If you are a newer law librarian attending the AALL Annual Meeting this year, take advantage of programs designed just for you. The Conference of Newer Law Librarians (CONELL) and Convocation of Newer Academic Law Librarians (CONALL) are both worthwhile events for first-time annual meeting attendees. The AALL Mentoring Project is another rewarding program for newer AALL members. These programs are worth fitting in to your undoubtedly busy schedule in St. Louis.
Attending CONELL at the San Antonio meeting in 2005 was made possible for me thanks to the ALL-SIS CONELL grant. As a newer law librarian, this daylong program allows the opportunity to meet peers, learn about AALL directly from the association’s leaders, and gather helpful tips to get you through the early years as a law librarian. In San Antonio, speakers Paul Healey and Frank Houdek described their respective publications, AALL Spectrum and Law Library Journal, and presented strategies for developing submissions to such law librarian publications. Break out sessions allowed CONELL attendees to learn about AALL committees and fellow attendees; a simple introduction of where you are from and where you will work provides an amazing connection throughout the rest of the conference. The small group setting of the conference, plus the optional trip at the end of the day (ours was to The Alamo), provides a pleasant introduction to the annual meeting and its host city.
The benefits from attending CONELL also last long after the meeting. Based on the short introductions and obligatory exchange of business cards, I have contacted colleagues when I need help and others reciprocate; we also flag each other down at recent conferences to catch up. Following the advice of Mr. Healey and Mr. Houdek, I have been unafraid to submit proposals to editors of publications in our field. Without CONELL, I may not have ventured into professional activities so soon. For this and other reasons you may discover, the Saturday conference is worth considering.
Another event at the annual meeting designed for you is CONALL, which is conducted by ALL-SIS. Attending CONALL at the Boston meeting in 2004 allowed most new academic law librarians in my hiring class to meet one another. The convocation provides a couple hours of introduction to the SIS, as well as an opportunity to put names with faces and find out who got those jobs you applied for during the previous year. That latter point is indulgent, but you must be curious, no?
To round out your annual meeting experience, new law librarians can also participate in the AALL Mentoring Project. The committee in charge of the project matches your profile and interests with that of a seasoned law librarian, providing an opportunity to build a relationship your very own mentor. The match may be based on a position or specialty to which you aspire, geography, or a number of other personal and professional characteristics. The introduction to a mentor at the annual meeting is also a good way to network at various functions - which I was able to do last year thanks to my mentor at the San Antonio events - and your relationship can continue beyond the days spent at the annual meeting. A mentor outside your institution can be helpful when you are dealing with issues at your library or are considering a change in your professional life.
The AALL Annual Meeting provides several excellent opportunities for newer librarians to get a jumpstart on your professional development. But how do you do all of this and stay invigorated throughout the rest of the meeting? I am sure you will receive plenty of sound advice during CONELL and CONALL, and from your mentor, so register for those programs prior to their respective deadlines. With AALL’s centennial as a focus for the St. Louis meeting, I anticipate the programs will be stimulating for us as newer members, reflecting on the past to build an even stronger profession for our future.