by Margareta Horiba
Tulane University Law Library
The magnolias are blooming outside my window and the campus radiates with fresh greenery and new suntans, and peppy sophomores are guiding tours showing off Tulane at its best to yet another brood of prospective freshmen and their parents.
The better part of a year has breezed by since I took over as Chair and it has been my privilege to serve. With the steady support of committed and hard-working members it has been much less of a burden than I anticipated. Marci Hoffman has provided feedback on the program selection process and taken on another year heading our program committee with a co-chair. Anne Burnett has created the FCIL SIS homepage linked to AALLNET. Ken Rudolf has given us a good name and a good face with the newsletter. Bill McCloy is my constant backup support and my successor. Thanks to all of you and many others that I am in touch with. A most deserving person is Anne Myers, the SIS Council chair, who is prompting and cajoling responses from us chairs, holding us to deadlines, and keeping us up-to-date on issues facing the SISs.
I will briefly let you know of two new documents that have been circulated. The one that affects our SIS the most is the Program Planner's Handbook, a 36-page document from the Annual Meeting Program Selection Committee outlining procedures in detail. Marci has more to say about it in another section of this newsletter. It looks as if we are in for a change at the Anaheim meeting. The programs will center around four topics—management, information, technology, and law—with a keynote speaker leading off on one of these topics each day. There will be programs of different lengths and no guaranteed slots. We have to compete on the strength of the programs proposed. How this will be interpreted and played out, of course, remains to be seen.
The other document is an impressive Strategic Plan 1997-2000 developed by the Private Law Libraries SIS. It is interesting and edifying to read how they are trying to see the future and establish continuity and direction. I will share with you their five vision statements. Our membership is a cross section of all law librarians and I am sure we can chime in here. "1. A population of private law librarians who will continue to be competent, viable, professional leaders within the private setting. 2. Employers in private settings will understand the complexity of the legal information environment and the value of law librarians. 3. Law librarians will be a powerful force in shaping publishers' products and services. 4. PLL members will be cutting-edge leaders of the profession within AALL and related organizations. 5. Law librarians will lead balanced and satisfying professional and personal lives."
Finally I invite you to all the FCIL meetings in Baltimore and especially to the Annual Business Meeting Tuesday, July 22, at 5:15, when we will have a reception and honor new members and attendees from abroad. . . . See you there!
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