Volume 25, No. 4 - DECEMBER 2006
 Published by the Texas Library Association
Beating the Drums for Libraries:

 

        Legislative Day
        February 5 -6, 2007

The Texas 80th Legislature will convene on January 9, 2007, and it’s time for library supporters to beat the drum for Texas libraries. This legislative session will likely deal with issues affecting all types of libraries. From local tax authorities to education reforms, changes in higher education to reviews of the state’s telecommunications services, legislative initiatives will have a direct and indirect impact on libraries.

Of course, the library community will rally once again for library funding – from money for databases (for all libraries) and for direct aid to public libraries. We will also engage in the critical Sunset Review of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission. We’ll support educational technology initiatives at the Texas Education Agency and work toward meaningful support of all educational institutions.

This legislative session will be one for the books. We, the library community, will support the issues and funding requests we believe are necessary to the continued improvement of all libraries. Our goals are focused, consistent, and representative of our collective will and needs. But, we must all come together and make the case for funding, to build a stronger library community.

This legislative session and TLA’s Legislative Day are about us, library stakeholders fighting for our issues through whatever mechanism or agency gives us the best opportunity to accomplish our work.

 Make plans now to attend TLA’s Legislative Day, February 5 and 6, 2007 in Austin. There is no registration fee to attend, although reservations at the Hyatt on Town Lake should be made as soon as possible. The discounted TLA rate is available only through January 6, 2007. To get the special rate, simply call the Hyatt at 512/477-1234 and ask for the TLA rate for February 5 and 6.

Delegates need to arrive in Austin for a briefing on the evening of Monday, February 5 at 7 pm. At that time, everyone will receive packets of information and will attend a full briefing on the issues. Delegate Leaders (who are pre-assigned the task of coordinating and leading all visits) will be there to meet with the delegates who are within their districts.

Everyone is assigned to a group according to their senate district. Delegates typically visit their senator’s office and all the representatives whose districts are within the geographical region of the larger senate district. All TLA delegates form part of the team of librarians and library supporters making the visits and get assigned to handle certain topics/issues at various meetings.

For a registration form and tentative agenda, go to http://www.txla.org/html/legis/legday.html.

  


 Legislative Day

Conference 07

TLA News
 Men of TLA Calendar
Blogs
TALL Texans Applications
Texas Bluebonnet Award
Branding Iron Awards

Legislative Update

Library News

Grants & Awards

Names in the News

It’s That Most Wonderful
Time of the Year!

TLA membership renewal time is here! You have already received your email renewal notification. And, technology-driven library person that you are, you’ve probably already renewed online. Pat yourself on the back for being an efficient and a good library citizen.

For the rest of you who are savoring the prospect of renewing, watch for snail mail that will contain a pre-printed membership form and information on member benefits.

If you want to be environmentally conscientious , you can still renew online. If you go to the Members Only section of the TLA website, you won't have to fill in current information already on file. Just take a look at TLA’s member benefits for some added motivation.

So, kick off this special time of year by renewing your TLA membership. We need you! We want you! We love you! What other organization can say that and mean it?

Strong Libraries – Strong Communities

The 2007 TLA Annual Conference will take place April 11-14 (Wednesday through Saturday) in San Antonio. Conference information is available at http://www.txla.org/conference/conf.html.

This year’s conference will feature author Isabel Allende; “Unshelved” library comic strip creators Bill Barnes and Gene Ambaum; demographer Steve Murdock; learning specialist Stephen Krashen; “The Shifted Librarian” Jenny Levine and Internet pioneer Michael Stephens; partnership expert Gary Hartzell; OCLC’s George Needham; Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson; Internet specialist Hal Davidson; technology guru Aaron Schmidt; technology researcher Marshall Breeding; and information literacy expert Randy Hensley.

Some Highlights

Start practicing now for the second annual book cart drill team competition, which will be held Thursday, April 12 from 5 pm to 6 pm. You can show your friends just what all can be done with a little music, some choreography, and a book cart. Or, if you just want to cheer on your favorite team, plan on attending this rousing event which completely dispels the notion that book carts are only for books! The winning team will be invited to compete nationally at ALA 2007. Team preregistration is required.

Portrait in Sepia is the selection for this year’s One Book One Conference. Join in a discussion of general session speaker Isabel Allende's epic story that explores the lives, loves, struggles, and secrets of a family in 19th century revolutionary Chile. Read the book and come ready to participate in the third TLA One Book One Conference event.Coleen Grissom of Trinity University (San Antonio) will lead the discussion.

