Giles, a paraprofessional and member of the Collier County Association of Educational Office and Classroom Assistant Personnel, is the only original education staff member still at the center since it opened in 2001. (The center is part of the school district’s alternative education program.) When the center opened, the library had only 50 books; today, that number is more than 2,500 and climbing.

“When I started the library, I had no idea how important it would become,” says Giles, who was honored as the Florida Education Association’s education support professional (ESP) of the year for 2006. (FEA is the merged AFT-NEA state federation.) “But I soon learned,” as the first of several students told her that this was the first time he “had ever read an entire book, cover to cover. I wish I could describe with words the pride in his voice.”

Making this kind of difference in the lives of the center’s troubled youth is what keeps Giles returning to work every day. “It’s a tough place for a kid to be, with no TV, no freedoms, slamming steel doors and very little privacy,” she says. “Respect, caring and sincerity go a long way with the students.”

Bill Spano, the district’s principal of alternative programs, noted in his letter supporting Giles’ nomination for ESP of the year: “We rely heavily on Dottie, and I could not imagine not having her as part of our team.”

Giles also has been an important part of the union team at every level, from her school (where she is the union’s building rep) to the local (where her posts have included vice president, bargaining team member and political activist) to the state federation (where she serves on the governance board and other committees and has made many lobbying visits to the state capital).

In addition to the state award, Giles recently received a $5,000 Read Across America library books grant from the NEA. It’s easy to imagine some of that money being used to purchase a book that will inspire another of the center’s youngsters to discover the path to reading.