Volume 18, Number 2 - FEBRUARY 1999
Published by the Texas Library Association
Governor's Budget Endorses Read for Your Life and Other TSLAC Requests
Governor George W. Bush's 2000-2001 Budget recommends
a five million dollar increase in funding for the Texas State Library and
Archives Commission (TSLAC) to fund priorities of the Texas Library Association
and other agency requests.
The increase, if funded, would be the largest increase for the agency in
well over a decade and is in contrast to the Legislative Budget Board's
recommendation of no new funding contained in the Appropriations Bill now
being debated by the Texas Legislature.
The Governor's Budget recommends funding of $2 million per year for
the Read for Your Life project of the Texas Library System that
would purchase over 140,000 books for Texas public libraries during the
next biennium. The Governor's Budget also includes funds to upgrade services
of the Talking Book Program which provides the equivalent of public library
services for the state's blind and physically handicapped population. Notably,
the biggest ticket item requested by the TSLAC not to be recommended for
funding by the Governor's Office is the $3.1 million per year to enhance
TexShare services to current members.
While largely ceremonial in previous sessions, legislative observers
expect this Governor's Budget to have a greater impact. Because of Governor
Bush's popularity, the Legislature this session will likely try to accommodate
as many of the governor's requests as possible.
In other legislative developments, most funding and legislative changes
identified by TLA members as part of the association's agenda have found
sponsors, and the bills have been drafted and sent to the Legislative Council,
the state agency responsible for reviewing prospective legislation. The
following is a recap of the status of these issues as they stand at the
time of publication: |
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SCHOOL FUNDING
Representative Henry Cuellar, champion of school library funding in the
last session of the Legislature, has once again been appointed chair of
the influential Education Sub-committee of the House Appropriations Committee.
Rep. Cuellar has reiterated his intention to once again file his rider
to fund one dollar per student, or approximately $3.8 million per year,
for Texas public school libraries.
DIRECT AID TO TEXAS PUBLIC LIBRARIES
(the Texas Public Library Fund)
TLA's ambitious plan to establish direct aid to Texas public libraries
through the creation of a permanent, non-expendable endowment was delayed
when members who had indicated their support for the plan were not appointed
to the budget-writing committees. When House Speaker Pete Laney appointed
the prospective house sponsor of the bill to establish the Texas Public
Library Fund, Rep. Sherri Greenberg of Austin, to a committee chair, Rep.
Greenberg went off the Appropriations Committee, and TLA went in search
of a primary sponsor on the budget committee. Rep. Jim Pitts of Waxahachie
has agreed to sponsor the legislation and is preparing to file the bill
at press time. Prospective Senate sponsors were also not reappointed to
the powerful Finance Committee and TLA is discussing sponsorship with other
members of the committee.
AMENDING THE PUBLIC LIBRARY DISTRICT LAW
Rep. Terry Keel of Austin has agreed to sponsor the bill to change the
library district law to allow Texans in more areas of the state to form
districts, including those living within counties of under 100,000 people.
ACADEMIC LIBRARIES PURCHASING ISSUES
Senator Chris Harris of Arlington has agreed to sponsor at least one and possibly
two of the minor clean-up bills that will allow Texas academic libraries to
conduct their purchasing in a more streamlined, cost-effective manner. Sen.
Harris will introduce a bill to allow prepayment of library materials from allocations
of the Higher Education Assistance Fund. TLA is also negotiating the exact terms
of a bill that would give community colleges the same purchasing exemptions
enjoyed by four-year college and university libraries.
Judge Rules Against Legal Publisher
Nolo Press May be Next Target
In what could ultimately develop into a First Amendment case on a statewide
basis, U.S. District Court Judge Barefoot Sanders of Dallas has ruled that
a legal self-help publication constitutes the "unauthorized practice of
law" and barred its publisher from selling the publication in Texas. Parsons
Technology, Inc., the publisher of the Quicken Family Lawyer, is expected
to appeal the decision. Judge Sanders' action escalates an ongoing battle
between the Texas courts and publishers of legal self-help materials. Perhaps
the most prominent of these publishers is Nolo Press which publishes over
150 publications that are well known to Texas librarians. The action that
resulted in the Sanders decision was initiated against Parsons by the Unauthorized
Practice of Law (UPL) Committee, a board appointed by the Texas Supreme
Court to prevent individuals who are not licensed to practice law in Texas
from providing legal assistance. Whether legal self-help manuals and CD-ROM
products meet the statutory definition of the unauthorized practice of
law is a matter of controversy and is certain to be challenged by Nolo
Press should its case come to court. The likelihood of that occurring is
greatly increased by Sanders' decision in the Parsons case. Nolo Press,
headquartered in Berkeley, California, employs a number of lawyers though
none is licensed in Texas. Nolo has already filed an action against the
UPL Committee to attempt to make the work of the committee more public.
