In 2012, with the devastating loss of 65% of state funding, the Texas Library Systems ceased to operate. For over four decades, this program had provided a platform for library cooperation, training, and sharing of expertise. When the ten regional library systems ended, libraries in remote parts of the state lost an essential platform through which to interact easily with neighboring libraries, to share information and stay connected to a larger community of libraries. Many librarians felt very much set adrift and isolated. And they still do.

It is unlikely that the systems will return in the form that we knew them in the 1970s through the 2000s. But in the wake of the systems, many libraries across the state have attempted to form themselves into groups that come together to network and share expertise. Currently in Texas a number of systems and consortia exist for a variety of purposes and in various stages of development.

For some time now, we have wanted to find ways to encourage libraries to form into grassroots systems and find ways to come together and create communities of practice and mutual support, either formal or informal. With this in mind, through the Friends of Libraries and Archives of Texas, we sought grant funding from the Still Water Foundation to conduct a study of four systems in West Texas that are in various stages of development. The Still Water Foundation generously supports projects that seek economic development and sustainability for rural communities in West and Central Texas. Using the grant funds, we secured the services of Lee+ associates, a highly respected organization that provides organizational development services to non-profit organizations.

Throughout most of 2018, Lee+ conducted a review of four library systems in West Texas: Small Country Libraries, West Texas Library Group, the Abilene Library Consortium, and the Harrington Library Consortium. Lee+ met with and surveyed these library systems and reported back to TSLAC and the individual systems on strategies these specific systems could use to achieve their desired goals.

The final stage of their research involved the creation of a “Tool Box” for the development of library systems and consortium. Lee+ has delivered the Tool Box – Practical Resources for Developing Library Systems and Consortia and it can be found on our website at https://www.tsl.texas.gov/ldn/system-toolbox. The idea of the Tool Box is to help library systems determine what their goals are and to place themselves on a life cycle that helps them decide what resources and strategies they need to adopt to succeed. The Tool Box contains an impressive set of resources such as sample bylaws, policy documents, statements of responsibilities of non-profit boards and much more.

We urge library systems to use the resources in the Tool Box to assess their current status, to articulate their desired goals, and develop a road map to get to those outcomes. We are grateful to Still Water for their support, for Lee+ for their great work, and to our four West Texas library systems for their time and help with this project.

On Wednesday night, the U.S. Congress passed S. 3530, the Museum and Library Services Act, on a vote of 327-28. The Senate had passed the bill several days earlier, but until Wednesday, it appeared the chances for passage were slipping away in the last days of this Congress. The MLSA reauthorizes the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the federal agency that sets national library policy and administers Library Services and Technology Act Funding. Texas receives about $11.4 million in LSTA funding each year and we use those funds to support Interlibrary Lending, Library consulting and continuing education programs, competitive grants, and about 25% of TexShare funding.

Key to the passage of this bill was Representative Will Hurd (R, TX-23), who co-sponsored the legislation and worked strategically for its passage. We are grateful to Rep. Hurd and the other sponsors and members of Congress who recognize the value that libraries contribute to building the social infrastructure that leads to strong, sustainable communities and engaged, educated citizens.

With the passage of the MLSA, and pending the president’s signature, we look forward to continuing to communicate with Congress the importance of support for libraries in Texas and across the nation to fully activate their potential as engines of education, economic development, and civic engagement.

TSLAC Staff from all locations gathered together for the first-ever all-staff training on March 9, 2018.

Every year this time I like to take a moment to review what our agency has accomplished over the last year. It is important for every organization to occasionally pause and reflect on its successes and major projects. The following is not an exhaustive list of all work done by TSLAC, but features highlights from the year. And other than the few general items at the top, it is arranged by the operational goals contained in our strategic plan.

Many thanks to our commission for their support and guidance, to our amazing staff for their tireless work in providing Texans with the information they need to lead informed and productive lives, and to our stakeholders across the state who use our services and advocate for our success.

