AALL GATEWAY

Exhibit Hall Drawings: Monday & Tuesday

2006-07-18T08:21:00.000-07:00

Paul Graller and Sally Holterhoff once again gave away goodies on Monday, July 10 and Tuesday, July 11, at the Annual Meeting Exhibit Hall Drawing. From almost 1000 entries, a few lucky winners are going home with prizes. Cheryl Niemeier (Bose McKinney & Evans LLP, Indianapolis, IN) and Roger Skalbeck (George Mason University School of Law Library, Arlington, VA) both won an Amazon gift card. Melanie Sims (Louisiana State University, Paul M. Hebert Law Center Library, Baton Rouge, LA) took home a AMEX gift card. Marian F. Parker (Wake Forest University Professional Center Library, Winston-Salem, NC) won a Palm PDA. Wadad Giles (North Carolina Central University School of Law Library, Durham, NC); James P. Walsh (Mercer University Law Library, Macon, GA); Herbert E. Cihak (University of Arkansas School of Law, Young Law Library, Fayetteville, AR) and Edward L. Craig, Jr.(Cumberland School of Law Library, Samford University, Birmingham, AL) took home iPod Shuffles. Margaret Maes Axtmann (University of St. Thomas, Schoenecker Law Library, Minneapolis, MN) and Jennifer Alexander (Nixon Peabody LLP, New York, NY) were the winners of the Nikon digital cameras. Ann H. Jeter (Jackson Walker, LLP, Dallas, TX) and Ted Smith (North Dakota Supreme Court Law Library, Bismarck, ND) both won Dell laptop computers.

Posted for Astrid Emel.

Rise to the Challenge: AALL in New Orleans, 2007

2006-07-14T07:04:00.000-07:00

By Brian Huddleston, Loyola University New Orleans College of Law

AALL has had its annual meeting in New Orleans twice before, first in 1932 and again in 1991. New Orleans holds a singular position in the consciousness of our nation as an exotic, foreign destination located right here on American soil. New Orleans is in the South, but not of the South; it is in the United States but is unique among American cities in countless ways. The food, music, and architecture in New Orleans all reflect the diverse cultural influences that have been mixed together during our city's history. The allure of New Orleans is well expressed in many song lyrics such as this one from Tom Waits:

Well I wish I was in New Orleans
I can see it in my dreams
Arm in arm down Burgundy
A bottle and my friends and me

Typically, little effort is required to entice people to visit our city. But nothing is typical in New Orleans these days. In the sheer size of urban destruction our recent catastrophe is second only to the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. Almost a year later, hundreds of neighborhoods are still ghost towns and thousands of damaged houses and buildings still wait to be cleaned up or hauled off.

The French Quarter, uptown, the business district, all the parts of the city built on the high ground along the river escaped the flooding. This "sliver on the river" has now returned to a somewhat normally functioning city, and if you stay in these areas you can walk around and almost forget what happened (when we also call this the "Isle of Denial" we're only half-joking.)

All of us in New Orleans can only inadequately express in words the appreciation we have for our fellow law librarians who helped our two law schools, our law firms, and our court libraries, both with your offers of assistance and your words of sympathy and encouragement. We also know many of you contributed personally to the overwhelming charitable response that the nation, and the world, provided in the aftermath of the hurricane. For that we also can only make do with a heartfelt thank you.

In June, the ALA successfully brought back large-scale conferences to New Orleans. Eighteen thousand librarians attended the ALA Annual Conference and the city was more than ready for them. It was a resounding success and was even a top news story. Our appreciation of their commitment to retain their planned venue is second only to our appreciation of AALL's similar commitment to again meet here in 2007.

A more recent lyrical tribute was paid to us at this year's New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. As unlikely as Bruce Springsteen may have been for this annual centerpiece of our city's musical life, his recent incarnation as a re-interpreter of good time "hootenanny" folk music fit in perfectly, and his performance was a milestone in the on-going processes of our healing and recovery. He concluded his otherwise rousing, foot-stomping set with a haunting, prayerful acoustic version of "When the Saints Go Marching In" and included two lesser known verses of this New Orleans standard:

We are all traveling in the footsteps
Of those that come before
And we'll all be reunited
On that new and sunlit shore

Now some say this world of trouble
Is the only world we'll ever see
But I'm waiting for that morning
When the new world is revealed

Please come to New Orleans and help us to continue finding the new world of our rebuilding. Come to AALL in 2007 and bring your spouses, partners, and families. Come early or stay an extra day to enjoy all we have to offer. Come eat our po-boys, buy some beads, get a beer and walk with it through the centuries-old streets of the French Quarter. Have a cool and refreshing Pimm's Cup at the Napoleon House to help beat the heat. Bayona, Peristyle and many others of the city's best restaurants are open, and you can be assured of having a great meal, or several great meals. Just ask one of us locals next summer for our best recommendations.

Music of every variety can be heard every night at dozens of clubs. Some of our city's musicians lost everything and have permanently relocated elsewhere, but many are back and some that can't return still stop in town while on tour. From national acts at the House of Blues to musicians who play mainly on the streets of the French Quarter, there's always good music to be found in New Orleans. Again, ask us for our personal favorites.

The Audubon Zoo and the Aquarium of the Americas are both open, and the John James Audubon Riverboat has resumed river cruises between these two venues. The New Orleans Museum of Art and the Smithsonian-affiliated Ogden Museum of Southern Art both survived the hurricane intact and offer world-renowned collections. The National World War II Museum (formerly the D-Day Museum) has repaired its damage, re-opened, and continues to serve as the nation's premiere tribute to the Greatest Generation. And these are just a few examples of what is available to see and do in New Orleans. More attractions, restaurants, and businesses are re-opening all the time.

People are capable of things they never thought they could do and hardships can only make us grow stronger. We're rising to the challenge and hope that you can come see our progress and enjoy another great Annual Meeting in New Orleans in 2007.

See you next year in New Orleans

2006-07-13T14:08:00.000-07:00

Beginning AALL's 2nd Century--Rise to the Challenge!

2006-07-12T15:43:00.000-07:00

By Sally Holterhoff, AALL President-Elect

It has been great to gather with colleagues here in St. Louis the past few days—to learn about issues confronting our profession, to network with friends old and new, and to celebrate a landmark anniversary for AALL. Congratulations to all who have worked so hard to make this Annual Meeting an especially memorable one.

Even as our time here draws to a close, plans are already well underway for next year, when we will be heading to New Orleans to hold the 100th AALL Annual Meeting, with the theme “Rise to the Challenge.” This theme reflects the spirit that has enabled the people of our host city of New Orleans to survive a disastrous storm and its aftermath and to begin the process of rebuilding for a brighter future. Their example serves as an inspiration for us, both individually and collectively.

As an association at the start of our second century, AALL's reliance on the energy and creativity of its members has never been more important. Having the capacity and motivation to rise to the challenge in our work lives is part of being a professional. Rising means looking ahead, anticipating new developments, taking the lead in areas where we are the real experts, and standing up to make ourselves heard. Through the next twelve months, culminating with our meeting dates of July 14-17, 2007, I hope to focus attention on the challenges we're all facing in our work lives, in our association, and in our profession—and what we can do to confront them successfully.

One way that AALL is responding to the needs of our members and their busy professional lives is to adopt a new, condensed format for future Annual Meetings. Starting with 2007, the length of the meeting will be four days (Saturday through Tuesday), rather than five days, as has been our previous schedule. The AALL Executive Board made this decision over a year ago, after much study and in response to suggestions and comments from all sectors of AALL membership, and following a growing trend in the planning of professional meetings.

I can assure you that in the new format we've found a way to include our usual number of slots for educational programs, as well as plenty of time for networking with colleagues and exhibit hall visits. Highlights will include an opening event on Saturday night, an opening session with keynote speaker on Sunday morning, and educational programs during the day on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday. Two events being eliminated are the Association Luncheon and the second AALL Business Meeting. The Exhibit Hall will close Tuesday afternoon and the Closing Banquet will take place on Tuesday night. A schedule for the new streamlined meeting has been developed and will be available on AALLNET soon.

Besides the planning for these changes in the next Annual Meeting, I have set in motion some other activities for the coming year, focusing on the key areas of education, leadership, and advocacy which are identified in the AALL Strategic Directions 2005-2010.

