Volume 16, Number 6
September/October 1997
In this issue:
1997 Texas Book Festival: Celebrating Book, Reading . . . and Libraries!
Harrington Library Consortium Establishes Helen Riepma Legislative Fund
Sam Houston State University to Sponsor Young Adult Conference
TLA Launches Membership Campaign
The Texas Library Association Membership Committee and the TLA staff have launched a membership recruitment and renewal campaign with a commitment of achieving a longstanding goal of 10,000 members by the year 2000. Energized by the challenge of increasing membership by 53% in three years , the committee and staff are armed with a variety of arguments and strategies for recruiting new members--including cold, hard cash.
$250 Reward for Recruiting!
To stimulate current TLA members to recruit their colleagues, the membership committee is offering a $250 reward to the member who brings in the most new members (see the enclosed flier for more information).
You could use $250, right? So why not make a run for the award. It’s not that hard. Just make a bunch of copies of the form on the back of the flier and take them with you wherever you go. Give them to your colleagues in the office, to folks you see at meetings, and to your friends and family members (non-librarians can join for only $15).
Give them a form and say, “You know, TLA is a really great organization. I think you should join.” Then, they might ask you something like, “Why should I?” And you’ll be ready for them, because we’re going to provide you with all the reasons it’s good to be a TLA member. Read on.
“Why Should I Join TLA?”
There are many great reasons to join TLA. First, there are lots of benefits to TLA members. You get:
• reduced rates for the annual conference• an annual subscription to the Texas Library Journal (have you seen the Journal lately? It looks really good, and the articles are all written by Texas librarians for Texas librarians)
• an annual subscription to TLACast to keep you informed of what’s happening in the associa- tion and in Texas libraries
• free membership in one division and one round table or interest group
• scholarship opportunities
• professional liability insurance designed specifically for librarians for only $28 per year
• TLA MasterCard for approved applicants
• discounted long distance service
But TLA offers something even more substantial for its members than that. It serves as an advocacy group for Texas academic, public, school, and special libraries and librarians. TLA speaks up for you by:
• directly lobbying for libraries in the Texas Legislature• representing Texas libraries with state agencies such as the Texas Education Agency and the State Board for Educator Certification
• promoting higher salaries for librarians
• supporting intellectual freedom
And if all this weren’t enough, TLA provides a unique environment of cooperation, idea-sharing, and networking that is invaluable in building your career and improving your library service. TLA’s mentoring program matches experienced librarians with new folks, and TLA’s many continuing education events offer librarians the opportunity to meet each other and learn about what’s going on across the state.
Who Should Join?
Ben Wakashige, chair of the TLA Membership Committee, says, “To continue to thrive, TLA needs the involvement of a broad group of library supporters and staff: MLS and non-MLS, paraprofessionals, trustees, administrators and ‘front line’ staff. Spread the word. TLA will be stronger; and, who knows, you might end up with a little spending money to boot!”
Dan Rather, Julia Alvarez to Speak at TLA 1998 Conference
CBS Evening News anchor Dan Rather and critically acclaimed novelist Julia Alvarez have been confirmed as featured speakers at the 1998 Texas Library Association Annual Conference. The conference will be held in San Antonio, April 1-4, 1998.
Rather, a
native Texan, has been the anchor and managing editor of the CBS Evening News
since 1981 and is also the anchor of the CBS news magazine, 48 Hours.
During his 34 years with CBS News, Rather has held many prestigious positions, including serving as the co-editor of 60 Minutes and as news bureau chief in London and Saigon.
Rather began his career in journalism in 1950 as an Associated Press reporter in Huntsville, Texas. Later he was a reporter for the United Press International, the Houston Chronicle, and KTRK-TV in Houston.
Julia Alvarez
is a native of the Dominican Republic from which her family fled when she was
10 years old. Alvarez’s remarkable books document the struggles and dangers
of her youth.
Alvarez’s first novel, How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents, (1991) was selected as an ALA Notable Book and won the PEN Oakland/Josephine Miles prize. It is read in high schools, colleges and book clubs throughout the U.S.
In the Time of Butterflies (1994) won the National Book Critics Circle Award. Alvarez’s third novel, ¡Yo! was published this year.
Of her writing, Alvarez has commented, “What made me into a writer was coming to this country . . . all of a sudden losing a culture, a homeland, a language, a family . . . I wanted a portable homeland. And that’s the imagination.”