TLA News

Men of Texas Libraries Calendar

What do the The Washington Post, Dallas Morning News, Austin Business Journal, CBS 11 in Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas Public Radio, and Austin Channel 8 News all have in common? They love the Men of Texas Libraries Calendar!

 A fundraising activity for the TLA DISASTER RELIEF FUND, the calendar is also a celebration of the humor and complexity of that precious natural resource – men in library land! Let some of your favorite TLA guys accompany you through 2007 and half of 2008, month by month, in an exploration of the barely-seen side of TLA men. 

Order your prized copy of this instant collector’s item. http://www.txla.org/temp/TLAmen.html.

TLA Blogs

TLA is now making blogs available to any TLA unit wanting to host and manage a blog. We are in the process of building unit blogs and testing them, so we need your help! To access your unit blogs (and see what is available), go to the “Members Only Section” of the TLA website (www.txla.org). If you would like to start a blog for your unit (and none already exists), contact your unit chair so that the unit can begin making plans for a blog. The unit chair should contact Randy May, TLA’s network administrator, at randym@txla.org or (512)328-1518 ext. 152. The unit chair should also identify one to three people from the unit who would be willing to serve as blog moderators (managers).

TLA blogs are only for membership participation and cannot be accessed outside of the “Members Only Section” at this time. If you have any questions about creating, managing, or participating in a blog, consult the main menu in the Members Only section of the website or contact Randy May.

Want to be a TALL Texan?

Quick, unleash your magic typing fingers! The TALL Texans Leadership Development Institute is now taking applications online. The online application is available at www.txla.org/groups/talltex/apply.html.

The TALL (Texas Accelerated Library Leaders) Texans Institute provides a transformational course on leadership and management for TLA members seeking to serve their communities in a greater capacity.

The 2007 Institute will be held June 4-8 at Highland Lakes Camp on the shores of Lake Travis, approximately 35 miles west of Austin. Nationally-known presenters Maureen Sullivan and Jack Siggins will facilitate. The location offers a rustic and peaceful setting away from the hectic pace of daily work. The site provides indoor and outdoor meeting areas which offer flexibility and variety for group activities.

Start your application today to be considered for TALL Texans! The deadline is January 2, 2007.


A sponsor of the Institute

TBA List

One of the great joys of reading is that books can take us places that we could never go. The 2007- 2008 Texas Bluebonnet Master List creates such a journey, allowing readers to log millions of literary frequent flyer miles – miles that can be used for widening their imaginations, critical reading skills, and pleasure in the written word.

These young readers will visit a new world, the land of Foo (Leven Thumps and the Gateway to Foo), and revisit a familiar one in an unusual Cinderella story (Bella at Midnight). They will also encounter bullies and crooks (Roxie and the Hooligans), as well as a few Western outlaws and kind-hearted souls (The Misadventures of Maude March). They’ll watch elephants dance (Ballet of the Elephants) and visit the kitchen where potato chips were first fried (George Crum and the Saratoga Chip).

Some stops on this grand literary tour will help children discover courage: bravery during the San Francisco Earthquake of 1906 (The Earth Dragon Awakes); quiet courage in a Japanese interment camp (Weedflower); and simple valor during World War II (The Greatest Skating Race). They’ll visit Pompeii during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius and the excavation of the site (Pompeii: Lost and Found), and they’ll watch scientists uncover the mysteries of the past through technology that examines mummies (Outside and Inside Mummies).

But readers will also discover a humorous side to history as they travel to a time where technology didn’t even include what we now consider basic tools (Hubert Invents the Wheel). These readers will also find a couple of ghosts along the way (The Blue Ghost and The Ghost’s Grave); a catnapping (Who Stole Halloween?); and a science fiction puzzle that lets them wonder what it is that makes us human (Double Identity). And perhaps they’ll also think about what it is that makes a dog a dog in a canine tale that has the power to create howls of laughter (Down Girl and Sit: On the Road).

Many children will find themselves in stories of a quiet boy who must figure out the connections between inner and outer beauty (Firegirl); a loner who must cope with an imperfect family (Chicken Boy); and a young girl who finds her place in today’s world and dreams of the future (The Year of the Dog).

As librarians, each of us has the joy of job switching, of becoming travel agents as we help youngsters navigate that wonderful world of reading. It’s going to be the trip of a lifetime. Enjoy!

