TALL Talk Tips

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TALL Talk Tips

• Everything you ever wanted to know about TALL
  Texans!

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What is TALL Texans?

• Texas Accelerated Library Leaders
• Week-long Leadership Institute Summer Camp for
  adults!
• Canyon Oaks Ranch near Wimberley, Texas

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Goals

• Foster leadership capabilities
• Define leadership development activities for TLA
  members
• Foster cultural diversity in library leadership
• Encourage leadership in the community as well as
  in the workplace

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Canyon Oaks Ranch in the beautiful Texas Hill
Country
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Participants

• Mid-career library practitioners (degreed and
  non-degreed) with a minimum of 5 years experience
• Currently employed in the profession
• Laypersons with at least 3 years experience
• Participants from all types of libraries
• School
• College
• Public
• Special
• Laypersons

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Mentors

• Successful leaders in TLA and in the profession
• Includes President or President-elect of TLA
• Reflect diversity in TLA library, geographic,
  ethnicity
• Establish on-going professional relationship with
  participants
• Four mentors selected by the TLA Executive Board

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Facilitators

• Maureen Sullivan
• Librarian
• Organizational Development Consultant
• Jack Siggins
• University Librarian
• George Washington University
• Jan Moltzan, Project Coordinator (House Mom)
• Liaison between TALL Texans and TLA
• Retired from Dallas Public Library
• Adjunct professor at UNT

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Mentors and FacilitatorsClass of 2003
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Class Pictures
Class of 1994
More class photos at http//www.txla.org/groups/ta
lltex/tallldi.html
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Curriculum

• Leadership in libraries today
• Understanding your work and leadership roles
• Values and ethics Self-awareness for
  professional practice
• Communication
• Using power and influence
• Risk taking

• Managing differences
• Working with groups and teams
• Transforming libraries Creating a culture of
  commitment and high performance
• Creating a shared vision
• Developing others
• Achieving your potential Personal planning

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Highlights

• Self-examination
• Leadership skills
• Networking
• Not all business

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Fun Stuff, Too!!

• Home Cooking
• Fun and Games
• Snacks
• Hot Tubbing
• More Snacks
• Book Clubbing
• Shopping and Sight-seeing
• Long walks in the Hill Country

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Networking, meals, resting, games
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Jack, Maureen, and work time
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Action Plans

• Two Year Commitments
• TLA Action Plan
• Professional Action Plan
• TLA Involvement
• Opens the door for participation in leadership
  roles
• Invaluable networking with TLA leadership

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Why Apply?

• Not a leader just for TLA
• TLA expects you to grow as a leader
• In your daily life
• In your workplace
• In your community
• Aim high and be involved on the state and
  national levels

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Why Apply?

• Leadership skills are taught by TLA mentors to
• Build and maintain alliances
• Become change agents
• Build trust and ability to influence others
• Convince local and state legislators to support
  libraries in legislative matters, for example,
  funding which excludes school libraries the 65
  rule.
• Proactive
• Advocate

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Application Tips

• Sell yourself!
• Treat the application like a cover letter for a
  job interview.
• Dissect the application in order to understand
  the questions.
• A key concept to remember all the questions are
  interconnected.
• Each question builds up to the 20-point question.

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20-point question

• Why do you want to participate in the TLA TALL
  Texans Leadership Development Institute?
• It is essential that you address this question by
  focusing on what you have done and using your
  past experiences.

