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The Black Caucus Round Table (BCRT) seeks to contribute to library service by promoting services to African Americans and opening channels of communication among African American librarians in all TLA divisions, round tables, and discussion groups.
Additionally, we’re home to the esteemed Ashley Bryan Award and a host to wonderfully unique librarians from all parts of our library ecosystem. If you’d like to volunteer to be a part of our round table, then please click on the link provided to join.
Support Us
Please contact us at [email protected] if you have any questions.
BCRT Operating Procedures
Follow BCRT on Instagram and X (formerly Twitter).
BCRT Archive
News You Can Use
Stay connected with these general timely updates, quick announcements, and helpful tidbits pertaining to the BCRT activity. From opportunities and reminders to resources and community notes, this catchall section keeps you informed and connected with what matters to BCRT members and supporters.
Check back often—you never know what useful news you’ll find!
Come for the mixer…Stay for the community!
Join the Black Caucus Round Table for a fun evening that brings together ALL library workers across ALL library types. This is a space to connect, laugh, share stories, and build community. So, come along for networking, fun, and prizes!
January 13, 2026
6:30 PM
Register via this online form by January 12th
Not a member of BCRT yet? We can help.
Join BCRT by selecting the round table during the TLA membership registration process—one round table is included with basic dues. For additional information, visit the Join TLA page.
Support the important work of the Black Caucus Round Table! Your donation helps uplift programs, resources, and initiatives that make a difference in libraries and communities. Contribute today!
For more information, visit our donation page.
Follow us at @bcrt_tla for updates, events, highlights, library love, and Black excellence in librarianship. Join the conversation and stay connected with our community!
#BCRT
BCRT at TxLA26
Stay connected with BCRT at this year’s Annual Conference! Under the conference theme, “Cultivating Community: Thriving Together,” we are proud to host and participate in a range of programs, gatherings, and opportunities that celebrate connection, advocacy, and professional growth. Explore this section for updates on our conference sessions, special events, and ways to engage with BCRT as we come together to learn, share, and strengthen our library community.
Let’s connect!
This special brunch offers attendees the chance to celebrate her work and hear firsthand about her creative journey.
Join us on Monday, March 30, from 10:00–11:30 a.m. to be inspired by Karyn Parsons and to help celebrate this year’s Ashley Bryan Award winner. Don’t miss this opportunity to connect, reflect, and honor excellence in literature. To secure your seat, visit the Ticket Events page.
For details about this honor, visit our award page.
Download this Ashley Bryan Award Winner Announcement and share the good news in your library to help celebrate this year’s honoree.
Bi-monthly Meetings
Stay connected, inspired, and informed with the BCRT’s bi-monthly General Meetings and Learning Sessions. Held on the third Thursday at 6:30 PM in June, August, October, December, February, and April, these gatherings offer members and supporters opportunities to learn from leaders in the field, share updates, and build community. We invite you to join us throughout the year as we highlight important work, explore new ideas, and strengthen our collective impact.
Come ready to share, listen, and leave refreshed with new inspiration for your library journey.
Tuesday, October 21, 2025 at 6:30 PM (CT)/5:30 PM (MT)
Meeting Link
Meeting ID: 868 7705 2458
Passcode: 479362
Join us in August for Legislation & Libraries: What Texas Librarians Need to Know featuring special guest Wendy Woodland, TLA’s Director of Advocacy & Communications! Wendy will break down recent legislative developments that directly impact the library profession in Texas. Don’t miss this timely and important conversation—empower yourself with the knowledge to advocate effectively for your library and community.
Tuesday, August 19, 2025 at 6:30 PM (CT)/5:30 PM (MT)
Meeting ID: 818 7192 6103
Passcode: 455651
Join us for a powerful conversation on The State of Black Librarianship: The Past, Present, and Future – A BCRT Perspective. Hear from Dr. Janice Newsum, Roosevelt Weeks, and Kimberly Gay – three former BCRT chairs – as they reflect on the legacy, challenges, and future of Black librarianship. Don’t miss this important virtual session. Save the date and be part of the dialogue that shapes our profession!
