ALTAFF awards 2009 Public Service Award to Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA)

Contact: Beth Nawalinski


Director of Marketing & Communications


ALTAFF


312-280-2161

bnawalinski@ala.org



For Immediate Release


May 19, 2009

PHILADELPHIA –Â The Association of Library Trustees, Advocates, Friends and Foundations (ALTAFF), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), awarded the 2009 Public Service Award to California Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) during National Library Legislative Day activities in Washington, D.C. on May 11.

Senator Boxer was selected for her lead in staving off a proposed closure of the Environmental Protection Agency’s libraries. Her work to keep the EPA libraries open ensures that the public has access to their collections at a time when this country and the world are facing challenges to protect the environment.

The Public Service Award is given annually to a legislator who has been especially supportive of libraries. The first award was presented in 1989 to Congressman Major Owens (D-NY), the only librarian serving in Congress. Other notable awardees include Senator Olympia Snowe (R-ME), Senators Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), Senator Paul Simon (D-IL) and Representative Peter Hoekstra (R-MI).

ALTAFF is a division of ALA with approximately 5,000 Friends of Library, Trustee, Foundation and individual members and affiliates representing hundreds of thousands of library supporters. Begun in early 2009 with the merger of Friends of Libraries U.S.A. (FOLUSA) and ALTA, the new division brings together Trustees and Friends into a partnership that unites the voices of citizens who support libraries to create a powerful force for libraries in the 21st Century. For more information about ALTAFF, please contact Beth Nawalinski at (312) 280-2161or
bnawalinski@ala.org.