Promote Your SKILLs

By Staff -- School Library Journal, 9/1/2007

Now’s your chance to be heard. The American Library Association (ALA) is urging librarians to contact their representatives in Washington, DC, to cosponsor the SKILLs Act. The bill, with backing from Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Thad Cochran (R-MS) and Representatives Raul Grijalva (D-AZ) and Vernon Ehlers (R-MI), requires a state-certified media specialist in every K–12 school building by 2010 and includes school librarians in the “highly qualified” category of No Child Left Behind (NCLB), which is up for renewal later this year. Grijalva and Ehlers in July sent a “Dear Colleague” letter asking members of Congress to cosponsor their bill, officially known as the Strengthening Kids’ Interest in Learning and Libraries Act. The SKILLs Act ensures that much-needed library funds will be available to purchase books and materials for elementary, middle, and high schools students nationwide. The new bill may be included as part of NLCB.