TLA Member Issues Challenge to Aid Colorado Library
John Slate, chair elect of the TLA Archives and Local History Round Table and curator of the Texas African American Photography Archive in Dallas, has issued a challenge to fellow TLA members to rally to the aid of the library at Colorado State University. Nearly 80 percent of the library’s entire collection was destroyed when floods ravaged Fort Collins this summer. The remainder of the collection has been sent to Denver or Boulder for conservation.
Mr. Slate began his drive by donating to the library a gift certificate for University Products that he won at a raffle. “They can use it much more than I can,” he comments. “I urge all of my colleagues in the library and archives fields to show some sort of support, be it emotional or tangible,” says Mr. Slate.
Donations may be sent to: Morgan Library Flood Relief Fund (Bank Account #47943), CSU Foundation, Colorado State University, Box 1879, Fort Collins, CO 80522.
1997 Texas Book Festival: Celebrating
Books, Reading . . . and Libraries!
First Lady Laura Bush honorary chairman; over 100 authors to
attend
On November 1 and 2, authors, readers, librarians, and book lovers will descend on Austin for the second annual Texas Book Festival. The two-day event will feature readings, programs, and special activities celebrating Texas books and authors and is designed to raise money for Texas public libraries.
First Lady
of Texas Mrs. Laura Bush is the Honorary Chairman and driving force behind the
Book Festival. Under Mrs. Bush’s continuing guidance, this year’s
festival promises to build on last year’s success with readings and panel
discussions by more than 100 Texas authors.
Festival attendees will have the opportunity to meet their favorite authors, collect autographed editions, and hear them speak and read from their works.
A gala black-tie dinner held Saturday, November 1, will feature four distinguished authors reading from their works: Carlos Fuentes, Jim Lehrer, Naomi Shihab Nye, and Larry King.
Outdoor events at this year’s festival include book signings and sales by featured authors, sales of books and book related merchandise by 80 vendors, activities for children, musical entertainment, and refreshments. Outdoor activities will take place on the west side of the Capitol between 11th and 13th Streets.
In addition to these outdoor activities, a series of readings and panel discussions by featured authors will be held in the Capitol and Capitol Extension .
In addition to the support of the First Lady and an active group of volunteers, the festival has garnered the generous support of a number of corporations led by the event’s chief sponsor, NationsBank, and including AT&T, the Austin American Statesman, KGSR Radio, and Texas Monthly.
All proceeds from the festival will benefit Texas public libraries. Last year’s festival raised about $125,000 that went to 40 public libraries through a competitive application process.
Confirmed Authors:
The following is a partial list of authors confirmed for this year’s festival and the title of their most recently published book:
There will also be panels of children’s authors discussing their writings and signing their books including Diana Gonzales Bertrand, Angela Medearis, and Ana Sisnett.
Tickets available
TLA has several tickets available for the Texas Book Festival Gala for TLA members at the reduced price of $150 per ticket. If you would like to purchase a ticket to this exciting event to benefit public libraries, contact Patricia Smith, TLA executive director, at 800/580-2852 or 512/328-1518 in Austin or by e-mail at pats@txla.org.
State Agency News
TIF Announces Public Library Internet
Grants
The Telecommunications Infrastructure Fund (TIF) Board has announced the availability of approximately $7.7 million in non-competitive grants to Texas public libraries for new Internet connections. The grants are available to any public library in Texas that has not previously received a grant from the Texas State Library and Achives Commission for Internet connections.
Libraries can apply for Internet grants under one of two programs. Program A will fund grants for dial-up access for libraries with annual circulation of fewer than 100,000 items, no existing Internet access, and Internet point-of-presence available in the local calling area. Grants under program A will not exceed $10,000 and will fund basic Internet connectivity including installation fees, training, two PCs, two modems, two printers, and software.
Program B provides grants for direct access to libraries that have an annual circulation of over 100,000 and Internet point-of-presence available in the local calling area. Grants under program B will not exceed $100,000, with a maximum of $50,000 available for a single site library.
A complete set of grant guidelines is available from the TIF Board and is posted on the TIF web page (http://www.tifb.state.tx.us/rfp/1997/lib/librfp.html).
Librarian Helps Write Best TIF
Proposal
Top-scoring proposal featured on TIF Web page
When the school superintendent in the tiny community of Earth in far west Texas picked librarian Linda Thompson to help write their TIF proposal, he picked the right person. Not only did the Springlake-Earth proposal get funded, it received the top score from reviewers and is now featured on the TIF Board web page as an example of excellence.
