AASL boosts librarian role; new brochure says librarians play critical part in NCLB.(news)(American Association of School Librarians)

If you're suddenly getting more attention from your administrator, you may want to thank the American Association of School Librarians (AASL), which recently mailed 78,000 brochures to elementary and middle school principals explaining the importance of media specialists in meeting the strict requirements of No Child Left Behind (NCLB).

"This is about grass-roots advocacy," says Julie Walker, AASL's executive director. "We can work at the national level, but this has to begin at the building level with principals, school board members, and teachers."

The five-page pamphlet, "Your School Library Media Program and No Child Left Behind," makes a convincing case …