TLA TEXLINE NO. 186
Posted: March 13, 2005
LEGISLATIVE ISSUES NETWORK
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SB 483
The Senate Government Organization Committee is expected to conduct a hearing on SB 483 (Staples), the bill which would allow school libraries to participate in joint purchasing agreements with the Texas State Library and Archives Commission.
CALL TO ACTION
If your senator serves of the Government Organization Committee, please contact that senator and urge support of SB 483. For additional information, go to: http://www.txla.org/html/legis/School%20Databases.pdf. Describe the importance of library online resources. This bill is one of two needed mechanisms to fund school library database access through the state library.
Members of the Committee:
HB 4 (Grusendorf)
The Public Education Committee will hold a hearing on Tuesday, March 15, to consider HB 4. This bill requires that the Texas Education Agency review state-funding grant programs and incentives designed to improve student performance including, certain accelerated reading initiative programs, the optional extended year program, the basic skills program for high school students, and the comprehensive high school completion and success program. According to the bill, that review must assess the extent to which these programs are used to provide for electronic diagnostic tools, individual technology devices, and other electronic resources for classrooms AND LIBRARIES that could be accessible to students and teachers at all times. The bill also broadens the term “textbook” to “instructional materials” in certain portions of the code.
CALL TO ACTION
Please contact members of the Public Education Committee and urge their support of initiatives that assess school library resources being offered to students. Briefly describe the value of school library digital resources and discuss the problems caused by the demise of a central statewide database program for school libraries.
To Contact Members of the Public Education Committees:
TLA-Texline is an irregular publication of the Texas Library Association mailed directly to members interested in legislative and governmental issues affecting libraries. To subscribe--or to offer comments or suggestions-- contact Gloria Meraz, Director of Communications, Texas Library Association. Previous issues of Texline are archived on the TLA website.