While members of the UPL Committee are known, the membership of its regional
sub-committees and the rules under which these regional committees operate
are not public information. The regional committees are active in pursuing
the legal actions including those against Parsons and Nolo. The effect
of the Sanders decision is to make the sale of the Quicken Family Lawyer
in Texas the violation of a court order. The same would be true of any
publications of Nolo Press should a similar judgment be reached in that
case. This would effectively prohibit any library from purchasing these
publications in Texas, though the status of materials already in library
collections is unclear. At any rate, such a statewide ban on an entire
class of materials is unprecedented and would seem to raise serious First
Amendment concerns. The TLA Legislative Committee considered passing a
resolution of support for Nolo Press at its meeting at Annual Assembly
last July. No action was ultimately taken at that time due to the general
belief that proceedings against Nolo were not likely to progress further.
TLA is now monitoring developments in this matter closely and, at prestige,
the TLA Executive Board is actively considering how best to lend its support
to Nolo Press.
Cities Pass Resolution of
Support for Texas Public Library Fund
A growing number of Texas cities and towns are passing or considering resolutions
of support for the TLA proposal to create the Texas Public Library Fund. A number
of cities including the cities of DeSoto and Boerne have passed resolutions supporting
the creation of the fund which would establish direct aid to Texas public libraries.
Other cities considering such resolutions include Killeen and Bryan. The influential
Texas Municipal League (TML) has adopted this item as part of its legislative
agenda for 1999. TML has given the proposal its second highest level of endorsement
and has agreed to publish an article about the fund in the association's magazine,
Texas Town and City. The article, written by Patrick Heath, mayor of Boerne
and member of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission, suggests that cities
adopt a resolution of support and contains a sample resolution text. The sample
resolution can also be found on the TLA web page (http://www.txla.org select Government
Affairs from the top banner). Any questions about the status of legislation to
create the fund can be directed to Mark Smith at the TLA office at 800/580-2852,
or 512/328-1518 or e-mail at marks@txla.org.
TLA Programs to Explore Z39.50 on Sale for $29.95!!
Here is your opportunity of a lifetime. TWO-- count 'em-- TWO TLA preconferences
on Z39.50. There is something for everyone! Don't believe it? Read on. . . The
"Basics of Z39.50" preconference (Tuesday, April 20, 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.) is
geared for everyone who just wants to know what Z39.50 is and how it will affect
their library services. The Z39.50 standard allows a user to search various
databases through a single, standardized interface. Throughout the full day
seminar, William E. Moen, assistant professor, University of North Texas School
of Library and Information Sciences, will lead you through the fundamentals
of how and why Z39.50 was developed, how it works with your existing integrated
library system (ILS), what it can do, what it might do, and what it was never
meant to do. By the end of the day, you will understand how you can start using
Z39.50 regardless of your ILS vendor, know where Z39.50 fits into your current
or future library services, and have a realistic understanding of the place
of Z39.50 in the library world. This is a great chance to educate yourself in
the basics! On the other hand, "Implementing Z39.50" (April 20, 9:00 a.m.-5:00
p.m.), is the advanced course. This workshop will target those who already know
the basics and have some technical background. Mark Hinnebusch, chair of the
Z39.50 Implementors Group and associate director for University Computer Services,
Florida Center for Library Automation, will take you on a much more detailed
and technical tour of the Z39.50 standard. Throughout the day, you will gain
an insider's view from someone who was at the table during its evolution. Areas
to be explored include ASN.1; PDUs; and specifics concerning the Z39.50 services,
record syntaxes, and profiles. Attendees should emerge from the preconference
able to understand the technicalities of managing their own Z39.50 client or
server, as well as be much more discerning when comparing vendors' Z39.50 products.
Library and non-library techies are welcome and encouraged to come! But wait--
there's MORE! For the past year, a group of Texas librarians has been drafting
a Z39.50 profile for use in our state. Toward the end of both of these preconferences,
we will present the first public draft for comment. This profile could provide
us with increased access to our collections and to each other. We look forward
to your advice and support!
TEXAS BLUEBONNET AWARD WINNER
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Verdi by Janelle Cannon (Harcourt Brace 1997)
has been chosen by the school children of Texas as the recipient of the
1999 Texas Bluebonnet Award.
Verdi received 23, 233 votes from students in grades 3-6. Ms. Cannon will
be honored April 22 at the Texas Bluebonnet Award luncheon in Dallas during
TLA's annual conference. More than 190,300 children from 1,527 schools
participated in the Bluebonnet program this year. Runners-up for the 1999
Texas Bluebonnet Award are Frindle by Andrew Clements (Simon & Schuster,
1996), Small Steps: The Year I Got Polio by Peg Kehret (Whitman, 1996),
and The Kid Who Ran For President by Dan Gutman (Scholastic, 1996). The
Texas Bluebonnet Award Committee recently released the 1999-2000 master
reading list. Statewide voting for the new list will take place in January
2000.
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CONFERENCE at a GLANCE
Share your tips
Are you an experienced conference-goer? Do you have suggestions that have
helped you get the most from your conference experience? How about an idea
that saved you time and money or a strategy that helped you avoid problems?
