It's time to apply to serve on the Texas Bluebonnet Award Program committees. There are openings in districts 3, 4 and 7 on the selection committee and 2 openings on the program committee. The applications for both committees are available on the TBA website http://www.txla.org/groups/tba/index.html. Those interested in serving on the committees must complete the applications and send them to the chair of CRT or TASL by November 15. Good luck!

Jackie Chetzron, Contributor
(Originally posted to TASL listserv)

Congratulations! But don’t keep this a secret. Share this knowledge with others.

We are all keenly aware of the need for advocates who understand the role of the librarian and the importance of libraries in the educational process. School libraries don’t just need an advocate; we need an army of advocates. Principals, parents, students, curriculum writers, community workers, grandparents, librarians in public, special, and academic libraries can all work toward improving and keeping school libraries strong in our state and our nation. One of the generals in our army is the school library administrator. He or she can lead the way or block any advocacy assault we might devise.

So let’s celebrate, acknowledge, and encourage those school library administrators who value their libraries. One of the best ways to recognize an outstanding school administrator is to nominate that person to receive the Texas Association of School Librarian’s Distinguished Administrator Award. This award not only honors our outstanding administrator advocates but also encourages other administrators to become advocates through their example. This award is based on the premise that to some extent advocacy is communicable and that it can spread with the proper stimulus. Over the past years some wonderful men and women have stepped up to the podium to receive this award. This year it could be your administrator. We'll be looking for your nomination.

The application is online at http://www.txla.org/html/awards/scholar/admnawrd.html .
There are only 9 questions this year as our committee has refined the questions. Your school administrator can attend the TASL luncheon in Houston and receive this award. The deadline for nominations is January 25, 2009.

Debbie Hall, Contributor
(Originally submitted TASL listserv)

TASL members, the Library of Congress announces its Letters About Literature contest for 2008 co-sponsored nationally with Target. In Texas the contest is sponsored by TASL and the Texas Center for the Book. To enter, readers write a personal letter to an author, living or dead, from any genre-- fiction or nonfiction, contemporary or classic, explaining how that author's work changed the student's way of thinking about the world or themselves.

There are three competition levels: Level I for children in grades 4 through 6; Level II for grades 7 and 8, and Level III, grades 9 - 12. State winners, announced in the spring of each year receive $100 in cash and a $50 Target gift card, and a free trip to TLA in Houston where they will read their letters before the TASL business meeting. There are also national prizes. For an application go to the Library of Congress website: http://www.loc.gov/loc/cfbook/letters.

For detailed information and teaching consult www.lettersaboutliterature.org. For information about the contest in Texas go to www.dallaslibrary.org/tcbintro.htm. Winning Texas letters from previous years are also posted on this site as well as the entry coupon.. An entry coupon must be attached to each entry. Deadline for entries this year is December 6, 2008. For information contact Texas Center for the Book at 214-670-7808.

Jackie Chetzron, Contributor
(Originally posted TASL listserv)

Jennifer LaBoon, TASL Legislative Chair 2008-09, is reporting great news:

At TLA’s Annual Assembly in Austin earlier this month, Council passed the attached resolution, and will ask the 81st Legislature to assure that all Texas students have a certified librarian on their campus!

LaBoon goes on to say that this will be a very important year for us in Austin. LaBoon is organizing the effort to make sure we have a strong delegation at TLA’s Legislative Day to be February 25-26, 2009.

LaBoon also reports that the TASLAC will continue to work on increasing funding for our digital resources, among several other issues of interest to libraries statewide.

The deadline is today for you to add your comments to the draft report. However, you might be able to continue to view others' comments and the draft itself after the October 6, 2008 deadline. Here's the link:

Draft Study Report

Here is the link to the website:

Joint TSLAC/TEA Study

The 2009-2010 Master List will be announced this year at the Texas Book Festival in Austin on Saturday, November 1st at the Children's Chapter Read Me A Story Tent. The information concerning the Master List will be on the TBA website November 2.