Volume 17, Number 4
June 1998
In this issue:
Texas Librarians Attend ALA Legislative Day in Washington, D.C.
Austin School Libraries Friends Group Wins FOLUSA/Baker & Taylor Award
TLA Annual Assembly Set for July 10-12
Summertime in Austin--swimming at Barton Springs, Congress Avenue bats, outdoor concerts, cruises on Town Lake, and . . .TLA Annual Assembly. It’s time again to make plans to pack up the family and head to the Capitol City to mix business with pleasure at the Texas Library Association Annual Assembly. Assembly will be held July 10-12 at the Hyatt Regency Town Lake in Austin. This meeting is primarily designed for members of TLA units (divisions, round tables, etc.) and committees to come together to plan; however, all members are welcome to attend Assembly programs and committee meetings. This year’s events promise to make this Assembly professionally rewarding while leaving time to enjoy Austin at its summertime best.
Featured Speakers
Texas Comptroller and Democratic candidate for Lieutenant Governor, John Sharp, will speak at the all-Assembly luncheon to be held Saturday, July 11.
Mr. Sharp will outline the themes of his candidacy and his views on Texas libraries, then will be available to answer questions from TLA members at the luncheon. Rick Perry was also invited to attend, but declined.
In a program that has become an annual tradition, officials of Texas state agencies will brief attendees on plans to serve libraries in a program to be held the evening of Friday, July 10. Robert Martin, director and librarian of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission, will update attendees on the status of the State Library’s budget request and provide the latest information on TexShare and other projects. Anita Givens of the Texas Education Agency will describe the development of the TEA budget and the status of projects such as the Texas Library Connection.
Other Activities
If you enjoy hearing a good story, bring your kids and come to the Storytelling Showcase presented by members of the Storytelling Round Table to be held Friday evening, July 10. Returning by popular demand will be a session on how to plan and stage a successful conference program. A separate program will provide guidance to councilors and others on parliamentary procedure.
Another important activity at Annual Assembly will be the development of the TLA legislative platform for the upcoming session of the Texas Legislature. Recommendations on such issues as TexShare, school library support, and public library districts are expected.
If you are a unit officer or serve on a TLA committee, you will receive a packet of information. Other interested persons may contact the TLA office at 800-580-2852 or 512-328-1518 for Assembly materials. There is no registration fee required; however, lunch tickets must be purchased in advance for $18.50.
Two Texas librarians were elected to serve on the American Library Association Council, the policy-making body of ALA. Robert Martin, director and librarian of the Texas State Library, and Pamela Bonnell, director of the Waco-McClennan County Library in Waco, were elected to the ALA Council along with 24 other librarians from across the country. Sarah Long, director of the North Suburban Library System in Illinois, won election as president-elect of the ALA. Both candidates for ALA president--Ms. Long and Martín Gómez, director of the Brooklyn Public Library--were present at the TLA Annual Conference in San Antonio.
In other election news, Larry L. Hardesty, director of the Abell Library at Austin College, was chosen president-elect of the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL), a division of ALA. Also, Dana Rooks, dean of library services at the University of Houston, and Paul Dumont of Dallas County Community College were each elected to a four-year terms as directors-at-large on the ACRL board. Rose Treviño of the San Antonio Public Library and TLA member Oralia Garza de Cortes were both elected to the 2000 Caldecott Committee. Catharine D. Cook of Fort Worth Public Library was elected to the Library Development Cluster of the Public Library Association, and Chandler Jackson of Tarleton State University won a slot as member-at-large on the Fund Raising and Financial Development Section of the Library and Management Association, a division of ALA.
Texas Librarians Attend ALA Legislative Day in Washington, D.C.
A group of 22 Texas librarians and library supporters journeyed to Washington, D.C., in early May to participate in American Library Association Legislative Day. On May 4 and 5, the librarians and library supporters visited the offices of every member of the Texas delegation--30 representatives and two senators.
The group urged federal legislators to support a variety of funding and policy issues for libraries. Among them is an attempt to increase the appropriation for the Library Services and Technology Act to the authorized level of $160 million and to fully fund the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. The Texas group also asked that legislators explore alternatives to requiring filters in libraries receiving E-rate discounts for telecommunications services and expressed their concern that the E-rate stay in place at the levels approved by Congress. Regarding the complex issue of copyright, the Texas librarians urged legislators to support bills that balance the rights of copyright holders and the long-recognized Fair Use needs of librarians, educators, and the public.
Texas library delegation to ALA legislative day was: Susan Allison, Dale Fleeger, Linda Garrett, Rhoda Goldberg, Carlyn Gray, Barbara Gubbin, Pat Heath, Selene Hinojosa, Lee Hisle, Gretchen Hoffmann, Jaye McLaughlin, Susan Mann, Robert Martin, Ruth Semrau, Gracelyn Shea, Cyd Sheffy, Mark Smith, Patricia Smith, Grace Stroud, Rebecca Sullivan, L.G. Swift, and Rebecca Walls. Ruth Semrau and Rhoda Goldberg served as principal organizers for Legislative Day with the help of Gretchen McCord Hoffmann and Scherel Carver, who made all legislative appointments even though she could not attend.
