Newsletter of the Texas Library Association |
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Annual Assembly The 2008 Annual Assembly will be held in Austin, July 8 – 10, at the Hyatt Regency Town Lake. The meeting provides an opportunity for association officers to plan for the upcoming year. There is no registration fee, and the event is open to any TLA member wishing to attend. The Annual Assembly registration form, a tentative schedule of events, and a housing reservation form are on the TLA website. The housing request must be submitted to the Hyatt by June 8. The deadline is firm. Major Assembly Events
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| Conference Wrap-Up | |||||||||||||||||||
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The 2008 TLA Annual Conference, themed “Books, Bytes, and Beyond,” took place April 15-18. Over 8,400 attendees, exhibitors, speakers, and guests filled the Dallas Convention Center and attended 200 plus programs, events, and the world-class TLA tradeshow. Keynote Speakers and Events Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Dave Barry and bestselling author Ridley Pearson brought a new twist to this year’s First General Session. They delighted TLA goers with their humor and incomparable stories. The Second General Session, featuring Stephen Abram, Joe Janes, Karen Schneider, and Roy Tennant, stimulated thought, laughter, uncertainty, and inspiration. Talking informally and challengingly about hot topics, the role of libraries, and our future, panelists provided a rich experience for attendees. In fact, because the TLA Office has received so many requests for copies of the Second General Session, an excerpt is now available off of the TLA website.
This year’s All Conference Opening Luncheon, sponsored by the Library Friends, Trustees, and Advocates Round Table, served up literacy champion and award-winning author Rosemary Wells, first daughter and first-time author Jenna Bush, and bestselling author Elizabeth Noble. The stunning Nasher Sculpture Garden offered an elegant setting for the Welcome Party on Tuesday night, which proved a wonderful counterpoint to the lively and rowdy President’s Party on Wednesday. Eddie Deen’s Ranch, featuring Grammy Award-winning Brave Combo, served up great entertainment, dancing, and good times. A crowd of over a thousand gathered and staged one of the biggest line dancing evenings in the state. (We’re told that EVERYBODY was dancing — even folks you might not expect to see dancing. If there is any footage — photos, videos — DO contact the TLA office!) Exhibits Of course, you may want to continue the shopping you started at the convention. For a description of vendor products, contact information, and links to companies, go to https://secure.txla.org/secure/exhibits/exhbuyerselect.asp to browse and create a list of vendors that meet your needs.
A W A R D S
Guest Column/Editorial Page Coverage: Kathy Nixie of the La Marque Public Library Broadcast Coverage: State of Tomorrow [TM Brands and Logos: Austin Community College’s “Know How” brand and logo Special Events: “The Spirit of Place” Gala Fundraiser, Texas State University-San Marcos Special Events (Honorable Mention): K. White Junior High’s “Teen Tech Week” Non-Traditional Media: Harris County Public Library Non-Traditional Media (Honorable Mention): TSLAC’s Library Resource Sharing Division Print Media: Jill Stimson, Elizabeth Polk, and the librarians of Austin ISD Collateral Materials: TSLAC’s Texas Reading Club promotional materials
Public Libraries Division (PLD) conference stipends: Julia
Riley of Pflugerville Community Library, Joyce Ullah of Denison Public
Library, and Tonja Tate of Dallas Public Library
Texas Association of School Librarians (TASL)
School Administrator of the Year: TASL Scholarship Recipients: Jaime Parker, Denton ISD; Susan Stacy Eda, Woodview Elementary School, Spring Branch ISD; and Dámaris Thorn of Fort Worth. American Library Association Emerging Leader: Stella Farris, Lanier High School, Austin ISD American Association of School Librarians Travel Stipend: Carol
Deviney, Murphy Middle School, Plano ISD TLA District 3 Stipend: Stella Farris Lanier High School Library, Austin ISD Automation and Technology Round Table (ATRT) Stipends: Tina Buck (Scarborough-Phillips Library at St. Edwards University, Austin) and Melody Boren (Amarillo Public Library) Black Caucus Round Table’s Encourager Award: Catherine Lee, TLA Director of Administration Children’s Round Table Siddie Joe Johnson Award: Viki Ash, San Antonio Public Library Children’s Round Table’s Christina B. Woll Memorial Grant Award: Beth Enochs, George C. Clarke Elementary School (Fort Worth) Genealogy Round Table Stipend: Joy Wiley, Abilene Public Library Highsmith Awards Committee Awards: Frisco ISD libraries and Frisco Public Library Intellectual Freedom Committee ProQuest/SIRS Intellectual Freedom Award: Laura S. Lara of Northside ISD Library Instruction Round Table Library Instruction Project of the Year: Lifelong Education @ Desktop (LE@D) program administered by Arlita Harris at the University of North Texas New Members Round Table’s Outstanding New Librarian Award: Lisa Martinez, El Paso Public Library New Member Round Table/Quality Books Inc. Professional Development Grant: Gail Woodward, Marlin Public Library TLA Scholarship and Research Committee’s 2008 DEMCO Research Grant Award: Dr. Janine Golden Small Community Libraries Round Table’s Small Community Librarian of the Year:Virginia (Ginger) Garvin of Whitesboro Public Library Small Community Libraries Round Table’s Biblionix Conference Stipend: Adrienne Montgomery of the San Augustine Public Library Texas Media Awards’s Commitment and Excellence for the Texas Media Award: Don Hamerly, a doctoral student at The University of Texas at Austin Young Adult Round Table’s Young Adult Read Initiative Award: Martha Jordan of South Grand Prairie High School 2008 James L. Love Award: Frankston Depot Library & Museum, Inc.
