After months and countless miles on the road, the Texas State Library and Archives Commission’s (TSLAC) Continuing Education and Consulting (CEC) team wrapped up the spring regional workshop series with a final stop at Lewisville Public Library on May 20. Over the course of eight two-day workshops held across Texas—from Alpine to Harlingen, Tyler to…
Frisco Public Library has long been a trailblazer when it comes to emerging technologies, from 3D printing to award-winning, take-home tech kits for patrons to play around with AI. Now, they’ve added another “dimension” with their first public class on 4D printing, a cutting-edge field that fuses fabrication with time-based transformations. What Is 4D Printing?…
Libraries across Texas are redefining what it means to serve their communities—and Grapevine Public Library is leading the way. During a recent monthly “Tech Chat” hosted by the Texas Library Association (TLA)’s Innovation and Technology Round Table (ITRT), Assistant Library Director Chad Hetterley shared some of the programs they’ve launched, all rooted in a culture…
During a recent visit to the Rio Grande Valley, we spoke with Pharr Memorial Library director, Adolfo Garcia, who shared some news with us on digital literacy efforts in Pharr. The library will be on the front lines of the Pharr Connect Digital Literacy Program. The program was made possible by a $3.2 million grant…
3-D printers are becoming more and more ubiquitous in Texas libraries. In nearly every library I’ve visited in the last year, even smaller, rural libraries, it seems like these devices are getting more and more popular with patrons. The Library Digital Opportunity team spoke recently with Christina Granados, Teen Program Coordinator at Fort Worth Public…
As the new year has well and truly begun, many people reflect on the past, seeking to understand where they come from, who their ancestors were, and how their family’s history shaped their present. One of the best ways to begin exploring their roots is to visit their local library. Frequently, small rural libraries serve…
Public libraries have always played a key role in connecting their patrons to crucial, life-saving services and resources to improve their lives, and they can do this by making partnerships with local, state, and national organizations. A partnership program offered by the Texas Health and Human Services (HHSC) is a great opportunity to enhance library…
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…
The end of September heralded the final bow for my visits to small public libraries in Central Texas, tours of their spaces, and chats about how the Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC) can best support library leadership. For this last round, Library Digital Opportunity Program Coordinator Henry Stokes accompanied me to Schulenburg Public…
As if spurred by the August heat, the tempo picked up for the second number—a dizzying duo of days in which I visited small public libraries, toured their spaces, and chatted with their leadership about how the Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC) could best support them. Workforce Development Consultant Maria Freed stepped up…