CET Writes

Originally published February 12, 2025 Library Developments Blog    Library Development and Networking Division Texas State Library and Archives Commission   As the new year has well and truly begun, many people reflect on the past, seeking to understand where they come from, who their ancestors were, and how their family's history shaped their present. One of the best ways to begin exploring their roots is to visit their local library. Frequently, small rural libraries serve as repositories of local history. But, what about if a patron’s family has moved throughout various regions of the state? For a more expansive approach, utilizing the rich genealogy resources available at the Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC) can provide a bigger picture. Whether they’re a seasoned researcher or just beginning their journey into family history, TSLAC offers a variety of tools to help patrons uncover the stories of their ancestors. A Treasure Trove of Records Th...

  Originally published July 17, 2024 Library Developments Blog | Library Development and Networking Division Texas State Library and Archives Commission The Library Development and Networking Division is your partner in serving the community by connecting you to our library management services. Here are the tools that can help you stay one step ahead! Library Management Services Website – This suite of webpages is the online home for evergreen information about our library management services including resources for new directors, small library management, and library governance. Library Management Services Updates – In this monthly post on our Library Developments blog , we provide a round up of upcoming opportunities and ongoing tools pertaining to library management that have come to our attention. Although you can subscribe to the entire blog, there’s no easy way to subscribe to these posts exclusively. Alternatively, you can bookmark the link above and create a Google aler...

Originally published July 9, 2024 Library Developments Blog | Library Development and Networking Division Texas State Library and Archives Commission ***** These freshly remodeled Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC) Texas Public Library Management webpages are your management services internet home, organized with a place for everything—and now everything is in its place! Welcome! TSLAC’s Library Development and Networking Division ensures access to information and resources Texas public library directors and managers need to make their libraries work for their communities. These tools connect libraries to our management services and help them stay one step ahead! More... New Director Resources Congratulations you on your new role! We are your partner in this, providing accreditation and grant opportunities, plus consulting and training services. More... Small Library Management Since 1994, the Small Library Management training program provides library skills educatio...

  Originally published February 6, 2023 Library Developments Blog |  Library Development and Networking Division Texas State Library and Archives Commission ***** As the new year has sprung right into action, the Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC) is here to give you a boost by connecting you to our youth services. Here are the tools that can help you stay one step ahead! Collaborative Summer Library Program (CSLP) Newsletter In this monthly newsletter, CSLP offers the latest news and information about the current program. Family Place Library Listserv Family Place Libraries ™ uses this private list to provide updates about the national program.  Texas Family Place Library Project  grantees should be able to update their contact information via their library’s member login. Please contact us if you need help connecting with the national organizers. Texas Summer Library Program Newsletter TSLAC uses the  Texas Summer Library Newsletter...

Originally published May 16, 2022 Library Developments Blog | Library Development and Networking Division Texas State Library and Archives Commission ***** As you review the administrative tools your library uses to manage services and programming, consider leveraging online resources to maximize your efforts. In the following interview, fellow library worker Kate Guynn explains why Beanstack was the best fit for her library. *** Question 1: What online tool are you promoting? Name: Beanstack Purpose: In March 2021, we signed a three-year contract to track all of our reading challenges. Price: $1,800 per year Question 2: How did you find out about this tool? We were drawn to Beanstack because of my prior experience with it when I worked at a different library, the price, the customer support, and the high scores on reviews. In comparison, neither ReadSquared nor ReadingZone had comparable ratings. In addition, because ReadingZone’s pricing is based on the number of readers, purchas...

Originally published May 9, 2022 Library Developments Blog | Library Development and Networking Division Texas State Library and Archives Commission ***** As you review the administrative tools your library uses to manage services and programming, consider leveraging online resources to maximize your efforts. In the following interview, fellow library worker Crystal Swimmer explains how a reading tracker did so much more for her community than merely log activity. *** Question 1: What online tool are you promoting? Name: Beanstack Purpose: We originally purchased it as an online tool to host our summer reading program in 2020 when our library was only open for lobby service; now, we use it to host all of our reading challenges. Price: Approximately $8000 Question 2: How did you find out about this tool? Some of our employees had used Beanstack at other library systems for their previous jobs. Others had heard about it through co-workers or from participating in reading challenges host...

Originally published May 2, 2022 Library Developments Blog | Library Development and Networking Division Texas State Library and Archives Commission ***** As you review the administrative tools your library uses to manage services and programming, consider leveraging online resources to maximize your efforts. In the following interview, fellow library worker Rebecca Ivey explains how what began as a seasonal offering quickly became a staple in the library’s suite of services. *** Question 1:  What online tool are you promoting? Name:  ReadSquared Purpose: We selected this platform in 2018, based on its ability to log patron reading records. Price: Approximately $3600 Question 2:  How did you find out about this tool? We were looking for an online reading program tool, and this is the one that other libraries in our area were using. After researching the platform, we realized it would work for our library system as well. Question 3:  As a youth services library work...

  Originally published April 4, 2022 Library Developments Blog |   Library Development and Networking Division Texas State Library and Archives Commission ***** This summer, consider focusing on teen mental health by incorporating the following recommendations and resources outlined by Patrick Lloyd , TSLAC’s Community Resilience Consultant. *** Even before the covid-19 pandemic, many teenagers were struggling. Sadly, data collected well before the covid -19 pandemic indicates that most of us experience childhood trauma. For many, these traumas stay with us for long period of time. They correlate to a number of nasty outcomes including emotional dysregulation (some folks become numb and detached; others may be impulsive or quick to anger), cognitive challenges (sometimes called brain fog), substance abuse, and medical problems, among others. The events of the past two years have exacerbated matters. In October 2021, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American ...

Originally published March 2, 2022 Library Developments Blog |   Library Development and Networking Division Texas State Library and Archives Commission ***** Well-defined, time-limited efforts like your Summer Library Program often serve as a rich environment for testing new services. This summer, consider expanding your support of patrons in your community with visual, physical, and reading disabilities by using the following strategies and resources outlined by Jaclyn Owusu, Public Awareness Coordinator for the  Talking Book Program . *** Libraries are all about people. It does not matter if your library is small or large, system or stand-alone, rural or urban, libraries try to be as accommodating as they can in serving everyone who enters their doors. Prioritizing special populations takes a little work and research, but remember people with disabilities are just people who have individual abilities, interests, and needs. “People with disabilities are just peopl...