Salado Voters Approve Library
District
Becomes second library district in Texas under 1997 law
Voters in the Central Texas community of Salado voted May 5 to approve the creation of the Salado Public Library District. Salado thus becomes the second library district to be created in Texas under a law passed in the last session of the Texas Legislature which permits voters to choose to dedicate a portion of sales tax revenue to support library services.
Salado voters approved the additional half-cent sales tax by a two-to-one margin. The district boundaries will be the same as the current Salado Independent School District boundaries and will include about 3,500 residents, slightly more than the 3,266 assigned to the Salado Public Library under Texas Library System rules.
In approving the library district, voters also selected the district’s first governing board. The board is already meeting; however, the district will not officially take effect until the start of the next fiscal year September 1. The district will generate approximately $65,000 to $75,000 in revenue for the library. The library’s current annual revenue is about $20,000. Library Director Patty Campbell’s first priority will be to hire an additional staff person. Currently, she is the only staff person, working 20 hours per week.
Austin School Libraries Friends Group Wins
FOLUSA/Baker & Taylor Award
Award to be presented at ALA Annual Conference
Austin Readers for School Libraries is the recipient of a national award recognizing the effectiveness of the group’s work to improve libraries in the Austin Independent School District.
The Austin Readers is the winner of the 1998 Friends of School Library/Media Center Award from the Friends of Libraries, U.S.A. (FOLUSA), sponsored by Baker & Taylor Books. The $1,000 cash award will be presented at the American Library Association Annual Conference in Washington, D.C. on June 27.
The Austin Readers for School Libraries was formed in 1996 by a group of library supporters who had been alarmed by school administration plans to curtail staffing and services in several campus libraries and wanted to establish an on-going group to work with school libraries. The group has worked to increase funding for AISD libraries and has also recruited a number of volunteers to assist in school libraries.
Last December, the Austin Readers set up a gift books program in cooperation with two Austin book stores—Book People and Toad Hall—to encourage holiday shoppers to donate the purchase of a new book to a school library.
The project resulted in the purchase of over 150 new children’s books for 10 AISD libraries that serve disadvantaged populations.
“We are delighted with the recognition,” said Austin Readers President Larry Elsner. “We hope this award will help us recruit the participation of more members of the community who value the important role of school libraries.”
Susan Allison WIns 1998 Siddie Joe Johnson Award
Susan Allison, youth services supervisor for the Richardson Public Library, is the winner of the 1998 Siddie Joe Johnson award presented annually by the Children’s Round Table. Susan received her award at the Texas Bluebonnet Award luncheon at the Texas Library Association annual meeting in San Antonio on Friday, April 3.
Among her many accomplishments, Ms. Allison is responsible for the highly successful weeklong “Richardson Reads” project in 1997 that inspired many parents and community leaders to participate in a weeklong series of activities to promote reading and library use in Richardson.
DPL's Erik Jonsson Library Gets $1M Gift
The Dallas Public Library’s J. Erik Jonsson Central Library is the recipient of a $1 million donation from local philanthropist Nancy Hamon. The gift will be used to renovate a portion of the fifth floor of the Central Library and create the Nancy and Jake L. Hamon Oil and Gas Resource Center. The new Center will be located in the Business and Technology Division of the Central Library.
Work on the project is scheduled to begin in June 1998 with completion by September 1998.
Four Texans Named Spectrum Scholars
Four Texans are among the 50 winners selected to receive American Library Association Spectrum Scholarships. The four winners from Texas are Valarie Charbeneau of San Antonio, Garciela Cortez of Grand Prairie, Naomi Dominguez of San Antonio, and Maria Garcia of Mesquite.
ALA launched the Spectrum initiative in 1997 to award $5,000 scholarships in library education to 150 minority students over three years. The Texas Library Association Executive Board voted in December to supplement the Spectrum Scholarships with an additional $2,000 for any Spectrum student who attends an ALA-accredited school in Texas. Texas has three accredited library science programs: Texas Woman’s University, the University of North Texas (both in Denton), and The University of Texas at Austin.
It is not yet known how many Spectrum scholarship recipients will enroll in Texas schools, or which of the Texas recipients will attend library school in Texas. One recipient, however, Ms. Myra Brown of Las Cruces, New Mexico, has indicated that she will attend The University of Texas at Austin.
The American Library Association received 101 applications for Spectrum scholarships in the first round with the following ethnic breakdown: 61 African American, 21 Hispanic, 17 Asian/Pacific, and two Native American.
TWU and UNT Announce Distance Learning MLS Project
Texas Woman’s University and the University of North Texas, both located in Denton, have announced that they will cooperate to offer a master’s degree in library science via distance learning in four areas of the state.
