The American Association of School Librarians has released its annual list of the Best Digital Tools for Teaching and Learning. The award’s selection committee singles out digital tools that are user-friendly, facilitate information and reference access, encourage exploration, and promote innovation and creativity, active participation, and collaboration. The submitted tech resources are additionally evaluated for how well they incorporate AASL’s National School Library Standards for Learners, School Librarians, and School Libraries. Sixteen platforms and websites made the cut for 2025, with the committee grouping them into seven different categories:
Celebrating the Arts: Poetry Foundation website
Creative and Collaborative Learning: Canva, Kialo Edu, Learnics, and Stickity
Cultural Awareness and Global Citizenship: CFR Education (the education arm of the Council on Foreign Relations) and Latinx KidLit Book Festival
Engaging Young Readers and Writers: Beanstack, BookBreak, and Elementari
Multimedia and Visual Learning: ClickView Education and Project Look Sharp
STEM and Digital Literacy Development: Code.org and Sooth.fyi
Support for Educators: Concord Infiniti—LibPaths and MegaMinds
A presentation showcasing the winning tools will take place during ALA’s National Conference on Saturday, June 28 from 4-5 p.m. More detail on the full list can be found at the ALA website.