TLA PR Branding Iron Awards - Deadline Extended

As part of TLA’s effort to solicit examples of Texas PR activities, the Association is announcing the Texas Library PR Branding Iron Awards. TLA will offer PR awards in each of 10 categories, with one Best of Show prize, which will be announced at the TLA 2007 Annual Conference in San Antonio.

To enter, participants must submit entries to the TLA Office, ATTN: Texas Branding Iron Awards, 3355 Bee Cave Road, Ste. 401, Austin, TX 78746. The deadline is December 1, 2006.

Cover letters
 All entries must include a cover letter. Letters must:

  • be signed by an administrator of the library, organization, or group;
  • describe the PR activity in 100 words or less;
  • include the name, phone number, and email of a contact person; and
  • specify the category for which the entry is submitted. (See the list under “Categories.”)

Eligible period and supporting materials
 Entries may cover PR activities conducted since 2000. All entries and supporting materials will remain with TLA. The Association reserves the right to publish any and all entries on the TLA website as part of the “best practices” section of the TLA PR Rx Toolkit website. Only items for which the sender has copyright ownership may be sent.

Format of entries
 Entries should include no more than two pages of description. The bulk of the entry should include the actual products and examples of the PR effort. Supplemental materials may include, but are not limited to, photographs, scrapbooks, CDs, DVDs, announcements, and documents. Please note that all audio and visual materials must be submitted in digital form. No audiotapes or video tapes will be accepted.

Judging
 The entries will be judged by public relations professionals and be scored according to the quality of the final product.

Categories

  1. Outdoor Advertising: billboards, bookmobiles, etc.
  2. Editorial Page Strategies: letters-to-the-editor, guest columns, and editorials (resulting from editorial board visits)
  3. Speeches and Speakers Bureaus: programs for speakers bureaus (training materials, speeches), prepared library speeches, and elevator speeches (two-minute speeches)
  4. Broadcast Advertising (paid or earned): PSAs, TV/radio coverage/ads, interviews, etc.
  5. Print Media Advertising (paid or earned)
  6. Non traditional media promotions: blogs, online auctions, list announcements, etc.
  7. Special Events
  8. PR Plan for either year-round activities or a special event
  9. Brands and logos
  10. Collateral Materials: give-aways, specialty items, that prized book bag, etc.

Legislative & Policy Updates

Long Range Plan for Technology Approved

The State Board of Education approved the Long Range Plan for Technology last month. The Plan included recommendations to try to once again fund school library databases and to promote school library standards. The Plan must now be incorporated into the Texas Education Agency’s long-term strategic planning. No budget recommendations concerning the plan are included in the agency’s budget for the upcoming biennium.

State Library Revises Budget

During the October 27th State Library Commission meeting, state librarian Peggy Rudd announced that she was revising the agency’s Legislative Appropriations Request (LAR) for 2008-2009, which had been approved by the Commission on August 4, 2006. The changes were limited to “in-strategy” funding, meaning that the revisions did not change the total dollars finalized in the Legislative Appropriations Request (LAR). “In-strategy” funding refers to budget allocations designated for particular programs within a broader sphere of funding priorities, or strategies. The library development strategy, for example, includes funding for the Library Systems program and direct aid to libraries. Most of the changes were made in the area of library development.

Agency staff and commissioners noted the broad and extensive communications they had received stating concern over several aspects of the budget, in particular, the cuts to the Library Systems program. The agency now proposes to fund both the Systems and TANG grants at $6.0 million in 2008 (as opposed to the $4.675 detailed in the LAR) and $5.25 million in 2009 (as opposed to the $3.9 million detailed in the LAR). The agency has postponed the reinstatement of two grant programs until 2009 and is allocating a smaller budget to those competitive grants in order to offset some of the cuts made to the Library Systems program.

State Library Sunset Hearing

The Texas Sunset Advisory Commission met in Austin on Tuesday, Nov. 14, and heard testimony on the Sunset staff recommendations for the Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC). The Sunset Commission will make final decisions about the Sunset staff’s recommendations for the agency on December 12 and 13.

Rule Changes

The Texas State Library and Archives Commission has published notice of rule changes for library grant programs and the TexShare program. For a detailed list of changes, see the November 10, 2006 issue of the Texas Register (http://www.sos.state.tx.us/texreg/sos/index.html).

