ALA receives Literacy Leadership Award

Contact: Satia Orange

Director, Literacy and Outreach Services

312-280-4295

For Immediate Release

September 21, 2006

ALA receives Literacy Leadership Award

(CHICAGO) This month the American Library Association (ALA) received the 2006 Literacy Leadership Award from the National Coalition for Literacy (NCL), a broad-based alliance of national adult and family literacy organizations, agencies, and associations.

NCL's annual Literacy Leadership Awards recognize individuals, organizations, and corporations who have made extraordinary contributions to improving literacy in the United States on the local, state, and national level.
Additional 2006 recipients include U.S. Senator Olympia Snowe (R- Maine); U.S. Representative Dale Kildee (D-Mich.); Andy Brown, former executive director of Public Affairs and Policy Communications at Verizon; and Jackie Taylor, Tennessee-based volunteer literacy advocate.

"The American Library Association has demonstrated an enduring support for literacy throughout its 131-year history," said NCL President Dale Lipschultz. "In fact, 25 years ago the ALA was instrumental in founding the National Coalition for Literacy. Since then, the Association's support for NCL has never wavered."

The ALA was recognized for making "21st century literacy" one of its five key action areas, for its adult literacy awards and for its national partnership to create the online Verizon Literacy Network.

ALA Office for Literacy and Outreach Services Director Satia Orange accepted the award on behalf of the ALA at the September 6 reception.

For more than 35 years OLOS has provided resources to librarians serving underserved populations, including new and non-readers. For more information on OLOS and its literacy efforts, please visit
www.ala.org/olos.