Dr. Nancy Everhart, Associate Professor at the School of Library and Information Studies (SLIS), Florida’s iSchool, was recently elected to serve as the Regional Director of the International Association of School Librarianship (IASL) representing the United States. Dr. Everhart is also the Director of the PALM Center (Partnerships Advancing Library Media) and conducts research into the leadership role of school librarians. She served as President of the American Association of School Librarians in 2010-2011. Florida State’s No. 1 ranked School Library Media Program at the School of Library and Information Studies (SLIS) is among 56 such programs accredited by the American Library Association around the country.

The general membership of IASL elects ten Regional Directors to represent IASL geographically around the globe. The Regional Directors are residents of a country in the region they represent. They are elected for a three-year term, with at least two new Directors being elected each year. The Directors can serve for a maximum of two terms. Dr. Everhart will replace Dr. Blanche Woolls, Professor Emeritus of San Jose State University. The current President of the IASL also has links to FSU. Dr. Diljit Singh, who serves on the faculty of Computer Science & Information Technology at the University of Malaya is an FSU alumni receiving both his MS (1983) and Ph.D. (1993) from SLIS.

The mission of the International Association of School Librarianship (IASL) is to provide an international forum for those people interested in promoting effective school library media programs as viable instruments in the educational process. IASL also provides guidance and advice for the development of school library programs and the school library profession. IASL works in cooperation with other professional associations and agencies.

Membership is worldwide, and includes school librarians, teachers, librarians, library advisers, consultants, educational administrators, and others who are responsible for library and information services in schools. The membership also includes professors and instructors in universities and colleges where there are programs for school librarians, and students who are undertaking such programs.