77317 aall spectrum - university of illinois archives€¦ · the annual meeting has come and gone,...

In This Issue

Orlando Annual MeetingCreates Connections ViaPrograms, Meetings andSocial Events

Annual Meeting Program Reviews

Tips for Succeeding as a New Law Librarian

Maximize Today —Envision TomorrowPresident Carol Avery Nicholson’s Plans for AALL

SpectrumVolume 7 No. 1 September 2002

AALLAALL: Maximizing the Power of the Law Library Community Since 1906

The Annual Meeting has come and gone, leaving in its wake a group of tired but, onehopes, happy and edified attendees. This issue of AALL Spectrum, which takes a look at the 2002 Annual Meeting in Orlando, Fla., recaps some of the happenings there.

My sense, and I think the general sentiment of those in attendance, was that it was agood meeting and a worthwhile experience. Orlando was hot and humid, but not thatmuch hotter or more humid than other parts of the country. There were thunderstormsevery day, but they didn’t interfere with any of the AALL activities. Vendor-sponsoredevents took us to such classic Orlando tourist spots as SeaWorld and the Hard Rock Caféat Universal Studios City Walk. The Annual Meeting itself took up what seemed like asmall part of the stupendously large Orange County Convention Center.

The coverage begins with a report of the Annual Meeting by Robert Linz and MarcusHochstetler. They describe many of the events and activities that made the meeting shine.There are also reviews of four programs that we thought would be of particular interest toour readers. Peter A. Hook reviews the program “Using Online Tutorials to Teach LegalResearch,” in which the presenters laid out their template and techniques for this growinginstructional method. Brent L. Johnson writes about attending the entertaining andpractical program “Around the World (Wide Web): 60 Sites in 60 Minutes.” LeahSandwell-Weiss reviews this year’s hot topic program, “The USA PATRIOT Act and Its Implications for Law Libraries.” She reports on how the program illuminated newperspectives on this important piece of legislation and explored the privacy and legal issueslaw libraries will confront. Christopher Vallandingham attended the program “E-ReferenceServices: Collaborating to Make the 24/7 Connection,” which concentrated on a servicecalled QuestionPoint but also discussed a variety of issues surrounding e-reference.

At the Annual Meeting, AALL moves into a new year for the organization. With thatcomes transitions as committees welcome new members and newly elected leaders taketheir posts. At this year’s meeting, President Barbara Bintliff handed the president’s gavel to Carol Avery Nicholson, while Janis L. Johnston stepped into the wings as vicepresident/president-elect. This year’s meeting also had a less-welcome transition as the last Annual Meeting for AALL Executive Director Roger H. Parent, who will retire inDecember. He will be sorely missed. The Closing Banquet included a touching tribute tohis work with AALL as he accepted gifts and praise from AALL members and from theother major American library associations.

AALL Spectrum will not let Parent’s retirement go unremarked. Our next issue will be devoted largely to him and his work, with profiles, interviews and fun pieces that focuson a man who has had a lasting, beneficial effect on AALL. In December, we hope to offer a profile of AALL’s new executive director who, at the time of this writing, had yet to be selected.

Our reviewers for this issue were selected after they responded to a request on the law-lib listserv. We have used this method of finding writers in the past, and it has alwaysworked well. We had many more offers to write than we could accommodate. It is alwaysreassuring to see how many people are willing to contribute to the Association magazine,and we appreciate any offers to do so, even when we can’t take them.

As always, comments and questionsabout the magazine are more thanwelcome.

Wrapping up the Annual Meeting andBeginning the “New Year”by Paul Healey, [email protected]

letter from the editor

Volume 7 No. 1 September 2002

AALL Spectrum

AALL Spectrum Magazine September 2002 1

table of contents the details

Orlando Annual Meeting Creates Connections Via Programs, Meetings and Social Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6by Robert Linz and Marcus Hochstetler

Annual Meeting Program Reviews Speakers Provide Blueprint for Online Tutorials That Satisfy Librarians, Faculty and Students. . . . . . . . 10by Peter A. Hook

E-Reference Services Program Weighs the Pros and Cons of the 24/7 Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12by Christopher Vallandingham

Tag-Team Approach Highlights 60 Web Sites in 60 Entertaining Minutes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14by Brent L. Johnson

Hot Topic Sparks Better Understanding of USA PATRIOT Act . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16by Leah Sandwell-Weiss

PerspectivesThe Price of Admission: A Proposal to Reduce Student Fees for the Annual Meeting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18by Jill Duffy

Professional Development Committee SeriesTips for Succeeding as a New Law Librarian . . . . . . . . . 24by Suzanne Thorpe

Public RelationsCould I See That Price Tag Again? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30by Joan Shear

Letter from the Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

From the President . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Washington Brief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Committee News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

CRIV Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Membership News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Memorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Placement Listings Now on AALLNET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Jones, Shucha, Rastorfer Win Call for Papers Competition . . 15

AALL Spectrum and LLJ Articles of the Year Awards . . . . . 23

AALL Seeks Applications for Aspen Grant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

AALL Says Thank You . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Professional Development Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Ad Index. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Editorial StaffDirector of Publications and Managing EditorMaya Norris [email protected]

Editorial DirectorPaul Healey [email protected]

2002–2003 Law Library Journal and AALL SpectrumEditorial Board and Advisory CommitteeChair Camille BroussardMembers Sarah Andeen

Sue BurchDaniel R. CampbellElizabeth A. GreenfieldKathleen S. MartinLisa A. Mecklenberg JacksonPatricia ParkerMerle J. SlyhoffMaya Norris (ex officio)Paul D. Healey (ex officio)Frank G. Houdek (ex officio)John B. Nann (ex officio)

2002–2003 Executive BoardPresident Carol Avery NicholsonVice President/President-Elect Janis L. JohnstonSecretary Catherine LemannTreasurer Anne C. MatthewmanImmediate Past President Barbara A. BintliffExecutive Director Roger H. ParentMembers James E. Duggan

Ann T. FessendenKarl T. GrubenSarah G. HolterhoffNina PlattAlvin M. Podboy Jr.

AALL Spectrum (ISSN: 1089–8689) is published monthlyexcept January and August by the American Association of LawLibraries, 53 West Jackson Boulevard, Suite 940, Chicago, IL60604. Telephone: 312/939–4764, fax: 312/431–1097, e–mail:[email protected]. Periodicals postage paid at Chicago, IL.POSTMASTER: Send address changes to AALL Spectrum, 53 W. Jackson Blvd., Suite 940, Chicago, IL 60604

Writers wanted — contribute to your Association’s magazine! For guidelines, visit www.aallnet.org or contact EditorialDirector Paul Healey at [email protected].

AALL Spectrum DeadlinesArticles are due on the following dates:2002–2003 Issue DeadlineVol. 7, No. 3 November September 5

No. 4 December October 3No. 5 February December 5

Copy sent through a columnist or guest editor should besubmitted to him or her well in advance of the monthlydeadline.

AALLNET: http://www.aallnet.org

Advertising RepresentativesBenson, Coffee & Associates1411 Peterson Avenue, Park Ridge, IL 60068Telephone: 847/692–4695 • fax: 847/692–3877e-mail: [email protected]

AALL Spectrum is a free benefit of membership in the AmericanAssociation of Law Libraries. Of each year’s dues, $42 is for oneyear of AALL Spectrum. Nonmembers may subscribe to AALLSpectrum for $75 per year. For membership and/or subscriptioninformation, please contact the American Association of LawLibraries at the address above.

The American Association of Law Libraries does not assumeany responsibility for the statements advanced by thecontributors to, nor the advertisers in, the Association’spublication. Editorial views do not necessarily represent theofficial position of the Association. All advertising copy issubject to editorial approval. ∞ AALL Spectrum is printed on acid–free, recycled paper.

All contents copyright 2002 by the American Association ofLaw Libraries, except where otherwise expressly indicated.Except as otherwise expressly provided, the author of each itemin this issue has granted permission for copies of that item to be made for classroom use or for any other educational purpose,provided that (1) copies are distributed at or below cost, (2)author and AALL Spectrum are identified, and (3) proper noticeof copyright is affixed to each copy. For items in which it holdscopyright, the American Association of Law Libraries grantspermission for copies to be made for classroom use or for anyother educational purpose under the same conditions.

f e a t u r e s

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a a l l a n n o u n c e m e n t s

d e p a r t m e n t s

AALL Spectrum Magazine September 20022


Maximize Today — Envision TomorrowThe AALL Bylaws state that the Association“exists to promote and enhance the value of law libraries to the public, the legalcommunity, and the world; to foster theprofession of law librarianship; and to provideleadership in the field of legal informationand information policy, in recognition thatthe availability of legal information to allpeople is a necessary requirement for a justand democratic society.”

It is amazing and awe-inspiring to workwith the members and staff of AALL,who work tirelessly to pursue theseobjectives. I use the word“pursue” because eachachievement that isaccomplished by anindividual or entity withinthe Association is quicklyreplaced by a new initiative,a new challenge or a newreality within the world of legalinformation and informationpolicy. This is what keeps us freshand energized! Attending the AALL AnnualMeeting with its myriad of educationalprograms, meetings, networking and socialevents is another source of energy for thechallenges that lay ahead, as well as aninvestment in time and resources that reap benefits throughout the year. Thiseducational experience supports the workthat we return to — with fresh ideas andrenewed enthusiasm.

Although for many of you the memory ofthe Orlando Annual Meeting is just beginningto fade, I am already looking forward to theSeattle Annual Meeting next year. The theme fornext year’s Annual Meeting is “Maximize Today— Envision Tomorrow!” The theme reflects asincere belief that we should take advantage ofevery opportunity to do the very best that wecan with every moment that we have. As lawlibrarians, knowledge managers, researchanalysts, information specialists — or whateverrole we choose to accept — we are all workingin an environment that constantly changes andchallenges us with new opportunities to provideexcellent service in the legal-informationcommunity. At the same time, we must lookforward to the future. We must shape the futurein ways that will benefit our constituents andemployers and to ensure that we are valued andacknowledged for our expertise.

Next year the Annual Meeting ProgramCommittee will introduce new 30-minute

programs. These “minisessions” are designedto provide more flexibility for AALL entitiesin creating programming that fulfills theeducational needs of their members. They arealso well-suited for trying out alternative orcreative presentation formats or technologydemonstrations. The 30-minute programs aresure to add a little spice to the traditionalmix of 60-, 75- and 90-minute educationalprogram offerings!

Of course, the Seattle Local AdvisoryCommittee will be working hard all year towelcome members to their wonderful city in

2003. I’ll give fair warning now to get yourbodies “sequin-ready” for a spectacular

Closing Banquet! Not intosequins? Not to worry, but I dohope that you will plan to “dressto impress” as we welcome ournew executive director.

I also look forward toserving the Association between

the Annual Meetings. AALL isconstantly challenged to remain

vital and viable to its members.There are many strategic initiatives and

ongoing activities currently underway andeven more that merit our time and attention.With these things in mind, the list belowreflects a few of the initiatives and prioritiesthat I plan to focus on in 2002–2003.

• AALLNET. Currently we rely on acombination of AALLNET AdvisoryCommittee volunteers, membervolunteers, and a part-time employeeworking with Headquarters staff tomanage and maintain AALLNET. Theamount of information available on theWeb site is substantial and, for the mostpart, up-to-date. However, membershave reported that more work is neededto create a truly pre-eminent Web site.As one of the primary benefits ofmembership and as a resource forexternal users, it is imperative that we enhance this resource.

• Educational Programs. StrategicOutcome 2C directs that high-qualityprofessional development programs beavailable to law librarians and othersthrough innovative means and in avariety of formats and locations. TheProfessional Development Committeecurrently is undertaking an extensivereview to develop educational programsthat will be outstanding — second tonone — while remaining financiallyviable.

• Graduate Education. The field of lawlibrarianship is an exciting and rewardingprofession, yet we seem to have difficultyattracting new recruits. As the babyboomer generation nears retirement overthe next several years, there may not besufficient numbers entering the field asreplacements. Our nation is becomingincreasingly diverse, yet we attract veryfew minorities to serve our increasinglydiverse constituencies. Distance educationoffers new hope for those who live too far away from library and informationschools, but will these new programsaddress the special needs of law librarians?A standing committee on graduateprofessional education for law librarians is needed to focus on the many issues that arise in this arena and to work withthe Recruitment to Law LibrarianshipCommittee to identify and prepare the next generation of law librarians.

• AALL Centennial. AALL will celebrateits 100th anniversary in 2006. Inrecognition of this historic event, I haveappointed committees to plan andexecute a year-long celebration, whichwill culminate at the 2006 AnnualMeeting in St. Louis.

• Biennial Salary Survey. Although manylaw librarians are well-compensated, low salaries for librarians remain asignificant cause for concern. TheBiennial Salary Survey Task Force hasbeen appointed to review and improvethe Biennial Salary Survey publicationand strengthen it as a resource for lawlibrarians seeking comparative salaryinformation to substantiate requests for salary increases.

