Six candidates are running for two open positions on the TAA Council, the association’s governing board. Terms begin July 1, 2023.
Members received an email with a link to the ballot on March 8. To be eligible to vote, individuals must be members in good standing. If you are a TAA member and cannot vote electronically, contact Kim Pawlak at Kim.Pawlak@TAAonline.net or (507) 459-1363 to request a paper ballot.
The deadline for voting is Friday, March 22.
Fifty-seven textbooks have been awarded 2024 Textbook Awards by the Textbook & Academic Authors Association (TAA). Fourteen textbooks received William Holmes McGuffey Longevity Awards, 25 textbooks received Textbook Excellence Awards, and 18 textbooks received Most Promising New Textbook Awards.
The McGuffey Longevity Award recognizes textbooks and learning materials whose excellence has been demonstrated over time. The Textbook Excellence Award recognizes excellence in current textbooks and learning materials. The Most Promising New Textbook Award recognizes excellence in 1st edition textbooks and learning materials.
The awardees will be recognized during an awards ceremony on Friday, April 26, 2024, at 7:00 pm ET. Register to attend.
AI is impacting many areas of higher education, and textbook and academic authors want to know more. Caitlin O’Brien, an expert in this ever-changing field, will provide an overview of AI, its capabilities and limitations, and what authors need to know to use these tools safely and ethically.
Join us Tuesday, April 9 from 3-4 p.m. ET for the TAA webinar, “Artificial Intelligence 101 – Basics for Textbook and Academic Authors,” presented by Caitlin O’Brien, Director of Permissions for XanEdu Publishing.
TAA is holding a Member Appreciation Day on Wednesday, March 20 as a way for staff and Council members to thank members for being part of the TAA authoring community. Members will receive special discounts on association products and services, a hands-on writing workshop, and a new eBook on AI & Authoring. They will also have the opportunity to purchase a TAA-logo t-shirt at a discounted price and free shipping.
TAA member Dr. Karen Hardy has accepted a new position as President-Elect of the Association for Federal Enterprise Risk Management (AFERM). Hardy has written four books, including Enterprise Risk Management: A Guide for Government Professionals, which won the 2017 TAA Most Promising New Textbook Award; Mastering the Art of Success, co-authored with Jack Canfield, creator of Chicken Soup for the Soul; Building Self-Leaders: A Model Training Program for Public Sector Employees; and Destiny, Dreams & Decisions: Empowering Women for Success.
It’s my privilege to enthusiastically report that we have had a banner year at TAA in 2023!
Thanks to the tireless efforts of our amazing new Executive Director, Kim Pawlak, and our two other new full-time staff members, Sierra Pawlak, and Kiley Thornton, TAA has been flourishing and the future looks brighter than ever. I’m proud to report that we ended 2023 with a record 3,020 members!
Allow me to highlight some other important accomplishments this year. We sent out a membership survey that revealed that thirty-one percent of responders said they joined the organization for our benefits and services. The top three benefits rated as most valuable were:Â (1) educational webinars (31%), (2) our annual conference (18%), and (3) our monthly print newsletter, The Academic Author (14%).
