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1999 News Releases
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12-15-1999 - Third Round of Brownstone Book Fund Donations Go to Five Texas Libraries
12-14-1999 - Edward Seidenberg Named Assistant State Librarian
12-06-1999 - Sandra Burrell, Joyce Spears Selected State Library Employees of the Quarter
11-15-1999 - "Hooves and Heritage: Ranching in Southeast Texas" Exhibit Opens at Regional Library in Liberty
09-20-1999 - Lucia Hernandes, Andy Puente Named State Library Employees of the Quarter
07-14- 1999 - State Library Commission Selects Peggy Rudd for Executive Director Position
06-11-1999 - State Library Commission Selects Five Candidates for Director-Librarian Position
08-18-1999 - State Library Conducting Job Search for Director-Librarian Position
03-12-1999 - State Library Celebrates 90 Years of Service to Texans
03-16-1999 - Magdalena Acuna and Rena Davis Named State Library Employees of the Quarter
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December 15, 1999
THIRD ROUND OF BROWNSTONE BOOK FUND DONATIONS GO TO FIVE TEXAS LIBRARIES
Austin -- Mrs. Diane Brownstone of the Brownstone Book Fund of New York has donated children's books to five rural Texas Austin - Five Texas public libraries have received children's books grants from the Brownstone Book Fund of New York. This brings to fifteen the number of libraries that have received Brownstone grants in the last eighteen months.
As in the past, Mrs. Diane Brownstone who heads the fund, asked First Lady Laura Bush to select the five winning libraries from a list of fifteen prepared by staff of the Library Development Division of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission. Considerations for eligible rural libraries are based on the need for new books and size of collection per capita.
Libraries selected in this third round of grants are:
- D. Brown Library, Rosebud
- El Paso County, Fabens
- W. Walworth Library, Greenville
- Hidalgo Public Library, Hidalgo
- The Deport Public Library, Throckmorton
Each public library receives a letter from Mrs. Brownstone inviting them to select 100 children's books from a list of about 600 that can be ordered through Brodart Book Company. Mrs. Brownstone also sends one of her favorite children's books to the library. The total donation is valued at about $1,500.
In this third round of grants, Brownstone Book Fund is sending an additional ten books to the each of the libraries that received grants in the past: Clint ISD Public, Clint; Crandall-Combine City/School Library, Crandall; Killeen Public, Killeen; Murphy Memorial Library, Livingston; San Juan Public Library, San Juan; Menard Public, Menard; Tri-County Library/Community Resource Center, Mabank; Crystal City Memorial, Crystal City; Ferris Public, Ferris; City of Presidio Library, Presidio.
The Brownstone Book Fund, located in New York City, is a private non-profit foundation interested in fostering a love of books and encouraging family reading. They do not accept applications for their funds, preferring to surprise recipients with this gift. The Fund provided books to 72 libraries in 1998 and 100 libraries in 1999.
"We are thrilled that the Brownstone Book Fund continues to support our neediest public libraries," said Jeanette Larson, director the State Library's Library Development Division, "and that they are giving new books to the libraries they previously assisted. It's great when book collections in Texas public libraries can be enriched by donations from organizations such as this."
December 14, 1999
EDWARD SEIDENBERG NAMED ASSISTANT STATE LIBRARIAN
Austin - The Texas State Library and Archives Commission announces the selection of Edward Seidenberg as assistant state librarian, effective December 1, 1999.
Seidenberg joined the State Library in 1976 and worked in the Library Development Division in a variety of capacities, serving as director of that division from 1987 to 1997. Since December 1997, Seidenberg has headed the Administrative Services Division, which oversees human resources, accounting, grants administration, and support services functions.
Seidenberg replaces Raymond Hitt who retired at the end of November after 27 years with the State Library. Hitt joined the agency in 1972 and worked in the Library Development Division first as network coordinator and later as director. He served as assistant state librarian from 1987 until November 30, 1999.
