Editorial
Mark L. Smith

This issue marks a turning point for the Texas Library Journal. As you have noticed, the look of the Journal has changed. For over a year, we have been planning to add color and change to a larger format, but until recently, these changes still seemed a year away. It was not until we were actually into the early production cycle of this issue that we realized that now is the time to make these changes that have long been recommended by the TLA Executive Board, the Publications Committee, readers, and advertisers.

Some longtime readers may observe that "what goes around comes around," because this issue is a return to a size that was used several years ago. But more than just the size of the journal has changed. With it has changed editorial content to a more magazine-oriented content, with more short informational pieces interspersed among the feature articles.

The format changes should be viewed as emblematic of a broader editorial change that will come to be more fully realized with time. The size and appearance of the old Texas Library Journal was suited to an academic research journal. For some time now, however, TLJ has been moving in a different direction: more practical, more newsy. This is not to say that we have not and will not run articles describing important research relevant to Texas libraries. We will continue to welcome such work, especially applied research. But TLJ has not been a journal of research for quite a while — if indeed it ever was one. This new format more precisely matches what we feel to be the Texas Library Journal's truer role: a trade magazine of librarianship in Texas.

We hope you agree that this new Journal is more attractive, more inviting, and more readable than the smaller, more restrictive format used until now.

Changing magazine formats is time-consuming and tests the publications skills of everyone connected with the endeavor. This change has been possible because of the hard work and flexibility of a number of people including Journal business manager Kathy Pustejovsky and Advertising Manager Cindy Boyle-Faltesek (who took time away from their busy lives planning the 1997 TLA conference), graphic designer Mike Clark-Madison, typesetter Jane Chamberlain at Pangloss Publishing, the TLA Executive Director Pat Smith, members of the publications committee and the TLA Executive Board. Finally, we are very grateful to our advertisers who cheerfully resubmitted their ads and generally bore with us during this rapid transition.

These changes have come about in part as a result of my joining the TLA staff in January. I'd like to take the opportunity of this open forum to thank all the people I have just mentioned and many more across the state who have helped make this a smooth and natural transition.

Finally, I want to thank everyone who traveled to Austin February 10 and 11 to attend TLA Legislative Day. This event is TLA at its highest expression of partnership, collaboration, advocacy, and mutual support. This year's TLA legislative agenda is complex, ambitious, and visionary, but our delegates articulated it with eloquence and passion. TLA may lack the monied power of other lobbies, but it more than compensates with the strength of numbers and its selfless message of empowerment through access to information. To all Legislative Day attendees we say "Thank you — your voices make a difference."