There are many other important issuesand initiatives that I, along with theExecutive Board, must tackle during thecoming year. Some are dependent onfinancial support and, of course, financialresources are always critical for the success ofongoing Association activities. That is whythe proposed dues increase is very importantand why I urge you to vote yes for this rathermodest increase. Other initiatives dependsimply on the active involvement ofmembers, so please support the duesincrease, volunteer, write articles, participate!I hope that you will join me in making thisthe most productive and meaningful year inAALL’s history. Thank you for this wonderfulopportunity to serve AALL!

from the president by Carol Avery Nicholson,[email protected]


Despite temperatures in the mid-90s,high humidity and daily rainshowers, more than 1,700 AALL

members attended the Association’s 95thAnnual Meeting and Conference July 20–24at the Orange County Convention Center inOrlando, Fla. The conference focused on the theme of “Creating Connections” —renewing librarians’ enthusiasm for theirprofession and their colleagues. AnnualMeeting attendees were able to connect toother members of the profession throughdiverse educational programs, socialactivities, business meetings and vendorproduct demonstrations.

Plenary SessionsThis year’s three plenary sessions keptattendees ahead of the workplace andtechnology trends permeating their lawlibraries.

Michael L. Ray, John G. McCoy BancOne Corporation professor of creativity andinnovation and of marketing (emeritus) atStanford University, spoke at the first PlenarySession on July 21 on “Creativity withinChaos: How Tough Times Can Be the BestTimes.” Ray challenged members to excitecreativity within themselves by engaging inpersonal brainstorming sessions. He concludedby having the audience sing “Put DownBlues,” a song that encourages individuals notto allow their little mistakes to keep them fromparticipating in creative activities.

The second Plenary Session on July 22featured Ron Zemke, president ofPerformance Research Associates, Inc., aconsulting firm that conducts organizationaleffectiveness and productivity improvementstudies for business and industry. His session,titled “Generations at Work,” examined thefour generations that constitute today’s workforce — veterans, baby boomers, Gen Xersand Nexters — and gave tips on how theycan work together more effectively. Veterans,born between 1922 and 1943, wereinfluenced by the World War II years. Theyvalue hard work, conformity, law and order,respect for authority, delayed reward, andpatience, among other traits. Baby boomers,born between 1943 and 1960, came of age during the Vietnam War. They valuepersonal gratification and growth,involvement, group participation, anddecision-making by consensus. Unlike theveterans and boomers, Gen Xers, bornbetween 1960 and 1980, are defined less byinternational conflict than by economicconditions. Gen Xers are the first generation

to raise themselves and are not promisedbetter economic conditions. As such, GenXers value work situations that enable themto develop marketable and portable skillssets. They are technologically sophisticated,self-reliant and value their personal livesoutside of work. Nexters, also known as“millennials,” are those born since 1980.They value civic duty, morality, social abilityand achievement. Like boomers, they tend towork together in groups but also like toreceive detailed instructions onaccomplishing tasks. In order to facilitatework-force harmony, Zemke encouragedmembers of these generations to understandthe other generations’ motives and needs.

The Semantic Web, a revolutionary toolfor electronic information access, was thetopic of the last Plenary Session on July 23.Eric Miller, activity lead for the SemanticWeb Initiative of the World Wide WebConsortium (W3C), an organization createdto develop common protocols that promotethe Web’s evolution and ensure itsinteroperability, discussed the architecturaland technical design and evolution of thisnext-generation software. Miller described his work on the “Semantic Web,” which is amethod of encoding Web pages in order touniversally identify the data on those pages.Currently in development, the Semantic Web is a network that understands humanlanguages and makes computers virtually as

easy to work with as other humans. Userswould no longer have to wade throughscreens of extraneous data. Computers wouldbe able to dispatch software messengers thatwould explore thousands of Web sites andlogically sift out only relevant data.

© 2002 Robert Linz and Marcus Hochstetler

The Opening Reception, sponsored by LexisNexis™, featured aspecial performance with Shamu at SeaWorld, followed by aCaribbean-themed reception.

At Plenary Session II, Ron Zemke, president of PerformanceResearch Associates, explains how people of differentgenerations can work together in harmony by understandingeach generation’s values and motivation.

Fun in the SunOrlando Annual

Meeting CreatesConnections Via

Programs, Meetingsand Social Events

by Robert Linz and Marcus Hochstetler

This is similar to the concept ofapplying Machine Readable Catalogingrecord tags to Web pages. The SemanticWeb’s power resides in the broad use oflanguage to describe similar concepts. For example, one Web site may use theterm “author” to describe the document’sauthor, but another site may use the term“creator.” The Semantic Web tags wouldidentify both terms as serving the samefunction and would permit a researcher to retrieve pages from both sites.

Association LuncheonAttendees at the Association Luncheon on July 22 were treated to an exhilarating,fast-paced keynote speech from Emmy-winning journalist Catherine Crier, host ofCourtTV’s “Crier Today” and former newsanchor and commentator for CNN andABC News. Crier’s remarks focused onempowering the individual in a societythat often discourages leadership, creativityand assertiveness. Noting her interest inforeign and international affairs, Crierrecalled the significant national andinternational events over the last 15 years,including the peaceful revolutions inEastern Europe and the Ross Perotphenomenon. She pointed out howindividuals, not governments, providedimpetus to create significant change.

“Between stimulus and response, we have the ability to respond,” Crieremphasized. “We are needed. Technologywill not defeat us. Our willingness to stepout and act is important.”

She urged conference attendees not toyield control of their lives to politicians.“We need to create the world we desire;let’s roll,” she said.

Although AALL introduced a separate awards ceremony at this year’sconference, AALL continued its traditionof announcing the recipient of the Marian Gould Gallagher DistinguishedService Award and Joseph L. AndrewsBibliographical Award during theAssociation Luncheon. This year’s recipientof the Gallagher Award was Jacqueline S.Wright, retired director of the ArkansasSupreme Court Library. The Andrewsaward was given to Jerry DuPont,executive director of the Law LibraryMicroform Consortium, and Jolande E.Goldberg, senior cataloging policyspecialist for law classification at theLibrary of Congress. Dupont was named

for The Common Law Abroad:Constitutional and Legal Legacy of theBritish Empire (Fred B. RothmanPublications, 2001). Goldberg wasrecognized for Library of CongressClassification. KBR, KBU. History of CanonLaw. Law of the Roman Catholic Church,the Holy See, the most recent volume ofLibrary of Congress Class K: Law (Libraryof Congress, 2001).

Association Annual AwardsCeremony and ReceptionAALL award winners celebrated theirachievements at the new AssociationAnnual Awards Ceremony and Receptionfor Recipients and Contributors on July 22, immediately preceding theAssociation Luncheon. The new eventinaugurated a change in Annual Meetingtradition. Previously AALL awards werepresented to recipients at the AssociationLuncheon.

“The separate ceremony lends a moredignified and respectful [atmosphere] forthe award winners, as the presentation ofthe awards does not have to compete withcoffee and desserts [during the luncheon],”President Bintliff said.

Mora Prestinary, a reference librarianwith the Orange County Law Library in California, liked the new separateceremony. Members could now give “more attention to the awards and theirrecipients” and “also get to know thenames of the companies or agenciessponsoring the awards,” Prestinary said.

AALL recognized West for itscontinued support of the George A. StraitMinority Scholarship Endowment. AfterWest pledged an additional $150,000 lastyear to the endowment, West challenged

AALL to raise $100,000 for endowment.In response to West’s generosity, AALLannounced that it will initiate a fund-raising campaign to raise an additional$100,000 for the scholarship fund by2005. Marvin Anderson, state law librarianat the Minnesota State Law Library, whochairs the campaign, hopes that thescholarship fund may award two to fourscholarships each year in honor of GeorgeA. Strait, whose “life is an inspiration to all of us.” This year’s recipient was MaryThai of Sacramento, Calif.

AALL also thanked LexisNexis™ for donating more than $200,000 toLexisNexis™/John R. Johnson MemorialScholarship and the James F. ConnollyLexisNexis Academic & Library SolutionsScholarship. The LexisNexis™/John R.Johnson Memorial Scholarship recognizesthose law librarians who have exhibitedhigh academic achievement and assiststhose who have expressed a desire to enterthe field of law librarianship. This year’sJohnson Memorial Scholarships recipientsare Druet Klugh, Jennifer Sekula,Christine Kujawa and Heather Midkiff.James Donovan was awarded theConnolly scholarship, which is awarded to a law librarian interested in pursuing alaw degree.

Other awards were presented during the ceremony, including the AALL/LexisNexis™ Call for Papers, AALLSpectrum and Law Library Journal Articlesof the Year supported by CCH, theAALL/Findlaw Excellence in MarketingAwards, and the Chapter ProfessionalDevelopment Awards. All the awardwinners are listed in the Awards andAcknowledgements brochure.

“AALL Newsline: Orlando”This year’s conference inaugurated a newway to convey information: a daily halfhour newscast, sponsored by West. “AALL Newsline: Orlando” was broadcastthroughout the day on the hospitalitychannels of each of the four conventionhotels and also near the registration boothsin the convention center. The newscastshighlighted the various educationalprograms each day and the coordinatorswho planned them and roving reportsfrom the Exhibit Hall. The shows alsointerviewed “Information Innovators” of AALL, including Timothy Coggins,director and associate professor of law at


(continued on page 8)

A trio of AALL members tries its luck with playing a guitarduring the West party at the Hard Rock Café.

the University of Richmond School ofLaw Library in Richmond, Va., andMarvin Anderson, state law librarian atthe Minnesota State Law Library in St.Paul, Minn. The four daily editions of “AALL Newsline” can be viewed atwww.westgroup.com/librarians.

Business MeetingsAALL’s general business meeting on July 22 updated the members onAssociation business over the past year.President Bintliff reported on variousAALL activities, such as the regionalProfessional Development Programs,increasedmembershipgrowth and AALL’s role in theInternationalFederation ofLibraryAssociation’s 2001conference inBoston. SecretaryKarl Grubenreported on theresults on theExecutive Boardelection, in whichAnn T. Fessendenand Nina Plattwere elected tothree-year terms asmembers of theExecutive Board and Catherine Lemannwas elected to a three-year term assecretary. The Association also welcomedinternational representatives of sisterorganizations to AALL: John Eaton,president of the Canadian Association ofLaw Libraries; Jennie Speirs, president ofthe Australian Law Librarians’ Group;and Valerie Stevenson, chair of the Britishand Irish Association of Law Librarians.

But the main issue at the businessmeeting was the proposed dues increase.Treasurer Anne Matthewman explainedthat the dues increase is needed to combatdeclining Association revenue and toprovide a more stable financial foundationfor AALL. Because membership dues arethe steadiest and most predictable sourceof income, the dues increase wouldprovide a stronger base of support for the Association and it’s activities. “AALLcannot meet member expectations withoutincreasing dues,” she said.

If approved by the membership, the$45 dues increase would be phased in

over three years. Dues would rise fromthe current annual amount of $145 to$160 in June 2003; to $175 in June2004; and finally to $190 in June 2005.The board wants to raise duesincrementally to give members theopportunity to plan for and absorb thegradual increase.

During the 20-minute period allottedfor discussion, various members spoke infavor of the increase. “Vote yes. It is themost selfish thing you will do to betteryourself,” said Mark Estes, past presidentof AALL. Mark Linneman, state lawlibrarian at the Bernard E. Witkin State

Law Library ofCalifornia inSacramento,Calif.,“encourage[d]members toapprove the duesincrease” noting,“however, it will be morechallenging toconvince newmembers to joindue to the costincrease, especiallyfor those memberswho must pay outof their ownpockets.” Janis L.

Johnston, vice president and formertreasurer, wants AALL “to be member-driven and member-controlled.” “AALLneeds to rely more firmly on membershipdues for revenue than on the success orfailure of the Annual Meeting or thecontinued generosity of our corporatefriends,” said President-Elect Carol AveryNicholson.

In September, members will receive a ballot to vote on the proposal.

AALL’s second business meeting onJuly 24 was the last for retiring AALLExecutive Roger H. Parent. He reviewedthe success of the organization during hisnine-year tenure and thanked everyone“for the experience of concluding mycareer in librarianship here at AALL,where I’ve been given your trust andconfidence, where I’ve received so muchpersonal support and encouragement —especially by our presidents and boards,and from which I take away wonderfulmemories and lasting friendships.” TheAALL Executive Board has not yetselected his replacement.

Banquets and PartiesLexisNexis™ kicked off the AnnualMeeting with its Opening Reception atSeaWorld of Orlando. Members were firsttreated to a Shamu show, where more thana few were soaked from head to toe in the “SOAK ZONE.” Live film of theaudience graced a large screen on the stageand provided ample laughable moments.Later the festivities moved to the receptionarea, where a Caribbean mood wasenhanced by a live band and steel drums.Conga lines popped up everywhere andthe dance floor moved back and forthwith energetic participants.