An important area of attention for the coming year is AALL's new Continuing Professional Education program, which reflects many of the ideas generated at the Education Summit we convened last September. A Special Committee on Continuing Professional Education, chaired by Carole Hinchcliff, has already begun working with our recently-hired AALL Education Manager Celeste Smith. One aspect of the committee's work will be evaluating requests and awarding grant funding for educational programs to be held outside the annual meeting which are proposed by chapters, SISs or individual AALL members.

To support and maintain the leadership value of our AALL committee work, I have appointed a Special Committee on AALL Committee Structure. This committee, chaired by Karl Gruben, will be reviewing the current framework of standing committees of the Association and making recommendations to the Executive Board concerning what committees we need for effective operation of AALL in the future.

The Special Committee on Pro Bono Partnerships, a third new group for 2006-07, will focus on cooperative efforts between law librarians and other providers of pro bono legal assistance. Led by Chair Sara Galligan, this committee will be exploring ways to promote and expand these efforts and encourage more AALL chapters and local law libraries to become involved.

In the area of advocacy, we are in the early stages of planning an Advocacy Summit, to be held in Spring 2007. This event will be the second summit AALL has convened to focus on one of our Strategic Directions. This summit will likely focus on a specific advocacy issue and more details will be available soon.

I am so pleased and honored to have the opportunity to serve as AALL President for 2006-07. I am excited about the prospect of working more closely with many of the smart, talented, and dedicated individuals who make up the membership of this association. I'll do my very best to make the coming year a great one for all of us in AALL and I look forward to seeing you next July in New Orleans!

ALL-SIS Presents Frederick Charles Hicks Award to Roger Jacobs

2006-07-12T05:32:00.000-07:00

Tuesday evening the Academic Law Libraries SIS presented its Frederick Charles Hicks Award to Roger F. Jacobs at the annual section reception at the Washington University School of Law.

Professor Jacobs recently retired as Associate Dean and Director of the Kresge Law Library at the Notre Dame Law School. Professor Jacobs was at Notre Dame for 21 years. From 1978-1985, Professor Jacobs served as Librarian of the Supreme Court of the United States. He was also the founding law librarian at the University of Windsor and the Southern Illinois University.

Professor Jacobs is past-president of both the American Association of Law Libraries (1981-1982) and the Canadian Association of Law Libraries (1971-1973) as well as the founding president of the Mid-America Association of Law Libraries (1974-1976). He has served on over 25 American Bar Association site evaluation teams and as a consultant to more than 10 law schools. He has been an extremely active member of AALL for more than 40 years, and he has been a frequent speaker on a wide range of law library issues.

During Professor Jacobs' tenure at Notre Dame, he established and directed a law library staff known for delivering outstanding service to all patrons while also building a strong collection. Because of his sustained service to academic law librarianship, Roger Jacobs is a most deserving recipient of the Frederick Charles Hicks Award.

Ed Edmonds, Chair, ALL-SIS Awards Committee

Stitches in Time and Quiet Pursuits

2006-07-11T22:11:00.000-07:00

Today was the second meeting of the Knitting Group organized by Joanne Dugan of the University of Baltimore Law Library. I believe the group formalized last year and this year scheduled two meetings in the exhibit hall where the tables for talking and eating were located. I stopped by there this afternoon to sit down for a few quiet moments and to say hi (I'd told my mother about the group and she was there right next to Joanne.) Everyone was talking about interesting yarns they used, sources of patterns, and even books! I'd seen an ad for Knitting Rules! : The Yarn Harlot's Bag of Knitting Tricks by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee in some magazine and the knitters were talking about it today. The author is a knitter but also a humorist by avocation. In fact, she maintains a blog and website about knitting and her observations.

So just as there are informal groups of librarian dancers, librarian baseball fans and who knows what else, there are librarian knitters. Next year maybe someone will propose a program on The Law of Hobbies.

Nightly Wrapup Podcasts at CTO!

2006-07-11T09:35:00.000-07:00

Each night of the conference, I have been getting together with some friends to podcast a wrapup of the day's highlights. The CTO! Nightly Wrapup team consists of Kris Niedringhaus, Connie Crosby, Ken Hirsh, June Liebert, Hollie White, and Nancy Babb. We've been talking about the educational programs and committee meetings we've attended, the parties and luncheons, and anything else that grabs us. If you weren't lucky enough to come to St. Louis, have a listen to Check This Out! at http://cto.libsyn.com; if you were here, listen in for some fun, casual talk about the conference highlights. Find out about Dancin' Ken and why the catalogers' programs are overflowing!

AALLUNY, LLAGNY, NJLLA Joint Reception

2006-07-11T07:37:00.000-07:00

This evening, July 11, Dialog is sponsoring the AALLUNY, LLAGNY, NJLLA Annual Joint Chapter Reception at the Renaissance Grand Hotel. (6:30 - 8:30). This year's reception serves as a "Kick-Off" Event for the 2007 NorthEast Regional Law Libraries Meeting to be held in Toronto October 17-20, 2007.

See DIALOG Helps ALLUNY, LLAGNY, and NJLLA Kick Off 4th NorthEast Regional Law Libraries Meeting.

New Orleans 2007 Open Forum

2006-07-11T03:12:00.000-07:00

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Proposing a Successful Program Meet the 2007 Annual Meeting Program Committee and get your questions about proposing programs for New Orleans answered. Today, 11:45 AM, America's Center Room 262. See you there!

PLANNING FOR THE 2007 AALL ANNUAL MEETING IN NEW ORLEANS

2006-07-11T02:47:00.000-07:00

Join us at the TS-SIS Education Committee Meeting
Tuesday, July 11, 2006, 11:45 AM-1:00 pm
America 's Center, Room 125

Overview

While it may seem way too earlier to think about AALL in 2007, we need to plan now due to the very short time-frame for submitting program ideas after the 2006 Annual meeting. We have lots of flexibility to propose learning opportunities that are important to us, but we need your ideas! If you would like TS-SIS to consider sponsoring your program, please read on …

Theme

The theme for the 2007 meeting in New Orleans is “Rise to the Challenge.” See the incoming 2006/07 AALL President Sarah (Sally) Holterhoff's description at: http://www.aallnet.org/press/ftdo_sally_holterhoff_050106.asp

Deadline if Requesting TS-SIS Sponsorship

Final deadline for submitting your program, workshop or topic to the TS-SIS Education Committee is Friday, August 4, 2006, 5:00 pm PDT.

Process

All TS-SIS Education Committee members are available to assist you. We are open to collaborating with other SIS's or committees. And don't limit your presentation to the traditional 3 talking-head panels. See page 18 in the Handbook for alternative presentation formats.

Refer to the Program Planners Handbook for more information at: http://www.aallnet.org/events/ProgramPlannersHandbook.pdf
Beginning on p. 32 of the Handbook are step-by-step guidelines for using the online web site to create your proposal. See http://proposals.aallnet.org/
You do not need to complete your proposal in one session. You can save your work in progress and log back in as many times as needed to complete your proposal.
If you are seeking TS-SIS sponsorship, identify TS-SIS as the sponsor (or co-sponsor).
When you have completed your proposal, enter both the TS-SIS Education Committee e-mail address: ts-education@aallnet.org and Rhonda Lawrence's e-mail address: lawrence@law.ucla.edu. Next, when you are ready to share it with the TS-SIS Education Committee, click on the button that says “Share.” Your proposal will then be automatically sent to TS-SIS Education Committee and to Rhonda Lawrence to review.
IMPORTANT: Do not click on the “Submit Proposal” button until you have heard from the TS-SIS Education Committee. If you click on the “Submit Proposal” button, the proposal goes directly to AMPC and you will no longer be able to revise it.

When will TS-SIS notify people about sponsorship?

We will notify everyone who has submitted a proposal to TS-SIS no later than Thursday August 10, 2006, whether we will sponsor your program. Individuals may choose to submit any programs to directly AMPC they like without our sponsorship.

Plan to attend the TS-SIS Education Committee meeting, Tuesday, July 11, 2006 from 11:45 AM-1:00 pm, in America's Center, Room 125.