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20-point question - Weak

• Why do you want to participate in the TLA TALL
  Texans Leadership Development Institute?
• Weak
• I have known other participants in TALL Texans
  who have benefited from the experience. I want
  to become a better leader.
• (Originally presented by Kimberly in 2003)

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20-point question - Stronger

• Why do you want to participate in the TLA TALL
  Texans Leadership Development Institute?
• Stronger
• I want to participate in the TALL Texans
  Leadership Development Institute to focus my
  priorities and set new goals. After thirteen
  years in the profession, this is an opportunity
  to evaluate my work and progress and seek new
  leadership models and fresh ideas. Also, it will
  provide me with an environment in which I can
  focus on my strengths and my ability to
  capitalize on them, meet new colleagues who can
  challenge me to grow, and gain new energy and
  motivation to pursue new goals.
• (Originally presented by Kimberly in 2003)

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15-point question - Weak

• What do you consider your greatest leadership
  skill and why?
• Weak
• I am able to organize my work, complete
  assignments on time, and stay within budget.
  Also, I am always aware of what staff are doing.
  I can solve the problems they bring to me.
• (Originally presented by
  Kimberly in 2003)

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15-point question - Stronger

• What do you consider your greatest leadership
  skill and why?
• Stronger
• Good leaders create an atmosphere in which
  risk taking is encouraged and staff are expected
  to determine and implement solutions. I have
  cultivated that atmosphere in the reference
  services department where staff work with each
  other to search for new ideas and better
  approaches to reference service. In the two
  years I have been manager, I have coached and
  challenged staff to solve the problems they
  encounter. I can see the result. In the
  beginning, they always looked to me for answers.
  Now they routinely determine solutions to the
  problems they encounter and implement them.
• (Originally presented by Kimberly in 2003)

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10-point question - Weak

• Describe how one workshop, seminar, or
  continuing education session enhanced your
  leadership abilities.
• Weak
• The activity that has most enhanced my
  leadership ability was participation in Outward
  Bound. Outward Bound uses trust exercises to
  build teamwork. It provided insight into teams
  and reinforced my own confidence.
• (Originally presented by Kimberly in 2003)
• Do not list more than one workshop!
• (TALL Texans selection committee members)

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10-point question - Stronger

• Describe how one workshop, seminar, or
  continuing education session enhanced your
  leadership abilities.
• Stronger
• The activity that has most enhanced my
  leadership ability was participation in Outward
  Bound. The experience reinforced my teamwork
  skillsworking with a group of diverse people
  with different skills and abilities who must
  assess their own and each others strengths then
  utilize the variety of talents to meet a group
  goal. Also, Outward Bound reinforced my
  confidence in my ability to persevere regardless
  of obstacles, to trust others and ask for help,
  and to respect the pace and contribution of
  others.
• (Originally presented by Kimberly in 2003)

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Other Application Tip Points

• Write a draft and set it aside.
• Review your draft, edit it, and set it aside
  again.
• Proofread, edit, and polish your draft.
• Give your draft to one or two mentors, former
  TALL Texans, or colleagues.
• Learn from constructive criticism and edit.
• Submit.

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More application tips from TALL Texans Alumni

• The most essential tip is to be persistent if not
  first accepted. (Martha Tandy, 2000 Janis Test,
  2002)
• There has to be a balance among the different
  types of librarians throughout different parts of
  Texas you should consider reapplying. (Linda H.
  Alexander, Ph.D., 2003)
• If re-applying, use your first application as a
  springboard to revise and complete a stronger
  application by listing your experiences gained
  between the applications. (Dana Davis-Avants,
  2004)

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More application tips from TALL Texan Alumni

• Start early as you need time to plan thoughtful
  answers. (Laura Baker, 2001)
• Read questions carefully and answer them
  concisely and confidently. (Tina Oswald, 1999
  Karen Vargas, 2001)
• Pay attention to word count and answer the
  question asked without getting off track. (Terry
  Alegria-Roper, 2002 Don Hamerly, 2004)

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More application tips from TALL Texan Alumni

• Emphasize what you can bring to the group as well
  as what you seek to gain. (Connie Moss, 1996)
• Reflect and use relevant experiences from both
  your personal and work life, regardless whether
  you are from a small or large library, in a rural
  community or a city. (Cynthia Ward Cooper, 1997
  Juanita Hazelton, 2003)
• Review current literature to assist you in
  answering your questions. (Robin Dwight, 2004)