“I tell
people they can have autographed copies for a nominal fee,” jokes Ms. Thompson,
who directs the combined school-public library facility serving students and
faculty in the Springlake-Earth ISD as well as the entire population of 1,847
in the two communities.
Ms. Thompson returned from a workshop at the Education Service Center ready to help her district re-apply for a TIF grant. Her superintendent immediately appointed her and two other teachers to a writing team and after several lengthy sessions, they developed the proposal which can be read in its entirety on the TIF web page at http://www.tifb. state.tx.us.
“We are lucky to have a visionary superintendent,” Ms. Thompson comments. “Our application stressed that we serve every member of the communty--students, the public, even college students.”
Ms. Thompson is enthusiastic about the potential of combined libraries: “I think that if it is set up right--and I stress that it must be set up right--for the smaller communities, this is really the way to go.”
Texas State Library Creates New Resource Sharing Division
The Texas State Library and Archives Commission has announced the creation of a new division to oversee its various statewide resource sharing projects. The location of the TexShare academic library project at the State Library has brought the library’s resource sharing projects “to a critical mass,” in the words of State Librarian Robert S. Martin.
Joining TexShare in the new division will be statewide interlibrary loan, the Texas Publications Depository Program, the Texas State Electronic Library, and the Texas Records and Information Locator Project. The agency is currently advertising for a director for this new division.
Growth of the Texas Library
Connection
Over 2,000 Campus members
The Texas Library Connection, the statewide school library resource sharing project operated by the Texas Education Agency, has now completed three full years of growth. Over 2,000 campuses have now merged their catalogs into the TLC database, representing 9 million items and over 1.3 million unique records.
The mission of the Texas Library Connection is to insure that all citizens of its school communities are provided current, relevant information resources regardless of a district’s size or geographic location. This mission is accomplished through a statewide resource sharing system, facilitation of library administration and collection development, access to full-text databases, and by enhanced school library participation in statewide networking initiatives.
The Texas Library Connection is available to all Texas students and all staff in curriculum areas. A recent survey indicated that 99.5% of all Texas school districts that are not already participating in TLC have plans to do so. Typically, these districts must overcome certain obstacles to participating such as the absence of robust Internet connections; insufficient number of available workstations; lack of library automation; and the absence of a librarian in the district.
Harrington Library Consortium
Establishes Helen Riepma Legislative Fund
The Harrington Library Consortium Users Group (HUG) has established a fund in memory of Helen J. Riepma. The fund will be called the HUG Legislative Fund and will be administered by the HUG Executive Board. The fund will provide assistance to the Texas Panhandle librarians or lay persons to attend legislative activities pertaining to the library profession. Legislative Days in either Austin or Washington, D.C. are two of the events for which the fund could be used.
Helen Riepma was devoted to libraries and labored extensively to promote legislative efforts on behalf of libraries. Ms. Riepma was killed in an automobile accident in 1996.
An initial donation of $250 was made by the members of the Harrington Users Group. An additional donation in memory of Margie Montgomery, sister of Jewell Austin, librarian at Clarendon College, was made the same day. Contributions and memorials may be made to the fund in care of the Harrington Library Consortium. As the fund grows and endures, it will enable librarians and library supporters to follow Helen’s example in showing their commitment to Texas libraries.
Contributions to the Helen Riepma fund or inquiries may be sent to:
HUGLF, P.O. Box 447, Amarillo, TX 79109-0001.
Laura Edwards Memorial Stipend
On February 26, 1996, the library community lost a dear friend and committed professional leader, Laura Edwards. Because she believed in and actively supported professional involvement in the Texas Library Association, the Laura Edwards Memorial Stipend was established to honor her memory.
The Children’s Round Table (CRT) and the TexasAssociation of School Librarians (TASL) joint scholarship committee will annually award stipends of $400 for librarians involved in youth services, either in a school or public library in Texas. The objective of the TLA Conference Scholarship Stipend is to encourage membership and participation in the TASL, CRT, and TLA. Recipients will gain insight into the organization and the work of these groups through attendance at committee meetings and participation in the annual TLA conference.
Among the criteria to be met to receive the stipend are that the applicant must be employed in a Texas school or public library in a position directly involved with young people must agree to join CRT and TASL, and agree to work three hours as a volunteer at the TLA conference.