TS-SIS 2006/07 Education Committee Members

Rhonda Lawrence, 2006/07 TS-SIS Chair & Education Committee Chair, UCLA Law Library, lawrence@law.ucla.edu
Alan Keely, TS -SIS 2006/07 Vice-Chair, Wake Forest University keely@wfu.edu
Ajaye B. loomstone, Acquisitions Committee Chair, Louisiana State Law Library, llajaye@lsu.edu
Jean Pajerek, Cataloging & Classification Committee Chair, Cornell Law Library, jmp8@cornell.edu
Patricia Turpening, Preservation Committee Chair, BookloverConsulting@yahoo.com
Carol Nicholson, Serials Standing Committee Chair, UNC Chapel Hill carol_nicholson@unc.edu
Cindy Buhi, Tech Services Librarian, Washington State Attorney General cindyb3@atg.wa.gov
Jolande E. Goldberg, Senior Cataloging Policy Specialist, Library of Congress, jgol@loc.gov
Jim Mumm, Acquisitions/Serials Librarian, Marquette University Law Library jim.mumm@marquette.edu
Teresa A. Parker-Bellamy, Head, Bibliographic Services Dept., Regent University Law Library, terepar@regent.edu
Paula Tejeda, Associate Law Librarian, Sol Blatt Jr. Law Library, Charleston School of Law, ptejeda@charlestonlaw.org

Not all fun and games: Committee work

2006-07-10T21:56:00.000-07:00

Contrary to what some employers may think, AALL conferences are a lot of work. When I am leaving for one of these meetings I'm told "have a nice vacation." I am quick to tell people there is no vacation included in my absence. Sure, I go to fun events in the evenings and I see a lot of friends and colleagues and get caught up on their lives, but the major work of the association is on the schedule for these few days.

I dared not to count how many committee meetings there were this year. Suffice it to say, between SIS groups, Chapters, Task Forces and what have you, there are many more meetings.

Often the meetings (as opposed to educational programs) are held at 7:00 and 5:00. A few other times are scatterd throughout the day with the revamped scheduling. But someone is still meeting at the crack of dawn. Ok, I exaggerate. But it's early.

Pictured is Phill Johnson, Chair of the Public Relations Committee, at his early morning meeting today.

The Aging of the Profession

2006-07-10T21:21:00.000-07:00

As an association we've been talking about the aging of our profession, recruiting new librarians, and the GenX-Gen Y factor.

The truest measure of the Age Factor is how your feet feel at night after a long day trudging to meetings and standing in the exhibit hall listening to vendors tell you about their new products. Believe me, I want to hear about the new products; but when I can't feel my toes, I have a problem and an immediate need to keep on walking.

And then the second wind arrives and I feel a bit freshened and can manage to get to the evening's events and relax, have a drink, have some food, and see people I hadn't run into thus far. My feet are still hurting and I can't wait to get to bed. I have to remember, the day was long, busy, I talked to a lot of people, got a lot of business done, and maybe my feet will recover in time to do it all again.

Pictured are standard packing items for a conference. Gen X-Y, take note!

Legal Historian Honored at Association Luncheon

2006-07-10T19:35:00.000-07:00

By Matt Braun

The importance and joy of law librarian scholarship and its influence on the profession were celebrated in front of a large contingency of AALL members and distinguished guests at the Association Luncheon on Monday afternoon.

Christopher T. Anglim, the History, Collection Development, Government Documents, and Periodicals Librarian at the John B. Coleman Library at Prairie View A&M University in Texas, received the 2006 Joseph L. Andrews Bibliographical Award at the luncheon for his book, Joined in Common Enterprise: A Bibliography on the Origins of Early Anglo-American Partnership Law.

Anglim, whose book was published by Hein, told the luncheon attendees that his work developed out of a strong belief that historical perspective is crucial to any study of law. He also emphasized how key AALL is to encouraging and rewarding various types of legal scholarship by librarians; and in affording law librarians a unified voice to advance the profession. Finally, he called upon the association members to use scholarship and other means to inform law library constituents as to what librarians do on a daily basis; and how important our profession is in facilitating and preserving access to vital information.

To illustrate this point, Anglim recalled an encounter that he had with a stranger at an Austin, Texas eatery where the stranger asked Anglim what it is that he did for a living. When Anglim responded that he was a law librarian, the stranger responded that it must be nice to spend all day just reading books in a quiet, idyllic setting. The stranger was none other than famous recluse and entrepreneur Howard Hughes. Thus, the importance of explaining the profession to
the masses, whether through the spoken or written word, became apparent.

Prior to Anglim’s address, AALL President Claire Germain recognized the work of the 2006 Annual Meeting Program Committee, the contributions of a variety of corporate donors to the association, and the presence of distinguished guests and VIPs from the St. Louis area, from across the United States, and from nations such as China, Egypt, France, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, Switzerland, Mexico, and Togo.

Family Social Hour

2006-07-10T19:31:00.000-07:00

By Carolyn Santanella
Smith Moore LLP
Greensboro, NC

Family Social Hour
City Museum
Saturday July 8th, 2006
4:00 to 6:00 pm

Bringing out the kid in all of us was a fantastic start to the 100th Celebration 2006 Annual Meeting of AALL for those members having family attend with them. Many families were able to enjoy climbing, crawling, squishing into tiny places, becoming active participants in circus performances and countless other “fun stuff” at the City Museum of St. Louis. Just a short walk away from the hub of AALL’s “grown-up” activities, the City Museum offered a marvelous respite of relaxation, wonder and adventure for AALL
members and their families. It was a grand time for all who were able to attend and one that will surely be remembered by young and old alike for many years to come. St. Louis event planners provided a wonderful time for the families attending this year’s event.

Exhibit Hall Opening Ceremony

2006-07-10T19:26:00.000-07:00

By Carolyn Santanella
Smith Moore LLP
Greensboro NC

Sunday, July 9, 9am: Madame President Claire Germain, with trumpet fanfare in true St. Louis, style (well, perhaps they were coronets?!) greeted the gathered attendees for this year’s 2006 Annual Meeting and Conference to officially open both the meeting and the exhibit hall to all. Ms. Germain cut the ceremonial ribbon to the Exhibit Hall that opened the floodgate of attendees to a record number of exhibitors for this year’s meeting. Attendees were greeted with a varied array of booths, exhibits and goodies as they entered. From the BNA exhibit of the annual meeting bags they have provided over the last number of years to West’s steamboat center and world tent, attendees will have a hard time seeing, listening and talking to each and every exhibitor and still find time to attend sessions!

PLL-SIS Breakfast and Business Meeting

2006-07-10T19:21:00.000-07:00

By Carolyn Santanella
Smith Moore LLP
Greensboro NC

President Terry Psarras opened this year’s PLL-SIS Breakfast and Business Meeting on Sunday, July 9 at 7am with his usual humor and good will. The meeting was well attended by the membership of PLL, which comprises nearly one-third of the total membership of AALL.

Mr. Psarras was thrilled to announce to the attendees that the PLL Toolkit has been completed and is now available via the PLL-SIS website to members. This project has been in the works for several years and has been eagerly anticipated by many. Congratulations to him and to the PLL Toolkit committee for their tireless efforts to bring this project to fruition!

Mr. Psarras introduced the new slate of officers for the 2006-2007 year as well as the various chairs of the committees and groups of PLL. The general business meeting was brief, with no major changes or announcements to bring to the group

Bloggers meeting

2006-07-10T12:28:00.000-07:00

Reminder! Bloggers informal meeting today at 5 p.m. at Kitchen K. Kitchen K is located a few blocks from the convention center on Washington Street. Just ask for the bloggers!

Faculty Services Roundtable: Developing Best Practices

2006-07-10T03:19:00.000-07:00

The ALL-SIS Faculty Services Committee will build on its successful series of listserv discussions during its roundtable on Monday, July 10, 2006 from 10:15 - 11:30 am in America's Center Room 262. Committee members will summarize three of our listserv discussions in three important areas: Current Awareness, Library Research Assistance Programs/Research & Writing Support, and New Faculty Orientation/Faculty Support & Training. Then we'll break up into 3 groups - each smaller group will discuss one of the topics - discuss best practices, and report our findings back to the entire group.

TS-SIS Program - Cataloging at the Crossroads: LC's Series Decision and Its New Role in National Cataloging Policy

2006-07-10T03:10:00.000-07:00

Monday, July 10, 2006 - 2:00-3:00 p.m. America's Center-Room 262

Speaker: Marie Whited, Catalog Liaison, Law Library of Congress Moderator & Coordinator: Rhonda K. Lawrence

With the Library of Congress's decision in April to discontinue making series authority records, a national controversy has ensued about LC's ongoing role in setting national cataloging policy, its decision-making process, and how U.S. libraries and associations are responding. Attend this program to learn the latest national developments, hear comments from Marie Whited, Catalog Liaison at the Law Library of Congress, and share experiences in how law libraries are reacting.

