First of all, I want to thank the library staff members and lay representatives who took time to come to our Geographic Committee meetings and those who wrote with their concerns or suggestions regarding the proposed SFY 2006 NETLS Plan of Service. I would also like to commend the NETLS Collection Development Committee for their patience as they came up with scenario after scenario for review in the process of trying to find something workable.

In the 7 months I have been with NETLS, the time has gone very quickly and, together with the NETLS staff and Advisory Council, we have been able to implement some exciting changes and enhancements. Unfortunately, we have also had to deal with some tough budget issues.

Difficult budgets are not unique to NETLS or to Texas. Libraries across the nation are struggling as the cities/counties that fund them are finding fewer and fewer resources. I have worked in libraries for almost 25 years. Making cuts in library service is not something I want to do; I went into library work because I wanted to bring people and resources together.

To create (and live by) a balanced budget, yet still meet the State Library’s accountability to uphold LSTA goals, the NETLS staff is working to develop the most effective and efficient methods of doing business.

In terms of NETLS projects, that means examining each way that we deliver services and asking, “Is that the best way? Is this project something we can continue to do? Is it the best use for our funding?” None of these questions is comfortable. None is easy to answer. As a System, we know there will not be nearly enough State funding in SFY 2006-2007 to provide all the services NETLS currently offers its members.

As the Texas Legislature reviews and considers the State Library’s budget request for SFY 2006-07, I again urge each of you (and your patrons) to contact your legislators and tell them what you love about libraries. Texas residents are using their libraries more than ever. It’s important that decision makers understand that libraries play a crucial role in the quality of life in this state.

Here are some thoughts to help you formulate your own messages:

· The State’s public, school, academic, and special libraries touch the lives of millions of Texas residents in a positive way each year by lending materials, answering reference questions, conducting adult and children’s programs, by providing access to electronic information through the Internet and other sources.

· Libraries help ensure that all the people of Texas have the broadest possible access to information resources and materials. They address essential informational, educational, cultural, and recreational needs for Texas residents.

· By providing lifelong learning opportunities, libraries make a significant contribution to the quality of life for all Texans. They provide essential information resources for the state’s economic development through a statewide knowledge network.

· The way that libraries share resources to save tax dollars serves as a model for regional and statewide cooperation. Through the promotion of unrestricted access to information, libraries help preserve and strengthen our nation’s democracy.

· Libraries support a competitive workforce with basic literacy programs, computers, and other resources to help children and adults learn to find, evaluate, and use information they need for their jobs, health, education, and other needs.

· Most public libraries offer pre-school story hours and summer reading programs to encourage children to begin the reading habit. Libraries offer materials, programs, and services that promote early childhood learning.

I will be sharing information with you as it becomes available concerning the status of the State Library’s funding for the next biennium. It’s a trying time for us all, but I know that your support and dedication to libraries will stand firm.

NETLS Collection Development Committee Final Recommendations for Plan of Service SFY 2006

The NETLS Collection Development Committee met on Feb. 1 to address the comments received at the 11 Geographic Committee Meetings that were held in January.

The consensus of the Committee, based upon input from member libraries, is as follows:

1. NETLS will budget for the Trans Amigos Express delivery service out of non-CD funds.

2. NETLS will not include Learning Express as a system-wide service in SFY 2006, but the committee recommends the inclusion of a database in the SFY 2007 Plan of Service.

3. Member libraries will use their Collection Development funds for targeted resources to meet federal guidelines as outlined in the LSTA Purposes.

4. The allocation formula will be a 65% base allocation and remaining 35% based on member attendance at various NETLS events. The formula will take 20% off the top for Dallas Public Library, and the balance will be divided by the remaining number of buildings in NETLS.

5. The committee voted not to do another member survey.

Additionally, the Collection Development Committee recommends to next year’s Committee that they reevaluate the entire package based on State Library guidelines.

The Committee appreciates the opinions and concerns of all NETLS member libraries who participated in the feedback process and they look forward to seeing you at the Mar. 8^th System Meeting in Carthage.

March Membership Meeting note

If you wish to stay overnight in Carthage the night before the meeting, a limited number of rooms are available at a discounted rate of $55 at the Best Western Inn of Carthage. Please call the hotel directly at 903.694.2809 and ask for Vernell McFadden.

Remember, Lay Reps, you can’t vote and have a voice in the process if you’re not there!

See you all in Carthage!

Freedman, Russell. The Voice That Challenged a Nation: Marian Anderson and the Struggle for Equal Rights. Clarion Books, 2004.