LSL Funding Formula Task Force

Kerry McGeath of the Southlake Public Library and Willie Braudaway of the Val Verde County Library are co-chairing the State Library’s Task Force on Loan Star Libraries (LSL) formula funding. The task force is scheduled to meet on January 12, 2007. Anyone who wants to attend is welcome. The chairs are asking for feedback and suggestions from anyone interested in the process and the development of the formula. All documents and activities are posted at http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/ld/funding/loanstar/taskforce.html.

Library News


TSLAC

Renovation
The Texas State Library and Archives Commission is undergoing a multi-year renovation of its main facility in Austin, the Lorenzo de Zavala State Archives and Library Building. The State Library will remain open during the renovation but will relocate resources and service areas as needed. For safety and efficiency concerns, the hours of operation have changed. The Genealogy Collection is now open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and will be closed Saturdays and Sundays. To learn more about the renovation, visit www.tsl.state.tx.us/friends.

 More Texas Treasures
On November 3, The Texas State Library and Archives Commission officially unveiled a collection of Texas historical documents that have been on a 161-year adventure, from the hands of Sam Houston in 1845 to the Texas State Archives in 2006.

 The Texas Legation Records are a collection of some 250 documents created and received by the officials who maintained the official Texas Legation at Washington, D. C., from Dec. 1836 until Dec. 1845, when Texas was annexed into the United States. The records comprising the collection cover primarily the years 1836 to 1839 and consist mainly of the dispatches that passed between the Texan Government and its commissioners and chargés d’affaires at Washington, and of the notes exchanged by that Government and the United States chargés in Texas.

The records include:
  • Signed and certified copies of the public and private Treaties of Velasco, signed by David Burnet and Santa Anna, following the defeat of the Mexican forces at the battle of San Jacinto (Nov. 18, 1836).
  • Letter from J. Pinckney Henderson to William H. Wharton and Memucan Hunt, ordering them to negotiate with Santa Anna for an exchange of prisoners (Jan. 12, 1837).

To learn more about the collection, go to http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/news/legation.html#document.

Statewide News  

Tomas Rivera DVD on KLRU

The Tomás Rivera Mexican American Children's Book Award was created to draw attention to books that celebrate the Mexican American culture. The number of children of Mexican American culture is increasing yet the number of books that reflect their culture that they will see in school is limited. Librarians and teachers play a vital role is seeing that others learn about these books and share them with children. The books are important for students of the culture and also for those of other cultures, so that they can learn about the richness of the Mexican American culture.

KLRU will be showing the video for teachers, librarians, students, parents, and others so that they can learn about the books and those who create them.

Election Results
  • The Austin Public Library’s new Central Library Bond Proposition passed by 60% of the Austin vote. The total Central Library package is $90 million which will include constructing and equipping a 250,000 square foot new Central Library facility.
  • Irving passed a bond election that included 2 branch libraries. 
  • Voters in Longview approve the school district’s bond proposal, which included funding for school library renovations.
  • Sweeney ISD voters in Brazoria County approved a bond that would, among other items, improve the school library.
  • Voters approved the creation of the Travis County Library District.

Texas Immersion

Texas Immersion is an intensive training session focusing on information literacy in academic institutions. Held last July at the University of Houston and co-hosted by The University of Texas at Austin, Immersion is a program of the Association of College and Research Libraries’ Institute for Information Literacy.

Participants in the Texas Immersion program came from large research universities, community colleges, liberal arts colleges, and even a culinary school. Attendees, who came from throughout the state as well as some from other parts of the country, broke into two tracks: 1) the teacher track, which helped attendees develop or improve an instructional scenario, and 2) the program track, which helped attendees formulate plans to market information literacy to their campus and integrate information literacy into the curriculum. Attendees participated in track-specific and joint sessions, worked with their peers in learning communities, and were taught and mentored by five expert faculty (John Holmes and Anne Zald of the University of Washington, Susan Barnes Whyte of Linfield College, Beth Woodard of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and Dane Ward of Illinois State University).

The Texas Library Association helped support the effort and TLA’s Library Instruction Round Table, New Members Round Table, and TALL Texans Round Table each offered a $500 scholarship to TLA member attendees. The Reference Round Table donated $500 toward a special event.

For more information about future Immersion programs, go to: http://www.ala.org/ala/acrl/acrlissues/acrlinfolit/professactivity/iil/immersion/immersionprograms.htm

UHV Professor Now Editor of ABR

For nearly 30 years, the American Book Review has been a staple of the literary world, spotlighting books published by independent presses that might otherwise have difficulty reaching a national audience. This award-winning journal will now be produced by the University of Houston-Victoria.