Background:

For the official series announcements from the Library of Congress, see the Cataloging and Policy Support Office website at April 20, 2006 http://www.loc.gov/catdir/series.html and June 1, 2006 http://www.loc.gov/catdir/cpso/series.html

For papers posted on the Library of Congress Professional Guild web site, including Deanna Marcum's statement, the Calhoun report, etc., Thomas Mann's rebuttals, see: http://guild2910.org/future.htm

For OCLC's decision regarding LC records and series processing in World Cat, see: http://www.oclc.org/news/announcements/announcement191.htm

Program for Cooperative Cataloging FAQ re: series Web page http://www.loc.gov/catdir/pcc/bibco/seriesfaq.html

Program for Cooperative Cataloging statement on LC SARs decision http://www.loc.gov/catdir/pcc/seriesPCC.html

Blackmun and Beyond: Columnist Recalls Covering the U.S. Supreme Court and One of its Most Unique Justices

2006-07-09T14:16:00.000-07:00

By Matt Braun, mbraun@law.gwu.edu

Those who attended Plenary Session I on Sunday afternoon were treated to a heartfelt account of how library research changed a well-known journalist’s career.

Linda Greenhouse, the New York Times’ Supreme Court and Pulitzer Prize-winning correspondent, spoke of how interpreting a large finding aid and mounds of documents held by the Library of Congress’ Manuscripts Division was a bit intimidating at first, and on how such work ultimately provided enough of a canvass for a colorful biography on former Justice Harry A. Blackmun.

The book, Becoming Justice Blackmun, was published in May 2005 and sprouted from a series of articles Greenhouse wrote coinciding with the release of Justice Blackmun’s personal and working papers to the Library of Congress in 2004. The entire project was something new for Greenhouse, who over the years has covered the Court in great detail, but never the life and career of one specific justice.

Working with a few research assistants and consulting at times with Nina Totenberg, who covered the release of the Blackmun papers for National Public Radio, Greenhouse poured over opinions, notes, and correspondences concerning the justice who notoriously saved his documents, and is best known for authoring the majority opinion in the Roe v. Wade decision of 1973.

Highlights of her research included finding a memo written by Blackmun stating that the Roe decision might have an unsettling effect on the nation “for awhile,” and locating correspondence between Blackmun and former Justice Hugo Black illustrating that Black, a seasoned veteran of the Court, felt that the newcomer Blackmun was unacceptably slow in writing his opinions.
Greenhouse’s book covers the career of Justice Blackmun all the way from his days as a neophyte attorney in Minnesota through his retirement from the Court in 1994. While she still wants to concentrate on her “day job” as Supreme Court correspondent, Greenhouse was clear that using the Harry A. Blackmun Collection at the Library of Congress and writing her book was a unique and invaluable experience, and an interesting departure from covering oral arguments and reading court briefs.

Gateway Gazette is Online!

2006-07-09T13:52:00.000-07:00

Your busy Gateway Gazette Newspaper staff "putting to bed" the Monday, July 10, issue. You can read it (and other issues) online on AALLNET. Pictured are Gateway Gazette and AALL Gateway Blog reporters Matt Braun, Diane Murley and Carolyn Santanella. Not pictured are editor James Duggan and publisher, John Carter. For the real scoop, come by the Newspaper Office, room 115, in the America's Center, St. Louis.

First Day: Exhibit Hall & Attendance

2006-07-09T07:00:00.000-07:00

I heard there are between 1900-2000 attendees this year! Wonderful! And, the Exhibit Hall is full, no empty vendor spaces.

The ribbon is about to be cut and the participants will be coming thru the doors for the 9 a.m. opening...the trumpets are sounding!

Laissez Les Bon Temps Roulez!

2006-07-09T03:38:00.000-07:00

Even though you are currently enjoying the great hospitality of St. Louis, don't forget about the 2007 Annual Meeting in New Orleans! To help you get in the spirit, visit the New Orleans Booth, located near the AALL Registration area in the America's Center. The New Orleans Local Advisory Committee, chaired by Charlene Cain and Cathy Lemann, have put together an attractive booth, offering plenty of Louisiana charm and prizes...drop by today, and let the good times roll!

Rise to the Challenge: Plan a Program for the 2007 New Orleans Annual Meeting

2006-07-09T03:30:00.000-07:00

Donna Bausch, Chair, AMPC 2007

You've just rolled into town, dropped off your luggage at your hotel (in a room of your own if you're lucky), and you're perusing the contents of your registration materials for the first time. How can you possibly focus on 2007 program planning when you haven't even seen the Gateway Arch or had any fried ravioli yet?

This is the ideal time for you to do just that. Attend the conference with an eye to what works, what doesn't and why. As you attend program sessions, in addition to taking notes and faithfully completing evaluation forms to assist program planners, take a broader view. Which programs inspired you to learn more about a topic? Which speakers made you burn with a new commitment to your profession? Make note of the “aha” moments that make you think about a session long after it ends and cause conference attendees to get angry, excited or inspired. Use those cues to take your thoughts a step further and conjure up program ideas for next year.

The Annual Meeting is as worthwhile as we make it. AALL programming is a member- and grassroots-driven enterprise. Without each member making a decision to “rise to the challenge”, very little gets done in any membership organization. We have met AALL, and it is “us”. Although many successful programs are submitted by chapters, caucuses and SISs, just as many wonderful and creative programs are submitted by individual AALL members. All paths to proposal development will lead to the best possible program for the Crescent City in 2007.

If you are pondering programming for New Orleans, opportunities abound to learn more while in St. Louis. Visit the Exhibit Hall during any of the “no conflict” times and stop by the AMPC table in the Activities Area. (Check out the flyer in your registration materials for details). AMPC members will be happy to discuss ideas with you and answer questions. Mark your calendar to attend the AMPC Open Forum on Tuesday at Noon to learn more about the process and meet AMPC liaisons.

The good news is that program proposals are due August 15th, giving you 38 days from today to do your best to make the job of AMPC 2007 difficult by giving us an abundance of alternatives from which to select a program that will best meet your needs and interests. We look forward to working with you.

2007 AMPC Liaison Assignments

Academic Law Libraries SIS: Allen R. Moye, amoye@depaul.edu
Computing Services SIS: Leanne B. Battle, leanne.battle@lexisnexis.com
Foreign, Comparative and Int'l. Law SIS: Amy B. Osborne, amyo@uky.edu
Government Documents SIS: Leonette Williams, lwilliam@law.usc.edu
Legal History and Rare Books SIS: Allen R. Moye, amoye@depaul.edu
LegalInformation Services to the Public SIS: Marcus L. Hochstetler, marcus.hochstetler@metrokc.gov
Micrographics and Audiovisual SIS: Elizabeth LeDoux, eledoux@cov.com
Online Bibliographic Services SIS: Amy B. Osborne, amyo@uky.edu
Private Law Libraries SIS: Elizabeth LeDoux, eledoux@cov.com
ResearchInstructionand Patron Services SIS: Marcus L. Hochstetler, marcus.hochstetler@metrokc.gov
Social Responsibilities SIS: Leanne B. Battle, leanne.battle@lexisnexis.com
State, Court and County Law Libraries SIS: Marcus L. Hochstetler, marcus.hochstetler@metrokc.gov
Technical Services SIS: Leonette Williams, lwilliam@law.usc.edu
Committees, chapters, caucuses, individuals: Donna K.Bausch, dbausch@norfolklawlibrary.org

Chicago Association of Law Libraries' Community Service Committee Receives 2006 Spirit of Law Librarianship Award

2006-07-09T03:26:00.000-07:00

by Nina Wendt

Chicago Association of Law Libraries' Community Service Committee (CALL-CSC) is this year's recipient of the Spirit of Law Librarianship Award for its outstanding accomplishments in actively supporting a wide variety of local and national charities. Roy M. Mersky and Richard A. Leiter established the award in 1991. Alert Publications, Inc., publisher of The Spirit of Law Librarianship: A Reader (2005), sponsors the Award.

The CALL Board's nomination letter states that, "[t]he goal of the Community Service Committee is to help a broad spectrum of organizations. From all accounts, CALL-CSC has met its goal spreading much kindness. It has inspired CALL members to become involved with charities in the Chicago area.

Specifically nominated were the 2004/2005 and 2005/2006 committees, chaired by Julie Pabarja, Research Librarian at DLA Piper Rudnick and Holly Lakatos, Director of Public Services at Chicago-Kent College of Law Library respectively.