The annual West party at the Hard Rock Café July 22 allowed AALLmembers to mix and mingle with eachother while enjoying the live band.Partygoers also moved and grooved on the dance floor to a rock ’n’ roll beat.West celebrated the 125th anniversary ofthe National Reporter System by holdinga drawing for prizes, including two HardRock Café leather jackets, two Hard Rock Café T-shirts, two Hard Rock Caféwatches, a DVD player, a Palm Pilot andtwo $2,500 checks.

The Closing Banquet on the finalnight of the meeting saw a changing ofthe guard as President Bintliff passed thepresidential gavel to President-Elect CarolAvery Nicholson. It was also a night topay tribute to Executive Director RogerParent, who will retire in December.Members, major corporate sponsors andrepresentatives of other major libraryassociations thanked Parent for hisleadership and dedication to AALL.

Exhibit HallAnother favorite part of the Annualmeeting is the Exhibit Hall and AcitivitiesArea, according to attendees. With 90 companies showing their wares toconvention goers, many connections weremade between information providers andinformation professionals. As in pastconferences, LexisNexis and West eachgave away bags and other items ifmembers attended two to seven productdemonstrations. Daily drawings were heldfor three prizes: a digital camera, a PalmPilot and a laptop.

“I found the West Technology Cafeextremely helpful in learning more aboutproducts to check legal citations and juryverdicts nationwide, which will help ourcourt in the handling of settlement cases,”

Fun in the Sun - continued from page 7



2001–2002 President Barbara Bintliff explains to ExecutiveBoard member James Duggan that flamingos are pink becausethey eat a lot of shrimp.


Law librarians andothers desiring tocreate and use online

tutorials will want toconsult the audio tape of the Annual Meetingprogram H-2: “UsingOnline Tutorials to TeachLegal Research” for advice.The program provided apragmatic blueprint onhow to quickly createnumerous online tutorialsfor legal research andwriting programs, along

with suggestions on how to incorporateonline tutorials into the legal research andwriting curriculum.

The strength of this program laid in the multiple perspectives of the speakers.Representatives of three different groups —a student user, a faculty member and alibrarian — from the Georgetown UniversityLaw Center discussed the creation and use ofa series of online legal research tutorials thatwere developed specifically for theGerogetown law students.

Nathan Headrick, a law student who recently used the tutorials in his legalresearch and writing class, prefaced hisremarks by stating that he waspart of “a generation that tookthe [Law School AdmissionsTest] on a computer and not at a hard wooden desk.” As a result, students in hisgeneration are receptive toonline learning, he said. To prevent law students from taking “the path of least resistance,” Headrickencouraged tutorial designers tocompose their tutorials so thatstudents don’t skip to theonline problem set or get bywith minimal effort. Today’smedia- and image-drivensociety calls for visuallyrefreshing tutorials that aremore akin to USA Todaythan the Wall Street Journal, Headrickrecommended. He also suggested integratingreal-world issues as often and as soon aspossible, customizing the tutorials so studentsfeel like they “own” the experience, andcreating personalized welcome screens with a checklist of what the user has alreadycompleted.

Ellen Callinan, a reference librarian whowas responsible for the Web authoring of thetutorials, examined the mechanics of producingnumerous tutorials with a consistentappearance and formula. She described theGeorgetown experience as an “assembly-lineproduction.” First came development of aprototype. After the prototype was vetted toboth the librarians and the legal-researchinstructors, it became the model for allsubsequent tutorials. Colors, graphics, brandingelements, navigation tools, site maps and helpicons were standardized for all tutorials.Callinan made numerous shell pages containingeach of these features. Librarians inserted thecontent they had written for each topic intothese shell pages. This division of laboraccommodated the various degrees of Web-authoring experience among the library staff andenabled rapid production of the tutorials.

Diana Donahoe, a member of the legalresearch and writing faculty, described thegenesis of the tutorials and how they wereused in class. She explained that Georgetownimmediately began using the online tutorialsto teach legal research after the success of theschool’s initial online tutorial to orientstudents about general legal research. Thestudents who used the original orientationtutorial and accompanying quiz before the

beginning of classes wereprepared. They attended thefirst day of class with a basicunderstanding of legal materials.Success with this tutorialprompted the research andwriting faculty to requesttutorials on all first-year researchtopics. Each of the five writinginstructors was paired with twolibrarians to create the contentof the various tutorials. Facultyresearch assistants tested thecompleted tutorials. Donahoeexplained the various ways thatthe tutorials and accompanyingproblem sets were used by theresearch and writing instructors.The tutorials were heavily usedby the students as a review tool

for the end-of-the-semester exams.

Georgetown plans to improvesubsequent versions of the tutorials. Inresponse to student feedback, the newtutorials will contain interactive quizzes andmore visual elements throughout. Theimproved tutorials will also better highlightkey points and integrate the teaching of legalresearch with the writing exercise.

Speakers ProvideBlueprint for

Online TutorialsThat SatisfyLibrarians,

Faculty andStudents

by Peter A. Hook

© 2002 Peter A. Hook


Nathan Headrick, law student at GeorgetownUniversity, and Ellen Callinan, library Web services

coordinator and adjunct professor of law at GeorgetownUniversity law library, provide the student andlibrarian perspectives of using online tutorials.

Cheryl Nyberg, reference librarianat the University of WashingtonGallagher Law Library, poses aquestion.


It’s 12:30 a.m. EST. Imagine a lawstudent in New York City franticallytrying to do some last-minute research

on a seminar paper, due by 9 a.m.the same day. There is not areference librarian in sight in theBig Apple at this hour. Not aproblem. The student simply clicksa button on the library’s Web pageand up pops a screen prompting the procrastinating student forinformation about the question. In minutes the question is routed toa reference librarian in San Diegoworking the evening shift and thelibrarian saves the student fromcertain doom.

These days this scenario is hardlyfar-fetched. With the advent of digitalreference, transcontinental exchanges like this may one day be commonplace.Currently, there are e-reference systems out there that do just that. The AnnualMeeting program A-1: “E-ReferenceServices: Collaborating to Make the 24/7Connection” examined the e-referencesystem designed by the Library of Congressand the OCLC Online Computer LibraryCenter and analyzed the pros and cons ofimplementing such a system in a law library.

Carole Hinchcliff of the Ohio StateUniversity Moritz Law Library, moderatorof the program, began the discussion byintroducing the concept of e-referenceservices and the benefits of participating in this new model for reference.

The Internet boom has forced librariansto redefine themselves, said panelist Diane Kresh of the Library of Congress.Even though the increasing reliance ontechnology requires that librarians learnnew skills, the traditional strengths oflibrarians have not been rendered obsolete.She insists that there will be a role forlibrarians in the future.

How can librarians maximize thepotential of this new technology? One way is by subscribing to QuestionPoint, a collaborative reference service jointlydeveloped by the Library of Congress andOCLC that is based partially on theirexperiences with the pilot CollaborativeDigital Reference Service. Patrons andlibrarians can access QuestionPoint throughtheir library Web pages. A Web-based formallows users to submit their questions toQuestionPoint, which then matches thereference question to the subscriber

institution best suited to answer thequestion. Questions and answers are edited and placed in an archive that can beaccessed by all subscribers. QuestionPointeven includes e-mail and live chat.

The technology may be dazzling, but Herb Cihak of the Louisiana StateUniversity Law Library had some doubts asto why his law library should subscribe toan e-reference service like QuestionPoint.When his school participated in theCollaborative Digital Reference Service, no law students used the service during a six-month period. If no one at the lawschool wanted to use the service, why pay$2,000 for the “privilege of answeringreference questions” coming from otherschools, Cihak asked. He also questionedhow useful a legal knowledge base would begiven that legal information often becomesobsolete in a short period of time.

There are advantages to using an e-reference service, Kresh countered. Forexample, libraries can benefit from anexpanded customer-service base. E-referencealso forces librarians to become moreinvolved with technology and allows themthe opportunity to hone their reference skills.

Cheryl Nyberg of the University ofWashington Gallagher Law Library focusedon the impact that digital reference, in all its forms, could have on referencelibrarians. Though many law librariesalready have e-mail reference services,participating in a service like QuestionPointraises difficult questions. At present, e-mailreference might not be overly burdensomefor many libraries, but subscribing toQuestionPoint could substantially increasethe workload of the reference staff. If so,then including digital reference as one ofthe responsibilities of the librarians mayforce the library to rethink its priorities.

E-ReferenceServicesProgram

Weighs thePros and Cons

of the 24/7Connection

by Christopher Vallandingham

© 2002 Christopher Vallandingham


Diane Kresh of the Library of Congressexplains the impact of e-reference services.

Luis Acosta, reference librarian at Howard University LawLibrary, takes notes about the pros and cons of e-reference services.


Tag-TeamApproach

Highlights 60Web Sites in

60 EntertainingMinutes

by Brent L. Johnson

© 2002 Brent L. Johnson

When I initiallyread thedescription

for I-4: “Around theWorld (Wide Web): 60 Sites in 60 Minutes,”I was skeptical —skeptical of how anyonecould possibly critique60 Web sites in onehour, and skeptical ofhow such a cursoryglance at any Web sitecould be of any practicaluse for a librarian. But

I was also intrigued to see if the presenterscould pull off such an ambitious endeavor in such a short time frame.

The theory behind this entertaining yeteducational training presentation was tohighlight selected interesting Web sites inabout one minute in a tag-team fashion by two presenters: Jenny Kanji, a libraryrelations consultant with LexisNexis™, and Gayle O’Connor, an independentconsultant.

“Our intent is to entertain,” Kanji said.“While there will be some educational value,this will only be by accident.”

From the onset, Kanji was the “voice ofintellectualism” for the dynamic duo as shediscussed Web sites such as http://www.lexisone.com and Judges of the United StatesCourts at http://air.fjc.gov/history/judges_frm.html, which could be valuable tools forlibrarians. Gayle O’Connor played the roleof comic reliefas she went overentertainingsites thatfeaturedpictures of dogowners wholook like theirpets. Mypersonalfavorite washttp://www.10k4awife.com,where a singlemale in his late30s will pay$10,000 to theperson whointroduces him to the woman he chooses to marry.

In addition to the Web site thatpromises to store a pet’s DNA at death orthe site that teaches you how to construct a “thought cap” to keep aliens away fromyour brain, Kanji and O’Connor presentedWeb sites that allow visitors access to a widevariety of information and statistics. Forexample, GenSwap at http://www.genswap.com is a genealogy information site thatincludes free genealogy records and links to immigrant ships’ registry data. Catch The Web at http://www.catchtheWeb.comfeatures a software program that enables auser to capture entire or parts of a Web site— great for offline Internet-relatedpresentations.

I definitely give “Around the Word” a positive review. In addition to enoughpractical and educational value to justify a professional librarian’s time, Kanji andO’Connor had the crowd roaring withlaughter. After all, it’s pretty hard to keep a straight face when being exposed to “theabductalizer,” a mechanism for computingan individual’s “Personal Abduction AnalysisFactor.” (If interested, the “abductalizer” canbe found at http://www.alienabductions.com/abductalizer/zqframe.html. Unfortunately,when I did a field test of this site, after I finished the questions and clicked on“abductalize” to compute my PAAF, an errormessage appeared.) In spite of all the laughs,it can probably be said that keeping anaudience entertained is an effective way tomaintain an audience’s attention, which wasaccomplished successfully in this case.

Kanji, who hasbeen doing thispresentation at theSpecial LibrariesAssociationconference forseveral years, hasplaced her handoutfor the programonline at http://www.lexisnexis.com/infopro/tip/default.shtml.

Brent L.Johnson ([email protected]) is the electronicservices librarian

at Oklahoma City University School of LawLibrary in Oklahoma City, Okla.

Gayle O’Connor (left), anindependent consultant, and Jenny

Kanji, a library relations consultantwith LexisNexis™, took turns

introducing a new Web site everyminute.

Attendees found the program to be both entertaining and practical.


The AALL Call for Papers Committeeselected three scholarly papers as winnersof the 2002 AALL/LexisNexis™ Call forPapers Competition.

In the Open Member Division(member of AALL for five or moreyears), Yolanda Jones of VillanovaUniversity won for “UCITA and theInformation Professional — Or, Having a Barbeque on the InformationCommons.” The library community, aswell as consumer and business groups, isconcerned about the Uniform ComputerInformation Transactions Act because theyfear that, in its complexity, the law wouldpose a threat to free speech, fair use andlicense negotiation. Jones argues for a removal of the barricades between the proponents and opponents of theUCITA. She identifies a no-win cycle ofescalating attempts to control access toelectronic information and the corollaryefforts to eliminate that control.