Jeffrey Di Leo, interim dean of the School of Arts and Sciences, will become co-editor of ABR. He will manage a Victoria-based staff that will be responsible for editorial tasks including assignment of reviews; correspondence with publishers, editors and contributors; and development and arrangement of individual issues.

National News

ALA National Study of Diversity in the Workplace

The American Library Association (ALA) has released Diversity Counts, a comprehensive study of gender, race and age in the library profession. Using 1990 and 2000 Census data (the most current available), the study found that the nearly 110,000 credentialed librarians were predominantly ages 45 - 54, female and white. The number of racial and ethnic minorities receiving accredited library master's degrees (MLIS) grew 4%, up to about 13% in 2000 from 9% in 1990.

According to 2000 U.S. Census data:
  • About 25% of Americans were non-white, compared with 11% of credentialed librarians;
  • African Americans made up 5% of the profession but 12.3% of the population;
  • Latinos represented 2% of the profession and 12.5% of the population;
  • Native Americans were less than 1% of the profession and .9% of the population; and
  • Asian Pacific Islanders were 3% of the profession and 3.7% of the population.

"This study is a call to action for the profession," said ALA President-Elect Loriene Roy. "While we have made progress, the findings confirm the need to commit additional time and financial resources to recruit a more diverse workforce. If libraries are to remain relevant to all of our users, our staffs must reflect our country's demographics."

To review the study in its entirety, please visit www.ala.org/diversitycounts.

ALA Librarian Salary Survey

The 2006 edition of the ALA-APA Salary Survey: Librarian - Public and Academic (previously known as Librarian Salary Survey) is available for purchase from the American Library Association (ALA) online store. With data from more than 1,000 public and academic libraries, the mean salary reported increased 4.6% from 2005, up $2,480 in 2006.

 

Published by the American Library Association-Allied Professional Association (ALA-APA), the survey shows aggregated data from more than 10,000 individual salaries at the state and regional levels. Positions included are directors/deans, associate/assistant directors, department heads, managers of support staff, librarians who do not supervise and beginning librarians.

 

The survey gives national-level mean and quartile data. The report includes analysis of salary trends and an extensive appendix of other sources of compensation data within and outside of the library profession. The median salary was $50,976. Salaries ranged from $22,000 to $253,500.

 

This survey continues more than 20 years of collecting and reporting salary data for six positions requiring an ALA-accredited master’s degree in library science.  It complements the new ALA-APA Salary Survey: Non-MLS - Public and Academic, which presents data from 62 positions that do not require an MLS. The Non-MLS Salary Survey also indicates the minimal educational requirement for each position. Quick facts about the Non-MLS Salary Survey are found on the ALA-APA website: http://www.ala-apa.org/salaries/nonmlssurveyfacts.html.

Grants & Awards

TLA Awards - by Sheila henderson

Strong Libraries result from the efforts of people who believe libraries positively change lives and have a significant impact on a community’s ability to attract and retain productive and contributing members of society. People with this belief work diligently to contribute much to libraries and give greatly of themselves to ensure the viability of libraries within their respective community.

We readily associate certain people with our library: the head librarian, library staff, library administrators, governing boards and trustees, friends and advisory boards and a few others that are distinctly categorized within a library environment. At this time of the year, the Texas Library Association Awards Committee invites you to take an evaluative look at people and projects that contribute to the success of your library or information agency. Look at the qualities that person or group brings to your organization. When you think of him/her/them, what words immediately embody that person, persons or group? How did a special or ongoing project help define your organization as a benchmark library?

Take a quick test with me. Do the following words/phrases describe anyone you know or a project fielded in your library?

Advocate, supporter, contributor, invaluable resource, consensus builder, promotes harmony, fundraiser, innovative planner, creative strategist, innovative program, clever and imaginative leader, energizer, synergizer, fiscally responsible and innovative in managing with less, self-initiator, preeminent authority, catalyst for change and success, dynamic, committed to achieving excellence, willingly shares knowledge and experience, or trailblazer?

By the end of the list, I had a couple of people and library projects in mind. How about you? Now is the time to nominate a worthy person, persons, group or library for: Texas Librarian of the Year, Lifetime Achievement Award, Benefactor Award, Outstanding Services to Libraries or Library Project of the Year.