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Another Use for the Application Personal and
Professional Growth

• At University of Houston Clear Lake, we require
  our School Library Interns complete an
  application as an class assignment
• Provides an opportunity for school librarians to
  look ahead and plan for personal and professional
  growth

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Question 11 Professional Leadership Goals in
5 years

• Key question knowing where you are going helps
  you develop the tools to get there
• I couldnt figure out why this was an assignment
  until I read this question. Aha! I am supposed to
  have a plan for my library career! (Internship
  student, Summer 2005)

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Question 4 Professional Organizations

• To achieve the goals articulated in question 11,
  think about current and future involvement in TLA
  and other organizations
• I have just gotten involved in TLA and will now
  explore ALA and other library organizations. I
  see how networking with librarians outside my
  district will help me professionally.
  (Internship student, Spring 2006)

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Quotable

• I have always relied on other librarians in my
  district, my buddies. I never thought about
  professional development through TLA and other
  organizations. Now I know I have been
  concentrating on the individual trees rather than
  looking at the whole forest. I need to be more
  global in my approach. (Internship student,
  Spring 2006)

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Quotable

• I thought I was doing a lot locally and within
  my district, but when I started filling out the
  application, I realized I was pitiful in my
  participation. I plan to get more involved in
  TLA. (Internship student, Summer 2005)

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Question 9 Leadership Skill

• We want students to think about their
  professional skills and strengths.
• I had not thought about being a campus leader,
  but I guess the school librarian has to be.
  (Internship student, Summer 2005)

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The Application as a Tool

• Allows our students to articulate career goals
• Makes our students aware of the school
  librarians leadership on campus
• Makes our students aware of the TALL Texan
  Institute

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TALL Texan Institute for 2007 Early June

• APPLY!!!
• Timeline
• Apply between October 1 and December 1
• Application process will be done online starting
  in October 2006.
• Notification prior to Conference
• Cost 550
• Usually subsidized with employer contributions
• Scholarships available
• Provide own transportation

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Quotables

• I no longer feel apologetic, and instead I am
  embracing opportunities to be involved. (Angela
  Skaggs, 2003)
• I have the confidence to go forth and be a more
  vital part of TLA. (Jeana Actkinson, 2003)
• It gave me the confidence to take part in the
  leadership of TLA as well as other organizations.
  (Carrie Jo Parmley, 1999)

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Quotables

• I have a whole new network of contacts across
  Texas! (Linda Alexander, 2003)
• If June Berry thought I could be a leader, I
  could! (Peg Patrick, 1994)
• Meeting colleagues was truly the most important
  thing from TALL Texans. (Beth Thomsett-Scott,
  2003)

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Information and applications

• TALL Texans website - http//www.txla.org/groups/t
  alltex/tallldi.html
• TALL Texans Round Table open to all TLA members
  http//www.txla.org/groups/ttrt/index.htm
• Beth Perry and Sian Brannons article in Texas
  Library Journal, Fall 2005
• http//www.txla.org/pubs/tlj81/TALLTexans.pdf

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Information and applications

• Contacts
• Jan Moltzan, Project Coordinator (House Mom)
  jmoltzan_at_earthlink.net
• Denise Kornegay, TALL Texans Round Table Chair
  2006-2007
• ckornegay_at_cox-internet.com
• Ted Wanner, TLA CE Specialist
• tedw_at_txla.org

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Credits

• Written by Denise Kornegay, 2004
• Application Tips written by Mary Jo Venetis, 2006
• Personal and Professional Growth written by Dr.
  Linda Alexander and Jane Claes, 2006

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Credits

• Photos courtesy of Jeana Actkinson, Jan Moltzan,
  and Denise Kornegay
• Acknowledgement and Appreciation to Laura
  Kimberly for her willingness to share her
  application question examples and tips based on
  her 2003 presentation