Palacios Library | Palacios , TX At Palacios Library, leadership starts with listening. “Our success has been our availability for whatever is needed to keep our library afloat and be willing to help out our small town in any way we can,” says Head Librarian Vikijane Mosier. That spirit of responsiveness has guided the library’s…
There’s something magical about dawn over the desert when hot air balloons drift serenely above the Rio Grande Valley with their neon colors glowing against the pale morning sky. That’s the same sense of wonder attendees experienced at the 2025 Association for Rural & Small Libraries (ARSL) Annual Conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico. In this…
Upcoming Opportunities These opportunities are available for free unless otherwise noted. Descriptions are provided by host organizations. Awards and Scholarships Open The Texas Library Association (TLA) offers awards and scholarships honoring excellence in and contributions to the library profession. In addition, TLA offers stipends to help defray the costs of attending Annual Conference and membership,…
Imagine that the Gotham Public Library, a small rural library in Texas, has recently received a request for help from its group of local homeschool families—the Arkham Angels—that is looking for appropriate young adult graphic novels for this year’s book club. In the past, the library had a brief, outdated collection development policy that didn’t…
Upcoming Opportunities These opportunities are available for free unless otherwise noted. Descriptions are provided by host organizations. 2026 Infinite Sums Rural & Small Libraries Cohort Grant Program September 1-30, 2025 The Infinite Sums Rural & Small Libraries Cohort Grant Program is supported by the Simons Foundation as part of its Infinite Sums national initiative and…
What started out as a sizeable donation of custom-built video games from the county’s STEM club was quickly joined by the late Mr. Nguyen’s golden age Superman comics and his daughter’s childhood collection of rare Shojo manga—only to then be expanded by Ms. Gordon’s crafting overstock that was curated by the library’s teen advisory board…
With Summer Library Program in the review mirror, you can practically hear the thrum of those yellow limousines, taste the cafeteria‘s food service delights, and smell the essential oils of fresh pencil shavings mingling with melted crayons. And now that it’s back to school season, learning and reflection are top of mind. As the young…
Upcoming Opportunities These opportunities are available for free unless otherwise noted. Descriptions are provided by host organizations. Foundations of Philanthropic Partnership August 6, 2025 | 2:00 p.m. (Eastern) Ready to transform how you approach philanthropy? Join Mary Riddick for this foundational session to shift your perspective from traditional fundraising to authentic partnership-building. Discover how to…
Although none were born into leadership, it is a truth universally acknowledged that some achieve it and some have it thrust upon them. With apologies to both Shakespeare and Austen, the path to library leadership can be as varied as the individuals who travel it. Directors and head librarians come to this work by many…
Upcoming Opportunities These opportunities are available for free unless otherwise noted. Descriptions are provided by host organizations. Community Heart & Soul Seed Grant Program The Community Heart & Soul Seed Grant Program provides $10,000 in funding for resident-driven groups in small cities and towns to start the Community Heart & Soul model. Grant funding requires…