2018 TSLAC Accomplishments

Organizational

• Successful outcome of our agency Sunset Review
• Onboarding of three new commissioners: David Garza, Arthur Mann, and Darryl Tocker
• TSLAC Strategic Plan and 2020-2021 LAR submitted
• TSLAC Biennial Report completed

Goal 1: To articulate and advance the value of Texas libraries as essential to our communities and state

• TexShare core database renewal
• Completed with Lee+ a study of West Texas library systems
• Adoption new K-12 School Library Standards and distribution to every district
• Future of Rural Symposium livestream to Texas libraries
• Library Technology Academy debut

Goal 2: To recruit and retain the knowledge-based workforce necessary to discharge the agency’s duties

• Staff Development Day – First time all staff have come together for total agency training
• Full staffing of the Information Technology Services Department
• State Auditors Office adoption of TSLAC recommendation for new Records Analyst Series
• Salary request included in 2020-2021 Legislative Appropriations Request
• 40^th Anniversary of the Talking Book Program Volunteer Recording Studio

Goal 3: To safeguard, preserve, and provide access to informational and historic assets

• Sam Houston Center Museum remodel and launch
• 30 Terabytes of information in the Texas Digital Archive
• First two Fellowships in Texas History Research (a “scholar-in-residence” program) funded
• Setting the Texas Table Exhibit launched
• Archives a la Carte Exhibit launched
• 2019 Report of Reports completed
• Another successful E-Records Conference, November 16
• Work begun on the historic buildings at the Sam Houston Center
• Multi-year Texas Department of Transportation digital imaging project launched
• Adoption of amendments to School District retention schedules
• Proposed amendments to Juvenile Records schedules
• Collaborated with the Department of Information Resources in completing the Texas Digital Storage Study

Goal 4: To acquire the technology necessary to effectively, securely, and efficiently manage agency resources

• Go-live of our new TBP automation system, WebReads (replacing our last major legacy software system)
• New Duplication on Demand system for TBP materials requests
• Completion of the Information Resources Deployment Review (IRDR)
• Implemented electronic packets for TSLAC commission meetings
• Expansion of imaging technology in our State and Local Records Management program: rotary scanner, digital archive writer, Digitech software
• Added wireless network to our Shoal Creek facility
• Bandwidth increase for Sam Houston Center

Goal 5: To secure the state’s official records by addressing the immediate need for additional archival storage and provide for the growth of Texas records

• Development of LAR request for additional storage space
• Many meetings with Governor’s Office, LBB, TFC, and Texas Public Finance Authority and others
• Sunset recommendation regarding TSLAC leadership role to curatorial storage space
• Brought in 46,225 boxes; destroyed 37,288 boxes; remaining space about 30,000 boxes

Goal 6: To support efforts to ensure digital inclusion for Texas

• Libraries Connecting Texas – Faster broadband in 84 Texas libraries (with a second round underway)
• Partnership with Glasshouse Policy Institute to further Texas broadband policy
• Successful conclusion of Toward Gigabit Libraries project

Goal 7: Continue to refine our response to the informational needs of the increasingly diverse Texas population

• 59 competitive grant projects funded
• Positive review of TBP following NLS site visit
• Ten new Family Place libraries added
• Provided books for Lone Star Día projects in 40 libraries
• Prison library services pilot project
• Letters about Literature with two Texas students achieving national recognition

It is TSLAC’s honor and privilege to serve the people of Texas. We look forward to another successful year in 2019. Happy holidays and we look forward to seeing all of you in the New Year.

Where do we invest our public resources to achieve the greatest benefits to society? This is a question that our public officials constantly ask themselves and others in making the decisions necessary to fund government. As the Texas Legislature reconvenes on January 8, our state lawmakers will again be considering the Return on Investment — or ROI — of all the programs funded by state dollars.

