop in using the WebEx link provided.

📅 Next Office Hours: Tuesday, November 10th from 1:30-2:15

Let’s keep the conversation going and support each other in the great work we’re doing!

https://alsde.webex.com/meet/susanne.estes | 25981914173

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