Innovative Programming Award - Sponsored by Demco

 By Wenndy Pray, MLS - Innovative Programming Award Committee Member

    Librarians are among the most creative, innovative educators. And as such, they have thought-out, engineered, and orchestrated innovative programming for the communities they serve. To honor their efforts, the Innovative Programming Award was born. The Innovative Programming Award (sponsored by Demco) recognizes two libraries--one school, and one for all other library types (i.e., public, academic, special)-- that have implemented creative marketing projects and/or promotions to enhance their visibility within their service community.

    Perhaps your library has implemented a new website, created new community engagement programs, devised a creative way to showcase genre promotion and topic awareness, or you've created innovative projects to inspire reading and life-long learning. Now is a great time to take the library program you've implemented in recent years and showcase its success. In order to see the implemented program's full potential in action, programming would need to be in effect for at least three years before applying.

    Applications opened September 1, 2020, and must be submitted by February 15, 2021. All applications must be submitted using the Innovative Programming Award Google Form. Access the promotional PDF by clicking here. Visit the Innovative Programming Award TLA website for additional details.

    The Texas Library Association Innovative Programming Award committee knows there are amazing programs and even more amazing librarians behind them. Winners will receive $1,000 for their libraries. The committee encourages all eligible prospects to apply. Best of luck to all!

So You Want to Join a TLA Reading List Committee? 10 Things to Know

By Priscilla K. Delgado, PhD Student at St. John’s University, TLA Reading List Coordinating Committee Co-Chair, TxASL Talks Member

The Texas Library Association has ten reading lists for readers ages 2 to 102 ranging from fiction to non-fiction, Spanish titles, and graphic novels. These lists are determined by dedicated TLA members who are selected to serve on a reading list committee. It’s like a special book club!

How does someone go about applying and serving on a reading list committee? Here’s everything you need to know: 

1. The TLA reading lists are under 3 umbrellas: 

• Children’s Round Table (CRT)

• 2x2

• Little Maverick

• Bluebonnet (jointly sponsored with TASL) 

• Young Adult Round Table (YART)

• Lone Star Reading List

• Spirit of Texas

• TAYSHAS

• Maverick

• TLA

• Tejas Star

• Topaz

• Lariat

2. Each umbrella group and Bluebonnet has its own application with its own deadlines. 

• CRT application - deadline pending, but get those applications in ASAP!

• TLA application - deadline October 16

• YART application - deadline October 18

• Bluebonnet application - deadline November 1

3. Some reading list committees have prerequisites. For example, some committees require that you be actively providing library services to children for the duration of your appointment. Tejas Star requires members to be able to read in Spanish. Check each reading list’s website for details.

4. The respective group leader(s) will review the applications and make appointments, usually in the fall. Notification and finalization of committees usually happen in January. Terms for new committee members will begin at a time decided on by the reading list chair and/or umbrella group leader.

5. Terms are usually for 3 years. Meetings are typically held in-person and/or online at Annual Assembly and throughout the year. Reading list committee members usually do at least one program at Annual Conference, presenting content related to their latest reading list.

6. Serving on a reading list calls for A LOT of reading! Publishers often send books to committee members to review. It’s helpful to have a designated space to keep all your books and to set aside time to prioritize reading. (Note: sometimes publishers aren’t always able to send books, which may require members to seek out the books themselves.)

7. Communication is key! Committee members should have a reliable email address, check it daily, and participate in the function of the committee. It’s a lot of fun but also a lot of work.

8. Each reading list committee has a chair and either an administrative assistant or vice-chair. The chair is responsible for setting up meetings, communicating with committee members and with their umbrella group leaders, and to facilitate all business matters pertaining to the committee. The administrative assistant/vice-chair usually is the point of contact for publishers. 

9. In addition to reading, reading list committee members often create content for activity guides and reproducible materials, social media posts, and other projects to promote the reading list.

10. Being appointed to a reading list committee can be a competitive, selective process. If you are accepted, woohooo!! If you don’t get accepted, please consider applying again the following year!

Still have questions? Feel free to get in touch with the respective reading list committee chair or with the Reading List Coordinating Committee co-chairs, Kate DiPronio and me at rlcc@members.txla.org. We will be happy to help in any way that we can. 

Good luck and happy reading!