“The Circle of Life: Managing a Law Library Web Site Redesign Project,”by Bonnie Shucha of the University ofWisconsin Madison Law Library, won inthe New Member Division (member ofAALL for fewer than five years). Shuchabelieves that Web site creators need tomake informed design decisions aboutwhat is right for themselves and for users.The author focuses on giving practicalguidance on managing a law library Website redesign project from beginning toend. Although there are dozens of articleson Web site design, Shucha’s winningpaper goes beyond these articles byexplaining how one should manage andreform for a second-generation Web site.Shucha’s handiwork can be seen athttp://www.aallnet.org/chapter/llaw.

The winner in the Student Division(enrolled in library or law school) wasRenee Y. Rastorfer of the University of California at Los Angeles Graduate

School for Education and InformationStudies for her paper “Thomas S.Dabagh and the Institutional Beginningsof the UCLA Law Library: A CautionaryTale.” Rastorfer made excellent use ofprimary sources to write a piece on thedramatic birth of the UCLA law library.The paper is a tribute to a diligentacademic library director, Thomas S.Dabagh, who suffered indignity at thehands of a dean who favored a centristnotion of the administration of the lawschool during the McCarthy era.According to Rastorfer, although Dabagh“stressed service to his users, innovation,increased access to library resources, andparticipation in both library associationsand community,” the dean of the lawschool fired Dabagh — probably becausehe refused to sign a loyalty oath.

The annual competition awards threeauthors with a cash prize of $750 each,donated by LexisNexis™. (Co-authors of winning papers share the award.) The winning papers will be consideredfor publication in Law Library Journal.

The winners presented their papersto their colleagues on July 22 at the 2002AALL Annual Meeting in Orlando, Fla.

About the WinnersYolanda Jones is assistant director forcomputer and information services atVillanova University Law Library. Shereceived a B.A. from the University ofIllinois at Urbana-Champaign, anM.S.L.S. from Atlanta University and aJ.D. from the University of Michigan.She served on the Committee onDiversity and is a past chair. In additionto AALL, Jones is a member of theAmerican Library Association and theAmerican Society for InformationScience and Technology. She has writtenarticles about the Internet and aboutfinding legal resources on the Web, and

she contributed to the book CulturalDiversity in Libraries. Jones is currently aPh.D. candidate at Drexel University inPhiladelphia.

Bonnie Shucha is the reference and electronic services librarian at theUniversity of Wisconsin Law Library. She develops and provides reference andinstructional services, with particularemphasis on electronic resources. As chair of the UW Law Library Web Committee, Shucha directed a well-received site redesign in 2000. In addition, she led a successful redesignproject this past spring for the LawLibrarians Association of Wisconsin. This fall Shucha will become the vicepresident/president-elect of LLAW. She enjoys spending time with family;attending cultural events; traveling andtaking walks with son, Cal, husband,Toby, and dog, Jake.

Renee Y. Rastorfer is a 1979 cumlaude graduate of Smith College, whereshe earned an A.B. in history. In 1982Rastorfer graduated from BostonUniversity School of Law and went on to practice law in both Boston andCalifornia. Later she entered the UCLADepartment of Information Studies,earning her M.L.I.S. degree withdistinction in June 2002 and has sinceembarked on a career in reference at the William M. Rains Law Library atLoyola Law School in Los Angeles. Herwinning paper was written originally forProfessor Cindy Mediavilla’s historicalmethodology class and subsequentlyexpanded as an independent study underthe same professor.

Maria Protti ([email protected]), 2001–2002 chair of the Call forPapers Committee, is deputy city attorneyand director of libraries for the City andCounty of San Francisco.

announcementsJones, Shucha and Rastorfer Win 2002 AALL/LexisNexis™ Call for Papers Competition

by Maria Protti

The AALL placement listings are no longer published in AALLSpectrum. They are now located exclusively on AALL’s Web site,AALLNET, at http://www.aallnet.org/services/hotline_post.asp.

For more information about the placement listings, please contactMembership Coordinator Rachel Shaevel at [email protected].

announcementsPlacement Listings Now on AALLNET


Over thepast fewmonths,

the librarian worldhas been buzzingover the USAPATRIOT Act(Uniting andStrengtheningAmerica byProvidingAppropriate ToolsRequired toIntercept andObstruct TerrorismAct). Even themainstream presshas reported onhow this act will

affect libraries throughout the country.(Check out the ALA’s “FBI in Your Library”Web page at http://www.ala.org/alaorg/oif/fbiinyourlibrary.html for more informationand links to press coverage.) As a result, theact was the “Hot Topic” at the AALL AnnualMeeting in Orlando, Fla.

The program, J-5 “Hot Topic: The USAPATRIOT Act and Its Implications for LawLibraries,” however, was not exactly what I expected. In contrast to the previous day’s Plenary III Session, G-1 “ElectronicSurveillance: Recent Legal Developments,”the Hot Topic speakers provided theirfavorable views of the new law.

Robert O’Neill, executive officer of theCriminal Division, United States Attorneyfor the Middle District of Florida, firstexplained that his job requires that heenforce and apply the laws; thus, he avoidsexpressing any personal opinions about thechanges made by the USA PATRIOT Act. He then described the law concerning penregisters and trap-and-trace devices prior topassage of the act. Pen registers record thephone numbers of outgoing calls; trap-and-trace devices record numbers for incomingcalls. Both devices are placed on phone linesby phone companies pursuant to orders from a judge. Neither device can record thecontent of the calls. Obtaining a court orderfor both devices is fairly simple and thestandard — that the information be relevantto the investigation — is very low.

O’Neill explained that the PATRIOT Act changed the prior laws in threesignificant ways.

First, law enforcement can now use theequivalent of pen registers and trap-and-trace

devices on other forms of communications,including e-mail and cell phones. Thisclarified the old law, which was unclear onthis issue. O’Neill stressed that law officialscould not get more information than in thepast — i.e., no content, not even subjectlines in e-mails.

The second change provided fornationwide effect of these court orders.Previously, law enforcement could procureorders only for the district in which theyoperated. With deregulation, the process ofobtaining court orders for every districtthrough which a phone call passed throughhad become time consuming. Now it ispossible to request a court order for the first district in the chain and then follow the chain.

O’Neill minimized the impact of thethird change; it requires officers to reportcertain information when law enforcementuses its own technology to acquire theinformation because the service providerlacks the capability to do so.

In O’Neill’s opinion, these changeswould ease restrictions for law enforcement.However, he recognized the tension betweenprivacy and protection. The Federal Bureauof Investigation will be turning to libraries tohelp them find the information they need fortheir cases, O’Neill said.

Hot TopicSparks Better

Understandingof USA

PATRIOT Act by Leah Sandwell-Weiss

© 2002 Leah Sandwell-Weiss

An AALL member listens intently as thespeakers of the program explain the implications

of the USA PATRIOT Act for libraries.

Robert O’Neill explains how the USA PATRIOT Actexpands law-enforcement authority.

Rodney Petersen, director of policyand planning, office of the vice president,and chief information officer at theUniversity of Maryland, explained that heviews the PATRIOT Act through the lensof someone primarily concerned withcomputer security. He posed a series ofquestions about electronic surveillance. For example, what level of trust is neededand how far should we go in the interest ofsecurity? He then illustrated how muchsurveillance already occurs today byexamining a day in his life. During histypical day, his deleted e-mail is backed up on a server prior to deletion and on thesender’s server; videocameras at trafficlights, on campus and elsewhere recordwhen and where he traveled; logs keeprecords of when and how often he uses hiswireless card; and hotel key cards providerecords of when he entered and exited hisroom. Just think of the opportunities forsurveillance during your normal day.

Petersen also discussed areas wherelibrary and university policies andprocedures need to be reviewed. Theseinclude the procedures to handle law-enforcement inquiries; the privacy noticesprovided to computer users; determiningthe custodian of account information andelectronic records; and how long network,system and host logs should be kept. Heconcluded by briefly discussing how toprevent computer attacks at universities.For more information about computerattacks, go to http://www.educause.edu/security.

During the brief question-and-answerperiods, both presenters addressed the“trust” issues raised by the PATRIOT Act.O’Neill stressed that law officials havebeen directed by an internal Departmentof Justice memorandum not to use anycontent that might have been received via outgoing or incoming e-mail. Petersenadmitted that the secrecy provisions of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Acttroubled him. But he also noted thatinternal investigations, such asinvestigating employee misconduct, couldbe just as intrusive. The session concludedwith Petersen again suggesting thatlibrarians review how long they shouldkeep nonpublic record information.

Overall, this was a good session. The articulate presenters provided newperspectives on the issues raised by thePATRIOT Act without blindly supportingthe government’s position. As one whoattended both the electronic surveillanceplenary session and this one, I came awaywith a more nuanced view of the act thanpreviously. However, I still believe itcontains some dangerous provisions.

Leah Sandwell-Weiss ([email protected]) is a reference librarian atthe law library at James E. Rogers College ofLaw at the University of Arizona in Tucson.


From left: Panelist Robert O’Neill of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida and Moderator Robert L. Oakleylisten as Rodney J. Petersen of the University of Maryland at College Park explains the basics of electronic surveillance.

Experience the Annual Meeting all overagain by purchasing the 2002 AALLAnnual Meeting Audiotapes andHandouts. Take advantage of thisopportunity to enhance your library’scollection with educational materials in a variety of formats or provide materialsfor staff members who were unable toattend these important educationalevents.

Audiotapes are available for $10 eachor the complete set (more than 50programs) is available for $499.Audiotapes are also available for priorAnnual Meetings.

Handouts are available in a completetwo-volume set for $75 for members ($95nonmembers) or as individual volumes:

Sunday–Monday programs (A-1 – F-5): $40 members ($50 nonmembers)

Tuesday–Wednesday programs (G-1 – K-6) $40 members ($50 nonmembers)

Audiotapes and handouts from the 2002 AALL Annual Meeting andConference may be ordered online athttp://www.aallnet.org/products/products–educational.asp.

Annual Meeting Tapes and Handouts Available for Purchase


Having concluded my days as astudent not terribly long ago, I feelthe need to write about a topic that

affects many aspiring law librarians: the highregistration fee to attend theAALL Annual Meeting. Byputting such an expensive pricetag on the Annual Meeting,AALL may unknowingly bediscouraging recruitment of newmembers to the profession.

“Early bird” studentregistration for the AALL AnnualMeeting is $310. To get this rate,students must also be members ofAALL; otherwise, it costs $359— that is, of course, assumingthat the students are particularlydiligent in planning to attend theconference and register early.Many times, I would suspect,students are not quite sure whattheir summer plans may be. Do

they stay in town and work? Do they go toan internship out of town? Do they takesummer school courses? If they want thatcheap registration rate, they will need to sendin the registration form no later than June 1.If they register later than that, it will cost$410; $459 if they are not members. For thisexample, though, assume that the student isparticularly diligent with planning and is amember of AALL.

Beyond the conference itself, AALLencourages new members of the professionto attend the Conference of Newer LawLibrarians workshop. The $100 registrationfee for CONELL brings the total up to $410 for the conscientious student whoplanned in advance. That fee just reserves thespace for the student. Now, of course, comesome of the basics: getting there, finding aplace to stay, and having a meal or two.

Transportation is difficult to estimate,given varying travel distances. The studentmay luck out and find the conference within driving distance. For instance, I wasparticularly fortunate when the AnnualMeeting was held in Baltimore in 1997 andWashington, D.C., in 1999 while I was astudent interning in the district. It is alwayseasier when the event comes to the attendee.Other attendees may have to fly, drive or takesome form of public transportation. Assuminga variety of travel situations, let’s take $200 asan average travel fare. An additional $25 allowsthe student to take a taxi from the airport orother transportation during the week if need

be. Of course, this price may be a littleunderestimated for someone from Berkeley,Calif., who traveled to Orlando, Fla., in 2002.But you get the idea.

Continuing to use the 2002 conferenceas an example, the cheapest conference hoteloption was $76 per night for a single or a double room at the Castle Doubletree.Although a student may be able to get abetter deal at another non-conference hotel,he or she would probably want to be nearthe action at one of the conference hubs. A student conscientious enough to plan in advance is also likely to find a friend toshare the hotel room — or, really in tune tothings, solicits a roommate on the law-liblistserv. Staying for the whole conference forsix nights, including an extra night’s stay toattend CONELL, will cost $228 in hotelbills. Hefty hotel taxes will probably bringthe total bill up to about $270 just for onehalf of the room.

So far, we have calculated about $905 of student expenses to be able to get to the conference, get in the door, attend aworkshop, and stay for six nights. Now, whatto eat? Anyone who has been to an AnnualMeeting knows that there are tons of vendorparties and many other receptions in whichstudents could easily fill up on free food andbeverages. So the food budget will not haveto be particularly large. A “meal deal” fromthe sandwich shop Subway for an averagelunch will run about $5.50 for a 6"sandwich, chips and a drink. Of course,some meals will be pricier than others.Breakfast at a restaurant with table servicewill probably cost more than that “meal deal”at Subway. Conservatively, let’s estimate $100worth of food over the course of the trip.That brings us to $1,005 in total expenses.

