El Corazón de Tejas - Central Texas Chapter of Reforma
Annual Report 2005-2006

Officers
Joanna Nigrelli - President
Paola Ferate-Soto - Treasurer
Gustavo Soto - Secretary

Fiesta de Dieciséis de Septiembre
Saturday, September 17, 2005
The first event of the year was a reunion party at the home of past-president Maribel Garza. Current, former, and future Reforma members and their families came out for an evening of great food and conversation.

TLA 2006 Stipend
The first voting action was to establish a yearly stipend to be awarded to a Reforma member and UT iSchool student to attend the Texas Library Association annual conference. Creation of the award was to encourage student membership in Reforma and also to help students attend the big conference. The unanimous vote was to create an award of $300.00. The first award went to Alison Hicks. Her review of TLA is available on our site: www.main.org/reforma.

Gracias a Todos
February 18, 2006
The Center for Mexican American Studies at the University of Texas at Austin celebrated its 35 birthday this year. Departments around campus were encouraged to create programs in honor of this event. Loriene Roy chaired the iSchool program and developed the idea of a speaker round table called "Gracias a Todos" A panel discussion on Latino/Latina Library and Information Science Education. Reforma members Bob Cardenas, Maribel Garza, Diana Miranda Murillo, and Irma Flores Manges discussed their careers and answered questions from students. The event was also used as a fund raiser for a local organization that brings children's books and resources (blankets and socks, especially) to a rural village in Guanajuato, Mexico.
Childrens books - 37
Childrens blankets - 6
Family Socks - 59 pairs
Monies - $10.00

Read Across America at Metz Elementary School
February 27 - March 3, 2006
Reformistas Irene Gonzalez, Margo Gutierrez, Delia Fantova, Loriene Roy, Blair Parsons, Gustavo Soto, and Joanna Nigrelli volunteered to read Dr. Seuss and other stories in appreciation of Read Across America to students at Metz Elementary on the invitation of Reforma member and school librarian Don Bos. We had such a good time that the Chapter voted to make this an annual event.

El Día de los Niños / El Día de los Libros
April 29, 2006
The Chapter hosted a table at this year's celebration. We teamed up with the Texas State Library which was a great addition. Reforma members Margo Gutierrez, Derek Najera, Alison Hicks, Don Bos and Christi Bridges volunteered at the poetry table where kids glued words (in English and Spanish) on to colored paper to make magnetic poetry-like poems. Christine McNew from the TSL passed out stickers and tattoos. Reformistas Paola Ferate-Soto is on the DDLN planning committee co-chaired by Elva Garza. Joanna Nigrelli is the project's webmaster.

Donation to Pura Belpré
May 2006
The Chapter voted to donate $200 to the Pura Belpré Award 10th Anniversary Celebration.

Reforma Member News
Loriene Roy was elected ALA President-Elect 2007-2008!
Elva Garza was selected 2006 Trejo Librarian of the Year Award!

Submitted by Joanna Nigrelli, President, El Corazón de Tejas Central Texas Chapter
June 1, 2006