TLA AWARDS 
presented at Annual Conference 2004
(March 17-20, San Antonio TX)

Outstanding Service  to Libraries Award: Representative Terry Keel

This award is given to an outstanding lay advocate of libraries who has made a significant contribution to the promotion of libraries and the advancement of library services.

Serving in the Texas House since 1997, Representative Terry Keel has been one of the foremost supporters of libraries in Texas, skillfully and passionately articulating the need to fund public libraries for the benefit of all Texans. None of the House Bills that initiated and shaped library districts would have been drafter, much less enacted, without the sponsorship of Representative Keel. In 1997, with HB 1674, Representative Keel created the legislation that formed library districts as we know them today. In subsequent legislative sessions, he has authored and championed additional bills benefiting libraries.

The tiny seed of an idea in 1997 has seen fruition in that there are now 13 library districts serving a population of over 150, 000 people. Large urban and small rural areas in nine counties now have libraries because Terry Keel believed that the people of Texas should have every opportunity to learn and grow.

Distinguished Service Award: Bonnie Juergens

The Distinguished Service Award recognizes a TLA member who has been active in professional organizations, furthered TLA's goals, and made significant professional contributions to libraries in Texas.

In 1975 Bonnie Juergens accepted a position in Texas and has continued to contribute mightily to Texas libraries for almost 30 years. Her experiences have spanned university libraries, public libraries, the corporate sector, and the non-profit sector. She has done reference work and has been a trainer, a consultant, and an administrator.

She has served TLA in many capacities, notably as the chair of the Leadership Development  Program Committee and as the Chair of the Professional Rights, Responsibilities, and Recruitment Committee. She was also involved in the formative stages of TexShare.  She took part in producing a detailed plan for TexShare and had a significant role in carrying out that plan as the executive director of Amigos. In addition, Bonnie Juergens has been active beyond the borders of Texas in the American Library Association and the governance structure of OCLC as a part of the Members Council.

In presenting the award, Dr. Irene Hoadley noted that Bonnie Juergen's "enthusiasm and optimism are as great today as they were when she first came to Texas."

Benefactor Award: Belle and Richard Johnson

This award recognizes not only substantial donations given in support of libraries but also the impact of the donations to the libraries and their programs

First open in 1950, the M.D. Anderson Library at the University of Houston today serves more than 37,000 students, faculty members, and community users drawing upon a collection of over one million volumes and more then 100 electronic databases. In order to better serve the needs of the institution and the Houston community, UH launched a vital campaign to raise funds to expand and renovate the  library.

Chaired by Richard and Belle Johnson, who donated a substantial gift of their own, the capital campaign committee raised a combined total of $19.5 million in private funds from more than 4,000 donors. Thanks to the support of this generous group of donors, UH met the criteria needed to earn a $500,000 challenge grant from the Kresge Foundation, bringing the total amount of private dollars raised to $20 million.

Project of the Year: Austin History Center (Austin Public Library)

Each year TLA presents an award for a library project that exemplifies the highest level of achievement in improving library services.

This year's Library Project of the Year was awarded to the Austin History Center, Austin Public Library's local history collection. The Center was one of  50 historical institutions across the country asked to partner with HBO in premiering a documentary film entitled "Unchained Memories: Readings from the Slave Narratives."

The Austin History Center went a little further than partnering to show the film, however, and produced their own film -- The Travis County Slave Narratives --that spotlighted historical images from their own archives and readings of narratives of former slaves from Austin and Travis County. In addition to increasing awareness of the Austin History Center's archive and informing the  community about its local slave history, the project yielded several collaborative relationships, which will extend the impact of this particular effort and nurture future ones.