Now $1,005 can be double the cost of a student’s monthly rent. For example, the University of Michigan Off-CampusHousing Program estimated that a one-bedroom apartment in Ann Arbor, Mich.,cost $682 per month in 2000. The StudentHousing Affairs Office at the University ofWashington approximated a one-bedroomapartment in Seattle would run $600–$750.Even less expensive was the $495 monthlyrent quote provided by the PittsburghHousing Resource Center for a one-bedroomapartment in Pittsburgh. Many studentsshare housing while in school, sometimesreducing the cost of their portion of the rent to about $250–$300, depending uponthe city.

The Price ofAdmission

A Proposal to ReduceStudent Fees for the

AALL Annual Meeting

by Jill Duffy

© 2002 Jill Duffy

perspectives:“Perspectives” serves as a members’forum and features articles on issuesof concern to the profession.

a members’ forum

Faced with such a hefty price tag, I think it unlikely that many studentswould go to the trouble of attending theAALL Annual Meeting. As I contemplatedwriting this article, I began to ask a few of my law librarian friends, fairly new tothe profession, whether they attendedconferences as students. They said thatthey did not attend their first AnnualMeeting until after they began theirprofessional positions.

Does it have to be this way? No. In fact, it is not this way for most libraryschool students. When I was in libraryschool, I noticed how many of my friendsmade the ritualistic trip to the AmericanLibrary Association each year, sometimeseven for the mid-year conference. Howmuch could this be bankrupting them, I thought? Well, it turns out that it costsonly $35 to register for the ALAconference as a student.

For other similar professionalassociations, the range for studentregistration for their annual conferences is$35 to $100. The table below reflects theearly registration for students at selectedorganizations of interest to prospectivelibrarians. I have also included theAmerican Bar Association because lawlibrarianship students may find it relevantto their studies. The table shows that everyassociation offers a significantly lowerstudent registration rate than AALL. The

Society of American Archivists and theSpecial Libraries Association top out at the next highest fees at $100. The American Library Association offersthe cheapest conference for students at$35. The ABA and the Medical LibraryAssociation each charges their students $50. Conservation students can pay $75 to attend the American Institute for Conservation of Historic & ArtisticWorks, while it costs art librarianshipstudents $80 to attend the Art LibrariesSociety of North America conference.

Interestingly, AALL is the onlyassociation that assigns designations forstudent registration. There are fourcategories for students: early AALL studentmember registration ($310), late or on-site AALL student member ($410), earlynonmember ($359), and late nonmember($459). MLA charges the same $50whether or not a student member registersin advance or at the last minute. MLArequires its students to be members to geta discount, but student membership duesare only $30 per year.

Unlike student Annual Meetingregistration, AALL student membershipdues are competitive with similarassociations. AALL’s student dues are just$36 annually. If students are attending theconference, it makes sense for them tobecome members so they can register forthe meeting at the less expensive member

rate. The chart on page 21 shows annualstudent dues at similar associations rangingfrom $20 to $55. The ABA and ALA arethe cheapest associations for students atrates of $20 and $25, respectively. In thiscase, AALL appears to have analyzed costsand priced its membership at $36, just onedollar more than the SLA studentmembership for $35. Art librarian studentspay $40 per year for ARLIS, whilearchivists and conservators pay $55 peryear for student membership to SAA andAIC. Overall, AALL appears to be in linewith prices for student.

Then we must ask: Don’t we want toencourage students to attend the AnnualMeeting to network, to learn about the lawlibrarianship profession, to look for jobs?Programs such as CONELL, mentoringprograms, and the AALL/LexisNexis™Call for Papers competition show that weare trying to reach out to students, but the prohibitive price of registration seemsto discourage them from attending. Ofcourse, there are grant opportunitiesavailable to cover the registration costs (see www.aallnet.org/services/grants.asp fora list of sources), but not everyone whoapplies receives one. We should beexamining the costs for students across theboard, not just a select few. Along thesame vein, many law librarianship studentsare also working in libraries part time



student registration for annual conferences(Early Student Registration)

ABA AALL AIC ALA ARLIS MLA SAA SLA

Selected Associations

$350

$300

$250

$200

$150

$100

$50

$0$50

$310

$75

$35

$80

$50

$100 $100

washington

July 31, 2002OMB Memorandum M-02-07Office of Management and Budget DirectorMitch Daniels issued a “Memorandum toExecutive Departments and Agencies” on May 3 that will allow agencies to procure their own printing and duplicating servicesoutside the Government Printing Office. Thememorandum notes that “GPO’s monopoly-like role in providing printing servicesperpetuates inefficiency because it permits GPOto be insulated from market forces and does notprovide incentives to improve operations.”

Daniels appears not to recognize thatGPO has a well-established centralized andopen competitive procurement system that is supported by the Printing Industries ofAmerica as a means to ensure that even small and disadvantaged printers are able to compete for jobs with large printing firms. The memorandum’s final footnote:“Departments and agencies shall continue to ensure that all government publications, as defined in 44 U.S.C. Part 19, are madeavailable to the depository library programthrough the superintendent of documents.”It includes no information or details on howagencies would comply. Similar efforts in1987 and 1994 were strongly opposed bymembers of the Joint Committee on Printingand thus never took effect.

AALL is very concerned with theproposal because, while GPO has movedforward dramatically into the electronicenvironment, approximately 15,000 tangibletitles, mostly from executive branch agencies,are distributed each year to depositorylibraries.

JCP Hearing on OMB MemorandumThe Joint Committee on Printing, chairedby Sen. Mark Dayton of Minnesota, held an important hearing on the OMBmemorandum on July 10. While nothing in the testimonies of the witnesses came as a surprise to us, it was standing-room-onlyin the hearing room and many members ofthe press were on hand. It was especiallygratifying that six JCP members were also on hand: Chairman Mark Dayton, D-Minn.;Sen. Thad Cochran, R-Miss.; Sen. RickSantorum, R-Pa.; Vice Chairman RobertNey, R-Ohio; Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md.; and Rep. Chaka Fattah, D-Pa. Each of themembers supports the Federal DepositoryLibrary Program and depository libraries.Several mentioned the problem of fugitivedocuments in their opening comments.

The first witness was OMB DirectorMitch Daniels, who informed members ofthe JCP that the administration intends tomove forward on implementing the planthrough a revision to the Federal AcquisitionRegulation following a period of notice andcomment. Daniels stated that the currentlevel of dissemination and the high numberof executive-branch fugitive documents is“intolerable.” In order to resolve the fugitive-documents problem, he promised: first, todirect all agencies that use in-house printingto transmit copies to the superintendent ofdocuments; and second, to ask the FARCouncil to include in all contracts theresponsibility of the printer to transmit copiesto SuDocs. Chairman Dayton made it veryclear to Daniels that Title 44 §501 of theUnited States Code requires federal agencies inthe executive branch to use GPO for theirprinting and procurement needs. He warnedthat agency noncompliance with the statutemight have to be resolved by the courts.There were many curt questions directed toDaniels by JCP members thatdemonstrated their displeasurewith the memorandum.

The second panelconsisted of Public PrinterMike DiMario,Superintendent ofDocuments Fran Buckleyand Chief ComptrollerBruce Holstein from GPO,who spoke strongly againstthe memorandum. Duringthe question-and-answersegment, DiMario called OMB’sassertion that the government wouldsave $50–$70 million if agencies could arrangetheir own procurement as “fiction.” Expressinghis concern about fugitive documents, Daytonasked if there was a growing trend towardgreater agency noncompliance withprocurement through GPO. The biggestproblem today is agencies that use their Websites for publishing and remove importanttitles without capturing them for permanentpublic access, DiMario said.

The third panel consisted of BenjaminCooper of Printing Industries of America;Bill Boarman of Communications Workersof America; and Julie Wallace, representingAALL, the American Library Association, the Association of Research Libraries and theMedical Library Association. Like the GPOpanel, all three witnesses expressed strongopposition. Wallace adeptly summarized ourlong statement. Her comments focused onthree main points:

• First, that federal agencies benefit by the transparent link that GPOcurrently provides between procuringagency publications and disseminatinggovernment publications to the public;

• Second, that the American peoplebenefit when agency publications aredisseminated through GPO to localfederal depository libraries in eachcongressional district across thecountry, where the public then hasequal, efficient and ready access to that information;

• And third, that it is clear that theOMB directive will lead to morefugitive publications and less publicaccess to government information.This comes at a time when Congress,the executive branch and the courtsinstead should be working together to improve public access and to meet the challenges of the electronicenvironment, particularly regarding the permanent public access to and

preservation of electronicgovernment information.

We had prepared wellfor the hearing, havingvisited with staff of all theJCP members and theappropriationssubcommittees in June.In addition, I worked very

closely with Sen. Dayton’s staff to educate them on the

serious negative impact of thememorandum on public access

and the FDLP. I drafted the jointlibrary statement, which is available athttp://www.ll.georgetown.edu/aallwash/st07102002.html.

Post-Hearing Support for GPOOn July 11, the day following the JCPhearing, both House and Senate LegislativeBranch Appropriations Subcommitteesmarked up their fiscal year 2003 budgets for GPO. The House cut $2.5 million, butthe Senate gave GPO its full funding request.The differences will be worked out inconference. We were especially pleased to see strong language opposing the OMBmemorandum in both subcommittee reports.The following excerpt is from S. Report 107-209: “The committee strongly opposes theOffice of Management and Budget’s plans ...to ignore the statutory requirements that theprinting and publishing of government

by Mary Alice Baish



brief


while pursuing their graduate degrees. Such ajob would be a modest source of income butis unlikely to provide funding to help defray the cost of attending an Annual Meeting.Although an employer may be willing to fundthe AALL Annual Meeting for a professional,full-time librarian, such benefits are not likelyavailable to the student employee.

In the winter 2001 issue of Law LibraryJournal, Beatrice Tice wrote that studentsmay be choosing not to attend meetings,stating that the “number of applicantssubmitting resumes at AALL AnnualMeetings has indeed seen a steep decline.”Similarly, she observed that “it may well be

that a large number of applicants are findingjobs in ways unrelated to the meetings.”Perhaps the students deem that theenormous cost of attending the AnnualMeeting is not worth the effort. Yet studentswho take this virtual approach to jobhunting through AALL will miss out on theother benefits of the Annual Meeting: tomeet other law librarians and to learn fromour fellow colleagues. Not only that, but we in the Association will miss out on thechance for fresh ideas and input fromstudents unless we seek to encourage theirattendance.

I propose that AALL reduce the AnnualMeeting costs for students. I also suggestthat the Membership and RetentionCommittee and/or the Recruitment to Law Librarianship Committee in particularexamine the current state of affairs andrecommend ways that we can restructure the AALL Annual Meeting fee scale toaccommodate future law librarians.

Jill Duffy ([email protected]) is a research librarian at the Supreme CourtLibrary of the United States in Washington,D.C.

Perspectives - continued from page 19

publications must be conducted throughthe GPO. ... The committee directs theadministration to abide by the statutoryrequirement, Section 501 of Title 44 UnitedStates Code, that printing be done by orthrough the GPO.”

The AALL 2002 PAGI AwardThe General Services Administration’sFirstGov portal at http://www.firstgov.gov isthe 2002 recipient of AALL’s Public Accessto Government Information Award. PatriciaB. Wood of the Office of FirstGov at GSAwas on hand to receive the prestigiouscommendation from Awards Committee

Chair John Hasko during the AALL AnnualMeeting in Orlando, Fla.

FirstGov went online in September 2000as a single site to help citizens, businessesand government employees — federal, state,local and tribal — connect with the federalgovernment. President Bush has supportedthe FirstGov efforts with funding in 2002and 2003, calling it the “essential buildingblock” for electronic government. FirstGovrecently launched a new search engine that iscapable of retrieving documents in PDF,Microsoft Word, Excel or HTML formatsand will allow users to search agencydatabases on a limited scale.

Each year the Government RelationsCommittee fields nominations for the PAGIAward and sends its recommendations to theAwards Committee. The AALL press releaseannouncing FirstGov as the 2002 PAGIrecipient is at http://www.aallnet.org/press/press020718_a.asp.

Mary Alice Baish, associate WashingtonAffairs representative, Edward B. WilliamsLaw Library, 111 G Street, N.W., Washington,D.C. 20001-1417 • 202/662-9200 • fax: 202/662-9202 • e-mail:[email protected] • Internet:http://www.ll.georgetown.edu/aallwash.