Morrison, Toni. Remember: The Journey to School Integration. Houghton Mifflin Co., 2004.

Nelson, Marilyn. Fortune’s Bones: The Manumission Requiem. Front Street, 2004.

Flake, Sharon G. Who am I Without Him? Jump at the Sun/Hyperion Books for Children, 2004.

Nelson, Kadir. Ellington Was Not a Street. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2004.

Pinkney, Jerry. God Bless the Child. Text by Billie Holiday & Arthur Herzog. Harper Collins/ Amistad, 2004.

Dillon, Leo and Diane. The People Could Fly: The Picture Book. A. Knopf, 2004.

Morrison, Frank. Jazzy Miz Mozetta. Text by Brenda C. Roberts. Farrar Straus Giroux, 2004.

Perez, Amanda and Gonzalez, Maya Christina. My Diary from Here to There/Mi diario de aqui hasta alla. Children’s Book Press, 2002.

Morales, Yuyi. Just a Minute: A Trickster Tale and Counting Book. Chronicle Books, 2003.

Casilla, Robert. First Day in Grapes. Text by L. King Perez. Lee & Low Books, 2002.

Diaz, David. The Pot that Juan Built. Text by Nancy Andrews-Goebel. Lee & Low Books, 2002.

Morales, Yuyi. Harvesting Hope: The Story of Cesar Chavez. Text by Kathleen Krul. Harcourt, Inc., 2003.

Freedman, Russell. The Voice That Challenged a Nation: Marian Anderson and the Struggle for Equal Rights. Clarion Books, 2004.

Rumford, James. Sequoyah: The Cherokee Man Who Gave His People Writing. Houghton Mifflin Co., 2004.

Stolz, Joelle. The Shadows of Ghadames. Translated by Catherine Temerson. Delacorte Press, 2004.

Bredsdorff, Bodil. The Crow-Girl: The Children of Crow Cove. Translated by Faith Ingwersen. Farrar Straus Giroux, 2004.

Chotjewitz, David. Daniel, Half-human: The Nazis Come to Power. Translated by Doris Orgel. Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2004.

Bertrand, Diane Gonzales. My Pal, Victor/Mi amigo, Victor. Raven Tree Press, 2004.

Abeel, Samantha. My Thirteenth Winter: A Memoir. Scholastic Press, 2004, 2003.

Gagne, Paul R. and Melissa Reilly. The Dot. Weston Woods Studio (Scholastic), 2004.

Boyle, Kevin. Arc of Justice: A Saga of Race, Civil Rights, and Murder in the Jazz Age. Henry Holt & Company, 2004.

Valentine, Jean. Door in the Mountain: New and Collected Poems, 1965-2003. Wesleyan University Press, 2004.

Fri., Mar. 11, 9:30 to 10:30 a.m.—Videoconference Room — Northeast Texas Library System office; 625 Austin St.; Garland; 972.205.2570.

· Be introduced to Explore!, a NASA program designed to engage youth in space and planetary science in the public library.

· Perform two space science activities (Edible Earth and Egg-stronauts) that can be incorporated into programs involving children such as summer reading club, after-school programs, science days and family events.

· Gain new ideas for introducing children of all ages to the wonders of rockets, space colonies, our solar system, how the planets were shaped and more.

· Learn how to obtain free or inexpensive resource material (lots of it online) developed by NASA specifically for use by public librarians.

Seminar facilitators Maureen Ambrosino of Fort Bend County Libraries and Steve Seale from the Northeast Texas Library System (NETLS) are certified NASA Team Explore! Trainers. They work with librarians and library staff across the United States to teach seminar participants to share the excitement of space science with children.

This is an informal, interactive event. Registration is not required, but persons who plan to attend are requested to send an email to Steve Seale <sseale@netls.org> to insure a seat in the limited space available in the NETLS videoconferencing room.

Students will examine and discuss over forty library policies that concern such topics as governance, buildings, circulation services, patron services, group services and personnel. Templates will be provided that will allow attendees to complete their own policy manuals. Presenter is Dr. Michele Otstott. Dates and locations:

Small Library Management Workshops

The Small Library Management series is an ongoing voluntary program, one of many Continuing Education opportunities sponsored by the Texas State Library (TSL). The goal of this series is to provide specialized skills to non-MLS public library employees of small community (25,000 or less population) libraries in Texas.

The final topic in the current series of Small Library Management workshops will be Technology and Automation.

