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One of the preconferences that is happening Tuesday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. is sponsored by TASL: Buildings for Books, Bytes, and Beyond (A 306/307) will address environmental issues regarding building libraries of the future to meet goals and provide necessary services to patrons of not only school libraries, but public and academic libraries as well. The session will be hosted by a planning consultant and an architect who will share their expertise.

On Tuesday from 1:00 - 5:00 p.m. TASL is a part of supporting the ALA Advocacy Institute (A 120/121) where you can inform yourself on how to become more effective as a library advocate in your community or for your campus.

On Tuesday from 2:00 - 3:20 p.m. Nick Bruel, Betty Carter, Kimberly Willis Holt, Laurie Keller, Karen Kessel, and Maureen White are going to bring funny books to light in the session Seriously Folks: Funny Books for Children Are Literature, Too! (C 140/142). Come hear why these books that are often overlooked should be enjoyed by children.

On Tuesday 2:00 - 3:50 p.m., TASL is also helping to host Just the Facts: Best Science and Social Studies Books for Grades K-8 with Susan Fichtelberg, Bonnie Kunzel, and Pat Vasilik (C 141/143/149). This session offers best science and social studies trade books that tie in with curriculum and state standards.

On Tuesday, in the popular time slot 2:00 - 3:50 p.m., MacBeth vs. MacBlog (C 146) will take place creating a higher-level of thinking while combining 21st Century blogs with Shakespeare. Jack Strawn will share this extraordinary experience of his adventure.

Tuesday from 4:00 - 4:50 p.m. Be PRO-active: Encourage Professional Reading (A 130/131) with Mary Ann Bell and Holly Weimar will share ideas with how to manage professional reading with busy faculty and staff.

Tuesday form 4:00 - 4:50 p.m., Susan Allison and Nancy Kubasek will present for TASL, If You Give a Kid a Book: Booktalks for Tweens and Teens (C 155/156). This session will promote connecting youth in grades 4-12 with literature through collaboration and booktalks.

Wednesday from 10:15 - 11:20 a.m. Working with Teens on the Edge (C 155/156) with Devona Carpenter, Blair Parsons, Terry Trueman, and Christa Woodard will discuss how Austin Public Library's award-winning Second Chance Books project has successfully reached out to troubled teens. They will share how it is possible to create a program like theirs in your community.

Wednesday from 10:15 - 11:50 a.m. in the Arena, Teri Lesesne will present Hot Off the Press: Great New YA Books. This presentation is sure to be a hit, as it usually is, so arrive early to get a good seat.

Wednesday from 11:00 - 11:50 a.m. TASL is helping to host Gordon Korman (C Ballroom, Sections 1-2) as he provides insight into his latest novel Schooled.

Wednesday from 12:00 - 12:50 p.m. TASL presents Straddling Cultures with Mitali Perkins as she discusses evaluation of books for empowering immigrant, adopted, or biracial kids who live within two cultures and provides a list of best books about bicultural life.

Wednesday from 2:00 - 2:50 p.m. TASL is helping to host Programs and Practices for the Extraordinary Teacher Library. It will be held in the Arena with Aileen Kirkham who will present print, multimedia, and interactive resources for use in collaboration with teachers to aid in addressing literacy and curriculum objectives.

Wednesday at 2:00 - 3:20 p.m. Naked Reading: Uncovering What Tweens Need to Become Lifelong Readers (C Ballroom, Sections 3-4), Teri Lesesne for TASL will discuss what teachers and librarians can do to connect tweens and books using pre- and post-reading strategies and activities.

Wednesday, 2:00 - 3:50 p.m. TASL presents Tomie dePaola (C Ballroom, Sections 1-2) in A Hearty Blend of Creativity, Spice, and Humor where he will talk about his latest books. Also, the student winners of the "Letters About Literature" contest will be honored. The TASL business meeting will precede the program.

Wednesday from 2:00 - 3:50 p.m. TASL is helping to sponsor The Building You Need anbd Planning For It (D 163/165) with Anders Dahlgren and Jeffrey Scherer. This session is a follow-up to the preconference held on building to design and equip libraries to meet the needs of the future.

Wednesday from 2:00 - 3:50 p.m. TASL is hosting David Loertscher (C 141/143/149) who will talk about collaboration and higher order thinking using the library and technology to promote student achievement.

Wednesday at 4:00 - 4:50 p.m. TASL is hosting A Novel Challenge: Censorship Defense Strategies (C 140/142) with Linda Goodgion and Marilyn Reynolds. They will share their defense of Detour for Emmy and how the challenge spread from one school to the larger Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex area.

Wednesday from 4:00 - 4:50 p.m. TASL presents AASL: National Trends in School Libraries (C Ballroom, Sections 1-2) with Cyndi Phillip who will tell about best practices from school libraries across the country and discuss the AASL standards recently released.

Wednesday from 4:00 - 4:50 p.m. Java Makes Me Jump (D 170/172) wih Amy Hankamer, Hope Krum, Cindi Rockett, and Rob Schumann will talk about how middle school librarians and a community relations manager from Barnes & Noble created a program for eight Irving middle schools that included themes, timelines, and student booktalks.