Washington Brief - continued from page 20

student member dues at selected associations

ABA AALL AIC ALA ARLIS MLA SAA SLA

Selected Associations

$36

$20

$55

$25

$40

$30

$55

$35

$60

$50

$40

$30

$20

$10

$0


Copyright Committee Previews New Web SiteViewing a prototype of a new CopyrightCommittee Web site was one highlight of the meeting of the incoming committee inOrlando, Fla. The committee hopes to unveilthe site in the near future. Kevin Dames, anew member of the committee, has designed a helpful site that will include informationabout copyright issues that should be usefulto members.

The committee is preparing proposals for several programs for the 2003 AnnualMeeting in Seattle, which should be a greatlocation for finding speakers knowledgeableabout the many complex copyright issuesfacing law librarians. We look forward to ahectic but rewarding year.

Submitted by Keith Ann Stiverson.

GRC to Focus on Legislative AdvocacyThe Government Relations Committee willconcentrate again this year on improvinglegislative advocacy through a chapter liaisonprogram. To this end, Associate WashingtonAffairs Representative Mary Alice Baish andGRC Chair Charlene Cain spoke about theGRC’s mission to the Chapter Presidents/Vice Presidents Leadership Training sessionand the Chapter Leadership Roundtable for Government Relations at the AnnualMeeting in Orlando. David McFadden, a member of the Southern CaliforniaAssociation of Law Libraries chapter, joinedthe latter session to discuss his group’s well-organized opposition to a California bill undercutting funding for county law libraries.

The well-attended 2002 Legislative/Regulatory Update program at the AnnualMeeting featured Marybeth Peters of the U.S.Copyright Office, who reported on the DigitalMillennium Copyright Act and other issuesfacing the Copyright Office, including Eldredv. Ashcroft. Bob Oakley and Mary Alice Baishof the Washington Affairs Officeupdated attendees on otherintellectual property issues,including the TEACH Act(Technology, Education andCopyright Harmonization Act)and database-protectionlegislation.

Another substantiveprogram sponsored by theGRC was “The PKIConnection: Is Public KeyInfrastructure a Solution to EnsuringCitizen Confidence in E-Government?”Speakers Mark Giguere of the NationalArchives and Records Administration andDavid Temoshok of the General ServicesAdministration discussed “public keyinfrastructure,” a developing technology eyedby federal agencies as a means to ensureauthentication, data integrity andconfidentiality of electronic information.

Finally, the “hot topic” session coveredthe USA PATRIOT Act (Uniting andStrengthening America by ProvidingAppropriate Tools Required to Intercept andObstruct Terrorism Act) and its implicationsfor law libraries. With presentations byRobert O’Neill of the U. S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida andRodney J. Petersen from the University ofMaryland at College Park, this session wasboth well-balanced and informative.

The committee bid farewell to thefollowing outgoing members: former Chair Ann Burnett, who led GRC during anespecially productive year; Executive BoardLiaison Bob Oakley; Sam Trosow; SteveAnderson; Larry Meyer; Pat Fox; and BobbieDenny. Their active participation all year

furthered the GRC’s work inmany ways. Looking forward

to a very busy year is theincoming committee:Execuitve Board LiaisonCarol Avery Nicholson;new members JudithMeadows, who hasagreed to serve assecretary, Marcia Baker,

Tanya Shelli Brown,Leah Sandwell-Weiss,

Anthony Smith and JerryStephens; and continuing

members Elizabeth LeDoux, who willchair the Public Access to GovernmentInformation Award subcommittee, JoanAllen-Hart, Richard Matthews, BobPikowsky and Susan Tulis.

The GRC needs your help! Among many ongoing issues in these uncertaintimes, we expect the Uniform ComputerInformation Transactions Act to be back earlynext year. Please join the AALL AdvocacyListserv through the Washington AffairsOffice or online discussion sites onAALLNET and get involved!

Submitted by Charlene Cain.

Patricia Wellinger, University of Denver,Westminster Law Library, 1900 Olive St.,Denver, CO 80220 • 303/871-6479 • fax:303/871-6999 • [email protected].

committee news by Patricia Wellinger

said the Hon. Loren McMaster of theSacramento County Public Law Library in Sacramento, Calif.

Leslie Campbell of the U.S. Courts inWashington, D.C., “liked the ‘no-conflict’times carved out in the schedule this year forthe Exhibit Hall. It allowed time to visit thevarious booths and also time to talk withcolleagues about educational programs forthe coming year.”

“It is always important to visit theActivities Area of the Exhibit Hall to pick up ideas for your local chapter or Special

Interest Section on marketing, planningprograms and having fun at the same time,”said Shirley David of the SacramentoCounty Public Law Library. “In fact, theState, Court and County Law Libraries SIStable had a visit from Elvis. It was great!”

Creating ConnectionsThe Annual Meeting in Orlando proved tobe more than just programs and workshopsto keep up with the latest trends in lawlibrarianship. The meeting’s social events,provocative speakers, ceremonies, businessmeetings and Exhibit Hall allowed attendees

to renew their commitment to theirprofession and connect with their colleagues.It was all about “Creating Connections.”

Robert Linz ([email protected]) is the associate director of the law library andinformation technology coordinator at AveMaria School of Law in Ann Arbor, Mich.Marcus Hochstetler ([email protected]) is a librarian with theMahoning Law Library Association inYoungstown, Ohio.

Fun in the Sun - continued from page 8


A private firm librarian and an academiclaw librarian won the Law LibraryJournal and AALL Spectrum Articles of the Year Awards.

The AALL Awards Committeeselected Lee R. Nemchek, informationresource manager at Morrison &Foerster, LLP, in Los Angeles, as the2002 recipient of the Law LibraryJournal Article of the Year Award.

Nemchek’s article, “RecordsRetention in the Private LegalEnvironment: Annotated Bibliographyand Program Implementation Tools,” (93 Law Library Journal 7, 2001)provides a reference foundation forlibrarians seeking to understand thecomplex area of records retention as ithas become increasingly applicable in the private legal environment.

The committee also selected James S.Heller, director of the law library andprofessor of law at the College ofWilliam and Mary in Williamsburg, Va.,as the 2002 recipient of the AALLSpectrum Article of the Year Award.

Heller’s article, “CollectionDevelopment and Weeding á la Versace:Fashioning a Policy for Your Library,”examines the basic building blocks of acollection development policy: resources,maintenance and preservation, space,multiple use, status, and outside pressure.It appeared in the February 2002 issue of AALL Spectrum.

Established in 1989, the Law LibraryJournal Article of the Year awardrecognizes outstanding achievement inresearch and scholarship as representedby a published work in Law Library

Journal. The AALL Spectrum Article of the Year Award honors outstandingachievement in writing that contributesto topics relating to librarianship and law librarianship; practical applicationsfor library work; an understanding oflegal materials, legal systems and legalinformation; or to professional and stafftraining and development. Both awardsinclude a cash prize of $500, donated byCCH Incorporated.

The awards were presented July 22 at the Association Annual AwardsCeremony and Reception for Recipientsand Contributors during the 95thAnnual Meeting and Conference inOrlando, Fla.

announcementsNemchek and Heller Win Articles of the Year Awards


Are you a lawlibrarian justentering the

profession? Wouldn’t it be great if you could justmove along a chartedcourse in your professionallife until someone toldyou that you had therequisite knowledge andskills to be a successful lawlibrarian? Unfortunately,developing a career is notthat simple. Yes, there arebasic competencies thatshould be mastered. (TheAALL Competencies ofLaw Librarianship aredescribed at http://www.aallnet.org/prodev/competencies.asp.) Unlikemany other professionals,however, law librarianshipdoes not have a

standardized apprenticeship or rigorouslicensing exam to measure professionalcompetency. It will be up to the individual tofind his or her own professional path and touse his or her own criteria for measuring howwell he or she is doing. While there is no oneright way to success, newer law librarianshave found the following approaches to behelpful.

Start Within Your Place of EmploymentHow well do you know your organization?To perform well, you need to know as muchas possible about your place of employment.You may be fortunate to land in a library thatsupplies the information discussed below tonewly hired librarians as part of a newemployee-orientation program. Often,though, you will have to gather it yourself.Observation sometimes works, but askingdirect questions yields the best results. Ask more than one person to gain a broad perspective.

Do you know who does what within your library? You will save yourselfconsiderable time and consternation if you familiarize yourself with the overallhierarchy and reporting lines of your entirestaff. If your library is part of a largerorganization, find out similar informationabout that organization. Request anorganization chart. If one does not exist,start with a staff directory and create yourown. Ask your colleagues about their ownareas of responsibility and those of other

staff members. Try to ascertain whichdepartments or teams are in place and howthey operate in relation to each other.

How familiar are you with the missionand goals of your library? Understandingthe “big picture” of whom you are trying toserve and what you are trying to do will helpclarify your current professional role. Thisinformation should be in the library’smission statement. Mission statements alsocontain specific goals that determine alibrary’s short-term priorities. If you are notgiven a copy of your library’s missionstatement and goals, request one from yoursupervisor. Find out how you will beinvolved in meeting specific goals. To gainperspective on the library’s goals and progressin meeting them, examine recent annualreports of the library. If your library does nothave a formal mission statement, a clearlyarticulated set of goals or an annual report,ask your supervisor about general librarypriorities and those of the specificdepartment in which you will work.

Are you clear about your own goals?You may not have been told what you areexpected to contribute or accomplish in yourjob. In order to perform as expected, youshould ferret this information out as soon aspossible. Ask your supervisor. Find out if youhave target deadlines for completing yourprojects. It is very helpful to post your goalsand deadlines in a prominent place on yourdesk so that you will be continually remindedof them. Learn the criteria upon which youwill be evaluated, when you will be evaluatedand by whom. Keep these criteria in mind asyou perform your duties. This will help youassess yourself, clearly articulate and evaluateyour accomplishments, and explain anyunmet goals to your reviewer.

Are you actively pursuing on-the-jobtraining? No matter how knowledgeable youare about law librarianship, when you startyour job, you will still have a lot to learn. If you are lucky, your library will provide astructured training program that will help youidentify gaps in your knowledge and gain theproficiency you need to perform your duties.Often, however, you have to take theinitiative yourself and design your owntraining program. Find an individual at yourlibrary who has the proficiency you seek andcarefully observe that person in action. Ask for “how do I do X” explanations andjob efficiency tips. Practice the skills youobserved and request feedback from yourcolleague. Do not be shy! Constantly askother colleagues for constructive criticism on

Tips forSucceeding as

a New LawLibrarian

by Suzanne Thorpe

Professional Perspectives — Tools andTechniques of the Trade. The Professional

Development Committee encouragesmembers to continue to explore topics after

presentations at the local, regional, andnational levels. We welcome your commentsand article suggestions. Please contact Lori

Hedstrom at 651/687-5891 [email protected].

© 2002 Suzanne Thorpe

professional development series

your performance. They may be hesitant toshare suggestions unless you ask.

Now Move Beyond Your LibraryAre you networking? Even if you haveexcellent in-house support to launch yourcareer, you will benefit from interactionwith librarians and other professionals yousee less frequently. One of the easiest waysto meet such colleagues is to participate in professional organizations. To identifyorganizations that you may be interested in, consult the list compiled by San JoseState University School of Library andInformation Science at http://slisweb.sjsu.edu/resources/orgs.htm. Are you unsurewhich organizations you should join? Ask colleagues for advice. If you cannotparticipate in national organizations, try to join a local or regional chapter. AALLchapters are listed at http://aallhq.org/public/chapters.asp.

Do you participate in conferencesand workshops? Whether or not you join professional organizations, you cangenerally attend the programs they offer.Library conferences and programs can betracked through the AALL ContinuingEducation Calendar at http://www.aallnet.org/prodev/calendar.asp and the AmericanLibraries’ online datebook of events athttp://www.ala.org/alonline/datebook/datebook.html.

Inquire whether your employer willprovide financial support and time toattend relevant workshops and educationalprograms. Explain which skills you plan tohone and why a financial investment inyour training would benefit the library.Report back to your supervisor on whatyou learned and demonstrate how you areapplying your new skills and knowledgedirectly to your position. Do not despair ifyou are unable to get away! You may beable to participate locally in satellitevideoconferences or self-paced onlinecourses. Some of these distance-educationopportunities are at http://www.aallnet.org/prodev/teleconference.asp.

Are you profiting from programsdesigned specifically for new lawlibrarians? Library organizationsfrequently offer special programs tailoredto help new members. AALL is anexcellent example. Would you like to findan experienced law librarian to be yourmentor? Try the AALL Mentor Project.Want to brainstorm or compare your

experiences with other newer lawlibrarians? Try AALL’s listserv called theList of Newer Law Librarians. Would anin-depth introduction to law librarianshipand professional activities be helpful?Attend the Conference of Newer LawLibrarians, held before the AALL AnnualMeeting every year. All these programs aredescribed at http://www.aallnet.org/committee/mentoring. Don’t forget to tap into the programs offered by AALLsections — e.g., Private Law LibrariesSpecial Interest Section MentoringCommittee at http://www.aallnet.org/sis/pllsis/commgrp/mentorcomm.html and theAcademic Law Libraries SIS Convocationfor Newer Academic Law Librarians/Mentoring Committee at http://www.aallnet.org/sis/allsis/directory.html#CONALL.

