TX Libraries ROI

This year the Texas Legislature meets, so this info may be useful. TSL&A has released the report Texas Public Libraries Return on Investment Study.

Did you know that for every $1.00 invested in public libraries around the state, Texans receive $4.42 worth of library services and value in return? Or that Texas public libraries provide over $2.4 billion dollars in economic benefit statewide? Get more useful facts and information from the recently-completed study Texas Public Libraries: Economic Benefits and Return on Investment, available online now at https://www.tsl.state.tx.us/roi.

Texas Library Conference

I'm looking forward to the Texas Library Conference next week. Anyone else? BTW there is a great app for the conference.

Help Save Texas Libraries

News from TLA.

The Senate Finance Committee met on Monday to consider the Texas State Library and Archives Commission’s budget. Senators heard testimony about TexShare, Loan Star Libraries, the K-12 Databases, and the impact of losing federal funds for library programs. Several representatives from TLA and stakeholder groups, including the Texas Municipal League and Texas PTA, offered testimony. Sen. Zaffirini asked many important questions about the ramifications of eliminating state funding for library programs. Sen. Whitmire cautioned many witnesses to “put a face on the cuts.”

As Senate Finance Committee members deliberate on the State Library’s budget, it is imperative that senators hear from constituents and stakeholder groups. Please call or send an email to your senator. Click on Protect Statewide Library Program and make your case for state support of library programs.

Help Protect Statewide Library Programs

Take action.

Budget Proposal Demolishes State Funding for Libraries

The State’s budget proposals for 2012-13 affect our statewide library programs. The budgets ELIMINATE Loan Star Libraries (direct aid grants to public libraries), all state funding for TexShare databases; the K-12 Database program, the Library System Negotiated Grants Program, state funding for consulting services to libraries (program/staff based at the agency), state funding for records management, and assumes an overall loss of over $8 million in IMLS funds. This federal funding is the source of funding for the regional library systems, the TANG program, and interlibrary loan. The budget futher eliminates the Technology Allotment at TEA and entire State Law Library.

This budget shows a 99% decrease in state funding for statewide local library aid programs and a 93% state cut to library resource sharing programs at the State Library. We must not let this stand. Please contact elected officials right now and let the know of the negative impact to our communities if state funding to library programs is cut.

Proposed Texas Budget Demolishes Statewide Library Programs

Proposed Texas Budget Demolishes Statewide Library Programs

The first draft of the State's budget proposal for 2012-13 affects every statewide library program.

The proposal:

• Eliminates Loan Star Libraries (direct aid grants to public libraries)
• Eliminates all state funding for TexShare databases (replaces state funding for databases with increased fees to member libraries)
• Eliminates the K-12 Database program
• Eliminates the Library System Negotiated Grants Program (the new competitive grant program started last session for systems)
• Eliminates state funding for consulting services to libraries (program/staff based at the agency)
• Eliminates state funding for state depository program and TRAIL program
• Eliminates state funding for records management (replaces state funding with increased fees)
• Assumes an overall loss of over $8 million in IMLS funds (Note: federal funding is the source of funding for the regional library systems, the TANG program, and interlibrary loan.)
• Eliminates the Technology Allotment at TEA.

This budget shows a 99% decrease in state funding for statewide local library aid programs and a 93% state cut to library resource sharing programs at the State Library. Overall, the agency cuts amount to about a 70% cut in state funds and an all funds reduction about a third of the agency's budget.
From the perspective of investing in communities, helping kids learn, spurring job placement, and maintaining a dynamic infrastructure for research and digital literacy through our libraries, this budget completely fails the people of Texas. The proposed recommendations amount to an abdication of responsibility, vision, and leadership.
For libraries, these recommendations not only potentially destroy almost every facet of critical statewide library services; they speak to a philosophy dismissive of supporting individuals and communities.
While this budget is just the starting point for deliberations, it is a frightening portent of the potential implosion of our state's infrastructure for learning and economic development.
We must not let this stand. It is not just our funding over the next two years that is in danger -- it is the vital understanding of libraries and their role in offering education, providing meaningful and proven support to our economy and institutions of learning, and speaking to a state of vitality.
We need everyone to speak out for libraries. We need every library supporter to inundate their state representative and senator, the Governor, and the Lt. Governor with letters expressing the incredible damage these cuts would cause.We have a long and hard fight ahead of us, but it is one we must undertake. Here is what you can do...

