History of SCASL

The South Carolina Association of School Librarians began as a subdivision of the South Carolina Education Association. With money right out of their pockets, the first president Jackie Derrick, along with Mary Alice Carter Parker and Frances O'Neal planned and implemented our very first conference in the spring of 1976. The organization has grown from a few members to over 1,000 professional librarians.  Over the years, the South Carolina Association of School Librarians has supported and advocated for school librarians in addition to providing leadership and professional development opportunities.

The first South Carolina Association of School Librarians conference was held in 1976.  Forty years later, the South Carolina Association of School Librarians annual conference has hosted award-winning authors and speakers, provided professional development and continuing education opportunities, and a space and place for professional librarians to network and learn from each other.  After each conference librarians take what they have learned:  new mindsets, ideas, practices, and procedures and apply them for the academic advancement of all South Carolina students.  See the Past Presidents video from SCASL Virtual Conference 2021.  Also, see memories from conferences past in the Welcome Slideshow from 2021. 

The South Carolina Association of School Librarians serves all the students of South Carolina.  1976 was the year that the South Carolina Book Awards was created.  A standard in libraries today, the South Carolina Book Awards provides South Carolina students with vetted and diverse choices of books to read and enjoy. Unlike national book awards, South Carolina students have the final say as to which book is the “best” book.  Students can vote for their favorite book and the results are shared with all South Carolina libraries.

In 1985 the South Carolina Association of School Librarians recognized the best librarian in South Carolina. That tradition has continued each year as SCASL honors outstanding South Carolina librarian professionals, paraprofessionals, school library programs, as well as, administrators who support school library programs.

The SCASL Messenger (formerly the Media Center Messenger) is a quarterly publication that provides up-to-date information on trends in the library profession, news of activities, success stories of librarians across the state as well as timely articles of interest to South Carolinian school librarians.  Originally printed on a mimeograph, the SCASL Messenger is easily accessible online.

In 2013, the SCASL board commissioned a study conducted by Keith Curry Lance, consulting with RSL Research Group. This study was the first of its kind to document links between “the contribution of school librarians to student success through the use of test results for specific English language arts (ELA) and writing standards. The South Carolina study supports the findings of previous state studies that better test results tend to be associated with the presence of professional school librarians and library support staff” (School Library Journal).

In 2019, Immediate Past President, Heather Thore, began the Emerging Leaders program which develops the leadership skills of school librarians who have been in the field for five years or less. She was able to earn the AASL ABC-CLIO Leadership grant to kick-start the program with nine participating librarians. The Emerging Leaders program continues to grow and has produced many SCASL Board Members since its inception. 

In 2019, high school librarian and SCASL board member, Tamara Cox, became the first librarian to be chosen as a South Carolina Teacher of the Year finalist. SCASL members were excited to see the instructional contributions of school librarians celebrated with this recognition.

In 2021, SCASL hosted the first virtual annual conference and Summer Institute in response to the worldwide COVID pandemic. Under the leadership of SCASL President Elect, Katherine Malmquist, our organization delivered a variety of informative presentations centered around providing equitable, diverse, and inclusive services to our school communities. Despite navigating the difficult and challenging times of a national health crisis, SCASL was able to forge ahead to meet the professional needs of our members.  

In 2022, SCASL was announced as the AASL Chapter of the Year. The awards committee was impressed with SCASL’s extensive and wide-reaching advocacy efforts, legislative action, and leadership initiatives.

Legislative Chair Tenley Middleton launched the first SCASL Hill Day in 2022, partnering with the Palmetto State Teachers Association in order to provide school librarians and students with the opportunity to advocate at the state level. Some years have focused on speaking with legislators and attending meetings at the South Carolina Statehouse while others have focused on speaking at South Carolina Board of Education meetings. The annual Hill Day event represents a key advocacy opportunity, bringing together many organizations and individuals who support SCASL and its mission.

In 2024, the SCASL Professional Awards committee introduced three new awards: the BIPOC Scholarship Award (thanks to an anonymous donor), the New Professional Award to honor the contributions and achievements of school librarians working in their second–fourth years, and the SCASL Lifetime Achievement Award to recognize the contributions of those individuals actively supporting SCASL over a significant length of time.

In recent years, censorship has spread across the country and South Carolina is no exception. In August 2023, the SC State Superintendent of Education Ellen Weaver severed the professional collaboration between SCASL and the SC State Department of Education and pushed through a new instructional materials regulation that replaced local policies and opened the door to statewide book bans. SCASL worked diligently to successfully amend the regulation to include protections for intellectual freedom. SCASL continues advocacy efforts to defend the First Amendment, the contributions and expertise of librarians, and the inclusion of all students in library programming. In February 2025, SCASL Legislative committee chair Katherine Freligh wrote H4059, the "Freedom to Read Protections and Respect for School Library Media Specialist Autonomy Act," which was introduced in the SC House of Representatives by Representative Heather Bauer. This bill would protect students’ rights to read and provide protection for school librarians against intimidation and harassment. 

The SCASL Information Technology committee is currently working toward the creation of a lesson plan database to further solidify the instructional role of the school librarian. 

The first 50 years of SCASL has included both challenges and triumphs. Through it all, SCASL has continued to be a source of support and inspiration for librarians across the state. As we approach the future, we will face whatever may come together and continue to make school librarians stronger!

Link to list of Past Presidents.

 Past Presidents of SCASL