The winter issue of the Texas Library Journal, which includes the TLA 2021 Conference Program will be published January 7, 2021. This will be a digital issue only (there will be no print magazine.) The digital version is searchable, downloadable and shareable on social media. It will contain details about the hundreds of programs planned for TLA 2021 and we are excited to share it with you!

In 2021, members will elect a president-elect, two representatives-at-large, and an ALA Councilor to serve on the Executive Board. Meet the board candidates. View the videos from our two candidates for President-Elect; Marty Rossi and Mary Woodard.

We are delighted to announce that the 2021 Reading Lists have arrived! Thank you to everyone on the selection committees who worked so hard to select these quality titles. Read about the Young Adult Round Table lists -- Lone Star, Tayshas, Maverick and SPOT. Learn about the new Little Maverick and Topaz lists for adults and children. And listen to our latest Libraries Transform Texas podcast episode, which is all about the YART reading lists. The 2x2, Lariat and Tejas Star reading lists will be released after the first of the year.

From Jacqui Bridges-Sheppherd, TBA Coordinator: The Texas Bluebonnet Award committees understand that we are living in challenging times. We know books need to be quarantined and sometimes students may also need to be sequestered. With that in mind, we have decided to extend the date to vote to February 15, 2021. Register your school for TBA voting here.

Free Offer of Spanish/English Version of Grace & The Moon

Turk Pipkin, library lover, Texas author and co-founder of the global education nonprofit The Nobelity Project, is again generously offering to donate copies of his children’s book, Grace and the Moon to libraries.

This bilingual story about two girls named Grace, one in the U.S. and one in Mexico, is told with side-by-side pages, one page in English and the other in Spanish. It also includes a glossary and talking points for you and your readers to practice language learning. One thousand copies of the English/Spanish edition have been reserved to donate to any Texas library that requests one; they will pay the in-state postage. Request your book via this online form.

The next Tocker Foundation grant application deadline is January 15, 2021. The Foundation encourages you to contact them to ask questions and request feedback before you submit your grant proposal. Learn more here.

Interested in the TALL Texans leadership program? TALL Texans participants study strategic planning, risk-taking, conflict negotiation, team building, coaching, ethics, advocacy, personal career planning, and more. Mentors, selected by the TLA Executive Board serve as coaches, counselors and role models, sharing their experiences as veteran library leaders. Apply online here; deadline is January 31. View the webinar "How to Apply to the TALL Texans Leadership Institute" for detailed guidance.

Nominations are open for Librarian of the Year, Distinguished Service and Lifetime Achievement Awards, plus many more! Learn about the various awards and the nomination process here. We have many Unit Awards as well, we encourage you to nominate all the deserving librarians you know. Find out more here.

The Texas Library Association (TLA) 2021 Conference Program Committee is seeking submissions from TLA members to present their current research. Contributed Paper sessions provide a forum for TLA members to present at the 2021 Annual Conference and publish their research in the Texas Library Journal. Proposal abstracts are due December 15, 2020. Submit a proposal.

TLA Leadership LAUNCH is a seminar for people new to the library profession, with less than 5 years of work experience. The program is designed for all types of libraries. Registration is now open for the Winter session: January 29 through February 26. Participants will earn 15 hours Continuing Education credit, TSLAC & SBEC. Cost is $145 for TLA members, $195 for non-members. This online course will meet on Fridays from 1 to 4 pm. Deadline to register is January 22. For more information, please contact Ted Wanner. Register here.

Linda Allmand, TLA past-president (1986-87) and former director of the Fort Worth Public Library, passed away Nov. 21.

Eric Lashley retired from Georgetown Public Library and is the new executive director of the Central Texas Library System.

Devery Johnson, outreach coordinator for the Montgomery County Memorial Library System, received the first Machiliztli Award from the Texas Familias Council, in recognition for her diligence in connecting the community with the library.

Asher Price on Earl Campbell: Yards After Contact

December 15 | 2 - 3pm CT | Register

CE Credit:1 hr SBEC only

Cost: FREE

Earl Campbell was a force in American football, winning a state championship in high school, rushing his way to a Heisman trophy for the University of Texas, and earning MVP as he took the Houston Oilers to the brink of the Super Bowl. An exhilarating blend of biography and history, Earl Campbell chronicles the challenges and sacrifices one supremely gifted athlete faced in his journey to the Hall of Fame. Journalist and author Asher Price will discuss his book on NFL legend and former Longhorn Earl Campbell, in a conversation with TLA staffer Michele Chan Santos.

Interested participants please contact Andrea Schorr.

All are welcome to tune in on Thursday, December 17th (7:00 PM Central) to cheer on the competitors.

Join via this Zoom link.

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