Contents
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- Greetings from the Chair
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- TLA Conference 2000
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- NMRT Programs at TLA Conference 2000
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- CALLING ALL CANDIDATES!
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- Executive Committee Meeting
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- Applications Sought for the Year 2000 Highsmith Collaboration Award
Greetings from the Chair
I hope this newsletter finds you enjoying seasonal relief from our scorching Texas summer heat and ready to catch-up on NMRT events. We have an exciting variety of TLA conference programs in the works. Besides the traditional Bag Booth and Welcome/Orientation faits accomplis, we're planning an Internet program with broad appeal and a great presenter to help us feel as though we've truly mastered the 'net.
NMRT is continuing its tradition of awards for Outstanding New Librarian and a TLA travel grant (subsidized heavily by Quality Books, Inc.). NMRT also matches up librarians through our mentoring program.
Naturally, this means we're a busy, vital round table that thrives on volunteers. If you're interested in becoming more active in TLA, this is a great way to start. Please feel welcome to volunteer and/or attend the Fall workday in San Marcos, Texas. If I don't get the chance to meet you between now and conference, I hope to see you at the NMRT TLA conference in Houston, Texas April 11-15, 2000.
Leigh Kilman 1999/2000 Chair
TLA Conference 2000
The TLA Conference 2000 entitled Teaching Learning Advancing will be at the George R. Brown Convention Center in downtown Houston, April 11-14th. The conference endeavors to highlight the instructional role of the library in the community. In the words of the current TLA president, Gleniece Robinson, "As an institution, the library belongs to the community as a whole and also to the individuals who use its services and to the staff who provides those services. Indeed, it is your library:
- your library for Teaching skills and facilitating instruction,
- your library for Learning processes and discovering answers, and
- your library for Advancing knowledge and expanding horizons."
The 2000 conference is sure to offer many programs and exhibits to renew your skills and commitment.
NMRT Programs at TLA Conference 2000
- Internet Searching Program
- NMRT is sponsoring a TLA program entitled Beyond Boolean: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Searching the 'Net. In this program Dr. Hal Erickson will teach attendees to use new advances in search engines to perform very precise searches. He'll give you tips for picking the best search engine quickly. You'll also learn how to approximate subject searches or narrow your searches to just images or government documents.
This program will be on Thursday, April 13th from noon-2pm.
- Conference Orientation Program
- As always NMRT will sponsor their annual program entitled Making the Most of the 2000 Conference. During this program a TLA representative will point out the highlights of the 2000 conference and make suggestions about how to best use your time. Past speakers have included vendor representatives and previous TLA presidents. In addition someone from the Houston Chamber of Commerce will discuss the attractions that Houston has to offer. We'll also have light refreshments and door prizes, door prizes, door prizes!
Look for us in the program on Wednesday, April 12th at 10:15 am.
- Bag Booth Fundraiser
- This year, as in past years, we will also sponsor the bag booth. Conference attendees can check their bags for $1 a bag at the booth outside the conference exhibit hall. The bag booth is NMRT's main fundraiser. Volunteer for an hour or two. It's a great way to meet other librarians in NMRT! Contact Leigh Kilman, Ed Kownslar, or Debye Nicholl to volunteer or fill out the Bag Check Booth Volunteer Form.
- Professional Development Grant
- With the help of Quality Books, NMRT sponsors a professional development grant to fund one librarian's trip to the TLA annual conference every year. Any TLA member is eligible to receive the TLA/NMRT Quality Books Inc. Professional Development Grant. If you are interested in applying for this grant, please fill out the Grant Application Form. If you have any questions, contact Lisa Muilenberg at 361-994-5702 or email at lisam@falcon.tamucc.edu.
- Mentor Program
- NMRT operates a mentor program that teams a new librarian with an experienced librarian. The mentor coordinator, Diane Warner, always tries to find mentors in the same area as the new librarian. The experienced librarian acts as a resource person for the new librarian giving them tips about their career and practices as well as helping to answer the tough decisions new librarians can face. If you feel like you can benefit from a mentor or have valuable insights that you can pass on as a mentor, please contact Diane Warner at lildw@lib.ttu.edu or fill out the Mentor Program form.
CALLING ALL CANDIDATES!
NMRT is seeking candidates to run for office next spring, and it's never too early to think about running! The positions on the Spring 2000 ballot include:
- Chair-Elect
- Secretary/Treasurer
- District Meeting Coordinator
For a full description of each of these positions, check out the TLA/NMRT bylaws (Article IV).
The advantages of being an NMRT officer include:
- Gaining the experience to advance in NMRT, as well as other round tables and divisions of TLA;
- Networking with other librarians who are in the first years of their professional careers; and
- Making your own mark on NMRT and supporting your round table.
If you are interested in one of these positions, please contact one of the members of the Nominating Committee:
Executive Committee Meeting
The executive committee will meet on October 23rd in the Alkek Library at Southwest Texas State University in San Marcos to conduct business and finalize plans for the TLA conference in 2000. If you have any concerns you believe we need to address at this meeting, please contact a member of the executive committee or you are very welcome to attend yourself.
Applications Sought for the Year 2000 Highsmith Collaboration Award
Highsmith, Inc is pleased to announce that Collaboration is the theme for the Texas Highsmith Award for the next two years. The purpose of this annual award is to recognize exemplary Texas library programs or services that demonstrate collaboration and cooperation, have a measurable impact on users, and can be replicated.
Texas libraries of any size or type are eligible for this award and are encouraged to apply. Two awards will be given this year, one for a collaborative project involving a school library, the other for a project involving any other type of library. As projects may involve more than one kind of library, applicants must specify in which category they wish to be considered. The collaborative program or service must have been in existence for a minimum of one year but should have been initiated no more than three years ago. Projects that have previously won a Highsmith Award are ineligible.
Besides a cover letter, three-page narrative, and supporting material, each application must include a one-page letter from each collaborative partner, explaining the collaborator's role in the project. Guidelines and specific instructions for submitting applications are available at the Application Web Site.
Each Highsmith Collaboration Award will consist of $1000 and a plaque to be presented by Highsmith, Inc. Winners will be announced at the Texas Library Association's Annual Conference in Houston in April, 2000. Application deadline is January 15, 2000.
For additional information contact:
Gay Woods, ad hoc TLA Highsmith Award Committee
940-565-2461 or gwoods@library.unt.edu.
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