Tuesday, June 17, 2025 at 6:30 PM (CT)/5:30 PM (MT)
ID: 844 6514 1587
Passcode: 876910
Member Spotlight
The Black Caucus Round Table (BCRT) is excited to to launch a Member Spotlight series as a way to highlight and celebrate the amazing work, accomplishments, and impact of our members across our community! These spotlights will be featured on our website and in our social media to showcase the impact of BCRT members everywhere.
By completing our Member Spotlight Form, you can easily share your accomplishments, contributions, and celebrations in the library world. Then, we’ll take care of the rest.
Reflecting on her work and visibility in the field, Taylor shares: “Being a female comics librarian of color is analogous to being a koi swimming in an evaporating puddle of water. However, other Blerds DO exist. And, we need to know in certainty that we’re not swimming alone. There’s an entire school of us and having their company makes our puddle feel a bit less isolating. By being active and highly visible at the intersection of the fandom and Library Land, I’m able to hold space and create felt safety for those in need of community that looks like them.” Through this work, Christina E. Taylor continues to embody the BCRT’s mission to support, connect, and celebrate Black library professionals across Texas and beyond.
For more information about Christina’s professional endeavors, follow her on LinkedIN.
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Interested in being in the spotlight?! By completing our Member Spotlight Form, you can easily share your accomplishments, contributions, and celebrations in the library world. Then, we’ll take care of the rest.
The Black Caucus Round Table proudly celebrates Meridith Derrick, BCRT’s Alternate Councilor. As Program Coordinator of Libraries for Klein Inependent School District, Meredith champions equitable access to diverse resources and supports librarians in creating inclusive, welcoming learning spaces. Her leadership in the Texas Association of School Librarians and the Black Caucus Roundtable reflects her deep commitment to representation, mentorship, and uplifting Black voices within education.
Meredith is a dedicated library leader whose work is expanding access, equity, and joy across Texas schools. One accomplishment that she’s particularly proud of is her launch of the Book Bundle Summer Reading Program for students at Klein ISD’s Title I campuses this year—an initiative powered by the TLA-HEB Summer Reading Grant. By providing free, high-interest books, Meredith is helping prevent the summer slide and ensuring that every child has the opportunity to discover stories that spark curiosity and nurture a lifelong love of reading.
Through her vision and advocacy, Meredith is fostering library programs where all students feel seen, valued, and inspired to explore a world rich in stories that celebrate diversity and belonging.
For more information about Meredith’s professional endeavors, follow her on LinkedIn.
Beyond the classroom, Brandi’s leadership shines through her service as co-chair of the 2026 TLA Conference Planning Committee, where she is helping design a conference that empowers, inspires, and amplifies diverse voices across the library profession.
Originally from Pomona, California, and now thriving in Texas, Brandi describes herself as “a city girl in a country world,” blending both perspectives to bring joy, authenticity, and vision to everything she does.
For more information about Brandi’s professional endeavors, follow her on Instagram.
For more information about Muriel’s professional endeavors, follow her on Instagram.
For more information about LaTrisha’s professional endeavors, follow her on LinkedIn.
Bea’s outstanding service and leadership have been recognized across the state and beyond. She is a 2025 You’re the Tops Recipient, a 2025 Jefferson Award Recipient, and the TLA Outstanding Services to Libraries Award winner.
We are honored to count Bea among our members and celebrate her extraordinary contributions to libraries and the communities they serve. Congratulations, Bea—you are an inspiration to us all!
For more information about Bea’s professional endeavors, follow her on LinkedIn.