Have you considered an internshipor job exchange? Sometimes noorganizations or programs match yourneeds. Spending time in another librarywhere you can learn from others on the job

may be the best idea for you. Informationon internships and exchanges is availablefrom professional organizations — e.g., AALL Foreign, Comparative andInternational Special Interest SectionClearinghouse for Internships andInternational Personnel Exchanges,http://www.lawsch.uga.edu/fcil/clearintro.html. You may also want to considercontacting Exchanging Jobs, http://www.exchangingjobs.org/resources.html, anorganization that specializes in helpinglibrarians find job exchanges. Often the

best way to find such an opportunity isthrough personal networking or posting a message describing the type of trainingyou seek on a law librarian discussion list.Inquire whether your employer willprovide financial support and time toattend relevant workshops and educationalprograms.

Do you keep up with relevantprofessional literature and onlinediscussions? It is essential that youmonitor current professional literature tomaintain your knowledge and skills. Noone prescribed reading list fits everyone,but ask your colleagues what they regularlyread; they may be willing to share theirown subscriptions with you. Identify anyserials that are critical for you to monitorand have your library subscribe to them. If you are unable to subscribe to thesepublications, try tracking themelectronically through periodical indexes orcontents services. A great place to gain freeaccess to online library literature is BUBLJournals: Library and Information Scienceat http://bubl.ac.uk/journals/bycat.htm.This service provides abstracting, indexingand links to full-text journals andnewsletters. Online discussion lists are also very helpful for tracking newdevelopments and for consulting withcolleagues. You can identify the lists most relevant to law librarians throughWashburn University’s Web site,WASHLAW, at http://www.washlaw.edu/listservs.html.

Don’t just track developments in onlylibrarianship and law. To perform well onthe job, it is critical to be informed aboutcurrent events and issues that concern your patrons. In a recent exchange on the LONELL listserv, several librariansidentified their most important tools forkeeping up with current events. Notsurprisingly, the titles mentioned includedThe Economist, Business Week and Wired.

Share Your Ideas and Knowledge with OthersDo you have ideas for conferenceprograms? One of the best ways todevelop your career is to participate as aplanner or presenter at a conference.Conference organizers welcome the freshperspectives of newer professionals. Do notbe shy about stepping forward with yourprogram proposals even though it mighttake several tries for them to be accepted.

a desktop learning opportunity

AALL Spectrum Magazine September 2002 25AALL recognizes major support from BNA, Inc. for the Professional Development Program.


AALL Professional DevelopmentProgram Competencies of LawLibrarianship

1 Core Competencies

Specialized Competencies2 Library Management3 Reference, Research and

Client Services4 Information Technology5 Collection Care and Management6 Teaching

This article addresses the AALL CoreCompetencies. The complete AALLstatement of Competencies of LawLibrarianship is online at http://www.aallnet.org/prodev/competencies.asp.


CRIV Successes Lay theGroundwork for the Year AheadTwo days back from Orlando, Fla., and I,like many others, am working my waythrough a mountain of e-mail and snail mail. But what a meeting the 95th AnnualMeeting was!

The Committee on Relations withInformation Vendors spent time meetingboth formally and informally with severalvendors. For example, the MediationSubcommittee met with a librarian andvendor representatives to settle a conflict; the committee sponsored the CRIV Forumas well as several other well-attended sessions;and the committee as a whole met to followup on previous meetings with West andAspen and held two CRIV business meetingsto report the past year’s accomplishments andto plan for the incoming year. Whew!

We had good reason to be satisfied withour 2001–2002 activities. The CRIV sentout 37 CRIVGrams alerting AALL membersabout changes, innovations andproblems related to the legal-publishing industry. Toimprove understandingbetween vendors andlaw librarians, theCRIV had sitevisits with West,Bernan andAspen. Each ofthese visitsdemonstratedthe willingness of both parties to work togetherand to do so in amutually convenientway. One of themeetings with West wasby conference call. The visitwith Bernan was a “limited” sitevisit where only a few membersactually went to the publisher’s offices.However, other CRIV members joined in the discussion via a concurrent conferencecall. One of the visits with Aspen was atraditional site visit, where most of the CRIV members joined Aspen executives atits offices in Frederick, Md. Prior to thatvisit, however, Aspen visited two New Yorklibraries and had extensive discussions withlaw librarians in what we dubbed a “reversesite visit.” Two of the vendors we visitedinformed me that they could not have paidconsultants for the work that the CRIV wasable to do for them. What a compliment!

We look forward to expanding the types anddefinitions of site visits as we move into our2002–03 year in order to make our servicesavailable to a broader scope of informationvendors.

Naturally none of these accomplishmentscould have occurred without dedicatedcommittee members. As I begin my term as the CRIV chair, I would like to thank Sara Galligan, our outgoing chair, for thesuperb job she did during the 2001–2002term. I especially appreciate the notebookshe passed on to me with a history of thepast year. Also leaving us this year are Mike Bushbaum, New Product AwardSubcommittee; Linda McLane, Mediationand Site Visits Subcommittees; Anne Myers,webmaster extraordinaire; Mike Saint-Onge,Educational Programming Subcommittee; Al Podboy, Executive Board liaison; andMichelle Wu, editor of The CRIV Sheet.

We have a very talented pool ofcommittee members beginning CRIV service

this year as well as several seasonedmembers who continue with

the committee. Over thenext few months, we

plan to introducethese new

members morefully in CRIVpublicationsand tohighlight theircommitmentto the legalcommunity.

Returningthis year are

Jan Anderson, ex-officio CRIV

Tools Subcommitteemember; Gretchen

Asmuth, CRIV Tools chair andMediation Subcommittee; Don Dunn,

Educational Programming Subcommittee;Walter High, Mediation Subcommittee; AnnJeter, Mediation Subcommittee chair andNew Product Award Subcommittee; LovisaLyman, co-editor of The CRIV Sheet and SiteVisits Subcommittee chair; and StephanieEdwards, ex-officio co-editor of The CRIVSheet. New to the committee are KarenDouglas, Site Visits and Tools; JoAnnHounshell, CRIVPage and Mediation; Lucy Moss, The CRIV Sheet; Jill Porter,Programming and The CRIV Sheet; andStephanie Schmitt, ex-officio webmaster.

Our new Executive Board liaison is Janis L.Johnston.

We look forward to broadeningrelationships formed this past year. We havealready planned further dialog with Aspenand will be talking with BNA, CCH andPLI. For the CRIV Forum at the 2003Annual Meeting, we hope to involve AALLmembers in role playing and in discussingchallenging library-vendor-related situations.We have talked about possible programs onnegotiation skills and a review of the CRIVTools. We will be working on clear guidelinesfor potential articles from informationvendors. We want to be able to solicit vendorresponses for the “CRIV Notes” and stillclearly maintain our charge. We are also inthe process of reviewing our site-visitguidelines and establishing new ones forreverse site visits where the vendor calls onthe library.

We encourage AALL members, new and old, to become involved with the CRIVand the programs it sponsors. Our charge to “facilitate communications betweeninformation vendors and the members of the Association and the Executive Board inmatters relating to provision of informationin any format” is vital to all law librarians. I had the pleasure of representing the CRIVat the Conference of Newer Law LibrariansMarketplace this year. I’d like to welcome allof the new AALL members and remind themthat the CRIV is a resource available to youshould you need us. To all members, pleasevisit our Web site at http://www.aallnet.org/committee/criv. The CRIV Web site containsa wealth of information — from site visitreports to an extensive list of CRIV Tools.Our latest addition to the Tools is the “LegalPublishers List: Corporate Affiliations ofLegal Publishers.” The CRIV acceptedresponsibility for this list in January andcontinues to update it.

As we move into the 2002–03 year,please let us know how we can be of service.Let us know what we can do better ordifferently. Your ideas and suggestions areappreciated. Are there contacts you wouldlike us to make? Are there tools you wouldlike to see enhanced? Vendors you would likefor us to contact and visit? We look forwardto hearing from you.

Carol N. Rogers ([email protected]) is the information resources coordinator forLatham & Watkins in Los Angeles.

criv notes by Carol Rogers


Pet projects or cherished traditions may haveto be sacrificed if they no longer effectivelyserve the mission of the library. Digitalreference may also mean that collectionpolicies have to be redrafted with access toresources through the e-reference system.This access to resources at other subscriberinstitutions also raises tricky copyrightissues. Can a library share information viadigital reference obtained from a databaseprotected by exclusive licensing agreements?How will library patrons view digital

reference? Faculty members might not wantto share resources with other libraries if itmeans a decrease in the service to which theyhave become accustomed.

This informative program thoroughlyexamined some of the most important issuesthat crop up when deciding whether tosubscribe to an e-reference service such asQuestionPoint. Participants were able to seean e-reference system in sufficient detail tounderstand how this could revolutionize theway libraries view reference work. There was

a smattering of humor throughout thepresentations. One presenter likened theprocess of matching patron and informationprovider to matchmaking services — SWF Seeks REC for LTR. Perhaps e-reference will have a better success ratethan Matchmaker.com.

Christopher Vallandingham([email protected]) is an electronicinformation reference librarian at theUniversity of Florida in Gainesville.

E-Reference Services - continued from page 12

The Research Committee of theAmerican Association of Law Libraries isaccepting applications through Oct. 28for research grants from the AALL/AspenLaw & Business Grants Program,totaling up to $12,000.

The committee will award one ormore grants to library professionals whowant to conduct research that affectslibrarianship. The grants program fundssmall or large research projects thatcreate, disseminate, or use legal and law-related information. Projects may rangefrom the historical (indexes, legislativehistories, bibliographies, biographies,directories) to the theoretical (trends incataloging, publishing or new servicemodels in libraries) to the practical(implementation models for collection,personnel or infrastructure management).

The Association’s Research Agendaoffers suggestions for research projectsthat cover the profession of lawlibrarianship, law library patrons, lawlibrary services, legal research andbibliography, legal information resourcesand law library facilities. However,projects are not limited to thosedescribed in the agenda; the committeewill consider all applications and research

projects. To review AALL’s ResearchAgenda, please go to http://www.aallnet.org/committee/research/agenda.asp.

The AALL/Aspen Law & BusinessGrants Program was established in 1996with a generous contribution of $50,000from Aspen Law & Business, a New York-based legal publisher. Aspen Law &Business considers its contribution as aninvestment in research that will provide aprospective look at the role of librarians,researchers and legal information providersand will yield results to which publisherscan respond. Aspen’s goal is to sponsorresearch that will have a practical impacton the law library profession and inspireproducts and changes in the marketplace.

To apply for the grants, all applicantsmust provide resumes and statements of their qualifications for carrying outtheir projects. The applications mustdemonstrate experience with researchprojects and an understanding of thedissemination and use of legal and law-related information. Priority will be givento practicing law librarians and AALLmembers, working individually or inpartnership with other informationprofessionals. The grant application andcomplete guidelines are available at

http://www.aallnet.org/about/aspen_grant_application.asp. The submissiondeadline for applications is Oct. 28.Grants will be awarded and announcedby Dec. 2. Allocation of the researchgrants will be at the sole discretion of theAALL Research Committee.

For more information about thegrants, please contact Kumar Percy, chairof the AALL Research Committee, [email protected].

The members of the AALL ResearchCommittee are:

Kumar Percy, chair, University of Texas at Austin

Scott Childs, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Kevin P. Gray, Louisiana State University

Edwin Greenlee, University of Pennsylvania

Paul D. Healey, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Ellen McGrath, State University of New York at Buffalo

Grace M. Mills, Florida A&M University

Judy Ryan, Nixon Peabody LLP

announcementsAALL/Aspen Law & Business Grants Program Seeks Applications for$12,000 in Research Grants

Desktop Learning Series (AALL Spectrum)• “Documents Around the World,” by

Mirela Roznovschi, October 2002

• “Adaptive Devices on PublicTerminals,” by Mike Miller,November 2002

Regional Programs• October 17 and 18, 2002: Boot Camp

for Teachers of Electronic Research,Winston-Salem, North Carolina

For more information on ProfessionalDevelopment activities, see http://www.aallnet.org/prodev or contact Mary Jawgiel,AALL education manager, at 312/939-4764, extension 24, or [email protected].

professional development calendar

AALL recognizes major support from BNA, Inc. for the Professional Development Program.


New LibrariansNancy Babb is the new senior assistantlibrarian in cataloging at the University atBuffalo Law Library in Buffalo, N.Y. Babb isa recent graduate of the University of BuffaloDepartment of Library and InformationStudies.

