Austin, TX – The Texas Historical Records Advisory Board (THRAB) is pleased to announce the reappointment of board member Tara Turk-Zaafran. 

Turk-Zaafran, who was originally appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott in March 2021, is the Vice Principal at a local private school in Houston, where she taught social studies and interfaith studies for grades 6 through 8 for several years prior. Turk-Zaafran holds a degree in microbiology and immunology from the University of Miami Coral Gables, and a Master of Education degree from the University of Houston. Turk-Zaafran’s term will expire Feb. 1, 2026.

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Austin, TX – The Texas Historical Records Advisory Board (THRAB) has announced free spring training opportunities on encoding finding aids to enhance the collection access efforts of historical and genealogical societies, archives, museums, libraries, colleges, local governments and other institutions who hold Texas’ archival collections.

Introduction to TARO: Encoding and Submitting Finding Aids is a workshop designed to serve anyone learning how to encode archival finding aids using the Encoded Archival Description (EAD) standard in XML, but focuses on the local guidelines and participation

Austin, TX – The Texas Center for the Book (TCFB) is pleased to announce a partnership with BookPeople and the Texas Library and Archives Foundation for its 2023 reading campaign, Read Across Texas: Empathy. In order to provide books to libraries, donations for this annual statewide community read are now being accepted on BookPeople’s website at  www.bookpeople.com/community/read-across-texas-empathy.

Additionally, on February 25, 10 percent of all in-person and online sales at BookPeople will go toward Read Across Texas book grants. 

That evening, Naomi Shihab Nye, the author of one of thi

Austin, TX – February is Texas Public Library Speed Test Month! Each year, TSLAC asks all public libraries in Texas to take the Texas Public Library Speed Test. The results are instrumental in determining the status of Internet access for our public libraries' patrons and helping with statewide plans to support broadband improvement.

The deadline to complete the quick and easy online speed test is February 28. Libraries can visit www.tsl.texas.gov/speedtest to learn more about how to record their results.

 

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) outlined broadband targets for librari

Austin, TX – The Texas Historical Records Advisory Board (THRAB) has announced that it is accepting applications from libraries and archives in the Rio Grande Valley for free professional preservation assessments. As part of its ongoing efforts to provide education and support to archival repositories in the state, THRAB, with support from the National Historical Publication and Records Commission (NHPRC) will provide funding for three professional preservation assessments in the Rio Grande Valley region during the spring of 2023.

Archives, libraries, museums and other cultural heritage repos

Liberty, TX – To better preserve the historical records and artifacts housed at the Sam Houston Regional Library and Research Center, the Texas State Library and Archives Commission is upgrading the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system at the agency’s facility in Liberty. The installation will require the Center to close from Tuesday, Feb. 7, through Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2023.

The new HVAC system will provide the ideal temperature and humidity controls to protect the 12,000 cubic feet of Southeast Texas history made available through the Sam Houston Center’s museum, research l

Austin, TX – The Texas Historical Records Advisory Board (THRAB) is pleased to welcome new board member Felicia J. Williamson. Williamson, who will join THRAB on February 1, 2023, has served as the Director of Library & Archives at the Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum since 2015, working to expand, strengthen and increase access to the Museum’s important collection of rare books, artifacts and oral history testimonies. In addition, she has received a grant from the Texas Holocaust, Genocide, and Antisemitism Advisory Commission to catalog oral history testimonies, as well as a grant fr

AUSTIN – The Texas Center for the Book continues its #TXBookChat series with a sixth season of the popular virtual literary video series.

#TXBookChat offers brief discussions with authors, librarians and literary professionals. These informal “coffee chats” last about 30 minutes and offer a quick look into different aspects of the state’s literary world. The #TXBookChat series seeks to bring together a variety of voices and perspectives. This online program from the Texas State Library and Archives Commission launched in 2020.

Season six of #TXBookChat will present four new pre-recorded conversa

Austin, TX – The Texas Center for the Book has announced that the Teen Bookfest by the Bay is the recipient of the seventh annual Texas Center for the Book Literacy Award. This $2,000 award honors a qualified 501(c)(3) organization that has made outstanding contributions to increasing literacy in Texas and is modeled on the Library of Congress’ annual literacy awards. View a video about this year’s winner.

Funded by the Texas Library and Archives Foundation, Inc., the 2022 Literacy Awards also include two honorable mentions, awarded to Inside Books Project and Readers 2 Leaders.

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