Thursday, September 8, 2005
Hurricane Katrina
Thanks to the good services of Executive Board member Kathie Sullivan, we have established a web log (blog) to keep track of our members affected by Hurricane Katrina. If you have information you wish to share with your colleagues, visit AALL LawLibAssist. The generosity of our members speaks volumes about the strength of the law librarian community and about how much we care about and for one another in times of crisis.
As President Claire Germain said in her recent From the Desk Of, "We need everyone's help in brainstorming on how best we as an association can help and partner with others. We are waiting to let our colleagues tell us what they need most once they are able to return to their institutions -- which at this point appears to be months from now."
A number of you have asked about the status of our 2007 Annual Meeting slated for New Orleans. At this point we are in a wait and see mode. We need to gather more information before making a decision. Yesterday we received a communiqu from the New Orleans Metropolitan Convention and Visitors Bureau that conveyed the great spirit and optimism of this great city. J. Stephen Perry, President/CEO of the bureau, said:
"Though we will be down for a period, there is a sense already forming among our leaders and the people that we will successfully be able to preserve all of those things which have made us world famous and that we will be able to rebuild an even more welcoming, vibrant city in which to live, work, and do business. It will require all of us to unite. The work will be hard but gratifying. The challenges are immense. We are up to the task."
In the coming weeks we will assess our 2007 meeting with the strong hope that we will be able to return to a revitalized New Orleans. We will keep you apprised as our decision making evolves.
Meanwhile, to all our colleagues in and from the Gulf our hearts are with you. Do not be shy about asking for what you need. Your law librarian colleagues are eager to help.
NELLCO to Serve as Book Donation Information Clearing House for Hurricane Relief
Tracy L. Thompson, Executive Director of the New England Law Library Consortium (NELLCO), recently said,
"In the aftermath of Katrina, so many in our profession are seeking some way to help our colleagues who have been devastated by this disaster. Many libraries are offering donations of print resources to the affected libraries. Obviously, the affected libraries are not in a position to receive or even consider donations at this time. However, in due time these donations will be welcome as our colleagues begin assessing their needs. In an effort to coordinate these offers NELLCO has established a site to collect the information on your generous offers, which will be disseminated to those law libraries in need when they are back in a position to begin to rebuild their collections. If you have books or other print materials to offer please complete this form."
AALL and SLA Collaborate on Virtual Seminar "Shrink-wrap and Click-wrap Licenses"
On September 28, 2005, AALL and the Special Libraries Association (SLA) are collaborating to present a virtual seminar on "Shrink-wrap and Click-wrap Licenses." This seminar will address non-negotiated license agreements and will provide an introductory framework to understand the legal concepts basic to licensing; a walk-through review of a shrink-wrap license, and the implications of key standard form terms that affect libraries. Details and registration information can be found here.
AALL Online Elections Coming Up
Remember that the AALL election schedule changed last year and we will now hold elections in November via electronic ballot. Members who wish to receive a paper ballot may do so upon request to Gina Bordelon, Membership Services Assistant, 312-939-4764, ext. 12, by October 10.
Here is the election schedule:
October 9: Deadline for petition candidates at AALL.
November 1: Ballots distributed electronically to all voting members.
December 1: Deadline for receipt of electronic ballots at AALL. Ballots will be tabulated at AALL and the results will be announced immediately.
The slate of candidates can be found here, and we will post the candidate biographies and statements on AALLNET in the near future.
Vote for Your Favorite Photos!
The "Day in the Life of the Law Library Community" photo contest is in the final stage of judging. Members of the AALL Public Relations Committee have narrowed down the nearly 200 entries to the top five in each category, and September 12-26 you will have the chance to vote for your favorite photos. AALL members will choose the best photo in each category and one best overall photo. Starting September 12 you will be able to login from the homepage with your AALLNET members-only e-mail and password. Please note that you will only be able to vote once.
"Day in the Life of the Law Library Community," sponsored by the AALL Public Relations Committee, is nation-wide photo contest to document law librarians working, meeting, teaching, and doing all that law librarians do in a given work week. Winners will be recognized in fall 2005 on AALLNET, in the December 2005 issue of AALL Spectrum, and during the 2006 AALL Annual Meeting in St. Louis.
Please send any questions or comments to Public Relations Committee Chair Phill Johnson.
New Mentoring Service Provides Professional Guidance
Do you need professional guidance? Sooner or later, all law librarians do. Try the Mentoring Committee's new Quick Mentor service which is available from the Mentoring Committee's web page.
The Mentoring Committee has assembled a pool of experienced law librarians who will respond to AALL members' requests for professional guidance. AALL members can submit requests for guidance using a web form that allows members to specify characteristics of the responding "expert," such as areas of expertise, type of library, gender, race, and sexual orientation. The web form also offers the option of anonymity.
If you are interested in serving as a volunteer "expert," contact Mentoring Committee Member Gregory Ivy.
Professional Legal Management Week is Almost Here!
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The first annual Professional Legal Management Week (PLMW) takes place October 3 - 7 this year. PLMW provides a forum for recognizing professionals in legal management for what they do and the role they play in the success of the organization, in its service to its clients and to those who work in the organization.
The objectives of Professional Legal Management Week are to provide awareness, understanding and education about the legal management profession, and to increase knowledge of the diverse roles within the profession.
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As John J. Michalik, Executive Director of the Association of Legal Administrators, said,
"Professional Legal Management Week is about awareness, understanding, education, and recognition. It is about conveying what men and women in the legal management profession do on a daily basis. It is an opportunity for education and for increasing the management understanding and business savvy of everyone in the organization..."
If you are interested in promoting Professional Legal Management Week in your place of work, you can find a tool kit and other resources at the PLMW web site.
Global Library Association Development Programme (GLAD)
As part of its efforts to improve library associations around the world, the International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA) has created the Global Library Association Development Programme (GLAD).
GLAD is designed to strengthen the individual leadership skills and competencies of library association officers to effectively operate library associations through a 3-year peer to peer mentor-mentee program.
GLAD will focus on meeting individual needs, identifying and applying professionally appropriate collaboration styles, and promoting professional growth.
If you would like to help a peer develop skills and competencies to effectively run a library association, visit the GLAD web site for more information.
Sincerely,
Susan E. Fox, CAE
Executive Director