A recently published book offers a new perspective on how to think about the investment of public funding to achieve more vibrant and sustainable communities, better educated citizens, stronger democratic institutions and greater civic engagement. The title of the book says it all: Palaces for the People: How Social Infrastructure Can Help Fight Inequality, Polarization, and the Decline of Civic Life by Eric Klinenberg (Crown, 2018).

In Palaces for the People, Klinenberg explores the concept of Social Infrastructure, that is, “the physical places and organizations that shape the way people interact.” Social infrastructure fosters contact, mutual support and collaboration. Social infrastructure leads to more resilient communities through social cohesion that addresses a broad array of challenges from crime to education to healthcare.

Sound familiar? It should come as no surprise that the first chapter of the book focuses on libraries and that libraries are prevalent throughout the book. In fact, the title is borrowed from Andrew Carnegie, the philanthropist who funded the creation of hundreds of libraries across the country, who observed that the monarchs of Europe had their gilded and marble palaces, but in the United States, libraries are the palaces of the people.

Klinenberg writes that “the library is among the most critical forms of Social Infrastructure that we have” and quotes the Pew Research Center’s study that showed that more than 90 percent of Americans see their library as “very” or “somewhat” important in their community many other major institutions (government, churches, banks, corporations) have fallen in public esteem “except libraries, the military, and first responders.”

Klinenberg goes on to describe the social infrastructure represented by libraries:

“. . . in cities across the United States and around the world, neighborhood libraries and librarians do all kinds of unexpected things for surprisingly large numbers of people. Their core mission is to help people elevate themselves and improve their situation. Libraries do this, principally, by providing free access to the widest possible variety of cultural materials to people of all ages, from all ethnicities and groups.”

Klinenberg’s argument — supported by substantial evidence — is that by investing in social infrastructure via such organizations such as libraries, we have an opportunity to strengthen our communities in transformative and foundational ways. Investment in social infrastructure leads to lower crime rates, greater local economic growth, lower rates of mental illness, and other positive effects. He posits that investing in social infrastructure that brings people together and builds stronger communities is just as important as roads, bridges and other types of physical infrastructure.

TSLAC, as well as the libraries and archival institutions across Texas that we support, fall into this category of social infrastructure. By training librarians, providing shared access to online resources, delivering recorded materials to visually impaired and disabled Texans and providing access to public records and archives, we are strengthening communities, encouraging civic engagement and bringing Texans together. We have demonstrated that every dollar invested in library service yields $4.64 in return, but that ROI does not even include the incalculable benefits of access to life-changing and affirming programming, civic interaction and information for persons of all ages, in all parts of the state, and all social and economic backgrounds.

We hope the decision makers in Texas will agree.

See also: “Worry less about crumbling roads, more about crumbling libraries,” by Eric Klinenberg, in Citilab, September 21, 2018. 

After months of study of our agency, the Sunset Advisory Commission yesterday made final decisions on the Texas State Library and Archives Commission. The panel—which is comprised of five state senators, five representatives, and two public members—made several recommendations, the most important of which is that TSLAC continue to operate for another 12 years. There is no recommendation for any loss of authority or any combination with another agency.

In addition, the Sunset Commission also recommended that we:

• Have specific permission to advertise services and to sell reproductions of archival materials the proceeds of which will benefit preservation and digitization efforts as well as educational operations
• Work with other agencies to explore options for sharing space for curatorial operations as part of our requested expansion of the State Records Center on Shoal Creek
• Develop a strategic plan for managing the state archives with particular emphasis on the processing backlog
• Clarify processes for how we handle the transfer and confidentiality of legislator records
• Discontinue the requirement that TSLAC approve local government retention schedules
• Make changes to our grants management procedures to remove perceived conflicts of interest and to ensure broader participation

The Sunset recommendations represent a welcome vote of confidence by the state in the work TSLAC performs for the state. The Sunset Commission staff report spoke about the value of the agency to the state and the commission’s recommendations today underscore their appreciation of the importance of TSLAC’s work and the integrity of our staff and our processes in delivering that work.