Coping, Healing, & Persevering: Social-Emotional Learning with Technology

by Wenndy Pray, MLS - B. L. Gray Jr. High Librarian, Sharyland Independent School District

Humans are social creatures. Although some may argue that we can survive in solitude, we thrive on emotional connection, relationships, and company. As Viktor Maslov, Jean Piaget, and the many others who have expanded on their findings regarding social and cognitive development, librarians now find themselves at the forefront of discovery. Most importantly, we’re equipped with 21st Century tools that can help preserve this critical component for our students’ social and emotional development.

The current pandemic has placed limitations on an integral part of our experience on this earth: our social lives. This concern fills our minds and hearts with questions. How will our students survive this? How will our secondary students expand their interpersonal skills? How will our middle grade and elementary students learn what meaningful interaction looks like when they can only do it through a screen? How will our littles experience social-emotional growth at such an impressionable age? It would be comforting to have the answers to these questions. Humans are resilient creatures. We are overcomers. I can tell you that our students can. And they will. As their librarians, we are part of what will help them use this experience for good.

Librarians know the importance of telling our stories. Not only can reading, telling, or listening to a story inspire empathy, it can also be cathartic. Wakelet and Flipgrid are two web tools that can provide a safe, secure, and creative outlet for students. Students can learn about digital etiquette, or netiquette, connect through responding or collaborating, and by providing a place to tell their story.

If you haven’t heard about Wakelet, today is your lucky day. This visually-appealing, collaboration-infused, digital organizing tool is a platform where students can learn to create collections by uploading links to their favorite sites, type text, import tweets and YouTube videos, and even record live shorts using the Flipgrid integration. Students can use Wakelet to chronicle their experience distancing during the pandemic. This opportunity inspires creativity as well as supplies an outlet. It’s privacy options provide a safe environment for students to express themselves, share what interests them, or remember a loved one they’ve lost during the pandemic. 

Librarians can use Wakelet to showcase their latest programming, create newsletters for community outreach, and connect with other librarians as well.  Here is a collection titled School Librarians to follow on Wakelet. Connect with librarians across the world. You can find collections they’ve created with additional resources for social-emotional learning too. Students are not the only ones yearning for connection and filled with thoughts of what will be. You too can use Wakelet to express what you’re going through, share your thoughts through a video journal, or keep an introspective chronicle of time during COVID-19. Personal or professional social and emotional learning are both important. The “Only Me” privacy setting can keep those insightful and personal collections of thoughts and musings for your eyes only.

Flipgrid has also pushed several upgrades that enhance the user experience. Privacy, among many other features, has confirmed that as we move into a learning space that will demand more digital interaction, we need to remain conscious of how vulnerable our students are during this time. Providing a safe place in the digital classroom is just as important as it is in the traditional one. The Power of Flipgrid for Social-Emotional Learning by Martha Bongiorno describes five ways you can create content in Flipgrid to support social-emotional learning and development. Librarians share a bond with our students that no other faculty or staff member shares. We are a blend of educator, counselor, confidant, and advisor. As librarians, we can seize the opportunity for digital relationship building.  If students don’t want to type about what they’re feeling and observing, they can share their stories with video recordings. You can create a grid and control its posting capabilities by keeping posts private at the student’s request. Students now have the option to only record audio. These upgrades provide more options for comfort with expression and creativity. As mentioned earlier, Wakelet has a Flipgrid integration with shorts that can record up to ten minutes. Sharing encouragement, saying hello, or reaching out by sharing your favorite memory can help strengthen our students’ hearts and minds.

Wakelet and Flipgrid offer flexibility to assess our students’ social and cognitive development outside of an “assessment” environment. They provide a human touch that perhaps a bell-to-bell instruction setting wouldn’t. They provide more than a multiple-choice test could. Using these fun, engaging avenues to connect and help our students find their social roles in life may prove to be more meaningful than one may think. Although much uncertainty still looms on the horizon, we can establish digital avenues that will equip our students with what they need to cope, heal, and persevere. 

Now We Need to Promote Libraries More Than Ever

by Brooke King, Librarian at Atascocita Middle School, Humble ISD, TASL Legislative & Advocacy

The "Let's Promote Libraries!" social media campaign is more important than ever this year as we show how librarians support learning no matter what the school environment looks like.