Here Holly and Julie talk about the work of CALL-CSC:

Holly: At the beginning of the CALL year, the committee members plan what we're going to do for that year. We have a list of charities that we've developed over the years. We pick event coordinators for each event who will contact the charity and arrange for pick-up or delivery of goods. Before each meeting, we let the members know what charity we'll be supporting and what we're collecting. At the meeting, we collect the goods from the members and deliver them to the charity. One of the most amazing things I've seen is that for each event, members who cannot attend the meeting arrange to drop-off goodies in advance so that they can still participate.

Julie: We also organize at least one "give your time" event each year where members volunteer together after work or on a Saturday, such as answering the phones for the local PBS station or cleaning up a park.

Holly: Charities are selected from a list that changes from year to year. We've gotten some referrals from other area groups that have heard about what we've done, and we always get ideas from CALL members. We try to focus on groups that have a significant local impact, though we did collect funds for hurricane disaster relief last year. When we choose charities that we've already sponsored, we take member participation into account. For example, the committee decided that we would start each CALL year off with the same project—a school supplies drive for the Chicago Public School's Homeless Education Program. The participation rate for this project has been very high for the past two years.

Julie: The most memorable experience was the very first project we did. We collected school supplies for homeless children in the Chicago Public Schools. The response was overwhelming and exceeded all of our expectations. We delivered over 100 boxes of school supplies to the Homeless Education office that day.

Holly: In March, we conducted a toiletries drive for the Greenhouse Shelter, one of the few shelters in Chicago that will take battered women with older children. When we delivered the donated items, the staff told us what our toiletries were going to do. My heart broke as we listened to tales of how the women got to the shelter, sometimes leaving in the middle of the night without anything but what they were wearing: no toothbrushes, no extra underwear, and no teddy bears. I was so proud of CALL members for giving so much to these women who were rebuilding their lives from nothing.

Julie: Community service through CALL has given me opportunities to give back to the community and help organizations that I wouldn't be able to do on my own. It's great to see librarians get together and support an organization. The projects give CALL members something to do as a group. All our projects have been successful because of the joint effort of people in the association.

Holly: My community service involvement has allowed me to work with some great law librarians I otherwise would never have met. I also think that these small projects we do help strengthen the reputation of law librarians in the area. We work with so many groups that have little to do with lawyers or law schools who become aware that there are more types of librarians other than Ms. GreyHairBun doing story time at the local public library.

Julie: This award is really for the entire membership. CALL members, as a whole, have made significant contributions. We took a chance with a new idea to get the projects to the members and the response to each project has been overwhelming.

Holly: We get from 75%-100% participation from meeting attendees in each drive. This support and enthusiasm have made our projects possible. Also, we have tremendous support from our parent institutions, and we've also been fortunate to have several CALL meeting sponsors support our projects when necessary. For example, CCH paid shipping for 252.2 pounds of goods we sent to downstate Illinois.

Members of the 2004/05 CSC were Jennifer Bartlett, Nicole Casner, Elaine Dockens, Valerie Krabill Kropf, Holly Lakatos, and Katie Leonard. Members of the 2005/06 CSC are Anne Abramson, Kathleen Bruner, Nicole Casner, Stephanie Crawford, Kevin McClure, Julie Pabarja, Susan Retzer, and Susan Schaefer. JoAnn Hounshell is the Board Liaison for both committees.

Ribbons and Stickers, Oh My

2006-07-08T21:10:00.000-07:00

The response has been tremendous!! Al Podboy is going to be a happy Nominations Chair this year. The hot pink ribbons are the fashion statement of the conference and following closely behind are the coveted "I Voted" stickers. What are these? If you answer "Yes" to the question "did you vote in the last AALL or SIS election?" you get stickered!!

Al Podboy, Karl Gruben, Kathie Sullivan, and many others will be carrying the stickers around during the meeting. Don't wait for them to find you; if you voted, tell the world!

Family Social Hour Is a Real Circus

2006-07-08T19:50:00.000-07:00

The AALL Family Social Hour was held on Saturday afternoon at the action-packed City Museum, home of some truly excellent exhibits including Enchanted Caves, MonstroCity, and a three-story slide.

The highlight of the afternoon was a private performance by the Everyday Circus featuring AALL members and their families.

Thanks to AALL and all of the volunteers for making this such a memorable family event!

Centennial Variety Show Tuesday Night

2006-07-08T15:40:00.000-07:00

By Kelly Browne

Looking for something to do Tuesday night after the SIS receptions? Come to the Centennial Variety Show! It is free and you don't need an invitation. Ten fabulous musical acts and comedy sketches will perform in the cabaret-style show, which will be held fashionably late, from 9 to 10:30 p.m., in rooms LandMark 4-7 of the Renaissance Grand. A cash bar will be available (not that it will be necessary to enjoy the Show).

The Centennial Variety Show Band, under the able leadership of the Show's Musical Director, Bennie Braxton, has been rehearsing in earnest. The Musical Entourage consists of Bennie Braxton of Sughrue Mion at the piano, Eric Gilson of Rutgers-Camden on saxophone, and Matt Shear (husband of Joan Shear from Boston College) on guitar. Between performances the Centennial Variety Show Band will play for your entertainment pleasure.

The acts, which will showcase the talents of geographically diverse law librarians employed in a variety of settings, include:

“The Cell Block Tango,” from the musical Chicago. A very special surprise mystery guest will join law librarians from New York and Paris to portray the six merry murderers of the Crook County Jail. This is a reprise of the show-stopping rendition the Shearman & Sterling crew performed at the Law Library Association of Greater New York (LLAGNY) 65th Anniversary Show in 2004. He had it comin' ...
“I'm a Law Librarian for the County,” a parody (lyrics by Kelly Browne of the Sacramento County Public Law Library) of “Wichita Lineman” by Jimmy Webb, made famous by Glen Campbell in 1968. Marcus Hochstetler of the King County Law Library will sing in this State, Court, and County Law Libraries-SIS sponsored act.
“Willie does WestPac.” Join Western Pacific Association of Law Libraries (WestPac) officers past and present at the drive-in as they gather to watch and cheer the antics of their mascot, Willie, as he travels across WestPac country. Expect some hilarious hi-jinks from the Hawaiian-shirted buffalo as the drive-in theater goers (and you, the audience) marvel at his exploits.
“MARC Fields and the Indicators.” A Greek chorus of Online Bibliographic Services-SIS members will give a dramatic reading of the MARC record of a legal title especially selected for humorous effect, accompanied by the beating of a flat goatskin drum and the strumming of a dulcimer.
“The LLNERS,” that famous comedy and singing sensation duo consisting of Ken Svengalis of Rhode Island LawPress and Mike Hughes of Quinnipiac University School of Law Library, present “When I'm Not Near the Westlaw I Love, It's Lexis That's Bound to Please.” Join them for this parody (lyrics by Svengalis) of the song from Finian's Rainbow as they banter their way through their thrilling performance.
The RIPS Singers (Research Instruction and Patron Services-SIS) are planning two numbers, “Fugue for Tinhorn Law Librarians,” from Joan Shear's skit, “Same Time, Next Library,” a centerpiece of AALL's Basic Legal Reference Workshop since 1999, and “Yesterday,” with parody lyrics by Matt Shear.
“Showdown at the Long Branch Law Library.” The Southeastern Chapter of the American Association of Law Libraries (SEAALL) members reprise their winning entry in the 1989 West Party Talent Show in Reno. The skit features Ken Hirsh from the Duke University School of Law Library as Marshall “Wes Law” in a duel to the death with “Lex Reed,” played by Michael Klepper of the University of Virginia Law Library, and Taylor Fitchett, also of the University of Virginia Law Library, as “Miss Kitty.”
“The NOCALL Beat,” written by Julie Horst of the University of California Hastings College of Law Library, and performed by Northern California Association of Law Libraries members. Those of you who attended NOCALL's May 2005 and 2006 business meetings in San Francisco will remember Horst's first composition, the “Treasurer's Rap-ort”: We're in the black, and that's a fact.
“Those Were the Days, My Friend,” performed by a mystery group, the Purple Ribbonettes.

Who knows, there may even be an encore planned. Come and see!