I want to thank Assistant State Librarian Gloria Meraz for being the lead staff person in writing our agency self-evaluation and in leading our very strategic approach to the Sunset process. But this was a team effort that took work by many people inside and outside the agency including our commissioners, our division directors, and many of our staff.  We are also very grateful to support we received throughout process from key stakeholders such as the Texas Library Association, the Texas State Historical Association, and the Texas Historical Records Advisory Board.

Sunset review has been a long road over many months and the process is not over yet. The most important steps lie ahead in introducing and passing legislation to reauthorize TSLAC for another 12 years. But with these recommendations we will approach the session with confidence and an expectation of a favorable outcome.

All decision documents for yesterday’s meeting, including for TSLAC, can be found here.

Many apologies for my lengthy absence from this blog. I took an involuntary hiatus owing to October being a very busy month. Our team opened a new exhibit, presented two programs during the month, participated in Archives Month, prepared for the Texas Book Festival, the Legislative Session, the Sunset Commission meeting in November, and several other major activities.

But I have also been doing some thinking and reading about topics that reflect on the value of what we do as libraries and archives. Over the two days of the Texas Book Festival we watched as thousands of people gathered on the grounds of the Texas Capitol to attend dozens of author sessions, visit book vendors and other exhibitors, purchase books, and otherwise celebrate the power of the printed word. Every author program I attended was completely full with standing room only. I watched at the Gala as contributors donated over $108,000 in less than 20 minutes to support book grants to libraries and the Reading Rock Stars program. The ongoing overwhelmingly positive response to the Texas Book Festival speaks to the power of books and reading and a hunger for authentic information, thoughtful writing, and a faith in libraries as a catalyst and contact point for people seeking access to reliable information and the regenerative practice of reading.

Thursday evening before the Festival, we held our third annual Celebration of Texas Authors and presented the Texas Center for the Book Literacy Award to the Women’s Storybook Project of Texas, an amazing program that allows incarcerated women in Texas to record themselves reading stories for their children. That an act as simple and genuine and basic as reading to your child is so restorative and foundational for these women is further evidence of the power of books and reading to bind families and communities and to create lifelong opportunities for children exposed to books and reading at early ages.

Why are people turning to books and reading and libraries so enthusiastically? Perhaps part of the answer can be found in a report published this month by the Knight Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to exploring journalism and civic engagement. The report, entitled “Disinformation, ‘Fake News,’ and Influence Campaigns on Twitter,” provides the results of a highly granular study of the ways in which Twitter bots are employed to generate automatic posts. The slick interactive presentation of the report online belies the troubling implications for society, especially when, according to the Pew Research Center, 38 percent of people get their news online, including from social media and apps. Fortunately, only 4 percent of people trust the accuracy of news from social media. By comparison, also according to Pew, 74 percent of the public say they see public libraries as a place that helps them decide what information they can trust.

Also in October, I read a book that helped me understand how we interact with information and why it might be a good idea to rethink some of those patterns. Bored and Brilliant: How spacing out can unlock your most productive and creative self, by Manoush Zomorodi (whose excellent podcasts “Note to Self” and “Zig Zag” might be the subject of a later blog post), explains how Americans’ obsessive use of cell phones, screens, apps, and other conveniences of the modern world, is disrupting not only our relationships with other people and our environment, but even the way we read and take in information. Zomorodi describes how many people have trouble even reading a book because online apps train the eye to hop around the page so that the linear act of reading becomes much more difficult. This writer is not anti-online-information (after all, she hosts podcasts), but she does see problematic implications for a loss of sustained reflection, thinking, and deeper understanding.