Wednesday at 4:00 - 4:50 p.m. Kids, Cameras, Action! (C 141/143/149) will demonstrate how easy it is to sponsor students for the Texas Media Awards.

Thursday from 8:00 - 9:50 a.m. TASL presents Mockingbirds and Armadillos (C 140/142) with Abilene and Round Rock librarians who discuss collaboration with teachers to promote reading and TEKS-based lessons. Author Jarrett Krosoczka will also be there to share some of his tales.

Thursday, 8:00 - 9:50 a.m. TASL is helping to host Teaching Zach to Think (D 221/225/226) with Alan November who will discuss the importance of thinking critically when using online information.

Thursday from 8:00 - 9:50 a.m. TASL is co-hosting Tweens in the Twilight (C 141/143/149) with Betty G. Birney, Gennifer Choldenko, and Barbara O'Connor who will discuss coming-of-age literature and writing for the tween age group.

Thursday from 10:00 - 10:50 a.m. TASL presents Library Research with Emergent Readers (C 140/142) with Christa Harker and Dorette Putonti. They will talk about research with K-2 students, collaboration, curriculum, and instructional strategies.

Thursday, 10-00 - 11:20 a.m., TASL co-hosts the 2008 Poetry Round Up (C 155/156) with poets John Frank, Juanita Havill, Alan Katz, Linda Sue Park, Adam Rex, and Tracie Vaughn Zimmer.

Thursday, 10:00 - 11:50 a.m., TASL hosts S.E.W. What? (A 309/310) with Mona Kerby who will lead a discussion on evaluating your school library collection.

Thursday from 10:00 - 11:50 a.m. TASL is helping to sponsor Wikipedia Smackdown! with Kathy Schrock and Alan November (C Ballroom, Sections 3-4). They will debate the pros and cons of using Wikipedia.

Thursday, 12:00 - 1:50 p.m. TASL helps to host this prepaid luncheon event.

Thursday, 2:00 - 3:50 p.m. TASL hosts Read Across the Prairie (C 148) with Belinda Jacks who will discuss a reading program that promotes reading "just for the fun of it."

Thursday, 2:00 - 3:00 p.m., TASL is co-hosting School Library Facilities (D 163/165) with panel members from large, fast growing districts who will discuss their experiences and share how they have met the needs of today's learners.

Thursday, 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. TASL is co-hosting the Texas Media Awards in Ballroom C, Sections 1-2.

Friday, 8:00 - 9:50 a.m. TASL presents Collaborative Strategies for Teaching Reading Comprehension (A 201/202) with Judi Moreillon and Diane Skorupski who share instructional strategies.

Friday, 8:00 - 9:50 a.m. TASL presents Sipping Judiciously from the Internet Firehose (C 147/154) where Mary Ann Bell and Holly Weimar discuss strategies for using the Internet and Web 2.0 resources in a heavily-filtered school environment.

Friday, 8:00 - 9:50 a.m. TASL sponsored event where Breakfast tickets should have been pre-purchased.

Friday, 10:00 - 11:20 a.m. TASL co-sponsors All the Rage: YA Graphic Novels (C Ballroom, Sections 3-4) with Laura Jewell, Tuan Nguyen, and Gene Luen Yang discuss collection development, programming, and trends.

Friday from 10:00 - 11:20 a.m. TASL co-sponsors The Bilingual Book Club (A 309/310) with Rene Saldana who will talk about the importance of involving Latino parents in a bilingual book club.

Friday from 10:00 - 11:20 a.m. TASL co-hosts John Erickson (C Ballroom, Sections 1-2) as he celebrates Hank the Cowdog's 25 years.

Friday, 10:00 - 11:20 a.m. TASL presents The Tech-Savvy Booktalker (C 155/156) with Nancy Keane as she discusses how to jazz up booktalks with technology.

Friday, 10:00 - 11:50 a.m. TASL hosts From Bricks to Books (C 144/145) with Frisco administrators and librarians as they discuss how they are coping with fast-paced growth in their district. Topics will include facilities, purchasing, technology, and collection development.

TASL sponsored events may be viewed in chronological order by clicking on the link that is labeled "Conferences." This will provide you with a brief listing of (hopefully) all the sessions, their times, and their room numbers so that you may attend. Also, you may add comments about the sessions that you have attended. Thank you.

The conference was a great sucess! There were many wonderful sessions that TASL provided. What are you taking back with you that was valuable? What is something that you decided you are definitely are going to do? After attending a session, was there one thing that you decided you would never do again?

There was a comical moment when Mona Kerby mentioned before beginning her presentation that we should not look at her slides because she had used bullets -- all because Joyce Valenza had said the day before in her presenation that bullets were "out."

Valenza's presentation was well attended in which I thought she made a good point about the use of technology: She said she is "beta" because everything is always changing.

Did you take away something different from those sessions? Would you like to share something that you found interesting in other sessions? Please share in the comment section. We would love to hear from you!