CET Writes

    Originally published October 24, 2025 Library Developments Blog   |   Library Development and Networking Division Texas State Library and Archives Commission   Palacios Library  |  Palacios , TX At Palacios Library , leadership starts with listening. “Our success has been our availability for whatever is needed to keep our library afloat and be willing to help out our small town in any way we can,” says Head Librarian Vikijane Mosier. That spirit of responsiveness has guided the library’s work for decades whether meeting immediate needs or planning for the future. When local families faced language barriers that made homework time difficult, the library paired bilingual honor students with elementary kids who needed extra help in its after-school program. The program has been a win-win—supporting children and giving teens their first jobs. Furthermore, its impact has come full circle: one former student helper is now a library staff member an...

  Originally published October 17 , 2025 Library Developments Blog   |   Library Development and Networking Division Texas State Library and Archives Commission   There’s something magical about dawn over the desert when hot air balloons drift serenely above the Rio Grande Valley with their neon colors glowing against the pale morning sky. That’s the same sense of wonder attendees experienced at the 2025 Association for Rural & Small Libraries (ARSL) Annual Conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico. In this high-desert city where adobe walls glow in the sunset and mountain peaks blush pink in the evening light, attendees discovered unexpected treasures. Keynotes lifted us as high as the Sandia Peak Tramway, encouraging a view of the big picture while holding tight to local roots. Sessions buzzed with the liveliness and variety of spice markets, and conversations with colleagues felt as vibrant as the balloons at the Anderson Abruzzo International Balloon Museum—...