Libraries and archives offer a path out of the confusion, distraction, and craziness. Through books, reliable online sources, or even something as refreshingly analog as a print newspaper (favored now by only 20 percent of the public, according to Pew), people are finding a way to disconnect with the frantic, stressful, and often unreliable deluge of online information and connect to information sources that encourage thoughtful reflection.

URLs included in this post:

The Women’s Storybook Project of Texas can be found here at https://storybookproject.org/

The Knight Foundation report, “Disinformation, ‘Fake News,’ and Influence Campaigns on Twitter,” can be found at: https://knightfoundation.org/

The Pew Research report on journalism can be found at: http://www.journalism.org/2016/07/07/pathways-to-news/

The Pew Research “Libraries 2016” report can be found at: http://www.pewinternet.org/2016/09/09/americans-attitudes-toward-public-libraries/

“Bored and Brilliant” was featured on an episode of the NPR program All Tech Considered. That program can be found here: https://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2015/01/12/376717870/bored-and-brilliant-a-challenge-to-disconnect-from-your-phone

By Gloria Meraz, Assistant State Librarian

On October 1, the Texas State Library and Archives Commission will open “Setting the Texas Table,” an exhibit about the history of Texas foodways featuring artifacts from the Texas State Archives. From produce parades to the floor of the Texas Legislature, Setting the Texas Table showcases the influence of state government and industry on Texas food culture. An array of historical photos, state promotional materials, and other artifacts highlight the farms and ranches, celebrations, laws and promotions that help define what goes on the Texas table. The exhibit opens Oct. 1 and runs through April 2019.

Opening Event

Attend the exhibit opening event on Oct. 11 from 6 to 8 p.m. for an opportunity to check out the new exhibit, which includes armadillo preparation techniques, a letter from former H-E-B CEO Howard Edward Butt Sr. and Red Cross ration recipes from a prisoner of war diary. Industry experts, including John Lash of Farm to Table and Mark Hyman of Llano Estacado Winery, will talk about how Texas food culture today fits in to their professional endeavors in the food industry. There will also be Texas food and drink, a one-night-only display of food-themed artifacts from the archives, and a pumpkin decorating contest with prizes for the best decorated version of Texas’ state squash. For more information on the exhibit and the Oct. 11 event, visit www.tsl.texas.gov.

Exhibit Overview

What we serve on our table is not only a product of our own history and taste but the culmination of a vast and complex enterprise. From the farmer, rancher or fisherman to the industry promoter and state official, the people and organizations behind the scenes are all part of a thriving system of food production, transportation, marketing, sale, regulation and state support.

Setting the Texas Table serves up a hearty helping of favorite dishes and documents how state government influences the foodways of Texas. The exhibit features archival records from the Texas Department of Agriculture, Texas Tourist Development Agency, the State Legislature and governors.

The exhibit is organized into 6 sections. Cooking Up Texas shows how Texans connect with their history and each other by sharing recipes. Featured items include publications of the Texas Department of Agriculture with industry data and cookbooks, such as The Texas Wild Game Cookbook, which offers impressive recipes for barbecued and stuffed armadillo.

The Lean Table segment focuses on the experience of food hardship during the Great Depression and WWII. Items include documents on rationing, such as a letter from
H.E. Butt to Governor Stevenson on July 8, 1943.

The practice of Farm to Market was essential in maximizing access to local products. The development of roads (physical and promotional) ensured thriving foodways. Archival records include maps of agricultural food regions and photographs of state produce operations, such as the Stugard Ranch, which grew irrigated citrus and vegetables in the Rio Grande Valley.

States often proclaim foods as “official” to promote a local product and state industries. The exhibit’s Making It Official celebrates peaches, the essential component of the official state cobbler.

No Texas food exhibit is complete without beef. The Land and Cattle section highlights elements of the industry, from branding to fencing and images of Texas stock.

Celebrating the Taste of Texas brings people together in a purposeful way to build community. The Texas State Fair, established in 1886, is perhaps the best-known state event for promoting Texas products. One of the artifacts featured is J.R.’s Secret Sauce, which was served up in the 1986 Texas Sesquicentennial.