For more information and to apply, contact: Donna Pohl, ESC Region XV, P.O. Box 5199, San Angelo, TX 76902.
Deadline for submitting an application is December 15, 1997.
Call for Nominations for Highsmith Award
The second Highsmith Innovation Award for recognition of a library’s achievement in planning and implementing an innovative program or service will be presented at the Texas Library Association Annual Conference in April 1998. The purpose of the annual award is to encourage innovation by highlighting a library program or service that has had a measurable impact on its users. The program or service may involve creativity in staffing, administration, governance, use of volunteers, or service to the public. The project submitted must have occurred within the last three calendar years.
Libraries of any size or type are eligible for the award and are encouraged to apply. The award will consist of $1,000 and a plaque to be presented by Highsmith, Inc.
The nomination should provide, in no more than two single spaced pages, a description of the project, how it is creative or innovative, how it impacted users, and how the impact was measured. For further information or to submit a nomination, contact Andrea Lapsley, Chair, ad hoc Highsmith Innovation Award Committee, Houston Public Library, 500 McKinney, Houston, TX 77002. Nominations must be postmarked by January 12, 1998.
Texas Bluebonnet Award Videos Available
A videotape introducing the 20 books on the 1997-1998 Texas Bluebonnet Award master list is available from the Texas Library Association. Puppets introduce and promote each of the titles on this year’s list. The video can be purchased from TLA for $20. Please direct your order to Texas Bluebonnet Award, Texas Library Association, 3355 Bee Cave Road, Suite 401, Austin, TX 78746-6763. Payment must be sent with the order and no purchase orders can be accepted.
A videotape of the 1997 Texas Bluebonnet Award acceptance speech by Jon Scieszka is also available and can be ordered from the Texas Education Agency. Institutions that wish to obtain tapes should follow these procedures:
Send these materials to:
Video Center, Texas Education Agency, 1701 North Congress Avenue, Austin, TX 78701-1494.
Is your school library registered to participate in the 1997-1998 Texas Bluebonnet Award program? If not, call 800/580-2852, or 328-1518 in Austin, for registration information.
Woll Memorial Fund Established
Christina B. Woll, who died in January 1996, was a long-time supporter of TLA and children’s librarianship. Although she served as coordinator for library services for the El Paso ISD for twenty years, TASL chair, District 6 chair, and chair of the TLA Publications Committee, she is especially remembered for her work with the Texas Bluebonnet Award Committee.
The
Christina B. Woll Memorial Fund has been established to perpetuate Ms. Woll’s
love of reading and commitment to provide quality literature for children. Two
awards of $1,000 each will be granted at the 1998 TLA Annual Conference to school
or public libraries that demonstrate one or more of the following:
For more information and to submit an application, contact: Ruth Dahlstrom, Chair, Woll Memorial Fund Committee, P.O. Box 830, Goliad, TX 77963. The deadline to submit applications is December 15, 1997.
A retooled TLA Web Page went online in September. The front page has been redesigned to make it easier for visitors to find what they are looking for on the site and revamped pages on the site will eventually make it easier to move between pages. Come check it out, especially if you haven’t visited for awhile--there’s plenty of new material and updates.
Beginning the first week of November, TLA’s listing of library jobs in Texas will be recorded on Thursdays, rather than Fridays. For those calling the Jobline, this should have no significant impact, as that service is on a dedicated telephone line (512/328-0651), available 24 hours a day. For employers wishing to list positions, this change means that job notices--both initial and renewals--need to be received at the TLA office no later than noon on Thursdays. The online listings will continue to be updated weekly and will generally remain on the electronic version for longer periods than on the voice-recorded version. The Jobline is a free service to library employers in Texas. For additional information, contact Haven Whatley Toothman at the Texas Library Association, 3355 Bee Cave Road, #401, Austin, TX 78746-6763; 800/580-2TLA; havenwt@txla.org.
Two TLA round tables have established listservs for their members. Library Services to the Spanish Speaking Round Table and the Acquisitions Round Table are now available to TLA members who opt to join these round tables. Members of these round tables wishing to subscribe to these lists should send mail to marks@txla.org.
Would you like to send e-mail to TLA staff? Here are our addresses:
Sam Houston State University to Sponsor
Young Adult Conference
Sam Houston State University Department of Library Science will sponsor the Eleventh Annual Young Adult Conference Saturday, November 1. Keynote speakers will include YA authors Bruce Brooks, Caroline Cooney, and Will Hobbs. Patty Campbell and several Texas authors will also be presenters.