AALL Staff Office Ready to Help

2006-07-08T15:06:00.000-07:00

Need to pick up a program/meeting sign? Drop off something for AALL Headquarters staff? Speak to someone who can help troubleshoot a meeting problem? Visit the Staff Office, located in room 122, America's Center. Hours: 7:00am - 5:00pm, through Wednesday, July 12.

CONELL Kicks off Saturday schedule

2006-07-08T10:02:00.000-07:00

Kristy Moon and her able Mentoring Committee had a full house for this year's CONELL activities. The AALL Board is invited to stop by every year and spend some time with small groups of new librarians as part of a meet-and-greet activity. I've enjoyed this event in the past and it's a great way to become much more comfortable while wandering the halls of the convention center. As Kristy and other AALL members indicated to attendees, the people you meet at CONELL will be your colleagues and friends for your whole career. The members of this year's committee are pictured.

Kathie Sullivan

LISP/RIPS/SR-SIS Joint Roundtable on Library Services to Pro Se Patrons and Prisoners

2006-07-08T05:58:00.000-07:00

Monday, July 10, 2006
10:15 - 11:30 am

"Services to Pro Se Patrons and Prisoners"
Moderator: Amy Hale-Janeke

What role do law librarians play in the do-it-yourself pro se world? How much help is appropriate? How do we deal with pro ses' expectations? Come to this roundtable and share your best strategies and worst reference horror stories. We will include some information about pro bono opportunities for pro se patrons. Additionally, Barbara Golden, the Minnesota State Law Librarian, will discuss the unique "Law Library Service to Prisoners" (LLSP) program at the MN State Law Library, which celebrated it's 20th anniversary in 2004.

AALL Alphabet Soup Reception

2006-07-08T05:14:00.000-07:00

One of the nicest events at each AALL Annual Meeting is the "Alphabet Soup" reception, generously sponsored for many years by Innovative Interfaces, Inc., who have been faithful partners with AALL and law libraries. Doors open tonight (Saturday, July 8) at 6pm, with nice, reception-type foods and beverages being offered. It goes till 7:30pm. This year, it's at the Renaissance Grand Hotel, at the Majestic Ballroom A-B.

Officially called the TS/OBS/RIPS/CS-SIS Joint Reception, it's always a great "kick-off" event before everyone really gets busy with the Annual Meeting on Sunday. It's a time to relax and chat with colleagues, meeting new librarians, and spending some time with your old buds as well.

There promises to be much more seating than in the past, and we are expecting about 200. The food selection has changed and we have made some adjustments in menu and food delivery, so that we shouldn't run out of food in 30 minutes. There are two cash bars with a great selection of beverages, plus regular and decaf coffee!

Please come! Be sure to thank Innovative Interfaces, Inc. for their sponsorship of this special event. There will be several Innovative Interfaces representatives there.

Sincerely,
Your "Alphabet Soup" Committee
Brian Striman (TS-SIS)
Step Schmitt (OBS-SIS)
Holly Lakatos (RIPS)
Rob Jacoby (CS-SIS)

Town Meeting to Feature E-Life Cycle Management of Government Information

2006-07-08T04:14:00.000-07:00

By Bryan Stevens, AALL Advocacy/Communications Assistant

AALL has arranged a “Town Meeting” this morning at 10:15 a.m. to discuss E-Life Cycle Management of government information. The meeting, G1 in the events list, will be held in America's Center room 130. This informative session should be of particular interest to users of government information from all types of law libraries, as well as law librarians who manage and use electronic federal government information. All interested parties are encouraged to attend. The meeting will feature two speakers, Bruce James, Public Printer of the United States, and Allen Weinstein, Archivist of the United States. Each will give a brief synopsis of agency initiatives related to E-Life Cycle Management. A question and answer session will follow.

AALL advocates for government accountability in ensuring the life cycle of electronic government information through standards for the development of easy-to-use search mechanisms, providing permanent public access, and authenticating and preserving electronic publications and records.

The meeting will focus on progress made by the Government Printing Office (GPO) and the National Archives (NARA) with initiatives designed to meet their respective missions to “inform the nation” and “ensure ready access to essential evidence.” Both initiatives also promise to meet the electronic life cycle standards set forth by AALL and mentioned above. A policy level assessment of agency progress against its mission will help determine if each agency is meeting the digital information needs of the legal community and public users.

The meeting will be moderated by University of Richmond Associate Dean for Library and Information Services & Professor of Law Timothy Coggins. Coggins also serves as the chair of AALL's Government Relations Committee.

AALL warmly welcomes the two featured speakers for the event—Public Printer of the United States Bruce James and U.S. Archivist Allen Weinstein. Mr. James, making his third appearance at AALL conferences, will discuss the progress made by the GPO in its Future Digital System initiative (FDsys). The GPO envisions that FDsys “will allow federal content creators to easily create and submit content that can then be preserved, authenticated, managed and delivered upon request.”

James was confirmed as Public Printer by the Senate on November 22, 2002. Prior to this, James worked in the private sector where he founded, developed and managed technology-driven printing and publishing enterprises that operate throughout the country and around the world. In April 2006, James announced his retirement as Public Printer to pursue interests in higher education. James plans to remain in the position until a successor is appointed.

In his AALL conference debut, Dr. Weinstein, Archivist of the United States since February 2005, will similarly discuss progress made on NARA's Electronic Records Archive (ERA). NARA envisions a completed ERA will serve as a “comprehensive, systematic, and dynamic means for preserving virtually any kind of electronic record, free from dependence on any specific hardware or software.”

Weinstein's distinguished career has included serving as president of The Center for Democracy, a non-profit foundation that he created in 1985 to promote and strengthen the democratic process. He was also a professor of history at Boston University, University professor at Georgetown University, and professor of history at Smith College. Weinstein is an accomplished author, and has written numerous articles for scholarly journals.

Please join AALL in welcoming Dr. Weinstein and Mr. James.

Conference Registration Begins!

2006-07-07T16:36:00.000-07:00

Registration got off to a good start Friday afternoon, with AALL volunteers from all over the United States assisting the Local Advisory Committee with registration duties. Under the watchful eye of Carolyn Weber, registration hours tomorrow (Saturday, July 8) are 7:00am to 6:00pm.

DIALOG Helps ALLUNY, LLAGNY, and NJLLA Kick Off 4th NorthEast Regional Law Libraries Meeting

2006-07-07T10:33:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday evening July 11, Dialog is sponsoring the AALLUNY, LLAGNY, NJLLA Annual Joint Chapter Reception at the Renaissance Grand Hotel. (6:30 - 8:30). This year the event will serve an additional special purpose. In addition to the comradery that we share each year among our three chapters, the 2006 Reception will also serve as a “Kick-Off” Event for the 2007 NorthEast Regional Law Libraries Meeting to be held in Toronto October 17-20, 2007. Members of all chapters participating in the Regional Meeting are welcome to join us as we plan for next years Regional, and to reminisce about past regional meetings. We will have a brief informational meeting just prior to the reception. Anyone who is interested in the meeting is encouraged to join us.

We have chosen to follow the legacy of NE '96, and selected "Libraries Without Borders II" as the name of the conference. As a theme, it has even more relevance today than it did back then with so many of us working in cyberspace, not to mention increasing complexities in cross-border issues which affect us all.

Right now we have commitments and seed money from TALL (Toronto), ALLUNY, LLAGNY, NJLLA, LLSDC, LLAM, LLNE, GPLLA, ORALL and SNELLA to hold the meeting and participate in its organization. We also hope to have the participation of other Eastern Canadian groups (Ottawa, Halifax, and
Montreal),

If you would like to help with NE2007, please contact co-chairs Connie Crosby at or Stephen Weiter at . Or visit our website at http://www.library.dal.ca/law/LibswoBorders/. The fourth NE Regional will be held in Toronto at the Marriott Eaton Centre Hotel, October 17-20, 2007 with delegates from both the U.S. and Canada.

Our Chapters would like to thank Steven O’Connor and Dialog for their continued support of our event.

Submitted by Stephen Weiter, NY Appellate Division Law Library, 4th Department

St Louis welcome mat is out!

2006-07-06T21:12:00.000-07:00

The librarians are starting to arrive in St Louis. Tonight was the first night to see old friends and colleagues gathering in the hotel lobby to head to dinner. The excitement is going to be building for the next few days! I've attached a picture of the welcome signs on the lamp posts around town. But also look for the welcome signs in merchant windows. It's nice to see the signs as we're walking around!