In the Technology and Automation course, participants will gain valuable information on writing technology plans; solving simple problems on staff and public computer work stations; finding and using MARC records for cataloging; building a library Web site; and coping with Internet safety issues. Christine Peterson of Amigos will be the instructor for these upcoming sessions.

Staff members from libraries other than public libraries, from libraries with service populations above 25,000, or those who already possess a Masters degree in Library Science are invited to contact TSL about alternative training programs.

Upcoming Amigos Workshop

· Fri., Feb. 25 – Amigos Library Services; 14400 Midway Rd.; Dallas 75244-3509

This hands-on workshop will provide structured opportunities for participants to experience how open source software can be used to implement many library-specific processes.. Processes such as reading and writing MARC records, creating and maintaining databases, providing user-friendly interfaces to indexed content, hosting a World Wide Web server, and most importantly, bringing all of these processes together to provide meaningful library collections and services. Presented by Eric Lease Morgan.

Grant Writing Institute at UNT

An intensive and detailed introduction to the process, structure, and skill of professional proposal writing. Participants will become competent program planning and proposal writing professionals after successful completion of the Grants 101 course. In three active and informative days, students will be exposed to the art of successful grant writing practices, and led on a journey that ends with a masterful grant proposal.

All participants will receive certification in professional grant writing from the Institute.

LIBRARY TECHNOLOGY

A Centralized Method for Maintaining Library Computer Networks

In my role as Technology Consultant for the Northeast Texas Library System, I answer a lot of questions regarding the difficulty in maintaining a library network of desktop computers.

Many librarians lament that there is not enough time to react to the constant process of applying critical updates to their Windows™ desktop computers. In most cases, libraries are too small to afford a full-time employee dedicated to the maintenance of the network. Usually one or two librarians must take on the job of maintaining the library network as time permits.

Typically, librarians must visit each computer separately to apply the latest update. Although there are software solutions for automating the update process, most libraries are unable to afford them or do not have the knowledge to implement them. Large libraries feel the pinch in their technology budgets just as small libraries do. IT departments must strive to do more work with less staff. Librarians who work with computer networks may wonder: is there another way?

I would like to suggest to librarians who find themselves in this situation, that this type of network is simply the wrong type for many public libraries.

First, it’s important to understand that early library computer networks were designed around a host-terminal model. Typically, a server computer did all the work and terminals gave each user access to an electronic library catalog or other resources.

The disadvantage was that the user had to learn a menu system that included the proper commands and the system was not always user friendly. The advantage for the maintenance crew was that all maintenance was performed in one place: on the server. As computers became more powerful and readily available, the client-server model became popular.

The client-server model was an attractive alternative and usually included an early version of Windows™. Library users had a more powerful computer at their disposal that was easier to use. The automation vendors began developing for this platform and many libraries chose to move to the new client-server platform.

One of the benefits of this platform was that the processing was distributed throughout the network in an attempt to relieve any potential bottlenecks at the server. However, not only was the processing power distributed out to each desktop computer, but also the maintenance was spread out to each desktop.

Computer network technicians or librarians, in most cases, discovered that they had to update each desktop computer separately, as well as the server. At first this did not seem like a problem. However, the updating process adds a great deal of cost to the maintenance or cost of ownership.

The alternative to the client-server model and the distributed maintenance that comes with it is referred to as a thin-client solution. Thin-clients may seem like a throw back to the old days but will actually provide a graphical user interface (GUI) that looks and acts like a modern GUI and give access to all the software and resources you may require, including the electronic library catalog.

Simply put, thin-clients involve a host server that is connected to your network of GUI Windows™ terminals. The terminals can be old PCs that were thought to be outdated and un-useable. If your favorite vendor is Microsoft, you may already have access to a terminal server. Windows™ 2000 includes the Terminal Server software as part of the operating system. Citrix™ is another company that can provide a thin-client solution with any client interface you prefer. There are many vendors that are capable of implementing such a network.

In case you are not convinced, there are several reasons librarians might want to consider a thin-client network.

Librarians who want to consider the thin-client network should also discuss these options with their automation vendor. If your vendor does not seem to offer a thin-client solution, tell them that your new long-range technology plan is built around a next-generation automation system that must integrate with a thin-client network. Most automation vendors that are serious about quality service will be happy to work with you.

At the very least, the librarians planning for technology should ask the question: are full desktop computers with a full operating system absolutely necessary for public workstations? I would say not. In most cases, having a fully loaded operating system on a desktop computer is like wearing 14th century armor to squash an ant. Thin-client networks can offer all the functionality found on any desktop computer, including Microsoft™ Office type software, but at a lower cost of ownership.