The Texas State Library and Archives Commission offers library, archives, and records services to the people of Texas. Its main offices are in the State Archives Building just east of the Capitol, with other locations at the State Records Center on Shoal Creek in Austin and the Sam Houston Regional Library and Research Center in Liberty.
December 6, 1999
SANDRA BURRELL, JOYCE SPEARS SELECTED STATE LIBRARY EMPLOYEES OF THE QUARTER
Austin - The Texas State Library and Archives Commission is pleased to announce the selection of Sandra Burrell of its Archives and Information Services Division and Joyce Spears of the Talking Book Program, as Employees of the Quarter for the first quarter, fiscal year 2000.
Sandra Burrell, an archives processor at the Sam Houston Regional Library and Research Center in Liberty, is cited for her professionalism and enthusiasm in her job, and for her ability to handle multiple projects. In addition to her duties in processing archives, she has assisted in the hiring process for two positions, trained a new staff member, conducted six major tours of the facilities, and helped plan for two special events. For the past year, Burrell has also served on a volunteer basis as project coordinator for the Sam Houston Center's Liberty County Black History Project, a special effort to collect, document, and preserve the history of the community. The Center serves as a research facility and museum for Southeast Texas, and the grounds are home to a collection of area historic buildings.
Joyce Spears is the reader services librarian for the State Library's Talking Book Program, which provides free library services to more than 25,000 Texans who, because of a visual, physical, or learning disability, are unable to read standard print material. Spears' knowledge of her division and her willingness to help others make her a valued resource in the Talking Book Program. During a recent time of critical staff shortage, Spears served in several temporary assignments, as well as performing her essential duties. She is commended for helping assure that the patrons registered with the Program continue to receive the books they order. Burrell and Spears will be recognized at the Quarterly Awards Ceremony on December 14 in the lobby of the de Zavala Building where they will be presented a Certificate of Merit and awarded eight hours of administrative leave.
November 15, 1999
"HOOVES AND HERITAGE: RANCHING IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS" EXHIBIT OPENS AT REGIONAL LIBRARY IN LIBERTY
A special exhibit, "Hooves and Heritage: Ranching in Southeast Texas," will open on Saturday, November 20, 1999 at the Sam Houston Regional Library and Research Center in Liberty, Texas. The exhibit, which will run through November 2000, features artifacts, original documents, and photographs that document the history of ranching in Southeast Texas.
The opening of the exhibit will be celebrated in conjunction with Southeast Texas Ranching Heritage Day at the Center beginning at 10:00 a.m. Cowboy poet and author Bob Kahla will be the keynote speaker.
Peggy D. Rudd, director and librarian of the State Library, will also speak. Other Ranching Heritage Day events include talks on African-American cowboys and old-time ranchers and ranch hands, mule wagon rides, and a chuck wagon lunch.
Cattle ranching has been one of Southeast Texas's largest industries since the eighteenth century when cattle roamed the open range, grazing for food. Although some ranching methods have changed, ranching remains an important part of the life and history of the region.
Artifacts and documents on display record the community's ranching heritage. Noteworthy items in the exhibit include cattle records and branding irons; cattlemen's gear; local artwork; twelve saddles, including two sidesaddles, a child's saddle, and one owned by Governor Price Daniel; a saddle blanket presented to G.T.J. Hardeman by General Sam Houston; and a public notice posted in the Atascosito District by the Municipality of Nava in 1831 listing stray livestock and their brands. Objects on display date from 1831 to 1998.
The Sam Houston Regional Library and Research Center, a part of the Archives and Information Services Division of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission, is located 3 miles north of Liberty on FM 1011, off of State Highway 146. The Center is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.., Saturday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free. For further information, call 409-336-8821 or write to PO Box 310, Liberty, TX 77575-0310.