This social media campaign encourages school librarians to show off what happens in their school libraries to stakeholders. The campaign began with the TxASL Legislative & Advocacy Committee with the hopes of encouraging school librarians to promote themselves, their programs, and their instruction. TxASL is continuing the campaign this school year as we chart into librarianship like we have never seen before.

Each month’s topic is still framed as a question organized around the revised Texas Library Standards. It begins with, “Did you know that school libraries…,” followed by one of the standards. I’m certain the standards may look a little different this year in how they are approached, but that will just show how innovative librarians are.

We will still tweet on the 1st of each month, and I will try my best to remember to tweet reminders! You can post on any social media outlet or even send an email to a stakeholder. We want to focus on local stakeholders first, and then at the state and national levels. This year is also important because we are approaching a legislative year in our state in 2021. We always want to be as proactive as possible.

Please use #TxASLTalks so it is easy for all of us school librarians to find and help share our messages. Then use #Txlege to share our message of the important role school libraries have with students and learning with our state legislators.

It’s easy to participate!

Step 1: Look at the current month’s question.

Step 2: Snap a photo and write your message showing how your library shows that standard.

Step 3: Post your message and photo on any/all platforms of social media.

Step 4: Be sure to use the hashtags #TxASLTalks and #Txlege along with other key hashtags.

Step 5: Repost/retweet/share


There are two infographics to guide you. One explains the full campaign. The other shows only the monthly topics.

Thank you for participating in this campaign and advocating for the work librarians do that contributes to the success of students and schools!

The Power of Community

by Shirley Robinson, TLA Executive Director

The days leading up to March 11 were some of the most stress-filled I’ve ever experienced professionally in my 25-year nonprofit and association management career. Our incredible TLA staff were in full-on two weeks out from conference hustle-mode. Concerns over the threat of COVID-19 and what its impact could be to our conference were looming with dozens of calls and emails a day from members, exhibitors, and suppliers. When we ultimately made the decision with our Executive Board to cancel the conference that morning of the 11th, it was a relief that we had made the very painful but correct decision to protect the health and safety of our members and their communities. Ultimately, that same day the City of Houston banned all large events and the rest of the State and nation were all facing similar decisions. It was a time of uncertainty and shared commiseration of loss and mourning as we began the journey of the unknown.

Today, just a little more than four weeks later, the TLA Executive Board, membership, and staff are excited to be launching our first ever Virtual Conference. We’ll have more than 40 hours of pre-recorded content, live sessions and chat rooms for members to interact on April 21- 22, with even more fun surprises to come throughout the summer with an expanded learning series! A good quarter of the programs are targeted to our school library community with many more that may pique an interest you didn’t know you had. We’re thrilled that many registered attendees have chosen to convert their conference registration over to the Virtual meeting where they’ll receive many more hours of CE than they could have in a face-to-face conference. We’re also excited to see many members registering from far reaches of the state (and even some out of state) that haven’t previously been able to make the trip for time or budgetary reasons. If you know a school librarian who hasn’t attended TLA before please encourage them to register at https://txla.org/annual-conference/attend/schedule/.

Since joining TLA in early January I’ve already come to know and love the resiliency and spirit of collaboration of our library members. Even in my interview process I could see that the level of engagement and support of the association comes from an incredibly passionate and active base of members. This is a unique attribute that you don’t always find in associations, and it was exciting to see and has been even more exciting to experience. As we all navigate through the next few months, this resiliency will be a hallmark that not only helps the association to survive but we will thrive and grow through these lessons of innovation and creativity.

I can’t wait to meet more members from our school library community in the coming months. As a Mom, I thank you for the tremendous work you’re doing to support our educators and students, and as TLA’s Executive Director, I thank you for all you do to enrich this association. I am here for you – just a phone call or email away.

Shirley

Shirley Robinson, CAE
Executive Director
Texas Library Association

You Are Essential

by Kristi Starr, librarian at Coronado High School in Lubbock ISD, TASL chair

Only a few short weeks ago I was looking forward to April 1. It was to follow an amazing week of learning, connecting, and reconnecting at the Texas Library Association conference in Houston. It was a day when I anticipated commencing planning for 2021. The April 1 I woke up to, however, is one that no jokester would have ever predicted.