An accomplished library leader with more than 20 years of experience, Ms. Gay supervises a dynamic team of librarians and student assistants and has long supported PVAMU’s College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR) and the School of Public and Allied Health. A ninth-generation Texas USDA farmer and nationally recognized leader, she serves in executive and leadership roles with the United States Agricultural Information Network (USAIN), Texas Library Association (TLA), American Library Association (ALA), and Beta Phi Mu. Her work uniquely integrates agriculture, STEAgM education, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), and food sustainability to bridge academic, rural, and urban communities. Please join us in congratulating Kimberly M. Gay on this historic achievement and her continued leadership in advancing librarianship, experiential learning, and community impact at PVAMU and beyond.
The Black Caucus Round Table proudly recognizes Chair LaTrisha Milton for being featured on Great Day Houston! As Houston Public Library’s Youth & Family Services Manager, LaTrisha led a fantastic Summer Reading Program that brought families together across the city to explore, imagine, and discover.
The Black Caucus Round Table proudly recognizes Web Administrator Christina Taylor for hosting the July 2025 episode of the Libraries Transform Texas podcast! In this conversation, Christina speaks with Alexa Harrison, Library Youth Fellow at El Paso Public Libraries, about Centre Future—a dynamic program that empowers disconnected youth ages 16–24 to re-engage with school or work.
Alexa shares how Centre Future’s three pillars—Job Lab, Skill Studio, and Care Corner—offer career guidance, hands-on skill development, and holistic support. The discussion highlights the program’s youth-led approach, the power of peer mentorship, and how success is measured through personal growth as much as statistics.
The Libraries Transform Texas podcast showcases the vital role libraries play in communities across the state. Each episode features conversations with library professionals, educators, advocates, and thought leaders who share how libraries are shaping education, equity, and engagement in today’s world. Learn more and listen on the podcast’s webpage.
The Black Caucus Round Table proudly celebrates Councilor Brandi Grant for moderating the “Poetry in Motion” panel at the 14th annual SLJTeen Live! event. This dynamic session featured celebrated authors Jeannine Atkins (Knocking on Windows), Margarita Engle (Island Creatures), Nikita Gill (Hekate), and Amber McBride (The Leaving Room). Together, they explored how verse novels use lyrical, compact language to give voice to teen experiences and amplify the power of emotion in storytelling.
From rom-coms and mysteries to graphic novels and coming-of-age stories, SLJTeen Live! offered a full day of author panels, keynotes, and a virtual exhibit hall—all spotlighting the latest in teen literature. For those who work with youth, these events remain an invaluable way to stay inspired and connected to emerging voices in young adult literature.
Exciting News! BCRT member Alice Faye Duncan is releasing her new book The Dream Buider’s Blueprint on Jan 6, 2026 — a powerful retelling of Dr. King’s 1967 message to youth. A must-read for students & educators.
Preview now available!
Congratulations to Black Caucus Round Table member Andrea Cabrera on being accepted into the TALL Texans Leadership Class of 2025!
Andrea Cabrera is a Senior Public Services Librarian with the Plano Public Library and has been with the organization since 2015. She earned her MLS in 2020 from The University of North Texas, with a graduate certificate in Youth Services. As a member of PPL’s Early Literacy Committee, she manages staff education in early learning programs, storytimes, and puppet shows. She also develops system-wide staff training on subjects like ethics in libraries and personal performance, serves on the PPL Collection Development Committee, and offers digital resource assistance to patrons.
Andrea is passionate about mentoring and increasing Black and Latinx representation in librarianship. She looks forward to attending the TALL Texans Leadership Institute to grow her leadership skills, connect with peers, and advance her professional goals.
Members of the TALL Texans Class of 2025 were selected from a highly competitive pool of Texas library leaders to explore leadership principles, interpersonal communication, ethics, organizational change, mentorship, conflict resolution, and more. For more information, visit the program website.
Thousands of students across Texas voted, and the results are in! The 2026 Texas Bluebonnet Award winner is The Girl Who Figured It Out, written by Minda Dentler and illustrated […]
The Texas Library Association is delighted to announce the arrival of the 2026 Little Maverick Reading List! The 2026 Little Maverick Graphic Novel Reading List is a recommended reading list […]
