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Over the years, TLA has worked hard to promote support for public libraries. In 1997 the original library district law (SB 1674), sponsored by Senator Gonzalo Barrientos and Representative Terry Keel, was passed. A 1999 revision supported by Keel and Representative Bob Hunter eliminated the minimum population bracket necessary for the creation of such districts. The library district law allows local voters to add up to a half-cent to the local sales tax to fund local public library service.
Currently, there are a total of six public library districts, including Salado and Westbank. In all cases, voters approved the measure by a substantial majority. By enabling local jurisdictions of all sizes to vote for the establishment of districts, the legislation provides a means for cities and counties to secure a guaranteed source of local funding and improve the quality of library service in their communities.
Star Card was introduced at the beginning of Children's Book Week, November 15-21, 1999. The card sported a design by 12-year-old Lucia Jazayeri, who submitted the winning art in a competition of over 300 entries. The design was unveiled by Austin City Council Member Gus Garcia during a press conference at Highland Mall in August.
The Austin Independent School District will publicize the new APL initiative in the district schools. APL and AISD will partner to distribute APL Star Card applications at each AISD elementary school beginning in mid-January 2000. The District will collect completed and signed applications and will verify student information. APL will then process applications and return APL Star Cards to the schools for distribution to students.
In conjunction with the Star card, APL also offers Clean Slate for Kids. It is an effort to get youth back to the library by clearing their records of outstanding fines and fees so they can check out books. APL will continue to clear a child's records when that child registers for a Star Card.
Sister Libraries is a major initiative of NCLIS and Sister Cities International. The goal is for public and school libraries in the United States to pair with others worldwide, focusing initially on programs specifically planned for children and teenagers.
Working with the Border Regional Library Association (BRLA), EPPL will help develop school libraries in Juarez, Mexico, as part of its Sister Libraries project. This project is in the planning stage. Staff members from both the Juarez PL and EPPL have visited each others' libraries in the past month, and there are plans for extended visits/training in the coming year.
Dr. Patricia Phillips, UTEP University Librarian, is the BRLA committee chair for this project. Martha Castro, Special Collections Librarian at the Universidad Autonima de Cuidad Juarez and BRLA President, conceived the idea and continues to develop it. Barbara Valle, Interim EPPL Director, has been committed to supporting the project.
A book signing session followed the talks. Five publishers ? Candlewick, Hyperion/Disney, Penguin, Scholastic, and Simon and Schuster ? donated books and covered expenses to bring Rosemary Wells to the library.
The complete set of illustrations from The Bear Went Over the Mountain, a Scholastic board book in the Bunny Reads Back series, is on display and inviting bids in TLA's Itsy Bitsy Gallery at http://www.txla.org/wells/gallery.html. Information is also posted there on the raffle of another Wells illustration, the cover for a new release of her Christmas classic, Morris's Disappearing Bag.
Raffle tickets are $5 and are available on the Web. They were printed in the October issue of TLACast (18:5) and will be on sale at the ALA Midwinter Conference in January in San Antonio.
The raffle and art auction benefit the Texas Library Disaster Relief Fund.
Jeanette Larson (State Library and Archives Commission), David Smith (perennial TLA volunteer), Pat Smith (TLA executive director), and U.S. Congressman Lloyd Doggett at the Wells Branch Community Library event.