Friends, we are working in challenging times. The world to which we had grown accustomed has been turned upside down. You know it, your teachers know it, your students know it … everyone knows it. For many of us, it’s like working with one arm tied behind your back. You can do part of your job, but something critical is missing. Maybe it’s the people. It could be the books. Or the makerspaces. Even a reliable internet connection. Regardless, let me remind you of one thing.

You are essential.

• Librarians are essential to providing stability for students through storytimes and booktalks. They’re simply online now rather than face to face.
• Librarians are essential for curating resources for teachers and students. We aren’t throwing together lists and links, rather we are thoughtfully gathering and sharing a variety of resources and ideas. 
• Librarians are essential for technology support. We are answering emails, conducting office hours, picking up the phone to assist our colleagues and students when they need a new tool or aren’t quite sure how to do a certain task on a device. 
• Librarians are essential as collaborators. Whether it’s working with departments that we’ve never before worked with or collaborating on projects and websites with librarians across our districts, we are showing the value of teamwork and new perspectives. 

TASL and TLA are here to support you. We know times are crazy. We know it’s a challenge. But we’re here for you. And we all need to be there for each other. Session proposals and volunteer requests will come, and we’ll meet again in 2021 in San Antonio when we Celebrate Differences; Empower Voices.

Because today is April 1, it’s time to share our monthly advocacy statement. We have a slight departure from the planned statement, however. Thanks to Brooke King, TASL Talks editor, we have changed this month’s tweet to “Did you know that full-time certified librarians are supporting teachers and students virtually by ________?” Fill in the blank with what you’re doing. Be sure to tag #TxASLTalks #txlege and #TxASL You might mention @TxLA and your district and anyone else who needs to see this message. If you aren’t on Twitter, take it to Facebook or Instagram. Let’s get our stories out there. You are essential. 

Image source

One last thought. We owe a debt of gratitude to Nancy Jo Lambert who is rolling off the TASL executive board and to Richelle O’Neil as she assumes the role of past chair. I have officially taken on duties of TASL chair and welcome Jill Bellomy as chair-elect. Thank you, Nancy Jo and Richelle, for your leadership. Thanks also to Lisa Zinkie who has served the past two years as TASL secretary. We appreciate you, Lisa, and welcome Linda Kay into that office. We appreciate our councilors Nicole Cruz and Jenn Hampton who represent TASL both at the state and national levels. A heartfelt round of thanks goes to Brandi Dawson and all those others who served on ProCo for the 2020 conference, and to Dr. Leah Mann who co-chaired the programming committee. To all of you who spent time preparing presentations, serving on committees, planning events - we feel your disappointment, and while we were unable to enjoy the fruits of your efforts, we commend you on a job well done. Finally, to the TLA staff for all the hours and continued work on the virtual conference, we express deep gratitude.

With the past in mind, and with a foot in the present, we look to the future. And it’s bright, y’all. It’s bright.

TxASL Leadership Expresses Gratitude

From your TxASL Chair  Richelle O’Neil in regards to the cancellation of the TLA Conference 2020

TxASL Leadership wishes to express gratitude to the TLA Executive Board and staff for putting the health and safety of members first. We also wish to thank all of the committee members, speakers, and volunteers who spent countless hours reading award applications, preparing workshops, and coordinating events. We are continually blown away by the dedication of Texas school librarians!

We look forward to joining you for a virtual conference experience and will see you at TLA 2021!

Tejas Star Reading List: Shining a Light on Spanish and Bilingual Books

by Priscilla Delgado, PhD student at St. John’s University, Tejas Star Reading List Committee Chair

Reading in two languages is twice the fun! With Spanish being the second-most spoken language in Texas, plus the rise of dual-language programs across the state that provide instruction to native Spanish speakers and native English speakers in both languages, Spanish and bilingual books are needed now more than ever.

The Tejas Star Reading List (TSRL) is an annual recommended reading list of Spanish and bilingual children’s books sponsored by the Texas Library Association. The purpose of the list is to encourage children ages 5-12 to explore multicultural books and to discover the cognitive and economic benefits of bilingualism and multilingualism.

