2011 Public Service Award

ALTAFF presented the 2011 Public Service Award to Congressman Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) during National Library Legislative Day activities in Washington, D.C., on May 9, 2011.

In 2009, Congressman Grijalva introduced the Strengthening Kids’ Interest in Learning and Libraries Act, better known as the SKILLs Act, which would establish a goal of having not less than one highly qualified school library media specialist in each public school. In addition, it proposes to increase student academic achievement through strategies such as improving teacher, school library media specialist, and principal quality, as well as and increasing the number of highly qualified teachers in the classroom, highly qualified school library media specialists in the library, and highly qualified principals and assistant principals in schools. Grijalva is a strong supporter of the act and of libraries. He has several librarians in his family -- his wife, daughter, and son-in-law.