Workshop sessions will explore various topics such as storytelling, book talking, and programming. Registration is $75 after October 1. Fees include lunch, refreshments, and a packet of materials on YA literature. For more information, contact Dr. Teri S. Lesesne, YAC Conference Coordinator, P.O. Box 2236, Huntsville, Texas 77341-1151 or by e-mail at tsl@tenet.edu.
Nominations Wanted for Siddie Joe Johnson Award
Nominations are now being accepted for the prestigious Siddie Joe Johnson Award. The award, given annually at the TLA conference, recognizes an outstanding Texas librarian who works with children from pre-school through eighth grade and who has been active within the past twelve months. Nominees are evaluated on the basis of outstanding or innovative programs, a sustained high level of performance, leadership ability, involvement in professional organizations, community involvement, and cooperation with parents and other libraries, especially outside their own library system.
Information requested for nominations is limited to five pages, including letters of recommendation received from colleagues and employers as well as supporting data, such as examples of work, news articles, and publicity for exemplary programs. The recipient will be honored at the 1998 Texas Bluebonnet Award Luncheon at TLA Conference in San Antonio.
The SJJ Award was named in honor of Siddie Joe Johnson who served as children’s librarian and coordinator of children’s services for the Dallas Public Library for 27 years.
Nomination information and forms are available from Genie Hammel, past chair of CRT and chair of the Siddie Joe Johnson Award Committee.
Nominations and supporting data should be sent by February 1, 1998, to: Genie Hammel, Plano Public Library, 1501 18th Street , Plano, TX 75074; e-mail: genieh@plano.linux.gov.
Names in the News
Beth Little Bormann, formerly the library director in Carrollton, has been appointed assistant city manager.
Becky Garcia is the new technology coordinator for the Austin ISD. Ms. Garcia had previously been with Dynix/Scholar and at the Texas State Library as an automation consultant.
Stephanie Green is the new librarian at ESC Region IV in Houston.
Claudette Hagle has retired from the William Blakley Library at the University of Dallas.
TLA President Barbara Immroth is the proud grandmother of Carolina Isabella Immroth. Carolina is Ms. Immroth’s first grandchild and also the niece of Houston Public librarian, Gretchen Schweiger.
F&S Partners, architects, announces that Lynn Lorch Metz is the new director of interiors. Ms. Metz’s past projects include the Dallas Children’s Public Library.
Betty Ozbun is the new librarian at Allan Elementary in the Austin ISD. Ms. Ozbun had been children’s specialist at the Harris County Public Library.
Maureen Pastine, formerly of the SMU library, has been appointed university librarian at Temple University in Philadelphia.
Mary Ellen Scribner, formerly of the Round Rock ISD, is now the librarian at the Anglo-American Upper School in Moscow, Russia.
Claudia Schaffer is the new electronic instruction librarian at UT Austin.
Megan Spencer, formerly of the Austin Independent School District, is now the director of library services at Round Rock ISD.
Amanda Spink, assistant professor of library science at the University of North Texas, has been awarded a $75,000 research grant from the National Science Foundation.
Tom Wilding, director of libraries at UT Arlington, has been voted president elect of the Library Administration and Management Association.
Death
TLA members express their sympathies to Linda Garrett of the Dallas ISD for the death of her husband.
Stipends and Scholarships Available from TLA
The Texas Library Association makes available a number of scholarships, stipends and grants for Texas members. The Ray C. Janeway Scholarship ($2,000), the TLA Summer School Scholarship ($500), and the Van Dusen Scholarship ($1,000) are currently available. The Demco/TLA Research Grant will fund up to $2,000 for research in library related issues. The $250 Escue Stipend is available to a paraprofessional working in the Austin/South Texas area. Other stipends, such as the Laura Edwards Stipend (see p. 5), are available from units . For more information, visit the TLA web page at http://www.txla.org (under “Services, Benefits, and Membership.”) or contact Daniel Jones, chair, TLA Scholarship and Research Committee, Briscoe Library-U T Health Science Center, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, San Antonio, TX 78284.
A Tip of the Hat to . . .
The Friends and Trustees and the Media and Related Technologies Round Tables for their support of TALL Texans, and to all the TLA units that have supported this and other worthy projects. We couldn’t do it without you!