The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board approved the program in April with a start date planned for September 1998. TWU and UNT will deliver the library education program to Edinburg, Texarkana, Abilene, and Wichita Falls using interactive television. Partnering with these universities will be the University of Texas-Pan American, Midwestern State University, Abilene Christian University, and Texas A&M University in Texarkana.
Students will complete their degrees by taking classes on interactive television each Saturday and by taking onsite elective courses at one of the four partner universities.
To participate, students must enroll to begin in September 1998. For further information, contact UNT at 940-565-3567, e-mail: Totten@lis.unt.edu; or contact TWU at 940-898-2602, e-mail: Slis@twu.edu.
The program is unique in that it is the first such cooperative program to offer an ALA-accredited MLS, and because of the variety of public and private schools collaborating.
Public Library Standards Forum Set for Assembly
The TLA ad hoc Committee on Public Library Standards will hold an open hearing at TLA Annual Assembly. The hearing will be an opportunity for members to tell the committee their views on the development of standards for public libraries. This hearing is one of many such forums the committee expects to hold across Texas during the next 12 to 18 months.
“I hope that TLA members will attend the meeting and share their views on what specific areas and levels of service they would like to see in the standards and what they hope the standards will accomplish,” commented Committee Chair Eva Poole, director of the Denton Public Library.
The Public Library Standards Committee was formed by then TLA President Barbara Immroth and charged with the development of quantitative and qualitative standards for public libraries. The committee has met once in Austin on May 15. At this meeting, the committee looked at standards from many states and identified those standards that are most applicable, then decided to explore with members the possibility of creating three levels of service for public libraries: essential, enhanced, and excellent. No further detail has yet been developed, and TLA members are urged to comment on the concept of the levels and what they recommend regarding content.
The standards hearing will be held Friday, July 10, 2:30-3:30 p.m. All members are invited to attend and offer their comments and guidance on this important process.
TLA Establishes Listserv Forum for the Discussion of Public Library Standards
Alistserv has been established for use by TLA members who wish to discuss the development of public library standards. It is the hope of the Public Library Standards Committee that this listserv will generate comments about the process from public librarians and will also be used to disseminate information about the public library standards process. Any member with an interest in contributing to an ongoing discussion of standards for public libraries is urged to join the list.
To join the list, send an e-mail message to: majordomo@io.com
Do not put a subject line, in the body of the e-mail message, type: subscribe tla-publibstandards
You should be notified immediately that you have been automatically subscribed.
To Our Corporate Sponsors: TLA Thanks You!
TLA would like to take this opportunity to thank its friends and sponsors whose support makes possible many of our activities. Thank you!
Gold Contributors
Silver Contributors
Bronze Contributors
TLA Library Endowment and Advancement
Funds (LEAF)
Donations as of June 5, 1998
Many thanks to all who have contributed to the LEAF campaign. Contributions may be sent to the TLA office at any time throughout the year.
Guardian $500-$749
Elizabeth Crabb Fund
Maribelle & Col. Reeve Davis
Mentor $100-$249
Area of Greatest Need
Mr. & Mrs. B. J. Saulsbury
Mr. & Mrs. Stephen W. Moncla
Elizabeth Crabb Fund
Catherine Ensign
Jo Ann Oliphant (in memory of Brian Cressner)
Heartsill Young
Hetherington Leadership Fund
Reginald & Frances Knowles
Donor Up to $49
Area of Greatest Need
Frances DeCordova
Elmer G. Sackman, Jr.
Elizabeth Crabb Fund
Marvin Rich
Wayne Williams Fund
Mary Lou Reddick
TLA Co-Sponsors Community Networking Conference
A number of Texas librarians participated in a one-day conference on creating
community networks held in Austin on June 5. Conference attendees heard
presentations from a variety of speakers who described the benefits of community
networks, how to create them, and what to watch out for. “Online Community
Networks for Texas” was a preliminary event to a larger conference on
the topic to be held in Austin December 13-15, 1998.
The Texas Library Association, in cooperation with several other governmental, non-profit, and private-sector companies, participated in planning the conference. The event was supported by contributions from GTE and Southwestern Bell.
Names in the News
Adrian Alexander, previously of Faxon company, has been appointed the first Executive Director of the Big Twelve Plus Research Library Consortium in Kansas City, Missouri.
Anthony Dorris, librarian at Schulze Elementary in the Irving ISD, was selected Teacher of the Year for 1998 by faculty at his school.
Liz Haynes has accepted a position as instructor at the School of Library and Information Science at the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg.
Ramiro Salazar, director of the Dallas Public Library, has been named 1998 REFORMA Librarian of the Year. The award will be presented at the ALA Annual Conference in Washington, D.C., on June 29.
Jill Sumpter has been appointed branch manager of the Bob Lutts Fulshear/Simonton Branch of the Fort Bend County Libraries. The new branch opened this May.
Deaths
Lyle Barrett, known to Texas librarians as the creator of PO Box Rubberstamps, died on March 3, 1998.