Austin - The Texas State Library and Archives Commission is pleased to announce the selection of Lucia Hernandez of its Administration Services Division, and Andy Puente of Library Resource Sharing Division, as Employees of the Quarter for the fourth quarter, fiscal year 1999.
Lucia Hernandez has worked for the State Library for 24 years, primarily in the accounting department except for seven years as office manager of the State and Local Records Division. In her current position of chief accountant for the agency, Hernandez' vast knowledge of accounting and her helpful manner have proven to be assets during a period of reorganization in her department. Hernandez is cited for her ability to maintain a high level of accuracy and efficiency in her work during this time of transition, and for creating an atmosphere of cooperation and communication among employees as office manager at the Records Center.
Andy Puente of the Library Resource Sharing Division is cited for continually investigating ways to make the State Library's TexNet interlibrary loan operation run more efficiently. This program processes requests from libraries across the state for books and materials located in the collections of other libraries. As library technician, Puente consistently maintains a high level of customer service even as the number of interlibrary loan requests continues to increase. He is always willing to help other staff, and he provides training and assistance to TexNet centers throughout the state. Puente is an active member of the State Agency Libraries of Texas (SALT) and serves that organization as program co-chair.
Hernandez and Puente will be recognized at the Quarterly Awards Ceremony on October 7 where they will be presented a Certificate of Merit and awarded eight hours of administrative leave.
July 14, 1999
STATE LIBRARY COMMISSION SELECTS PEGGY RUDD FOR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR POSITION
Austin - The Texas State Library and Archives Commission has selected Peggy D. Rudd, Chief of Bureau of Library Development, State Library of Florida, Tallahassee, Florida, to head the agency as Director and Librarian.
Ms. Rudd will assume her duties beginning October 1, 1999, filling the position vacated by Robert S. Martin, Ph.D., who has accepted a teaching position at the School of Library and Information Studies at Texas Woman's University.
The six-member State Library Commission invited five candidates to meet in Austin July 8-10 for interviews by the Commission and an Advisory Panel made up of five citizens representing the Texas library, archives and records communities. Each candidate also had the opportunity to make a presentation and answer questions before a public forum attended by members of the library community and State Library staff.
Ms. Rudd graduated from Stephen F. Austin University (BA) and received her Masters of Library Science from the University of Texas at Austin in 1975, with additional Masters' course work in Public Administration at the University of North Texas in Denton.
For the past five years she has served as the Chief of the Bureau of Library Development at the State Library of Florida. Prior to that, she worked for six years as the Assistant Director for Planning, Evaluation, and Research in the Library and Networking Division of The Library of Virginia. Other experience includes five years with the Northeast Texas Library System (Dallas and Garland) and three years with the Central Texas Library System (Austin). She has also held positions in the Government Documents Department at Stephen F. Austin University, the Undergraduate Library at the University of Texas at Austin, and as a reference and children's librarian at the Austin Public Library.
Ms. Rudd is active in the American Library Association (ALA), currently serving as chair of the Committee on Research and Statistics. She is president-elect of the State Library Agency Section of ALA's Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies.
The mission of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission, created in 1909, is to provide quality library and information services to all Texans. As Director and Librarian, Ms. Rudd will oversee the services provided by the agency through its five divisions: Archives and Information Services, which includes the State Archives, genealogy, and reference/documents collections; the Talking Book Program, offering library services to Texans with reading disabilities; Library Development, providing resources and assistance to public libraries; Library Resource Sharing, supplying Texas libraries with on-line resources; and State and Local Records Management, serving Texas governments with records training and storage, and micrographics.
June 11, 1999
STATE LIBRARY COMMISSION SELECTS FIVE CANDIDATES FOR DIRECTOR-LIBRARIAN POSITION
Austin - The Texas State Library and Archives Commission has selected five candidates to interview for the position of Director and Librarian.