Visit the exhibit online at https://www.tsl.texas.gov/lobbyexhibits/txtable and watch the exhibit video featuring TSLAC Archivist Halley Grogan and many vintage film clips from the TSLAC collection at https://youtu.be/KToEc-jr_3E

We hope you will come enjoy the Setting the Texas Table exhibit and join us for our informative (and nourishing!) program Thursday evening, Oct. 11.

This week and last week we attended two hearings at the Capitol that represent milestones for TSLAC. Last week, on August 29, the Sunset Commission (the governing board of which is comprised of five senators and five representatives) held a hearing to discuss agencies under review. As most of our stakeholder groups know, TSLAC has been undergoing a Sunset Commission review for the past several months. In July, the Sunset Commission Staff issued their Report on TSLAC. That report contained a number of recommendations including that the agency should continue to operate for another 12 years and should not be combined with another agency.

At the August 29 hearing, TSLAC Chairman Michael Waters, Assistant State Librarian Gloria Meraz, and I testified on behalf of the agency and answered the Commission’s questions. Chairman Brian Birdwell and other committee members asked a number of questions about various topics, including how we manage the records of state legislators and how we ensure equity in the award of competitive grant funds. Chairman Birdwell also asked questions regarding the accreditation of public libraries in Texas and expressed a concern that local governments be able to retain maximum flexibility in determining how the locality taxes itself for library service.

Senator Dawn Buckingham asked about the Talking Book Program and any impediments to the service. I described the program and noted as a significant impediment that we lack the authority to advertise the service and, as a result, not enough eligible Texans are aware of and use the service. She noted that should be an easy fix.

Six of the seven TSLAC commission members were present and Chairman Birdwell thanked and praised the commission for being in attendance and for their careful stewardship of the agency on behalf of the people of Texas. Also in attendance were Texas Library Association members Leah Mann, Edward Smith, and Susan Mann who spoke about the value of the services provided by TSLAC. We are very grateful of the support that TLA and other stakeholder groups have given TSLAC throughout the Sunset process.

The next step in the Sunset process is the Commission’s decision meeting on November 14 and 15 when they meet to take action on TSLAC and other agencies.

Yesterday we presented our 2020-2021 Legislative Appropriations Request before the Joint Budget Hearing, a meeting of staff representing the Legislative Budget Board, the office of the governor, lieutenant governor, and speaker of the house, and the Senate Finance and House Appropriations committees. We described our budget and our seven exceptional items, including funding for a two-part facilities project that will ensure the agency will have adequate room to store materials for up to the next 25 years.

We are also requesting $4.2 million for new funds for TexShare and TexQuest to purchase e-book materials to complement the resources in those very heavily used and much-beloved services.

We are looking forward to the start of the legislative session and the conversation about the resources we need to best serve the information needs of all Texans in all parts of the state.

Libraries have been getting some great press coverage lately. Ironically some of it started with a piece in Forbes magazine all about how libraries are obsolete and all anyone ever needs is on Amazon (I always wonder when I hear someone say that type of thing if they have actually been in a library anytime in the last 20 years). The article drew such a huge avalanche of negative reaction, that Forbes actually pulled it from their website, which magazines and newspapers seldom do.

In the meantime, in reacting to the article, a number of people came across our Return on Investment Report for Public Libraries in Texas, the one that demonstrates that every one dollar invested in public libraries yields $4.64 in investment. That report is on our website at https://www.tsl.texas.gov/roi. In fact, an article in the widely circulated U.K. newspaper, The Guardian, about the Forbes article, cited the TSLAC ROI study: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/jul/23/twaddle-librarians-respond-to-suggestion-amazon-should-replace-libraries?CMP=share_btn_tw

On August 7, the Texas Tribune ran my article also referencing the Forbes article, titled, “Public Libraries Offer a Great Return for Texas Taxpayers”: https://www.tribtalk.org/2018/08/07/public-libraries-offer-a-great-return-for-texas-taxpayers/ Thanks to our amazing Communications Officer Macy Hurwitz for placing this article in the Texas Tribune, a source widely read by Texas decision makers in state and local government.

