TLA's Libraries Transform Texas Podcast

Brandi Dawson, chair of the TALL Texans Round Table, talks about the new application for the TALL Texans Leadership Institute and goes over logistics of this renowned leadership program. Part 1 of a mini-series about TALL Texans, hosted by Brandi.

This episode is hosted by Jessica Silva, librarian at El Paso High School, El Paso ISD and our topic today is “How to set up high school students for success in college and beyond.” Our featured guests are Lorely Ambriz, El Paso Community College; Jackie Chetzron, Dallas ISD; David Baca, Texas A&M University -Galveston; Jennifer Ottinger, Texas Woman's University; and Bryant Moore, Texas A&amp...

In this 12-minute episode, two Texas Library Association staff members, Membership Coordinator Christy Reynolds and Meeting and Events Manager Michelle Cruz, share their top three reasons you should renew your TLA membership (or join if you are new to our organization) and register for the annual conference. 

In this episode (part 2 of our episodes for Libraries Transform Texas Week), Dianna Landes, director of the Lakehills Area Library, interviews Julie Hermonat of the Barbara Bush Library in Spring. Julie talks about the fun "Hedgie's Adventures" program at her library, where kids take home a pompon hedgehog and record their adventures with Hedgie in a special journal. This fun program would be easy...

We have a special two-part episode for Libraries Transform Texas week! In part I, Dianna Landes, director of the Lake Hills Library, interviews Stacy Clopton, public relations coordinator of the Amarillo Public Library, about AMA-CON, a huge sci-fi, pop culture and anime convention in Amarillo organized by the Amarillo Public Library. They also discuss the library's "seed library" for local garden...

This is part 2 of 2. Our featured guest for this podcast is Dorcas Hand, school library advocate and coordinator of the Intellectual Freedom Helpline for the Texas Library Association. Cate Sweeney, vice-chair of TLA's PR and Marketing Committee, interviews Dorcas. In this section, we hear about how the Intellectual Freedom Helpline was developed and how it's different from (and complements) the A...

Let's celebrate Banned Books Week! Our featured guest for this podcast is Dorcas Hand, school library advocate and coordinator of the Intellectual Freedom Helpline for the Texas Library Association. Cate Sweeney, vice-chair of TLA's PR and Marketing Committee, hosts this episode. In Part I, we'll hear from Dorcas about three different book challenges she faced as a school librarian; as well as wha...

Librarians have a tremendous number of skills, but sometimes we lack confidence in promoting those skills to the world. Kendra Harrell, director of the Atlanta, TX Public Library, talks with Kelly Hoppe, Head of Outreach and Instruction at Cornette Library, West Texas A&M University, and Carol Seiler of EBSCO Information Services about library skill sets and how to market your true capabilitie...

In this episode, Jeannette Davies of the San Antonio Public Library interviews Pat Bjornson, a longtime volunteer with the Friends of the San Antonio Public Library, to talk about Friends of the Library groups and everything they do to help public libraries at the branch level. From holding book sales to raising money for remodels to hosting appreciation dinners for library staff, public libraries...

Traditionally, we think of summer reading programs at public libraries. But what about a summer program at your school library? In today’s episode, Katherine Counterman, an elementary librarian in Katy ISD, interviews Sean Heller, librarian at Stockdick Junior High School in Katy ISD. For the last five years, Sean kept his school library open one day a week in the summer. He saw great turnout from...

Brandi Dawson, Supervisor of Library Media Services for Lewisville ISD, hosts this panel discussion about the TALL Texans leadership program -- applying, attending, and what happens after the week of learning. Guests on the panel are Heather Hornor, Library & Information Tech Specialist at Richardson Independent School District; Dawn Wilbert, Director of the Decatur Public Library; LaMoya Burk...

In honor of National Library Week (April 3-9), Jeannette Davies of the San Antonio Public Library interviews staff from the Patrick Heath Public Library in Boerne about their creative programs. Guests are Natalie Morgan, Robin Stauber, Alison Topper and Erica Metz, all of Patrick Heath PL. They have a rollicking conversation about food, cookbooks, foods popular during the 1950s and other creative...