Kathie Sullivan

Document Delivery Caucus Meeting

2006-07-06T14:41:00.000-07:00

Do you have questions about commercial document delivery or ILL? Are you a document delivery supplier – commercial or law library? Do you use document delivery services and have questions? Do you want to find out what your fellow ILL librarians are doing? Are you in a law firm, academic, court, or corporate law library and need ILL/document delivery help? Are you an independent law librarian who uses document delivery suppliers?

Come to the Document Delivery Caucus meeting on Tuesday, July 11, 7:00 am – 8:45 am for an informal ILL/document delivery discussion. Come with your questions, ideas, suggestions. Check the final program for the meeting room.

Merle Slyhoff
Coordinator

Weather Report

2006-07-06T14:17:00.000-07:00

The weather is looking good for St. Louis for this time of year!

High 80s, low 90s during the day and 60s and 70s in the evenings with a chance of rain at the beginning of the week.

http://www.weather.com/outlook/health/allergies/tenday/USMO0787?from=36hr_topnav_allergies

Exhibit Hall Event: Meet Local Lawyers Who Are Well Known Authors

2006-07-06T14:13:00.000-07:00

A new event for the exhibit hall!

Michael Kahn, author of the Rachel Gold series of legal thrillers (Trophy Widow, Firm Ambitions, Bearing Witness) will be signing books at the Left Bank Books booth #329 on Monday, July 10, from 3:00-4:00. His latest novel, under the pen name of Michael Baron, is The Mourning Sexton. Kahn, a St. Louis trial attorney, has been selected for inclusion in the current edition of The Best Lawyers in America. See http://snipurl.com/s6th for additional biographical information.

Meet Kevin O'Malley, also a St. Louis trial attorney and co-author of the Federal Jury Practice and Instruction, on July 11, from 1:15-2:00 at Left Bank Books booth #329. He won't be signing books but he will tell you about his next book soon to be published and you can ask him any questions you may have about jury instructions. See http://snipurl.com/stq4 for additional biographical information.

You will also have the opportunity to buy autographed copies of Linda Greenhouse's book, Becoming Justice Blackmun, at the Left Bank Books booth. Her schedule is tight and may not permit a meet and greet session.

Do not forget that you can support Show Me the Books with a purchase for either school at the Left Bank Books booth. You also have the option to contribute to a LBB gift card for the benefit of Vashon Williams 9th Grade Academy or Wellston Central Elementary School. All books and gift cards will be delivered to the schools. Left Bank Books' participation in the exhibit hall is made possible by a generous donation from Greensfelder, Hemker and Gale, PC, with assistance from the Rocky Mountain Division of West Librarian Relations.

Phil Berwick
Associate Dean of Information Resources
Washington University School of Law in St. Louis

Getting to the ALL-SIS Reception and Awards Ceremony

2006-07-06T13:42:00.000-07:00

If you are going to the ALL-SIS Reception and Awards Ceremony at Washington University School of Law Tuesday Night, don't use Mapquest maps and/or directions! Mapquest takes you to an area under construction where the streets are closed (the entrance onto Forest Park Parkway from Market St. is currently closed).

You can find complete driving directions as well as general and bus information, at the ALL-SIS annual meeting page.

Intellectual Property Law Librarians Offer Conference Events

2006-07-05T17:54:00.000-07:00

If you or your library support an intellectual property practice, if you enjoy patent, trademark, or copyright issues, or if you just want to share your concerns and observations about IP issues with a group of like-minded librarians, join members of the PLL-SIS Intellectual Property Law Librarians Caucus for two exciting events at this week’s annual conference.

Early risers will especially enjoy the IPLL Caucus Business Meeting on Monday July 10 from 7:00 – 8:45 am. Plan to join a freewheeling discussion on issues ranging from recent patent database mergers to potential professional development opportunities geared for IP librarians over a delicious continental breakfast. You are welcome to bring up issues of special concern to you. Meet us in the Renaissance Grand Landmark 5.

Afternoon types can prepare for cocktail hour on Tuesday July 11 from 4:00 – 5:00 pm by joining us at program workshop “60 Key Intellectual Property Research Sites in 60 Minutes.” Caucus members Jacqueline Grossman of Townsend and Townsend and Crew LLP, and Julie Watters of RWS Group will demonstrate and discuss the most important web-based resources for intellectual property research.

We look forward to seeing you at either or both events!

Organized in 1996, the PLL-SIS Intellectual Property Librarians’ Caucus is made up of librarians who deal with patent, trademark, and copyright issues in their libraries.

AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF LAW LIBRARIES SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITIES-SIS

2006-07-05T17:30:00.000-07:00

You are invited to attend the...

STANDING COMMITTEE ON LESBIAN & GAY ISSUES
ANNUAL RECEPTION

TUESDAY, JULY 11, 2006 7-10pm @
Union Station's Grand Hall and Balcony - Hyatt Regency St. Louis
1820 Market Street, St. Louis, Missouri
(314) 231-1234

HORS D'OEUVRES / DESSERTS / CASH BAR

Fee: $15 per person

GUESTS:

Guests are welcome. Please encourage anyone interested in the work of the Standing Committee to attend.

RSVPS AND PREPAYMENTS:

RSVPs are requested but not required. It would be helpful if you could notify us of your intention to attend the reception by contacting Stephanie Davidson, 2005-06 Chair of the Standing Committee, via email at stephnd@law.uiuc.edu.

UNION STATION:

St. Louis Union Station, once the largest and busiest passenger rail terminal in the world, is now one of America's great marketplaces. Union Station first opened in 1894, but ceased operation as an active train terminal in 1978. Union Station reopened in August of 1985 as the largest adaptive re-use project in the United States. Today, this 110 year old National Historic Landmark of unmatched beauty and elegance has been dramatically restored and redeveloped.

DIRECTIONS:

Union Station is about 1 mile from the Renaissance Grand Hotel and the Convention Center. From the Renaissance Grand, it is about 4 blocks south to Market Street, then approximately 6 blocks West to Union Station. A map clearly indicating the location of Union Station can be found at http://www.stlouisunionstation.com/info/directions.cfm.

OUR SPONSORS

The 2005 Annual Reception of the SR-SIS Standing Committee on Lesbian & Gay Issues has been made possible from the generous contributions of our major sponsors, LexisNexis & Thomson West. An additional contribution was provided by Commerce Clearing House. If given the opportunity, please let our sponsors know we appreciate their continuing interest in and support of the work of the Standing Committee.

Fans of Brave Combo

2006-07-05T15:24:00.000-07:00

Brave Combo will be in St. Louis on Friday, July 7th at the Blueberry Hill, located in The Loop at 6504 Delmar; (314) 727-4444. The show starts 9:30 p.m. and admission is $15/person.

If you have not seen Brave Combo, this might be a good time to check them out. They are from Texas and have won some grammys(sp?) and other music awards. Get ready to rock polka!

For band information: http://www.brave.com/bo/

Blueberry Hill is about 8 miles from downtown.

Update on Bloggers' Informal Gathering

2006-07-05T13:39:00.000-07:00

Calling all Law Librarian Bloggers, Curious Bloggers and Bloggers To Be!

We will have an informal gathering at 5 p.m.-6:30 p.m. on Monday, July 10th for drinks, etc. at Kitchen K.

St. Louis blogger, Matt Homann says it is "a cool new space a few blocks from the convention center on Washington Avenue." http://www.kitchen-k.com/information/information-k3.html

Bloggers are invited to meet each other and share their ideas. And, even if you do not blog, you are invited to participate!

St. Louis’ blawgers include Dennis Kennedy of http://www.denniskennedy.com/blog/, Matt Homann of http://thenonbillablehour.typepad.com/ and http://www.lexthink.com/, Evan Schaeffer of http://www.legalunderground.com, and George Lenard, http://employmentblawg.blogspot.com/

For more information, please contact Barbara Fullerton at 214-800-4576 or bfullerton@10kwizard.com.

St. Louis Arch...The Film

2006-07-05T10:21:00.000-07:00

As a child growing up in Missouri and visiting St. Louis often, an Arch visit was always on our agenda.

Underneath the Arch is a museum, shops, and theatres. In one theatre, a documentary shows how the Arch was constructed. To me, this was a wonder! Find out what happens when the builders get to the top and the two arch ends do not meet...

I would highly recommend this film, Monument to the Dream by Charles Guggenheim.

FACT: The Gateway Arch is a 630-foot catenary Arch made of stainless steel. The Arch is 75 feet taller than the Washington Monument and more than twice as tall as the Statue of Liberty.