I don’t know how many libraries will implement thin-client networks in the future. I do know that libraries must use their shrinking automation budgets to fund the development and maintenance of their next-generation library networks. I also know that desktop operating systems, like any consumer product, will continue to be aggressively marketed, replaced and upgraded over time and librarians will continue to deal with these challenges with fewer dollars.

It’s something to think about, especially considering the current economic conditions in our country. It may be time for your library technology planning committee to consider an alternative.

For more information about this article and other technology related issues, contact Technology Consultant Jerry McCulley; 972.205.2569 <jmcculley@netls.org> .

2005 Carnegie Medal Winner

The 2005 Andrew Carnegie Medal winner for the best in children’s video is The Dot (NETLS VC2713) produced by Paul R. Gagne and Melissa Reilly for Weston Woods Studios. The program is based on the book by Peter H. Reynolds.

Young Vashti is convinced that she just can’t draw, but her art teacher insists that she “just make a mark”. Vashti’s mark, a simple dot, opens her eyes to the possibilities, and the talent, hidden deep inside of her.

The Carnegie Medal was established with the support of the Carnegie Corporation of New York to honor an outstanding American video production for children released during the previous year. It is administered by the Assn. for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Assn. (ALA).

Blue Rose Videos

Library staff members who serve patrons with visual disabilities may find this information useful. Blue Rose Videos with a Voice is a video rental service designed especially for people with visual impairments. The service rents only descriptive videos.

“A descriptive video is a regular home video cassette that has been formatted to include an additional audio track. On this additional audio track, a narrator describes the visual elements of the program - the action, characters, locations, costumes and sets - without interfering with the program's dialogue or sound effects. No special feature or device is needed to hear this audio description. All you need is a standard VHS video cassette recorder (VCR) and a television.”*

Although descriptive videos are widely available from various state and regional library collections, most of these require that the user either be medically certified to use resources for persons with disabilities or require that users be residents of the service region and access the materials through local library connections.

Blue Rose Videos is a project of Alchemia, a nonprofit organization founded in 1998 to provide creative vocational and expressive arts opportunities for individuals with disabilities.

The company was founded by Shoshana Brand, who has vision impairment herself. Brand found it difficult to locate descriptive videos for her own use without having to buy them outright or confine her usage to the limited stock of titles available from her library.

Persons who use the service pay a one-time non-refundable membership fee and then rent titles as often as they wish. Rentals are delivered by USPS mail to the member’s chosen address.

Blue Rose carries a wide selection of titles, including dramas, comedies, musicals, adventures, science fiction, mysteries, and family and children’s films.

For more information on Blue Rose Videos with a Voice, application forms, and a catalog of titles, visit the company Web site at <http://www.bluerosevideos.com> .

*definition quoted from the Nebraska Library Commission Talking Book and Braille Service

USDA Forest Service Documentary

The United States Dept. of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service will be celebrating its 100^th birthday in 2005. To mark the event, the Forest Service’s Video & Film Production Unit has created a documentary covering the history of the service. The program, The Greatest Good, will be made available at no charge to any public libraries that agree to schedule a public showing of the documentary for their communities.

After the showing, the program, available in DVD format, will be donated by the USDA and may be added to the library’s media collection.

Library staff members who are interested in learning the details of this offer may contact Mario Chocooj; USDA Forest Service; Video & Film Production; 1323 Club Dr.; Vallejo, CA 94592; 707.562.9190; <mchocooj@fs.fed.us>.

MetLife Foundation Reading America Program; Request for Proposals

Reading America is a national public library-based book and film discussion program for teenagers and adults, especially immigrant families, that fosters greater inter-generational understanding and communication. The program is designed to use literature, film, and the neutral ground of the library to stimulate family discussions.

Libraries of the Future, with the support of MetLife Foundation, is sponsoring the series. A Request for Proposals has just been released. The fifteen libraries that submit winning proposals will each receive a cash grant of $5,000.

The Reading America program was developed by Libraries for the Future in response to the MetLife Foundation’s interest in how libraries could be helpful in mitigating the tensions that often result from the differing cultural experiences of adults and youth, especially when young people are growing up in a culture unfamiliar to their parents and older family members.

More information on the MetLife Foundation Reading America Program is posted on the Libraries for the Future Web site at <http://www.lff.org/news/RA05_rfp.html>, or by contacting Family Place Libraries Director Elissa Goldman at 800.542.1918, <egoldman@lff.org>.