The six-member Commission met in Executive Session on Monday, June 7, to review and discuss the applications, then voted in open session to invite the following applicants:
- Joseph Barnes, Library Director, Shepherd College, Shepherdstown, West Virginia
- Roman Bohachevsky, Fort Bend County Librarian, Richmond, Texas
- Paul Dumont, Director of Educational Resources, Dallas County Community College District, Mesquite, Texas
- Katherine Jagoe Massey, Dean of Information and Technology Services, Tomball College, Tomball, Texas
- Peggy Rudd, Chief of Bureau of Library Development, State Library of Florida, Tallahassee, Florida
The candidates will meet in Austin July 8 and 9 for interviews by the Commission and to tour the State Library facilities. On Saturday, July 10, each candidate will have the opportunity to make a presentation and answer questions before a public forum. Librarians and others interested are encouraged to attend this forum to be held from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Austin.
Dr. Robert S. Martin, who has headed the agency for four years, has accepted a teaching position at the School of Library and Information Studies at Texas Woman's University. The vacancy is expected to be filled after September 1, 1999.
The Texas State Library and Archives Commission, created in 1909, is responsible for promoting quality library and information services to all Texans. The agency provides these services through its divisions: Archives and Information Services, which includes the State Archives, genealogy, and reference/documents collections; the Talking Book Program; Library Development; Library Resource Sharing; and State and Local Records.
April 18, 1999
STATE LIBRARY CONDUCTING JOB SEARCH FOR DIRECTOR-LIBRARIAN POSITION
Austin -- The Texas State Library and Archives Commission is conducting a nationwide job search to fill the position of director and librarian. Dr. Robert S. Martin, who has headed the agency for four years, will be resigning at the end of August to accept a teaching position at the School of Library and Information Studies at Texas Woman's University.
Advertising for applicants is currently underway. To be considered for the first review, completed applications must arrive at the agency no later than June 1. Interviews of prospective candidates are scheduled to be conducted in Austin July 8-10 and the interview process will include presentations delivered in a public forum. The selected candidate will to be notified shortly thereafter.
The six-member Texas State Library and Archives Commission will select the candidates and conduct the interviews. Present commissioners for the agency are Carolyn P. Armstrong, chair, San Antonio; Kenneth R. Carr, El Paso; Patrick Heath, Boerne; Sandy Melton, Dallas; Sandra J. Pickett, Liberty; and Marvin Rich, Houston.
The Commission has invited a six-member Advisory Panel to assist in its selection of the new director and librarian by participating in the interview process and providing professional insight as input to the Commission's deliberations. Members of the Advisory Panel are Teresa Morales, records management officer, Comptroller of Public Accounts, Austin; Curtis Tunnell, former director, Texas Historical Commission, Austin; Barbara A. B. Gubbin, director, Houston Public Library; Patricia Smith, director, Texas Library Association, Austin; Ruth Dahlstrom, school library specialist for the Education Service Center, Region III, Victoria; and George Huffman, director, Learning Resources, Amarillo College.
Detailed information on the job search is available on the agency's web site or by calling the Human Resources Office at 512-463-5474.
March 12, 1999
STATE LIBRARY CELEBRATES 90 YEARS OF SERVICE TO TEXANS
Austin -- The Texas State Library and Archives Commission is celebrating its ninetieth anniversary this year. The act creating the Texas Library and Historical Commission became effective March 19, 1909.
A State Archives had been established when Texans declared independence from Mexico in 1836, and three years later, Mirabeau B. Lamar, the second President of the Republic of Texas, signed a proclamation establishing a State Library and Congress appropriated $10,000. Only one book, however--the Edinburgh Encyclopaedia--was purchased. With ongoing threats of war by the Mexican government and Comanche raids on settlements taking priority, the fledgling library never had a chance to grow.
