025.1 School Library Adminstrators: Always Learning, Part 1

The annual Texas Association of School Library Administrators' (TASLA) meeting going on in Austin today. It is a chance for Library Administrators to get together and catch up on what is new, figure out ways around problems, and do the all-important networking!

My colleague has spent the year preparing for this as part of her role as chairman of this group. And it has gotten off to a good start. Congrats LP.


Right now we are hearing a program about school book clubs. The speaker, Cris Espinoza, Librarian from LBJ Middle School, Pharr-San Juan ISD in south Texas, has already brought up one of the major points of a successful program of any kind...support from the administration, where it is the campus level or higher up! She does pattern her book club after Oprah's model where the top group of writers/participants get to go to a special lunch to discuss the book. for her school, a school whose students have many barriers to overcome, the book club has been part of the growing success of the school. Everyone is welcome-- parents, neighbors, school and community leaders join in with the kids. Some of the kids have even been featured on the local news...kids reading books making the news! How great is that!

Lottery Rose, Among the Hidden, Tequila Worm were some of the featured books. For Tequila Worm, the author Viola Canales participated as well! I wish you could see the line-up for the books...it snakes around up and down the halls. Last membership number--328!

Ok..it's break time. More later!