Waving the checkered flag in Charlotte: we will all be winners

At the 2007 Reno conference, AASL unveiled the new AASL Standards for the 21st-century Learner, followed by the Learning4Life (L4L) implementation program, the 2009 publication of both the Standards for the 21st-century Learner in Action learning indicators and assessment book and the new program guidelines, Empowering Learners: [...] in our opinions, the nine Common Beliefs for our profession, expressed first in the new visionary standards are the foundation - the goals of what we teach and do in our school libraries, now and into the future. * Reading is a window to the world. * Inquiry provides a framework for learning. * Ethical behavior in the use of information must be taught. * Technology skills are crucial for future employment needs. * Equitable access is a key component for education. * The definition of information literacy has become more complex as resources and technologies have changed. * The continuing expansion of information demands that all individuals acquire the thinking skills that will enable them to learn on their own. * Learning has a social context. * School libraries are essential to the development of learning skills (AASL 2007, 2-3).