NOTEWORTHY

Names in the News

Paul Eddy, formerly Information Technology Librarian at ROWLETT PUBLIC, has been promoted to Systems/Technical Services Librarian.

Patricia Finstrom has accepted the position of director of JEFFERSON CARNEGIE.

Cynthia Gray has resigned as director of W. WALWORTH HARRISON PUBLIC (Greenville) to take the position of director at Monroe County Public in Indiana.

Tony New, formerly at ROWLETT PUBLIC, is the new assistant director at MCKINNEY MEMORIAL PUBLIC.

Dr. Michele Otstott is retiring as director of JEFFERSON CARNEGIE. She will continue to work with the NETLS office as a contract consultant.

John Pecoraro is the new coordinator of Big Country Library System (BCLS), our sister system headquartered in Abilene.

Jennifer Spence is the new director of COOKE COUNTY LIBRARY (Gainesville). She will take up her duties at the end of February.

Beatrice Takacs, coordinator of Big Country Library System (BCLS), retired at the end of January.

Christine Woodrow, lay representative of NEW BOSTON PUBLIC, is serving as interim director during the illness of her mother, library director Julie Woodrow.

The Tocker Foundation awards grants to small public libraries serving populations of 12,000 or less. The Foundation seeks to assist in extending public library services to areas without service or with inadequate service. The board of the Tocker Foundation has selected the following NETLS-area libraries to receive funds in the most recent round of grants:

TLA Annual Conference Reminder

For the first time in almost 40 years, librarians, library supporters, and vendors will gather in Austin for the annual Texas Library Assn. (TLA) conference. Make plans now to be in our state’s capital from Apr. 5-8. The conference theme for 2005 is New Realities, New Directions.

TLA has assembled a conference experience like none other. National broadcaster and political commentator Cokie Roberts, chicana narrative artist Carmen Lomas Garza, MAD Magazine editor Joe Raiola, author Barbara Taylor Bradford, and—how cool is this!—actor and producer Henry Winkler are featured speakers. It makes perfect sense—the king of cool in Texas’s coolest city.

The 2005 conference will have something for everyone. With almost 300 programs and events, you will have a hard time choosing what to attend. Conference planners have crafted a deep and rich continuing education experience for you.

TLA Pre-Conference Celebration

Early arrivals at the TLA annual conference are invited to an evening of readings and conversation with popular British audiobook narrator John Lee, whose travel to Austin is being sponsored by Books on Tape, a division of Random House.

Sponsored by Library Partners, Inc. and the Austin Public Library Foundation, the event will be held at 7 p.m. on Mon., Apr. 4, at Austin Public Library's beautiful new Carver Branch Library and Museum; 1161 Angelina; 78702; 512.974.1010.

Local librarians will provide transportation to the event from TLA conference hotels for anyone interested. Watch the Austin Public Library Foundation's Web site <http://www.austinlibrary.org> for registration information, or contact Central Texas Library System Consultant Laurie Mahaffey at <mahaffey@ctls.net>, 800.262.4431. There will be a small registration fee.

Conference attendees will have another chance to hear John Lee on Tues., Apr. 5 from 3:00 to 3:50 p.m. at the Austin Convention Center. Known for his cultured and versatile British voice, Lee has an international reputation for his skill in creating a variety of accents, moods, and conversational pacing.

His audiobooks include Absolute Friends by John Le Carre; The Coffee Trader by David Liss; Hornet Flight by John Follett; Great Expectations, Oliver Twist, and other titles by Charles Dickens; and a number of mystery books by Martha Grimes.

Young Adult Reading Incentive Award

Nominations are now being accepted for the Young Adult Reading Incentive (YARI) Award. The Texas Library Assn./Young Adult Round Table (TLA/YART) sponsors the award annually to honor a librarian who has shown exceptional ability in motivating young adults to read by developing and implementing a reading incentive program for grades 6-12.

The award will consist of an engraved plaque and a stipend of $250, to be presented at the TLA Annual Conference.

Nomination information should be sent to Kathy McIntire; The Selwyn School; 3333 W. University Dr.; Denton, 76207; 940.382.6771.

Texas Reading Club Materials Available

The Texas State Library began mailing the 2005 Texas Reading Club manuals to participating libraries on Jan. 28. This year's manual is on CD-Rom and contains all of the color artwork and clip art.

