Tocker Blog

In the current climate of well-funded campaigns to control what children read, Melanie Huggins, president of the Public Library Association (a division of the American Library Association), is speaking out in Public Libraries Journal Jan/Feb 2022. She shares that in the past, the diversity of a collection served as a library’s primary (and mostly quiet) act of resistance against hate,

Texas’ new office of broadband development is tasked with ensuring that all Texans have access to reliable, high-quality broadband. To allow all corners of the state to be heard, they are inviting Texans to offer their thoughts by completing an online survey. Share it with friends, neighbors, family and colleagues. Survey is open until May 5, 2022.

To guide the strategic vision of Texas’ new Broadband Development Office, Comptroller Glenn Hegar is touring 12 communities to get Texans’ insights about internet access and collect input to develop the state’s first broadband plan. These events are free, and Texans are encouraged to attend and share their thoughts about broadband services in their communities. This is a great opportunity

The Austin Public Library stands with the entire library community in defense of the freedom to speak and the freedom to read, and opposed to censorship of any library materials.

American Rescue Plan: Humanities Grants for Libraries is a $2 million grant program to anchor libraries as strong humanities institutions as they rebuild from the pandemic and restore activities. American Library Association (ALA) will award up to 200 ARP grants of $10,000 each to libraries with an emphasis on reaching historically under-served and/or rural communities. ALA provides all you need

Wednesday, September 1st at 2 pm, join TSLAC staff for a live webinar discussing the details of three new competitive grant opportunities for libraries made possible by emergency pandemic funding through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). The three grant focus areas are support for libraries related to the pandemic, digital navigators, and telehealth. What will you do with the

The Emergency Connectivity Fund (ECF) is a one-time, $7.17 billion funding program authorized by the American Rescue Act Plan (ARPA) and directed at remote learning through libraries and K-12 schools. Application period ends on August 13, 2021. Fund period runs July 1, 2021-June 30, 2022. Visit the ECF or the American Library Association’s dedicated page to get up to speed

Is your library ready to host in-person programming again? The Writers’ League of Texas is seeking rural libraries interested in hosting their free, 3 hour writing workshop, Texas Writes. Each workshop includes two presentations on the craft of writing by published authors, plus a moderated conversation and Q&A. Workshops are free and open to all. Twelve to fifteen rural libraries

In far West Texas, good things are happening for residents in Jeff Davis County. Local leaders of the Jeff Davis County Library, the Friends of the Library and the local food pantry have formed a unique partnership to serve their community by meeting them where they are with a mobile unit dubbed Mobile Comunidad. The new van will deliver food,