Stacy Hinkel is the new research librarianat Lewis and Roca in Phoenix. Hinkel hadbeen a law firm Lexis Nexis™ applicationsconsultant for the past two years.

Joan Stringfellow is the new cataloglibrarian at Texas Wesleyan University LawLibrary in Fort Worth, Texas. Stringfellowrecently received her M.L.S. from theUniversity of North Texas.

New Places and ResponsibilitiesFilippa Marullo Anzalone is Boston CollegeLaw Library’s new associate dean for libraryand computing services. She had been thedirector of information and research servicesand professor of law at NortheasternUniversity School of Law in Boston.

Stephen Good is now thecollection/electronic serviceslibrarian at Texas TechUniversity School of LawLibrary in Lubbock,Texas. Good receivedhis law degree fromQueen’s University inOntario, Canada, andhis M.L.S. degree fromDalhousie Universityin Nova Scotia, Canada.He has previously heldlibrarian positions in bothCanadian and American lawlibraries.

Kathryn Hensiak is a newresearch/instructional services librarian atthe Northwestern University Pritzker LegalResearch Center in Chicago. Hensiak hadbeen a reference librarian at the MarquetteUniversity Law Library in Milwaukee.

Jim McMasters is also a newresearch/instructional services librarian at theNorthwestern University Pritzker LegalResearch Center. McMasters had been areference librarian at Loyola University Law Library in Chicago.

Jack McNeill has been promoted fromhead of reference services to associate lawlibrary director at Pace University School ofLaw Library in White Plains, N.Y.

After 23 years at the helm of the BostonCollege Law Library, Associate Dean forLibrary and Computing Services SharonHamby O’Connor has stepped down tobecome associate dean for academic affairs.She will serve in this capacity for a year,followed by a year-long sabbatical.

Laura Orr is the new law librarian at the Washington County Law Library inHillsboro, Ore. She was formerly a seniorreference librarian at the Yale University Lillian Goldman Law Library in New Haven,Conn.

Raquel Ortiz has been promoted fromreference/electronic services librarian to headof reference services at the Boston UniversitySchool of Law Library in Boston.

Professional ActivitiesMary Grady, law librarian at the U.S.Environmental Protection Agency inWashington, D.C., has published an article in the May 2002 issue of NationalEnvironmental Enforcement Journal titled

“Internet-Based Environmental Law Research.”

Robert Hu, head of public services

at Texas TechUniversity Schoolof Law Library inLubbock, hasbeen electedpresident of the LubbockArea Library

Association. Inaddition, Hu has

signed a contractwith William H. Hein

& Co. to publish his bookResearch Guide to Chinese

Patent Law and Practice, slated forpublication in the fall.

Mary Koshollek, director of libraryservices at Godfrey & Kahn in Milwaukee,has been named one of the “TenOutstanding Women in the Law” by the Wisconsin Law Journal.

Kathleen McCarthy, reference librarianat Seton Hall University Law Library inNewark, N.J., was approved for candidacyon the Fulbright Senior Specialists Roster.Her research involves the reform of legaleducation in the former Soviet states andother newly emerging democracies. Shehopes to travel to Armenia to evaluate the

progress in the reform of legal education atYerevan State University.

Adria Olmi, assistant professor andreference librarian at Southern IllinoisUniversity Law Library in Carbondale, Ill., is the author of “Internet Resources forIllinois Corporate and Securities Lawyers,”90 Illinois Bar Journal 267–268 (2002).

Lucy Salsbury Payne, formerly aresearch librarian at the Notre Dame Kresge Law Library, spent the spring 2001semester in the Notre Dame London LawProgramme. She taught American legalresearch to foreign-trained lawyers pursuingan LL.M. degree and advanced legal researchto American J.D. students. She also receivedthe university’s 2001 Foik Award, whichannually recognizes a campus librarian foroutstanding service to the university andlibrary profession. More recently, the BlackLaw Students Association of Notre Dameawarded her the 2002 Commitment Award,which honors a member of the law facultyfor “continued service and support as anadviser.” After 14 years at the Kresge LawLibrary, she has moved to New Mexico topursue writing interests.

Several Boston College librariansparticipated in the Legal Writing Instituteconference in May in Knoxville, Tenn. LegalInformation Librarians Susan Sullivan andIrene Good presented a program titled, “Do Students Need to Know aboutPerforming Legal Research on the WorldWide Web? Yes.” Karen Beck, curator ofrare books/legal information librarian andlecturer in law, and legal writing ProfessorJoan Blum presented a workshop onteaching research analytically. LegalInformation Librarian Joan Shearparticipated in the panel “How to Choose the Legal Research Text That’s Right for You.”

OtherCindy Curling, electronic resources librarianfor Fried Frank in Washington, D.C., haschanged her name to Cindy Carlson.

Beth Smith, Ross-Blakley Law Library,Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287 •480/965-4871 • fax: 480/965-4283 •[email protected].

membership news by Beth Smith


There are firmlibrarians whobill research

hours to clients andindependents whocharge for their services,but academic referencelibrarians like myselfoften fail to recognizethe value of ourcontributions to theinstitutions we serve —until we are given aglimpse of what otherscharge for the sameservices. I am remindedof the time, many yearsago, when I learnedexactly how much Isaved my institution.

My first job out of library school was at my alma mater. When I went to workthere, the library was busy reclassing thereading room collection into Library ofCongress system from our own local callnumber system, which required frequentshifts and adjustments to the room. Giantmaps — at least 4 feet by 5 feet — of boththe reading room and the stacks wereposted so patrons could locate the library’smaterials and resources. But as time wenton, the maps became out of date.

I came up with a plan to recreate themap and keep it current during the reclassand shift. This was long before the Macwas invented, and personal computing,especially of a graphic nature, had not yetbeen developed. Using black line tape, I drew new maps of the reading room andthe stacks with no location or call numberinformation on them and had themenlarged for about $45. Then I used ourKroy labeling machine to write out callnumbers, location codes and materialsdescriptions that I could tape on to themaps. When something was moved and/orreclassed, I simply ripped off the old tapeand pasted a new label on the map. So Iwas able to keep the map current as wereclassed and moved the collection.

After I left that job for my currentone, I received a phone call from someone at my previous library. No onehad updated the map since I left. Acommercial graphics firm had given thema price estimate of $10,000 to create new, updated maps, and the library wasreluctant to spend that much. I said I’d behappy to show them my technique for

keeping the current map up to date. Theyinsisted on paying me $200 for my help,because I was saving the library a lot ofmoney.

I hadn’t thought about that for a while until I was solicited for a law schoolclass 10-year gift. As a reference librarian,I didn’t think I could really contribute atthe same level as some of my classmateswho had more lucrative jobs. Then Iremembered the maps and suggested theylook into whether or not our class can get credit for my recent contribution ofservices in the amount of $9,800. I don’tthink they counted it in the class total,but I think they did include it in one oftheir fund-raising letters.

Do you know of an instance when yousaved your library or parent institution asignificant amount of money? How aboutthe time when the fact you found won thecase: How much were the attorneys’ fees onthat award again? How about the time youand a lawyer tried to research the same thingon a commercial service and you found theanswer with $200 worth of searches whilethe attorney spent $10,000? You think I’m making this up? I know of a courtadministrator who gave his secretary apassword to a commercial system and askedher to retrieve some documents for him.When she finally called the library for help,she had already run up a $32,000 bill. Andthe librarians actually knew how to get thesame information without charge. Thelibrarians worked with the online vendor to eliminate the huge bill in return for amutually favorable contract for future usage.

If you think about it, I’d bet there is a time when someone provided you withthe ability to see the price tag for yourservices not at the markdown rate we arepaid, but at the rate someone else wouldhave charged. When you do, could you send them to the Public RelationsCommittee for its collection of successstories? The committee promises not todivulge specific names or embarrassingfacts beyond the type of library, theactivities performed, the amount saved,and how we know the real price tag. Sendthem to Raquel Ortiz at [email protected] use the Web link at the AALLNETPublic Relations Committee page.

Joan Shear ([email protected]) is a legal information librarian at BostonCollege Law Library in Newton, Mass.

Could I SeeThat Price Tag

Again?by Joan Shear

© 2002 Joan Shear

public relations


Tips for Succeeding - continued from page 25

The speakers could have mentioned a few more importantitems to make this already-strong program even better. Theycould have acknowledged the need to make tutorials accessibleto sight-impaired users. (See program J-1: “Creating BetterConnections: Access to Web Site Content for the Sight-Impaired.”) I would have also preferred that the speakerssuggest books and articles that could help librarians createonline tutorials or point out other successful online tutorialsfrom other academic institutions. Nonetheless, these veryminor shortcomings were easily offset by the speakers’successful blueprint and their varied and poignant insights. The loud and sustained applause at the end of this well-attended program was definitely merited.

The specific tutorials discussed during the program can be found at http://www.ll.georgetown.edu/tutorials.

Peter A. Hook ([email protected]) is the electronic serviceslibrarian at Indiana University School of Law in Bloomington.

Speakers Provide Blueprint - continued from page 10

A quick guide to the program-planning process for the AALLAnnual Meeting is available at http://www.aallnet.org/events/am_03/03_proposer_glance.asp. If you do become involved inprogramming, make certain that you first have the approval of your supervisor because it can require a considerablecommitment of time, both on and off the job. The extra timespent in planning or presenting a program is well-rewarded,however. You will expand your professional contacts and raiseyour stature among colleagues at your institution. Theheightened visibility you receive from a program often leads toopportunities for publication or additional presentations.

Do you have publication ideas? If public speaking orconference organizing is not for you, then try to write forpublication. Writing is challenging and takes considerable time,but you will make a lasting contribution that will earn yourecognition by your colleagues. Are you interested in writingbut don’t know how or where to begin? Consult the July 2002issue of AALL Spectrum at http://www.aallnet.org/products/pub_sp0207.pdf for insight into the writing process.

Know You Are Succeeding It would be nice to know when you finally have arrived as afully developed law librarian, wouldn’t it? After a few years inthe profession, you will be more confident of yourself. Otherlaw librarians will take notice and you will begin to advancealong the promotion ladder. These will be the most obviousreflections of your success. However, you will never really finishyour career development. Look around you. You will see thateven your most “seasoned” colleagues continue to engage inthese very practices that help newer law librarians.

Suzanne Thorpe ([email protected]) is associate director forfaculty, research and instructional services at the University of Minnesota Law Library in Minneapolis.

BNA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5Canada Law Book. . . . . . . . 31Court Express . . . . . . . . . . . . 9Global Securities . . . . . . . . . 13InterLingua. . . . . . . . . . . . . 32Law.com . . . . . inside back cover

LexisNexis™ . . inside front coverMergent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11Want Publishing . . . . . . . . . 29West . . . . . . . . . . . 3, back coverWisconsin TechSearch . . . . . 23

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The following individualshave contributed to any oneor more of the GovernmentAffairs Fund, Grants Fund,Memorial Fund, George A.Strait Minority Scholarship,

Research Endowment Fundand the Scholarship Fund.

Individual Susan AdamczakJessica AlexanderCarol Avery NicholsonJoan AxelrothMargaret Maes AxtmannRhea Ballard-ThrowerEdward BanderDelores BanksEvelyn BeardAlice BellIrene BerkeyCarol BillingsBarbara A. BintliffJohn BissettBennie BraxtonRuth BridgesTracey BridgmanMartha BrownSue Burch

Marguerite ButlerKathy CarlsonNancy CarterPatricia CervenkaYvonne ChandlerKay CollinsElmo DattaloBecky DavisLinda DavisEdna DixonKaren DouglasShelley DowlingFrancis DoyleFrank DrakeJames DugganJack EllenbergerVictor EssienKathryn FitzhughKristin GerdyCarol GrantPamela GregoryKarl GrubenBalfour Halevy

James HambletonKathy HamptonJames HellerRuth HillJean HolcombSally HolterhoffMary HotchkissFrank HoudekDeborah JefferiesJanis L. JohnstonLesliediana JonesDwight KingIris LeeSusan LevinkindAnne MatthewmanJoyce McCray PearsonAnne McDonaldGrace MillsEugenia MinorBarbara MonroeMarguerite MostAllen MoyeRobert Oakley

Roger H. ParentAlvin Podboy Jr.Ann PuckettJune RenieMary RooneyCynthia RuffinTatana SahanekMichael Saint-OngeSusan SiebersCheryl Smith CheathamRichard SpinelliMaryruth StorerCossette SunSusan TulisGretchen Van DamJane WalshMary WhisnerEmma WilliamsLinda Wood

announcementsAALL Says Thank YouThe American Association of Law Libraries would like to thank the following contributors for their support of AALL and its activities,including the 2002 AALL Annual Meeting and Conference.

Helen Marie Burns, a former law librarian at the FederalReserve in New York City, died on May 17. In her will, she bequeathed the generous sum of $5,000 to AALL. The Association extends its condolences and gratitude to Ms. Burns’ family.

memorial

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