[LM_NET] Gen: Contact Congress about Libraries

[Beth Yoke <byoke@ALA.ORG>]

Please take a moment to call your Congressional Representative and Senator's 
offices and ask that they  cosponsor the SKILLS Act by signing on to Grijalva and 
Ehlers "Dear Colleague Letter."  This legislation is critical to the future of 
libraries. 
 
On Thurs. Aug. 2, Representatives Raul Grijalva (D-AZ) and Vernon Ehlers (R-MI) 
sent a Dear Colleague letter asking Members of Congress to co-sponsor H.R. 2864, 
The Strengthening Kids' Interest in Learning and Libraries or SKILLs Act.  This Act 
would encourage all schools to hire a professionally trained library media 
specialist (LMS) as well as include LMSs in the "highly qualified" category that 
classroom teachers are in.  Without the "highly qualified" designation which was 
created as part of No Child Left Behind, schools have been opting out of hiring 
and/or retaining LMSs in recent years.  As a result, youth are losing access to 
libraries and librarians.
 
More information, talking points and a copy of the letter are provided here:
http://tinyurl.com/2lvkxs 

To find the phone number for your Congressperson's office, go to www.congress.org 
and type in your zipcode in the box on the left.

Thank you for all that you do to ensure young people have access to excellent 
library services and resources! 
-Beth 


Beth Yoke, Executive Director 
Young Adult Library Services Association, 
fastest growing division of the American Library Association
50 E. Huron St. 
Chicago, IL 60611 
1 (800) 545-2433 x4391
byoke@ala.org 
www.ala.org/yalsa
Register for Teen Read Week!
www.ala.org/teenread

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