For full descriptions of these awards, go to http://www.txla.org/html/tlaawards.html. New this year is the ability to submit nominations online directly to TLA. Forms and documentation recommendations are available on the TLA website at www.txla.org/html/awards/noms.html

Nominations may also be sent to me: Sheila Henderson, Awards Committee Chair, Pasadena Public Library, 1201 Jeff Ginn Memorial Dr., Pasadena, TX 77506-4895, shenderson@ci.pasadena.tx.us

Genealogy RT Stipend

The TLA Genealogy Round Table (GRT) will award a stipend of $250 annually to cover the cost of registration and conference expenses for the TLA Annual Conference for a librarian or paraprofessional who works with a genealogy collection or genealogy patrons. The purpose of the GRT Conference Stipend is to encourage TLA and GRT membership and provide a means for supporting participation in the TLA Annual Conference. Recipient will gain insight into the Genealogy Round Table by volunteering during the annual conference.

The deadline to submit an application and letter of reference is January 10 (postmark date). Send to Laurie Mahaffey, Chair, GRT Conference Stipend Committee, Central Texas Library System, Inc., 1005 West 41st Street, Austin, Texas 78756. See the TLA website for further information.

J. Frank Dobie Library Trust Awards, 2007

J. Frank Dobie Library Trust Awards are monetary awards given each spring to library applicants selected by the Award Committee. Application is open to public libraries in Texas which (1) serve a population of 20,000 or less, (2) are legally established*, and (3) are open for service at least 20 hours a week.

In establishing the Trust, Mr. Dobie instructed the Award Committee to take into consideration the degree of support that applicants receive from their communities. Therefore, awards are made not only on the basis of need, but also on the extent to which community governments, library boards, friend’s organizations, and individuals have promoted and supported the library, in comparison with their potential to do so. Applications should include, but need not be limited to, the following information to help the Committee determine the support of the library by the community, the support of the community by the library, and the library’s need of additional book resources.

Applications must be mailed (no faxes) in triplicate to: James B. Stewart, Chairman, J. Frank Dobie Library Trust, Victoria Public Library, 302 N. Main, Victoria, Texas 77901-6592. James B. Stewart can be contacted by email at stewart@victoria.lib.tx.us. Applications for the 2007 awards must be received by DECEMBER 15, 2006. For additional information and application guidelines, go to: www.txla.org/html/awards/dobie.html.

New $4,000 Award for School Library (K-8) Programming

The purpose of the Sara Jaffarian School Library Program Award is to recognize, promote, and support excellence in humanities programming in elementary and middle school libraries that serve children K-8. To promote and encourage other school libraries interested in developing outstanding humanities programs, a professional development/training opportunity will be presented by the ALA Public Programs Office, in consultation with the Public and Cultural Programs Advisory Committee and the American Association of School Librarians (AASL). Applications are online at www.ala.org/jaffarianaward and are due by February 28, 2007.

ALA Grant Page http://www.ala.org/ala/washoff/WOissues/washfunding/grants/grants.htm

TLA Names in the News

  • Dreanna Belden was selected as one of ALA's 2006-2007 Emerging Leaders
    and will receive a TLA stipend of $1,000 to attend ALA and ALA Midwinter.

  • Jill Emery is now working at The University of Texas at Austin.

  • Mary Beth Harrington is the new executive director of the Austin Public Library Foundation.

  • The Board of the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) has appointed Rice university librarian Charles J. Henry as CLIR's next president. He will start early in 2007.

  • Viccy Kemp, previously at Irving Public Library, is now technical services manager at Flower Mound Public Library.

  • Stephanie Neely, Austin Public Library’s managing librarian of the Ruiz Branch, has been selected as one of the 2006 winners of The New York Times Librarian Awards.

  • Pam Spooner, formerly of Sul Ross University, is now head librarian at Austin Community College’s Cypress Creek Campus.

  • Martha Tarlton head of reference and information services at the University of North Texas Libraries is retiring in December.

  • Linda Waggener has accepted a position with the University of Wyoming.

UNSPAM TLA!

Well, since you are reading our online newsletter, you are way ahead of the tech curve! Please share the following information with any colleagues who don’t seem to know what has happened to their copy of TLACast:

  • We need to have a current and correct email address for all TLA members. Otherwise, individuals won’t get any email notices of newsletters or announcements. You can update information in the Members Only section of the TLA website.
  • Once we have your email, please be sure that your network administrator “un-spams” TLA messages. Believe it or not, not all networks understand that TLA messages are not spam! That’s almost un-American (at least, un-Texan), but it happens! So please ­ – advocate to your colleagues: UNSPAM TLA. (Quite cleverly, we will also be including this message in print publications.)

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