2016 Conference Program Committee
Texas Library Association
October 1, 2014
The first meeting of the Texas Library Association 2016
Conference Program Committee was held on Wednesday, October 1, 2014. Kim Wiley
and I drove to Houston to attend the meeting, which was held at the Harris
County Public Library Barbara Bush Branch.
We were welcomed by Susan Mann, TLA President-Elect,
and she explained her vision for the 2016 Conference. During her time at TLA,
Susan has done a lot of legislative work and would like to have the legislative
topic be part of the 2016 Conference.
Two others assisted Susan, Cindy Buchanan and Christina Gola, who conducted
an ice-breaker session and explained the roll of members. The committee then spent
time brainstorming about possible conference themes and generally got to know
each other. There were less people than we thought there would be, but it looks
like a great group.
The 2016 Conference Program Committee plans to meet
the first Wednesday of each month for the next 16 months. Kim and I will be
attending the monthly Program Committee meetings as well as other general
meetings, subcommittee meetings, roundtable and interest group meetings, and conference
and annual assembly meetings. Our appointment to the Program Committee will be
a significant commitment of time and work, but it is a special honor and we are
up to the challenge.
The Committee’s first charge is to identify topics
for conference programs that our libraries’ members would like to attend. Kim
and I discussed this, and we would like for our faculty, and especially our
library staff, to give us ideas for program topics relevant to your library
departments that you would like to have presented. The 2016 Conference is in
Houston so this will be a huge opportunity for our staff, who can attend these programs
to further their professional development, something we have tried to stress in
past years for our library staff.
So please give us your ideas for program topics
before our next meeting, November 5, 2014.
Thanks,
Mark Asteris
Kim Wiley
