Priorities

The Texas Library Association’s legislative vision is to empower Texas libraries to build essential community infrastructure by focusing our efforts on the following areas:

Access

• Support recommendations from the Governor’s Broadband Development Council to create a state broadband plan; and establish a state broadband office.
• Support TSLAC’s budget and exceptional item request to support increased digital inclusion and access.

Economic Development

• Support TSLAC’s exceptional item request to support initiatives including digital literacy, entrepreneurship, small-business development, STEM learning, and workforce training programs in libraries.

Education

• Support access to affordable e-resources for work and study (TexQuest and TexShare).
• Support funding for grants to develop Open Educational Resources (OER).
• Support funding to support the use and development of OERTX, Texas’ digital repository of open educational resources (OER) for Texas students and educational institutions.

TLA will closely monitor all legislative proposals in these areas and will actively advocate in favor of those which would positively impact libraries, and strongly oppose those that would have a negative impact.