Presentation for Reading Committees: Getting the Skills You Need. Presented at 2013 Texas Library Association Conference.

2. Introductions
Viki Ash, San Antonio Public Library (viki.ash@sanantonio.gov)
Dreanna Belden, University of North Texas Libraries
(dreanna.belden@unt.edu)
Martha Edmundson, Texas Bluebonnet Award
(mamedmund@yahoo.com)
Kathleen Houlihan, Austin Public Library
(Kathleen.Houlihan@AustinTexas.gov)
Jennifer Smith, Legacy Middle School (read.junkee@gmail.com)

3. Why Serve on a Book
Selection Committee?
Critically analyze books
Build a vocabulary for describing books
Reading outside your comfort zone
Working with other librarians/book people
Working with publishers

4. How to Get on a Committee

5. How to Get on a Committee
Application
Reading Experience
Ability to talk/write about books

6. Texas Bluebonnet
Committee
Martha Edmundson

7. Texas Bluebonnet
Committee
Appeal vs. Quality
For the Texas Bluebonnet Award Master
List, a book should have:
One part appeal and two parts
quality,
or,
One part quality and two parts
appeal
Attributed to Christina Wohl, TBA Coordinator

8. Texas Bluebonnet
Committee
Appeal Words for Tone
Amusing
Angst-filled
Bleak
Darkly humorous
Emotionally intense
Feel-good
Funny
Gross
Gruesome
Hopeful
Inspirational
Moving
Adapted and excerpted from Ebsco/Novelist

9. Spirit of Texas and In the
Margins Committees
Kathleen Houlihan

10. Mock Reading Committee
Kathleen Houlihan

11. Lariat List Task Force
Dreanna Belden
Purpose of the Lariat Reading List: The annual list of Lariat award
winners calls attention to outstanding fiction published during the
year that merit special attention from adult readers. The main
criteria for selecting books for the Lariat List is that they are “a
pleasure to read.”
Diverse Genres
Structure of the Task Force
Your friend the publisher …
Staying Organized … for the group and yourself
Working together amicably

12. Newbery Committee
Viki Ash

13. Where Do I Sign Up?
2X2 Committee- http://txla.org/groups/CRT-
the-round-table
Texas Bluebonnet Award Committee –
http://txla.org/TBA-forms
YART Committees -
http://txla.org/groups/yartvolunteers
Lariat - http://txla.org/Lariat

14. Where Do I Sign Up?
ALA Committees
AASL - http://www.ala.org/aasl/working-
with
ALSC -
http://www.ala.org/alsc/aboutalsc/coms
YALSA -
http://www.ala.org/yalsa/workingwithyalsa/
yalsacommittee