For general program, staff, or other announcements.
As the quest to close the digital divide marches on, rural Texas libraries remain on the front lines—eager to serve their communities but often lacking the resources and technical infrastructure needed to keep up. Technology and connectivity are essential to modern library services, yet for many rural libraries, even understanding what’s required can be a…
Turn messy spreadsheets into meaningful stories. Join Promise Madu, TSLAC’s Data and Project Coordinator, for an interactive session on cleaning, organizing, and visualizing your library’s data. You’ll learn how to take raw numbers and shape them into clear visuals that highlight the impact of your library’s programs and services. When: Wednesday, September 24, 2025 |…
The Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC) is pleased to announce that applications for fiscal year 2026 Family Place Libraries™ Project grants will start being accepted Tuesday, September 2, 2025. TSLAC is looking for qualified libraries to attend a Family Place Libraries™ Training Institute to be hosted at a Texas public library and then…
Even though your summer reading programs may be winding down, there is one last chance for your community to participate in a national summer reading challenge. Second Lady Usha Vance is challenging children in grades K-8 to read 12 books of their choice between June 1 and September 5. Here’s how the program works: If you would…
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is supporting the launch of the Presidential AI Challenge, a national initiative encouraging K-12 students and educators to harness the power of artificial intelligence to address local community challenges. This effort invites participants from all backgrounds to develop innovative AI-based projects while building skills and confidence in…
Living in El Paso, I never experienced severe weather. Except for dust storms (more like dirt storms!) and 100+ degree heat, we rarely faced the kinds of natural disasters that other regions experience, like hurricanes, floods, or blizzards. Getting rain and snow was such a delight and something I looked forward to because they happened…
Many Central Texas communities have witnessed devastating flooding, damage, and loss of life. While last week’s post focused on immediate resources of interest to affected libraries, this post seeks to highlight resources that libraries in affected communities may want to share with their patrons. Emotional Support Saving Family Treasures General Resources
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has issued a Declaration of Disaster for Kerr County, Disaster 4879. The following resources are available to provide recovery assistance. FEMA Qualifying Texans in Kerr County are eligible to apply for FEMA individual assistance through September 4, 2025, on the Disaster Assistance website, the FEMA mobile app, or by calling the FEMA helpline…
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…
When Cynthia Soll and Rachel Kramer from McLennan Community College (MCC) Library in Waco began experimenting with AI, they weren’t intending to lead a tech revolution; their main focus was just trying to save time. Like many library staff across Texas, they wear a lot of hats. So when they saw an opportunity to use…