Texas libraries are stepping up to meet an essential community need: access to healthcare. Thanks to innovative partnerships and funding, telehealth pods are now offering rural residents a lifeline to critical medical services. This groundbreaking project highlights how libraries continue to evolve as pillars of their communities, offering resources far beyond books. The Power of…
The 2024 Library Marketing and Communication Conference held November 13-14 in St. Louis, Missouri, brought together hundreds of library marketers from across the nation to share best practices, creative strategies, and inspiring success stories. The event covered topics ranging from social media and email marketing to fundraising and outreach—all crucial for today’s libraries striving to…
This past Summer, researchers at Texas A&M University, along with non-profit Community Action Inc. of Central Texas (CAI), published an article on adult literacy in Texas. This study examined how Texas adult education and literacy (AEL) programs integrate technology, highlighting both successes and challenges. It used interviews with program directors to identify factors that enhance…
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) has a stated mission to support and empower America’s museums, libraries, and related organizations through grantmaking, research, and policy development. In 2024, they awarded El Paso area Ysleta Del Sur Pueblo, Department of Tribal Empowerment (DTE) Library Center a Native American Library Services Grant. Ysleta del Sur…
As part of our on-going commitment to promoting digital literacy efforts in libraries across the state of Texas, TSLAC’s Library Digital Opportunity team goes to libraries and films interviews with librarians and staff to document their work in the community. We recently visited libraries in La Grange and Houston to see how they are helping…
Earlier this year, we did a spotlight on the Amarillo Public Library’s incredible digital literacy initiative. During that conversation, we learned about Emma, the city’s “digital human.” The first of its kind, Emma is an AI avatar, fluent in more than 60 languages, tasked with answering questions about city services and news. Micheal Keough, the…
On October 10, the Library Digital Opportunity team (LDO) held a kick-off webinar with E-Rate Central for the upcoming 2025 E-Rate Funding Year. E-rate is a federal discount program available to accredited public libraries that pays up to 90% of broadband costs. While that is an amazing benefit, it can be challenging to complete the…
The Texas Department of Information Resources (DIR) held their annual conference on Oct. 22, 2024, at the Palmer Center in Austin, Texas. The focus of the conference was all about exploring data and technology’s impact on government agencies and organizations. In the opening remarks, Doug Robinson of the National Association of State Chief Information Officers…
The Innovation and Technology Round Table (ITRT) of the Texas Library Association (TLA) aims to promote and improve the use of innovation and other technologies in Texas libraries. On the last Thursday of each month, ITRT holds informal, half-hour Lunch & Learn chats about an innovation and technology topic via the TLA’s Zoom room. Starting…
The Library Infrastructure Facility Improvement (LIFI) grant is entering the first phase of assessments. The Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC) is inviting a select number of small rural public libraries in Texas who reported slow speeds on TSLAC’s annual Texas Public Library Speed Test to receive a free IT assessment that will determine…