The 2020-21 Tejas Star Reading List was recently released, featuring 24 exemplary Spanish and bilingual titles that include fiction and non-fiction picture books, chapter books, and graphic novels with themes of activism, environment, and identity, as well as stories of famous and important historical figures.
Several picture books on this year’s list are Spanish translations of bestselling English titles, including Chancho el campeón (Pig the Winner) by Aaron Blabey, El coleccionista de palabras (The Word Collector) by Peter H. Reynolds, Lola quiere un gato (Lola Gets a Cat) by Anna McQuinn, ¡Hola, Cangrejito! (Hello, Crabby!), and Señorita Mariposa by Ben Gundersheimer.

A variety of titles focus on our planet and outer space. Luciana: Misión submarina (Luciana: Braving the Deep) by Erin Teagan follows Luciana, the 2018 American Girl of the Year who aspires to be the first astronaut on Mars. Fuego, fueguito / Fire, Little Fire, a poetry book by Jorge Tetl Argueta, describes--in Spanish, English, and Nahuatl--the characteristics of fire from the perspective of one little spark. If you’ve ever wanted to learn more about the Titanosaur - the biggest, heaviest creature to walk on this planet, you’ll need to read Titanosaurio: El descubrimiento del dinosaurio más grande del mundo (Titanosaur: Discovering the World's Largest Dinosaur) by Dr. José Luis Carballido and Dr. Diego Pol. Mario y el agujero en el cielo: Cómo un químico salvó nuestro planeta (Mario and the Hole in the Sky: How a Chemist Saved Our Planet) by Elizabeth Rusch is a biography of Mexican-American scientist Mario Molina, who helped solve the ozone crisis of the 1980s.

The list features two additional biographies. Papa Francisco: Creador de puentes (Pope Francis: Builder of Bridges) by Emma Otheguy shares what life was like for Jorge Bergoglio as a boy growing up in Argentina before becoming Pope. Sembrando historias: Pura Belpré: bibliotecaria y narradora de cuentos (Planting Stories: The Life of Librarian and Storyteller Pura Belpré) by Anika Aldamuy Denise is a beautifully written book about the first Latina librarian employed at the New York Public Library and the namesake of the Pura Belpré Award that recognizes authors and illustrators whose works best portray the Latino cultural experience.

An innovative 5-book set, A lomo de cuento (A Storybook Ride) by Sergio Andricaín and Antonio Orlando Rodríguez, provides insight to numerous Latin-American countries and islands, including Argentina, Cuba, Mexico, Peru, and Puerto Rico. Each book explores the geography and culture as well as oral tradition and storytelling.

Two notable titles describe being uprooted from home, with two different plots but similar themes of hope. In Un nuevo hogar (A New Home) by Tania de Regil, a boy moving from New York City to Mexico City and a girl moving from Mexico City to New York City express their fears about leaving home to live in a new and unfamiliar place. Luca’s Bridge / El puente de Luca by Mariana Llanos is the emotional story of a boy coming to terms with his family's deportation from the United States to Mexico.

A few books encourage activism - speaking up and getting involved. Peter H. Reynold’s ¡Di algo! (Say Something!) explores the many ways that a single voice can make a difference. No dejes que desaparezcan (Don’t Let Them Disappear) by Chelsea Clinton profiles twelve endangered species around the world and describes why it is important to save each animal from extinction.

Graphic novels featured on this year’s list include Hombre Perro: El Señor de las Pulgas (Dog Man: Lord of the Fleas) by Dav Pilkey and Pangato: Soy yo. (Catwad: It’s Me.) by Jim Benton, two hilarious adventures. 

The themes of identity and family are evident in some of the books on this year’s list. Mi papi tiene una moto (My Papi Has a Motorcycle) by Isabel Quintero is a touching story of a father and daughter with special memories of home. In ¿De dónde eres? (Where Are You From?) by Yamile Saied Méndez, after a young girl is asked where she's from--where she's really from--she turns to her grandfather for some help.

The Tejas Star Reading List committee will be presenting activities and resources to use with this year’s titles at the Texas Library Association conference on Wednesday, March 25, 2020, at 10:00 am. Make plans to attend to learn more about the reading list and to explore the TSRL activity guide with ready-to-use resources. The activity guide, as well as downloadable bookmarks and posters, will be available on our website: txla.org/tejas-star.