During the early years of statehood (1845) through the Civil war era (1865), responsibility for the State Library and Archives passed between many governmental departments. And when the Capitol burned in 1881, a wealth of history and many books were lost in the fire. The State Library was housed in the basement of the new Capitol (completed in 1888) and by 1909, records show a large collection of newspapers, congressional documents, government publications, books, and artifacts available. The Commission also oversaw the needs of over 30 free public libraries throughout the state, including new Carnegie libraries in Abilene, Ballinger, Stamford, Sulphur Springs, and Winnsboro.
Governor T.M. Campbell appointed the first Commissioners, who met in Austin on March 29, 1909. George P. Garrison of Austin, head of the school of history at the University of Texas, was appointed the first Chairman. Following his death in 1910, Mrs. J.C. Terrell of Fort Worth became Chairman, and E.C. Barker, also of the school of history, was appointed to the board. Other Commissioners were, George W. Littlefield, Austin; R.B. Cousins, Austin; F.M Bralley, Austin; and Richard Mays, Corsicana.
The first staff consisted of E.W. Winkler, State Librarian; Mrs. Laura V. Grinnan, Assistant Librarian; John Boynton Kaiser, Assistant Librarian in Charge of Legislative Reference Section, and E. Swiedom, General Assistant.
Mr. Winkler writes in the First Biennial Report:
The State Library is a place for information. It should have the information needed by the State officials to give to Texas the very best administration possible. It should have the information needed by the members of the legislature to give Texas the best laws that can be enacted. It should have the information needed by the historian to portray truthfully the history of...this State.
Continuing this mission, the State Library's slogan for the celebration is "Ninety years of making information work for Texans." A birthday party for State Library staff and guests will be held at the Lorenzo de Zavala State Library and Archives Building in Austin on March 29 and followed by the 90th anniversary Commission meeting.
Present Commissioners for the agency are Carolyn P. Armstrong, Chair, San Antonio; Kenneth R. Carr, El Paso; Patrick Heath, Boerne; Sandy Melton, Dallas, Sandra J. Pickett, Liberty; and Marvin Rich, Houston. The Director and Librarian is Dr. Robert S. Martin and Assistant State Librarian is Raymond Hitt, who head a staff of 206 assigned to eight divisions, with two locations in Austin and the Sam Houston Regional Library and Research Center in Liberty.
MARCH 16, 1999
MAGDALENA ACUNA AND RENA DAVIS NAMED STATE LIBRARY EMPLOYEES OF THE QUARTER
Austin -- The Employee Recognition Committee of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission has selected Magdalena Acuña, graphics designer, Library Development Division, and Rena Davis, circulation supervisor, Talking Book Program, as Employees of the Quarter for the second quarter of fiscal year 1999.
Magdalena Acuña is a part-time staff member who puts more than full-time effort into her work. Her creativity and her concern for the Library Development Division's image has heightened the professional look of the division's publications. She has worked extensively on the Texas Reading Club materials, as well as creating brochures, bookmarks, manuals, and the division newsletter and website.
Acuña is cited for being "an extremely pleasant and agreeable colleague who consistently delivers her work on, and in most cases, ahead of schedule." Acuña has worked for the State Library for three years and is an expert in her field, often being called upon by other agency staff to share her skills.
Rena Davis has worked for the Talking Book Program of the State Library for twenty-two years and supervises the Alternate Media team who work with Braille, phonograph records, and large print books. In recent months, Davis has overseen bar-coding and linking the entire multi-media collection.
In supervising the repair of the entire collection of large print books recently, Davis saw a need for a new method for mailing the books. To preserve the life of expensive large print books, Davis developed bubble-wrap bags and included a simple "spine in first" instruction to patrons on how to return the books. Her initiative has resulted in virtually all the books coming back in their protective wraps damage free. Her nomination states that Davis attributes her success to "getting along with everybody," but in actuality, her supervisory techniques are wise and effective.
Acuña and Davis will be recognized at the Quarterly Awards Ceremony during the agency's 90th birthday celebration on March 29 at 9:00am. They will be presented with a Certificate of Merit and awarded eight hours of administrative leave.
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