News Notes

Betty Carter Wins Demco Award
Betty Carter, associate professor of library science in the School of Library and Information Studies at Texas Woman’s University in Denton, is the winner of the 1997 Demco/TLA Research Award. John Ison, national sales and exhibits manager for Demco, Inc., presented a check for $2,000 to Dr. Carter at the TLA conference in Fort Worth.

Dr. Carter is studying the use of books written specifically for early readers. She will place 250 to 300 early reader books in school library collections and then track the rate of circulation of these materials. Dr. Carter will analyze the use of these materials to determine what patterns govern why certain of these materials are better used than others. Grant funds will be spent to build the database to track use of these materials.

"At a time when we are concerned with early literacy, it is appropriate for libraries to look at their collections and how we can encourage the behavior of early reading," Dr. Carter said.

The Demco/TLA Research Award is given by Demco Inc. to encourage quality research in the area of library and information science.

Hotho Literacy Award
The Barbers Hill Intermediate School library in Mont Belvieu, Texas, is the recipient of the first annual Hotho Literacy Award. The library and its librarian, Caroline Wadzeck, were recognized for contributions to reading through promotion of the Texas Bluebonnet Award and the Accelerated Reading Program. Ms. Wadzeck works closely with the school’s teachers to develop themes used to promote reading throughout the year, to create eye-catching displays, and to bring speakers into the school to stimulate and encourage an interest in books and reading. The Hotho Literacy Award is a $1,000 award given by Hotho & Company in recognition of the library in Texas "that has worked the hardest to encourage and support the joy of reading."

Highsmith Innovation Award
Arlington Public Library’s Project STAR has been awarded the first annual Highsmith Innovation Award for a program that provides literacy and public library services to families in crisis. Project STAR (Service to the At-Risk) is an outreach program that provides books, literacy experiences, and information about library services to families registered at five Arlington-area shelters and crisis centers.

The Highsmith Innovation Award is sponsored by Highsmith, Inc. to recognize innovative library service programs. A check for $1,000 was presented to library representatives on April 9 during the Texas Library Association 1997 Annual Conference in Fort Worth.

Tocker Foundation Announces Grants
The Tocker Foundation has announced the first round of grants to Texas libraries for 1997. Thirty-one public libraries serving populations of under 12,000 will receive grants from the Tocker Foundation in amounts ranging from under $1,000 to over $44,000. In all, the foundation will award $343,735. The Tocker Foundation received grant applications totaling over $500,000 from 43 libraries, but 13 of these projects will not be funded.

Winning libraries will use their Tocker Foundation Grants to fund a variety of projects, including the purchase of library materials, automation projects, furniture and equipment purchases, and, in one library, a room addition onto the library.

The Tocker Foundation is now accepting grant applications for the second round of grants. Deadline for applications for the second funding period is June 1.

The following libraries will be awarded grants:

Alma M. Carpenter Library, Sour Lake; Alvord Public Library; Bastrop Public Library; Bonham Public Library; Castroville Public Library; Cedar Park Public Library; Celina Community Library; Charles J. Rike Memorial Library, Farmersville; Chico Public Library; Cochran County Love Memorial Library; Cockrell Hill Public Library; Coldspring Area Public Library; Comfort Public Library; Crystal City Memorial Library; Dublin Public Library; Hewitt Community Library; Jim Hogg County Public Library; Justin Community Library; Liberty Municipal Library; Lytle Public Library; Maffett Memorial Library; Mares Memorial Library; Pearsall Public Library; Pleasanton Public Library; Ransom Canyon Library; Real County Public Library; Salado Public Library; Shiner Public Library; Smithville Public Library; Tawakoni Area Public Library; and the Tri-County Library in Mabank.

Julie Walker to become AASL executive director
Julie Walker, director of library and media services at Round Rock ISD, is the new executive director of the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) and the Young Adult Library Services Association (YASLA), division of the American Library Association. Ms. Walker was with the Round Rock Schools since 1992 and had worked in other school systems in Texas. Ms. Walker was an active participant in the drafting of school library standards in Texas during 1996 (see page 80).

Austin Public Library Opens New Branch
Austin Public Library’s Will Hampton Branch at Oak Hill opened its doors Saturday, April 26, with a celebration that included many notable Austin officials and friends of the slain civic leader for whom the facility is named. U.S. Congressman Lloyd Doggett, State Representative Sherri Greenberg (a friend of Hampton), and nearly every member of the Austin City Council, were on hand to dedicate the facility.The $1 million facility includes 45,000 books and other materials and features a large reading room and community meeting room that will accommodate groups of up to 80 persons. Another prominent feature of the new library is a painted mahogany relief entitled "Oak Hill Triptych" that surrounds an interior window over the main entrance.

Residents of Oak Hill, a fast-growing community in South Austin, have long requested a branch library.

Call for Contributed Papers
The 1998 Conference Program Committee is seeking contributed papers for the 1998 TLA Annual Conference in San Antonio. Share with your colleagues innovative projects or research by describing them in a paper that can be presented within 20 minutes. Papers may be prepared by no more than two persons. The author or authors may present the paper at TLA Annual Conference or designate a presenter. All presenters must register for the conference.

Papers will be critiqued starting from the submission of the abstract through the presentation of the paper at the conference in San Antonio with eventual publication in mind. Presenters not interested in pre-publication critiquing process have the option of declining it. Participants requesting the critiquing option, a referee will provide written comments after the presentation.

October 15 is the deadline for completing a Contributed Papers form to propose a topic. Applicants will be sent notification of acceptance and guidelines by October 29 and the final paper will be due by November 14. For more information or to request forms, contact William Mears, Alkek Library, Southwest Texas State University, San Marcos, TX, 78666, 512/245-2132, wm01@academia.swt.edu; or Linda Thompson, University of Houston Libraries, Houston, TX 77204-2091, 713/743-9808, LThompson@uh.edu.