1. Call your state representative and senator and tell them not to cut library funding. Be prepared to make the case for your library and the impact it has on your community and students.For more information on library programs, see Issues and Taking Action.
2. Develop an awareness campaign within you community. See the "What My Library Means to Me Campaign." Start marshaling your resources and get your army of supporters mobilized for action.
3. Inform people around you -- administrators, community powerbrokers, student groups, PTAs. Show them how they can save state funding for libraries. Ask them to speak and write to elected officials.
4. Participate in Legislative Day. (There is still time to get a hotel room through tomorrow!)
5. Write letters to the editor; contact your local media about library funding.
6. Above all: show up for duty! This is a cause for each and every one of us, regardless of political affiliation. We all want the same thing - a strong Texas with strong libraries. If there was ever a time we needed library supporters to be proactive and aggressive in their support for libraries, THE TIME IS NOW.

Fight for our libraries.
Let's not undo a generation of progress!--Copied from an e-mail alert also available on Texline.

Texas Librarians

Each year the Texas Library Association recognizes contributions and excellence in our profession through the TLA Awards. TLA depends on its members to identify those individuals, organizations, and projects most worthy of recognition for having advanced the cause of Texas Libraries.

The 2010 Awards include:

• Librarian of the Year Award Recognizes extraordinary leadership or service within the library community within the past 12-18 months.
• Distinguished Service Award Recognizes outstanding and continuing service in one or more areas of the library profession.
• Lifetime Achievement Award Recognizes an exemplary career in librarianship.
• Outstanding Services to Libraries Award Given to an individual or to an organization in recognition of outstanding lay advocacy.
• Wayne Williams Library Project of the Year Award Recognizes a project that exemplifies the highest levels of achievement, professional standards, and inspiration to other libraries.
• Libraries Change Communities Award Given to a collaborative community effort that recognizes positive achievements and promotes outstanding library based initiatives in Texas.
• Benefactor(s) Award Recognizes substantial donations.

Complete information about each award and the nomination procedure is available online. Submitting a nomination is not difficult! Nominations are made entirely online and are open from September 15, 2009 to January 15, 2010. For additional information about submitting nominations, please contact the Awards Committee Chair, Sue Compton, at 972-874-6151 or via email at sue.compton@flower-mound.com.

Cataloging Sessions @ TLA

Cataloging sessions at the Texas Library Library Association Annual Conferecne look excellent.

PRECONFERENCE – Tuesday – March 31
The Nuts & Bolts of RDA
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Explore a new approach to cataloging rules. Barbara Tillett of the Library of Congress and the Joint Steering Committee for Development of RDA discusses RDA implementation to prepare you for the future. Preregistration required.
Barbara Tillett, Library of Congress

Thursday – April 2
Cataloging 101 for School and Public Librarians
10:00 - 11:50 AM
What are the most important components of a good MARC record? This session will review basic concepts and present essential and inexpensive cataloging tools.
Joanna Fountain

Looking beyond Shelf Location: The Benefits of the Dewey Decimal Classification System in Libraries
2:00 - 3:50 PM
Take a look beyond Dewey as a shelf location device and expose the power of the underlying DDC data file, the interoperable translations, the associated terminologies, and the exciting research efforts that contribute to the ongoing benefits and relevance of the DDC in libraries. A business meeting follows the program.
Joan S. Mitchell and Renee Patzer

Friday – April 3
MarcEdit as a Cataloging Tool
10:00 - 11:50 AM
The creator of this popular open source MARC record editing tool presents how to fully utilize the program’s capabilities for database maintenance. Learn to streamline your cataloging processes by making global edits to large numbers of MARC records.
Terry Reese

Hope to see you there.

Houston Area

District 8 of the Texas Library Association has announced that registration is open for those who wish to register for the Fall Meeting.

I personally like this meeting very much. I think it is the size of some state conferences, it gets about 1,000 attendees I guess. But, compared to TLA it is much more intimate. It is large enough to have a session or two I like, small enough to sit down and chat with folks I've not seen in too long.