Summary of the Impact of the Session on TexShare and K-12 Databases Programs - Fact Sheet

Fact Sheet Date: June 2, 2009

1. TexShare Databases:

The TexShare databases will be funded in FY2010 and FY2011 at the same level as they were this past biennium. Because our database contracts run from July to June, TexShare member libraries won't see any changes in the database program until July 2010. Our vendors have been very helpful in keeping increases to our database costs minimal, and we are asking our commission to increase the level of federal money directed to the program. However, we still will not have enough funding next year to retain all of the content in the core database program. The Electronic Information Working Group has already met to discuss this situation. They have turned this funding problem into an opportunity to review the cost effectiveness of retaining low-use content and to explore options such as expanding the TexSelect service to bring affordable new content and formats to TexShare members.

2. K-12 Databases

The Texas Education Agency's technology allotment will continue to fund the K-12 databases in the upcoming biennium. This funding is at the same level as last biennium. As with the TexShare database program, the rising costs for database products means that our dollars will not stretch as far. We will ask our commission to direct some federal dollars to this program, somewhat mitigating the impact of the shortfall in state funding, but this will still not cover escalating costs. We will make every attempt to retain database content in the K-12 program, but we will have to scale back dramatically on training and support. TSLAC will work with the K-12 Transition Task Force, ESC-20 , TEA, and the database vendors to maximize the training dollars that are available.

3. TexShare Membership

The passage of HB3756 (still pending governor's signature) affects several of TSLAC's programs. The part of this bill relating to TexShare services was drafted as a direct result of the most recent (February 2008) Statewide Resource Sharing summit. One topic of conversation at this summit was TexShare membership expansion. Throughout the discussion on membership expansion, stakeholders affirmed a commitment toward inclusiveness, flexibility, and empowering TexShare to define its own membership (as opposed to having membership defined in statute). In response to the summit recommendations, TSLAC staff brought a draft change in TexShare's legislation to the TexShare Advisory Board. The advisory board endorsed the changes to the statute on December 8, 2008.
What the statute accomplishes:

• Current membership remains part of the statute - the academic libraries, public libraries, and libraries of clinical medicine that are part of TexShare now remain members by statute.
• Any expansion of membership to additional institutions or groups will be accomplished through the rulemaking process. This allows a more flexible approach to TexShare expansion.
• A category of "affiliate member" has been added. Rules may be established whereby various institutions may participate in one or more TexShare programs without all the benefits of full membership.
• The composition of the advisory board is moved out of statute and into rule in order to allow the composition of the board to change as the membership changes. The requirement for two members of the public to serve on the board is retained in the statute. The statute also specifies that the composition of the board must be representative of the various types of libraries comprising the membership.
• A safeguard is in place protecting the benefits to current members: "The commission may allow designated libraries to participate in a group purchasing agreements only to the extent that the commission may do so efficiently and in a manner that enhances resource sharing services to the consortium members."

Please let TexShare know if you have any questions or would like to be more involved in the TexShare or K-12 working groups and task forces that will be grappling with budget and membership issues. Send e-mail to: texshare@tsl.state.tx.us