#txlchat, or Yes, Virginia, you really should be using Twitter for professional development

by Kristi Starr, librarian at Coronado High School in Lubbock ISD, TxASL Chair-Elect

August and September always bring lots of excitement and renewed energy. It’s a time of new beginnings and reboots. With September comes a new season of #txlchat - a weekly 30-minute Twitter chat each Tuesday evening at 8:00PM Central. Each week you will find a topic of discussion applicable to librarians and library settings. You can lurk (observe) or contribute as much as you’d like. From seasoned veterans to first-year librarians to those still completing certification, all are welcome!

#txlchat, like most Twitter chats, follows a Q&A format. Questions will appear every 5 or so minutes, noted by Q and the question number. Responses should be preceded with A and the question number. Each response should contain the hashtag #txlchat For a more in-depth guide to engaging in #txlchat, check out this document if you plan to follow from a mobile device or this guide for participating on a Chromebook, laptop, or desktop.

We know that it’s difficult to set aside time every week for a chat. Family takes priority, work can get in the way, and sometimes we just plain forget. That’s why each chat is archived using Wakelet. Sharon Gullett sends out the archive Tuesday night or Wednesday morning via the TLC listserv. You can also access all the archives at http://txlchat.weebly.com/archives.html Want a reminder 30 minutes before each chat? Sign up to receive messages via Remind. You may also preview the topics and questions for the week prior to the chat. If you want to share ideas but know you won’t be available, use a site like Twuffer to schedule your tweets.

#txlchat has been one of the best, most consistent learning platforms I’ve encountered. The weekly chats have allowed me to expand my professional learning network (PLN) through contact with other librarians across the state and country. For 30 minutes each week, we come together - learners and sharers from disparate locations and time zones, each seeking ways to improve our practices, to engage and impact our communities.

Topics for September include

September 3 - Welcome Back with the Power of TexQuest
September 10 - Falling into Programming
September 17 - Libraries Transform
September 24 - I Can’t Live Without ...

Join the #txlchat team tonight for a fast-paced half hour of learning. You’ll be glad you did!

Lunch & Learn Webinars

by Brandi Rosales-Dawson, Library Systems Administrator in Richardson ISD, and Stacy Cameron, Coordinator of Library Services in Frisco ISD

The Texas Association of School Librarians (TASL) Lunch & Learn webinars are back for another year with timely topics including scheduling, collaboration, communication, programming, and more. The webinars began last year after the TASL executive board saw a need for additional professional learning specifically for Texas school librarians, since not all school librarians are able to attend the annual TxLA conference. Through the support of former TLA Executive Director Dana Braccia, TASL Lunch & Learn webinars were created in a weekend and launched in December of 2018. 

We knew we wanted the series designed around Texas educators presenting the content for several reasons. First, we have amazing school librarians across this state doing great things on their campus, and we want to highlight and lift up their hard work so others can learn and implement those ideas. Second, presenters need to be accessible to those attending or watching the recording. While there is value in seeing national speakers present, we want an attendee to feel they could contact a presenter for additional tips and tricks as they move through their own implementation. Lastly, as we know school librarianship can make us feel like islands, and this is one way to help school librarians connect with each other across the state. 

During the initial year, presenters were selected by word of mouth and their online reputation for innovative implementations on their campus. The Lunch & Learn webinars were such a hit last year with the average registration for each webinar being about 80 and live attendees around 25. This year we opened it up to any Texas librarian/educator who wants to share library programming implementations or instructional practices they are doing on their campus and/or with their community. At this time we are still looking for presenters to fill weekly webinar offerings through the end of the year. If you have a great programming or lesson you would like to present, please fill out the following form so we can get you on the schedule. 

Webinars are free to all TASL members, but registration is required. Each webinar lasts only 30 minutes, but if you’re unable to attend live, you can access the recording once it has concluded. 

To register for a September webinar, click here. 

September 4 - Flexible Scheduling in the Elementary Library

September 11 - Library Ambassador Customer Service Program

September 18 - Upgrade Your Secondary School Library

September 25 - Level Up Your Staff Newsletter

For future webinars, keep an eye on your inbox for emails from TASL or you can find registration links on the Texas Library Association website!