Share them with NMRT's Orientation Committee, and we will share them with
first time conference attendees through articles in TLA publications and
the NMRT web page as well as our traditional "Make the Most of the TLA
Conference" session. We are especially interested in suggestions for those
who are new to TLA, have never attended a TLA conference, or have never
attended a conference in Dallas. Besides strategies to help professionals,
we are also interested in tips geared for lay members of TLA and library
school students. Send your ideas to Gay Woods by email (gwoods@library.
unt.edu), snail mail (2601 Whispering Oaks, Denton, TX, 76201), fax (940-565-3695),
or phone (940-565-2461 daytime). She will acknowledge receipt for all suggestions
by email. There is no deadline, but tips received early will have the greatest
opportunity for broad distribution. Take a moment today to remember your
past conference experiences and share your best ideas with others.
Reference another era
Historic Union Station will again be bustling-- literally, perhaps-- as
costumed librarians and their friends gather for the President's Party
on Wednesday night, April 21. You can help link centuries by dressing according
to your favorite decade: circle skirt and bobby socks, bow tie and spats,
high neck dress with bustle, flapper attire, or even a polyester leisure
suit. While costumes are not mandatory (someone has to represent the present),
they will certainly contribute to the atmosphere-- and the theme-- of this
conference gathering. Other attractions of the All-Conference Social are
a live quartet, an auction (see article on next page to read about one
of the featured items), and a fashion show. You won't be the only one in
costume. . . Collin County has style SHOW The Collin County Historical
Society will present a style show of fashion over the ages at Wednesday
night's Social. Come see how your outfit compares to the historic models.
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It was an itsy, bitsy Teenie Beanie
A complete set of 12 Teenie Beanies in unopened packages from the 1998
McDonald's Happy Meal Event are offered at auction in a handmade basket
bed lined with pink and white striped chambray and trimmed in bows and
roses. On top of the basket handle sits Claude the regular tie-dyed Beanie
Baby. This is your opportunity to have your own Teenie Beanies: Doby, Bongo,
Twigs, Inch, Pinchers, Happy, Mel, Scoop, Bones, Zip, Waddle, and Peanut.
This auction item is offered as a fundraiser for the Elizabeth Crabb Fund
at the President's Party on Wednesday, April 21, 8:30-10:30 p.m. Elizabeth
Snapp donated the Beanies. |
HOTEL LOCATIONS
For the 1999 Annual Conference up the creek is a good place to be. The
two conference hotels that are not actually downtown are located in Turtle
Creek, a prestigious Old Dallas neighborhood close to the downtown area.
Even the hotels nearest the Convention Center are not an easy walk. Everyone
will be riding the shuttle, which makes every location a convenient one
for attending the conference.
What's an attrition clause?
Hotel contracts for conference require TLA to pick up the tab for no-shows
and last minute cancellations. The reservation confirmation you receive will
have your hotel's cancellation date on it. If you change your plans, be sure
to call Travel Tech (1-800/355-8093) before the cutoff date of March 18 so that
the room can be resold. Also be aware that if you check out early, TLA may get
stuck with the tab because of the attrition clauses. Most of the conference
activities end with the luncheon on Friday; so unless you plan to stay in the
area anyway, you won't need a Friday night reservation.
TALL TEXAN applications reach new height
A record number of 81 applicants was received for this year's TALL Texan Leadership
Development Institute. Twenty-one members of the College and University Libraries
Division applied along with 34 members from the Public Libraries Division; 23
members from the Texas Association of School Librarians; and three members from
the Special Libraries Division. Another record was almost broken as the number
of nominees (143) was topped only by the number of 147 in 1996. The Selection
Committee held its first meeting on January 29 and the committee's final decision
of the 24 participants will be made on March 1. The Institute will be held May
31 - June 4, 1999 at the Harambe Oaks Ranch near Wimberley. This year is the sixth
year that TLA has sponsored this event.
Names in the News
Oleta Armstrong has retired as assistant
head of the Information Services for reference after serving 27 years at
the Texas Tech University Library.
Amigos Bibliographic Council announces the following hires: Glenda
Pittman has been appointed library liaison officer, and Sharla
Richards will be the field services officer.
Gleniece Robinson, formerly assistant
director of the Dallas Public Library and president-elect of the Texas
Library Association, has been appointed director of the Fort Worth Public
Library.
Death: Dolores Mathews, longtime
Austin librarian, died January 29, at the age of 96. Ms. Mathews served
as a librarian at several of the Austin Public Library branches and bookmobiles.
Dr. Robert S. Martin, Director and
Librarian of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC), has
announced that he will resign his position effective August 1999 to accept
an appointment as a member of the faculty in the School of Library and
Information Science at Texas Woman's University. Dr. Martin has guided
the TSLAC for the past four years and has guided development of standards
for Texas public school libraries, the incorporation of the TexShare academic
library consortium, and the first rounds of Internet grants for Texas public
libraries.
TLA
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