Unpacking Libraries Ready to Code

by Dr. Daniella Smith, Associate Professor in the Department of Information Science at the University of North Texas

There are countless jobs available in STEM fields that are vacant because there are not enough qualified individuals to fill them. In response, the American Library Association (ALA) began investigating ways that libraries can assist with computer science programs to reduce obstacles to employment in computer science. The result is Libraries Ready to Code (RtC), an initiative implemented by the ALA with the support of Google.

So far, RtC has been administered in three phases. Phase one involved research to understand how libraries can carry out activities. Phase two focused on collaborating with library and information science faculty to determine how skills can be taught to pre-service librarians. In Phase three, thirty libraries in the United States were given grants to create RtC programs.

These programs serve as role models for librarians and descriptions of them has been placed on the RtC website (ALA, 2019a). Other resources on the site that may be of interest for school librarians are the lesson plans and activities, professional development, learning standards, examples, and program evaluation. There are also examples of RtC activities. The cases can be helpful if you are concerned about managing a new program.

There are pathways of engagement listed on the website that are designed to help librarians establish solutions based on the approach that they would like to take with programming. Pathways share skills relevant to skill building, implementation, and advocacy. For instance, you might decide to engage with families or learn how to connect with your students’ interests and empower them. In addition, you could opt to focus on being able to demonstrate the outcomes of a program. Evaluation is vital at a time when school librarians need to be able to communicate how we connect our services to academic achievement. You can browse all the resources if none of the pathways appeal to you or if you already have a firm grasp on developing coding programs.

Creating an active program goes beyond attendance. One of the ways to understand the relationship between RtC and academic achievement is to examine the AASL Standards Crosswalk with the CS First curriculum. The CS First curriculum was created by Google to help advocates to teach computer science skills. While RtC does not focus exclusively on the CS First curriculum, the curriculum is included in the resources shared on the website. School librarians can recognize the association between coding and the standards by looking at some of the examples for the CS First crosswalk. 

In addition, to using the crosswalk to locate examples of the standards, there is a “Computational Thinking in Libraries” white paper (Subramaniam et al., 2019). The white paper shares the meaning of computational thinking (i.e., breaking down complex problems into smaller parts, recognizing patterns, filtering out information that is relevant to solving problems, creating step-by-step instructions for solutions, and evaluating solutions). Furthermore, it provides snapshots of computational thinking (CT) in libraries in the United States. The examples include the expertise level of the librarians that facilitated the programs. The examples show that incorporating CT and CS in libraries is feasible and meaningful.

Another great item that is available is the Libraries Ready to Code Infographic (ALA, 2019b). It is incorporated in the white paper and the website and is a great way to share the link between libraries and coding. The infographic condenses facts about what RtC is, why it is important, and its potential impact on society. It can be discussed with the Computational Thinking in Libraries white paper to serve as an advocacy piece for supporting the development and funding of a new program.

In conclusion, please don’t shy away from trying coding and addressing CT in your library. The American Association of School Librarian’s blog has four posts that discuss RtC and CT in school libraries if you need more suggestions.

• Computational Thinking in Your School Library
• On a Mission: Students with Exceptional Abilities Coding Music
• The Mifflin’s Feather Friends Program: A Libraries Ready to Code Project
• The Ready to Code (RtC) Collection

Likewise, there are many unplugged activities (i.e., activities without computers) shared in the resources. They are beneficial if you don’t have a lot of money to get started. Step-by-step lesson plans featured on the website can help you to get started. Starting small while you collect, and report data will help you build a strong foundation for new activities and a case for funding the project that you envision.

References

American Library Association. (2019a). Libraries ready to code. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/tools/readytocode/home

American Library Association. (2019b). Libraries ready to code. [Infographic]. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/advocacy/sites/ala.org.advocacy/files/content/pdfs/draft%20v6%20-%20LRTC_infographic%20%282%29.pdf

Subramaniam, M., Kodama, C., Baylen, D. M., Burton, M., Fabicon, J. K., Hincks, K., Moniz, R., Smith, D., & Visser, M. (2019). Computational thinking in libraries: Case studies of youth programs in action. Washington, D.C.: The American Library Association’s Office for Information Technology Policy. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/advocacy/sites/ala.org.advocacy/files/content/tools/RtC%20Case%20Studies_FINALedited.pdf