Earlier this week, the Texas Observer ran a tribute about the late great Texas Senator Babe Schwartz who died a few days ago at the age of 92. https://www.texasobserver.org/stalwart-battler-for-justice-remembering-babe-schwartz-1926-2018/ This article contains a nice audio clip of Senator Schwartz in his typically sharp and entertaining style provided courtesy of TSLAC’s Texas Senate Recordings (available on our website at: https://www.tsl.texas.gov/ref/senaterecordings/about.html.)

And then today USA Today published an article that extolls the virtues of the modern public library:  https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/columnist/komando/2018/08/17/free-ebooks-audiobooks-wi-fi-how-get-more-your-library/1009853002/ This article does not directly mention Texas libraries, but it certainly pertains to the wonderful range of services and materials available at public libraries in Texas and across the country.

It is once again budget time and visitors to our agency lately might have seen some rather dazed senior staff wandering the halls, including our Chief Operations and Fiscal Officer, Donna Osborne, who is the point person on pulling this monster document together. Every two years we are called on to submit our Legislative Appropriations Request. This year we were happy to see that we were not instructed to start at an automatic reduction (though we were directed to produce a 10 percent reduction plan should it be needed).

We also were not directed not to submit additional funding requests. So we have and they are rather large this time. On Wednesday of this week our commission met (with three new members: Commissioners Darryl Tocker, Arthur Mann, and David Garza) and prioritized the so-called exceptional items, or additional funding items, as follows:

1. Storage for State Records – $36,016,600 – No, there isn’t an extra zero in this item. It is a very large request, but the need is huge also. This item represents both a short- and long-term solution to the fact that we are running out of space for the storage of records and archives, a situation made immediate and much worse because of several factors. This item will allow retrofitting of a site in South Austin for a short-term solution and the construction of an expansion of the Records Center on Shoal Creek for a 25-year solution. Without some funding for this item we will be of room to store state records by the end of fiscal year 2019.
2. Cybersecurity for State Resources – $1,209,942 – For the second biennium, we are requesting the resources to adequately protect our automated systems.
3. TexShare and TexQuest E-Book Resources – $4,545,988 – Providing access to online information through these signature programs continues to be the number one priority for our library clientele statewide. This item would expand the availability of e-book resources to public, K-12 and college and university library users across Texas.
4. Targeted Salary Increases – $400,000 – For the third biennium in a row, we are asking for additional funds to help us bring our salaries to levels that will allow us to recruit and retain a qualified agency workforce. When we first asked for this in 2015, 89% of our staff were working below the mid-point of their salary range. That number has dropped to 71%, which is an improvement, but we still have a long way to go.
5. InfoPower for Texas Communities – $554,524 – This is a new request that would allow our agency to conduct a more concerted and coordinated plan of outreach to take our information, training, and services to libraries, local governments, and citizens in all parts of the state. This project would provide a coordinator for this project and a driver for a vehicle we plan to purchase in FY 2019 to travel the state disseminating our services.
6. Agency General Counsel for PIA Requests and Contracts – $484,184 – Between our much-higher-than-average PIA requests and our extensive contracts, we really need a dedicated attorney to assist our agency. We are a large agency not to have our own General Counsel. This item would streamline our processes and take burden off of staff who are currently managing PIA responses and contracts.

As always, we look forward to keeping our stakeholder groups apprised of the progress of these items. We will have our first hearing before the Joint Budget Committee on September 6. And we look forward to an important session for our agency as we approach reauthorization and these many important projects bringing information resources to Texans in all parts of the state.