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PAST NEWS ARCHIVE
April 5, 2001
Contact: Patricia Fraga, Austin Public Library, (512) 974-7528
Fax: (512) 974-7442
BOB GAINES NAMED TEXAS LIBRARIAN OF THE YEAR
Austin (Texas) Public Library employee Robert S. Gaines was named Texas Librarian of the Year for 2001 at the Texas Library Association's 88th Annual Conference in San Antonio, Texas, on March 29.
Gaines began his career with APL in 1977 as a reference librarian and is currently the System Automation Consultant with the Central Texas Library System, a position he has held since 1989. He has worked for more than 15 years to promote electronic connectivity in public libraries in the CTLS region. Since 1997 he has broadened his efforts to connect to the Internet all types of Texas libraries through the Telecommunications Infrastructure Fund grants. He has been an advocate before the Telecommunications Infrastructure Fund Board on behalf of school and academic libraries, as well as public libraries. He has advised librarians throughout the state on the federal E-rate telecommunications subsidy with newsletter articles and postings to electronic listservs, resulting in many small public libraries securing discounts for basic telephone services.
His participation in several library technology working groups has significantly impacted state policy affecting Texas libraries. Some of his contributions include: producing a training syllabus for public libraries receiving TIF grants; assisting with drafting and promoting a TIF grant for 146 public libraries worth $9,531,987; designing a TIF grant application spreadsheet to simplify the application process for small libraries; acting as administrator for a collaborative grant for 16 libraries in four Regional Library Systems; and helping develop computer security training for all Texas public libraries.
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