Go Wild...Read! is the 2005 theme, and the manual is filled with exciting puppet plays, stories, reader's theater scripts, songs, fingerplays, and other programming suggestions. The manual is also currently online in a printable PDF format on the Texas State Library's 2005 Texas Reading Club Web page at <www.tsl.state.tx.us/ld/projects/trc/2005/index.html>. An HTML version with live links is also available on the Web site.

Libraries that have not yet received their manuals on CD-Rom by Feb. 7 should contact Christine McNew; Youth Services Consultant; Library Development Division; Texas State Library and Archives Commission; POB 12927; Austin 78711-2927; 800.252.9386 (Texas only) or 512.463.6623; fax 512.463.8800; <christine.mcnew@tsl.state.tx.us>.

Thomson Gale and School Library Journal (SLJ) have developed the annual Giant Step Award to recognize outstanding school and public libraries that provide excellent programs and services which greatly impact student learning and development, both in school and beyond.

Through the program, Thomson Gale will distribute $10,000 in cash prizes. In addition, the winning library or libraries will receive a gala celebration at the American Library Assn. (ALA) Annual Conference as well as a cover story in the April issue of School Library Journal. SLJ also will highlight other entrants deemed to be high achievers. In an effort to provide a more accurate comparison among nominees, the program has adopted separate evaluation criteria for school and public libraries.

Eligible applicants must be U.S. or Canadian school library media centers (either an individual library media center or an entire district's library media services programs) or a youth services department in a U.S. or Canadian public library that partners with local schools (a single library/branch library or an entire library system). In addition, applicants must submit materials that demonstrate significant advancements that have improved services to students in the last three years.

Improving Literacy Through School Libraries Program

The Dept. of Education is now accepting applications for the Improving Literacy Through School Libraries Program. Application information is available at: <http://www.ed.gov/programs/lsl/applicant.html> .

Approximately $19 million will be available for funding, and an estimated 100 grants will be awarded under this competition.

It is important to note that applicants must use the Department's electronic applications (e-Applications) system to apply. The e-Applications Web site is accessible through the e-Grants Web site <http://e-grants.ed.gov> and the competition application is available on this Web site.

There is a demo available to assist new users. At the <http://e-grants.ed.gov/> home page, click on the "Continue" button at the bottom and then "e-Applications" at the menu at the top. Click on "Demo" on the menu bar on the left side of the page and you will be provided with assistance in using this electronic application process.

Libri Foundation Grants Available

The Libri Foundation is a nationwide non-profit organization which donates new, quality, hardcover children’s books to small, rural public libraries through its BOOKS FOR CHILDREN program.

The Foundation works with Friends of the Library groups or other local organizations. Local sponsors can contribute from $50 to $350, which is then matched by the Foundation on a 2 to 1 ratio. Thus, a library can receive up to $1,050 worth of hardcover children’s books through the program. After a library receives a grant, local sponsors have four months or longer, if necessary, to raise matching funds.

Libraries are qualified on an individual basis. In general, county libraries should serve populations of under 16,000 and town libraries should serve a population under 10,000. Additionally the libraries should be in a rural area (at least 30 miles from a city with a population over 40,000), have very limited budgets and maintain active children’s departments.

Applications are accepted from independent libraries as well as libraries that are part of a county, regional, or cooperative library system. A library system may also apply if all the libraries in the system meet the requirements. School libraries may apply only if they also serve as the area public library.

First Lady’s Family Literacy Initiative for Texas Grant

The 2005 grant application for the First Lady’s Family Literacy Initiative for Texas, a program of The Barbara Bush Texas Fund for Family Literacy is now available. The statewide initiative is a partnership of the Barbara Bush Texas Fund, the Texas Center for the Advancement of Literacy and Learning at Texas A&M Univ. and Texas literacy providers. Laura Bush is the Honorary Chair. Libraries are included in the eligible organizations.

· Expand existing instructional programs that may currently be working with just one generation, e.g. children or adults, so that a complete family literacy program can be created;

· Replicate successful family literacy programs with a new population or in a new location.

Successful family literacy applications include reading instruction for parents or primary caregivers, reading or pre-reading activities for their children, and time for adult/child reading and interaction.

Applications can be downloaded at <http://www-tcall.tamu.edu>, or requests for appli-cations and/or additional information may be sent to The First Lady’s Family Literacy Initiative for Texas; Attn.: Pat Peebler, Grants Administrator; 4400 Post Oak Parkway, Ste. 1400; Houston 77027; fax 713.336.7709; <ppeebler@mcnairgrp.com>.

NETLS NEWS