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| Texas Library News | |||||||||||||||||||
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Wal-Mart Stores representatives Gisel Ruiz and P. Alex Vasquez presented a $10,000 check to the Friends of the Abilene Public Library on May 27 for the soon-to-be-opened Mockingbird Branch Library. Friends immediate past president and Mockingbird Branch committee chair Nancy Brock accepted the donation, along with current Friends president Jerry Carter and City Librarian Ricki V. Brown and a host of others who have devoted the past year to bringing the branch project to fruition. Texas State Library: Texas Reading Club Turns 50! Texas libraries are celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Texas Reading Club this year. That’s 50 summers of helping children improve reading skills and have fun. In honor of the golden anniversary, this year’s theme is “Texas Reading Club Jubilee: 1958-2008!” To celebrate the Jubilee, the Texas State Library and Archives Commission is sponsoring a very special event in the Senate Chamber at the State Capitol on June 10, from 10:00 a.m. to noon. Library champions Sen. Judith Zaffirini and Rep. Lois Kolkhorst and State Librarian Peggy Rudd will lead the festivities that will include the participation of children and their families and librarians. The event will highlight the important role of libraries and the Texas Reading Club in promoting literacy and the joy of reading, and will include the reading of a certificate from Governor Perry recognizing the 50th anniversary, which may be viewed at www.tsl.state.tx.us/ld/projects/trc/2008/2008govcert.pdf. At the celebration, the children and families will be entertained by singer/songwriter, Sara Hickman, and the children will help create a time capsule that will be opened on the 75th anniversary of the Texas Reading Club in 2033. Attendees will also enjoy refreshments in the Lieutenant Governor’s reception room, view an exhibit of Texas Reading Club artwork in the Capitol Rotunda, tour the Capitol building, and the children will receive gift bags with books and memorabilia commemorating the celebration. The exhibit of Texas Reading Club artwork will be on view between June 9 and 13 on the ground floor of the Capitol Rotunda, and all are invited to attend. In total, more than 13 million Texas children have participated in the Texas Reading Club in the past 50 years. Participation has grown rapidly throughout the years. In 1959, approximately 5,000 children participated at libraries in 29 counties. Now, approximately 500,000 children participate annually at more than 800 public and school libraries. Additional information about the Texas Reading Club may be found at www.tsl.state.tx.us/ld/projects/trc/. For more information about the Jubilee celebration, please contact Christine McNew at cmcnew@tsl.state.tx.us or 512-463-6623. REFORMA The City of El Paso will host the third annual REFORMA National Conference. The National Association to Promote Library and Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish Speaking meets September 18-21 in the city with the largest international border community in the world. The REFORMA Conference will continue to reflect the spirit of inclusiveness of its previous national conferences, allowing the sharing of collective knowledge, expertise, and commitment to excellence in serving the needs of the Latino and Spanish-speaking. For additional information on the conference, events, and registration, go to www.reforma.org. Literacy Support for Incarcerated Mothers and Their Children Women's Storybook Project of Texas is a volunteer program that provides an opportunity for children of incarcerated mothers to connect with their mothers through literature. The program focuses on teaching mothers and children to read in a unique way that fosters literacy and brings families together in an innovative way. Volunteers record the mother while she reads a book to her child. The tape and the new book are mailed to the child, who experiences the wonders of reading from a parent. The opportunity to bond in this manner is proving enormously successful in helping kids develop reading skills and helping mothers develop skills for life after incarceration. The project is seeking assistance and volunteers. For further information, please contact Judith Dullnig, Director, at info@storybookproject.org, 512-560-8739. |
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| ALA News | |||||||||||||||||||
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In the first of a series of reports related to technology access in U.S. public libraries, the American Library Association (ALA) Office for Research & Statistics (ORS) is drawing attention to challenges and opportunities related to available bandwidth for patron Internet access and online library services. The issues brief draws from national data published in the Public Library Funding & Technology Access Study ( www.ala.org/plinternetfunding).The briefing reports are not intended to be comprehensive, but rather to share key findings from the largest and longest-running study of Internet connectivity in libraries. The Public Library Funding & Technology Access Study, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and ALA, continues work begun in 1994 by John Carlo Bertot and Charles R. McClure of the Information Institute at Florida State University, www.ii.fsu.edu. The study assesses public access to computers, the Internet and Internet-related services in U.S. public libraries, as well as the impact of library funding changes on connectivity, technology deployment and sustainability.For more information on the study and to download a copy of the Internet Connectivity report, please visit www.ala.org/plinternetfunding.
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