Naturally, libraries are part of the public workforce system, and libraries can strengthen and further the progress and the prosperity of their communities by supporting local business owners and encouraging the growth of local and small business. Simply put, the success of local businesses creates a positive ripple effect in that it boosts local economies…
As you review the administrative tools your library uses to manage services and programming, consider leveraging online resources to maximize your efforts. In the following interview, fellow library worker Rebecca Ivey explains how what began as a seasonal offering quickly became a staple in the library’s suite of services. *** Question 1: What online tool…
This summer, consider focusing on teen mental health by incorporating the following recommendations and resources outlined by Patrick Lloyd, TSLAC’s Community Resilience Consultant. *** Even before the covid-19 pandemic, many teenagers were struggling. Sadly, data collected well before the covid -19 pandemic indicates that most of us experience childhood trauma. For many, these traumas stay…
As you may have recently read in State Librarian Gloria Meraz’s recent Director’s Report blog post, TSLAC has begun work on a number of historic initiatives to meet the digital equity needs of Texans. One that requires your assistance most importantly is a study to better understand digital literacy in Texas public libraries entitled Texas…
From the Encyclopedia of Emancipation and Abolition in the Transatlantic World “The holiday known as Juneteenth, so called because it is celebrated annually on June 19, is the oldest commemoration of the end of slavery in the United States. Recognized as Emancipation Day among African Americans, it marks the anniversary of the official freeing of…
It is June, which means it is also Pride Month, when we remember the 1969 Stonewall riots. In celebration of Pride Month, the American Library Association (ALA) designates June as Rainbow Book Month, previously GLBT Book Month. Rainbow Book month is a nationwide initiative designed to celebrates the literature that honors the lives and experiences…
Say it again louder for those in the back: Library workers are more than the people who check out your books. Libraries are important, and this message has been expressed in Mark Smith’s recent blog post, “The importance of libraries during and after coronavirus.” With many libraries shuttering their doors or modifying services to assist…
Anyone who uses US Census data needs to be aware that big changes have occurred in the way the Census distributes information. This is timely: the new platform is up and running prior to the input of the decennial US Census. American Fact Finder, the primary statistics and information search engine for the US Census,…
“The Homework Gap” If you haven’t heard the phrase before, it refers to the fact that so many school-age children must now rely on Internet access to complete their homework. Even though access is provided within the school grounds, once the school day ends, homework can’t be completed by students with no Internet at home.…