With more than 250 education sessions to pick from at the TLA 2022 Annual Conference in Fort Worth this April, it's hard to know what to attend! Here to recommend sessions that are "hidden gems" are Dan Burgard, TLA President, and Curren McLane and Stacy Cameron, co-chairs of the Conference Program Committee. They all have recommendations for sessions that might get overlooked, but are well worth...

This episode is about switching library careers from one track to another -- and sometimes to another after that. From school to public, from public to vendor, public to academic, and more; hear some real-life experiences from TLA members. This episode is hosted by library director Kendra Harrell, and features interviews with Priscilla Delgado, Jackie Kruzie, and Martha Lopez Coleman. This is part...

This episode is about switching library careers from one track to another -- and sometimes to another after that. From school to public, from public to vendor, public to academic, and more; hear some real-life experiences from TLA members. This episode is hosted by library director Kendra Harrell, and features interviews with Morgan Brickey-Jones, Lisa Zinkie, and Kelly Hoppe. This is part 1 of 2;...

Alexandra Cornejo of the Harlingen School of Health Professions interviews Margarita Longoria, author and editor of the anthology Living Beyond Borders: Growing Up Mexican in America , which has received starred reviews from Kirkus, Booklist, School Library Journal and more. Twenty stand-alone short stories, essays, poems, and more from celebrated and award-winning authors make up this YA antholog...

Our topic for this episode is TLA Member Benefits and who’s who on the TLA Staff. Recently, TLA’s wonderful membership coordinator, Christy Reynolds, spoke to District 10 at their fall meeting about the benefits of TLA membership, and shared a quick rundown of the TLA staff and each of our duties. We thought this information was very valuable and wanted to share it with all of our members. Join Ch...

Discover ways public libraries support healthy living in their communities. In this episode, Linda Stevens, Division Director, Programs, Partnerships & Outreach at Harris County Public Library, interviews Dr. Noah Lenstra, founder of Let's Move in Libraries, an organization which focuses on supporting healthy living in public libraries. They talk about innovative programs -- from teaching...

In honor of Libraries Transform Texas Week, Jennifer Logsdon, Library Director of the Hood County Library, talks with Tammy Korns, Outreach and Engagement Manager for the Plano Public Library System, about Plano PL’s outreach efforts to their community. In 2021, Plano Public Library received the 2021 ALA/Information Today, Inc. Library of the Future Award. Plano PL was selected for its innovative...

Today on the Libraries Transform Texas podcast series (episode 2, season 2) we interview Texas author Adrianna Cuevas. Cuevas is a first-generation Cuban-American originally from Miami, Florida whose middle grade debut novel "The Total Eclipse of Nestor Lopez" received a Pura Belpre Honor this last year. In the last month, her new novel "Cuba in My Pocket" just released, a semi-biographical journe...

Banned Books Week is more pertinent than ever, given the number of recent challenges to books on school reading lists and in school libraries. In this episode, Jeannette Davies of the San Antonio Public Library interviews Dr. Mark Bayer, chair of the English department at the University of Texas at San Antonio, and Carrie Damon, Northside ISD middle school librarian, about the history of banned bo...

We are thrilled to have Mark Smith, the Director of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission and the State Librarian, as our guest for this podcast. He discusses the biggest challenges facing American libraries, why it's crucial for communities to have access to broadband and why he still believes -- more than ever -- that libraries can save America.

"What Will the New Normal Look Like?" Jill Bellomy, librarian at Highland Park Middle School in Dallas and chair of the Texas Association of School Librarians, is the featured guest for this episode. Jill talks with TLA staffer Michele Chan Santos about what practices from the pandemic are likely to stay, what school book fairs will look like this coming year, why nonfiction is important and what...

It’s time to talk about summer reading programs! Jeannette Davies of the San Antonio Public Library (SAPL) interviews Cresencia Huff, Coordinator of Children’s Services at SAPL. Also joining the discussion are Kate Simpson and Leslie Elsasser, chairs of SAPL's Children's Summer Reading Club Committee. They discuss motivating children to read, making summer reading fun and building connections to t...

Aram Kim, author of the new book "Sunday Funday in Koreatown," and the popular "No Kimchi for Me!" and "Let's Go to Taekwondo", all in the Yoomi, friends and family series, discusses what inspires her, why she loves libraries and librarians and more, in an interview with Michele Chan Santos of the Texas Library Association.