Capstones, Annual Review, Special Guest, and Good News for Friends

Graduating students continued their Capstone presentations. Amy Price (my TA and GRA for "If I Can Read, I Can Do Anything")worked with UT-Austin's Education Librarian to develop a strategy for collection K-12 textbooks. Delia Fantova presented results of her TexShare training at 5 small/rural public libraries. I stayed for a few other presentations and then prepared for Arro Smith's doctoral student annual review. Having completed his doctoral seminars and almost all of his tools classes, he's starting to take policy classes as his `outside' electives.

Honoring Generations hosted Stuart Hoahwah, Comanche poet, as our special guest. He read from his most recent chapbook of published poetry as well as a few new unpublished poems. Fans of scarey stories will be unnerved by his poem about the headless farmer.

Several of our friends have reported recent good news. Roy Boney (Cherokee graphic novelist) won best of show at the 35th Annual Trail of Tears Art Show. The Cherokee Heritage Museum purchased his winning piece and will display it as part of their premanent collection. Larry Loyie (Cree) and Constance Brissenden's picture book, "As Long as the Rivers Flow," was designated as the Honour Book for the 2006 First Nations Libraries Read program in Canada. They'll be at the Canada Library Association in mid-June. Their new book, "When the Spirits Dance," will be published in October 2006. Eric Lockard at Salina Bookshelf reports that one of his books is a CBC IRA Children's Choice Book for 2006. Ho wuh (great work), all!

We Remember. It is important that we remember and live the lives that continue the work of others who have passed before us.

UT-Austin hosted UT Remembers on Friday, 5 May 2006, an annual day where we recognize those among our community who have passed during the previous year. Flags near the Tower were lowered during a morning ceremony, a service was held at the Tower Garden from 2-3 p.m., and the Tower lights were darkened at dusk. I remember many among our librarian community as well as my personal community today.