"Standards for the 21st-Century Learner" from the American Association of School Librarians provides a superb set of standards for learners in K-12 and beyond. The main categories are (1) inquire, think critically, and gain knowledge; (2) draw conclusions, make informed decisions, apply knowledge to new situations, and create new knowledge; (3) share knowledge and participate ethically and productively as members of our democratic society; and (4) pursue personal and aesthetic growth. Within each of these categories are learning standards for (1) skills; (2) dispositions in action; (3) responsibilities; and (4) self-assessment strategies. In this brief essay, the author discusses what he perceives as the seven challenges to implementing the standards, namely (1) number and organization of standards; (2) No Child Left Behind (NCLB); (3) translation of ideas into actions; (4) perceived incompatibility between basal texts and standards; (5) compatibility with teacher training; (6) finding time and mental energy; and (7) subject-matter and grade-level compatibility.