And you thought gadgets were only for the kitchen...the return!

2006-07-05T10:00:00.000-07:00

Hello all!
We are celebrating our fifth year anniversary and our third program at AALL!

In 2001 we presented our first gadget program at the annual meeting in Minnesota. Currently, we have presented gadget sessions at AALL, Internet Librarian, Texas Library Association, and various regional and local law librarian and special librarian meetings.

For this occasion we will be giving out prizes at each session. Please plan to attend and stop by after the programs to say hello to the panelists!

Sessions
J6: And You Thought Gadgets Were Only for the Kitchen-Returns: Current Gadgets Wednesday, July 12 at 1:30-2 p.m.

K6: And You Thought Gadgets Were Only for the Kitchen-Returns: What's in the Future?
Wednesday, July 12 at 2:15-2:45 p.m.

Panelists

Brian Neale
IT Specialist, Mayer Brown Rowe & Maw

Roger Skalbeck
Technology Projects Administrator, George Mason School of Law

Susan Skyzinski
Senior Librarian Relations Consultant, LexisNexis

Barbara Fullerton
Manager of Librarian Relations, 10-K Wizard

LIPA Presents the OCLC Digital Archive

2006-07-04T18:11:00.000-07:00

The Legal Information Preservation Alliance (LIPA) will host a program presentation by Judith Cobb on the OCLC Digital Archive on Sunday, July 9, 11:45 a.m. - 1:15 p.m. in the Renaissance Grand Hotel, Pershing Room. Ms. Cobb is a Senior Product Specialist at OCLC and an expert in digital preservation issues.

LIPA's draft strategic plan gives a high priority to launching a project to preserve critical born-digital materials. The OCLC Digital Archive is one of several services under consideration to provide support for a digital preservation project for legal resources. The OCLC service is standards-based, and it provides a platform to capture, manage and provide access to archived digital content. Ms. Cobb's presentation will give participants an opportunity to review the service in more detail in order to analyze its compatibility for the LIPA pilot project.

The LIPA business meeting will be held on Monday, July 10, 10:15-11:30 a.m. in Room 124 of the America's Center. Discussion and approval of the draft strategic plan will be the primary agenda item.

LIPA is an independent, fee-paid member organization established in 2003 as a collaborative effort to preserve legal information. LIPA's primary purpose is to provide the leadership and organizational structure to ensure the preservation of vital paper and electronic legal information by defining objectives, developing and adopting appropriate standards, creating networks, and fostering financial and political support. Thirty libraries in the country support this collaborative and innovative effort to preserve our legal heritage.

Anyone interested in preservation and the work of the Legal Information Preservation Alliance is welcome to attend these meetings.

- by Margaret Maes Axtmann

Libraries, Advocacy and Technology - Working with Decision Makers

2006-07-04T18:09:00.000-07:00

"Think globally, and act locally" - in the context of "advocacy is politics and politics is advocacy." This is our challenge! As members of the library and information community, we are faced with the daunting and unprecedented task of trying to identify and use technology to the benefit of our patrons and to convince decision makers that more resources are needed to accomplish this task.

Mr. Mike Ragen, CALL's VIP, shares his experience on this subject by presenting “Libraries, Advocacy and Technology - Working with Decision Makers” at AALL on Monday, July 10, at 10:15 a.m. CALL invites you to join our members for this program, to be held in Majestic Ballroom H of the Renaissance Grand Hotel.

Ragen is presently the Chief Deputy Director of the Illinois State Library. In that capacity he assists in the overall mission of the State Library to interact with the 4,000-plus libraries of Illinois and foster the relationship of libraries with decision makers. Prior to joining the State Library, Mike served as a policy analyst for the Illinois State Senate and focused primarily on issues affecting banking, labor law, election law and the general operation of state government. Mike holds an MLIS from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Illinois at Springfield.

From: Naomi Goodman
CALL Past President, 2006/07
Naomi.Goodman@valpo.edu
219-465-7878
219-201-9948 (cell)

DON'T MISS THE ANNUAL PR SHOWCASE

2006-07-03T18:18:00.000-07:00

LOCATED IN THE EXHIBIT HALL

Show and Tell Times

SUNDAY – JULY 9
9:00 – 10:00 A.M.

MONDAY – JULY 10
3:00 – 4:00 P.M.

MID-AMERICA ASSOCIATION OF LAW LIBRARIES LUNCHEON AND BUSINESS MEETING

2006-07-03T18:11:00.000-07:00

TUESDAY JULY 11TH 11:45am-1:00pm. at the America's Center, room 260 (check final program in case room number has changed).

MENU is a nice chef's luncheon buffet. If you haven't paid yet, you can pay Darla at the door. Price: $25.57. We will have invoices there if you need one.

If you are a new MAALL member, or a new librarian and are in the MAALL region, and weren't planning on coming, please come anyway and introduce yourself to Brian Striman, MAALL President. We are a great (and fun) AALL Chapter!

2006 Public Access to Government Information (PAGI) Award Winners

2006-07-03T18:03:00.000-07:00

Established in 1998, the PAGI Award recognizes persons or organizations that have made significant contributions to protect and promote greater access to government information. The Government Relations Committee (GRC) solicits nominations, reviews those nominations, and recommends from two to four nominees to the AALL Awards Committee. The Awards Committee then makes a final decision concerning the recommending nominees. A winner need not be chosen every year.

This year's winners have distinguished themselves as leaders in the field of legal information by promoting equal access to government information. The importance of public access to government information cannot be disputed. The PAGI Award recognizes this importance. The GRC and the Awards Committee thank this year's winners for their commitment to this cause.

National Indian Law Library (NILL) (http://www.narf.org): The NILL is the most comprehensive and valuable collection of Indian Law Resources available. Access is provided to tribal constitutions, codes and federal Indian law resources. NILL's director David Selden and associate director Monica Martens are to be commended for their commitment to increasing public access to NILL's print and electronic collections. The NILL is funded by the Native American Right Fund and grants.

Steven Aftergood of the Federation of American Scientists: Steve is a senior research analyst at the Federation of American Scientists and director of is Project on Government Secrecy. For the past fifteen years, he has worked diligently to reduce the scope of government secrecy, to accelerate the declassification of cold war documents, and to promote the reform of official secrecy practices. He writes and edits the Secrecy News, a valuable and timely email newsletter that informs the public, the news media, and government officials of the latest developments in secrecy, security, and intelligence policies. Catch Steve at the Annual Legislative and Regulatory Update on Sunday at 2:45 P.M.

Please attend the Awards Ceremony on Sunday, July 9 from 2:45 P.M. to 4:00 P.M. in the America's Center Room 230 and congratulate the NILL and Steve Aftergood as they receive their PAGI Award.

Eric W. Young

Open letter to AALL job interviewers and Job seekers

2006-07-03T06:29:00.000-07:00

Pogo, that well known political philosopher, was right: "we have met the enemy is he is us."
Some of you during this convention will have engage the enemy: you will sit down, interview for a job and be told you lack the necessary credentials.
Others will sit, commiserate with friends, and fret about the lack of " qualified applicants."
It is a sad engagement.
If, as the figures shown on the AALL website [salary survey] are correct then only about 1/4 of us have both the J.D. and M.L.S. degree.
And if, as suggested by Christopher Vallandingham in his AALL Spectrum magazine piece, which ran in the February 2003 issue, there is a potential "shortage of law librarians."
And if, again in Vallandingham’s article, it is not unusal for students to "...routinely graduate with more than $100,000 in student loans," then it would seem to benefit all to be open to all applicants.
It does not dilute our professional standing to open academic reference position opportunities to single professional degree holders, i.e., either the MLS or JD. And it would allow those lacking one degree or the other to work in an environment where they can go on and obtained the second degree.
The current academic vogue of demanding both degrees for reference positions narrows the pool of applicants and blocks educational opportunities .
Academics heads seeking dual degree holders can explain their requirements lucidly: just not convincingly.
I have been told during one-on-one conversations that " of course single degree holders would be considered." Well, if that is the case, then make it a point of expressing that fact in your job solicitations and honestly interview with that in mind.
Those interviewing can open up opportunities by being flexible with their position requirements and those seeking employment can ask to interview. It is the right thing to do and it helps the profession.

Sid Kaskey -

Check This Out! in St. Louis

2006-07-02T17:53:00.000-07:00

This is Jim Milles, your roving reporter from the Check This Out! podcast. Don't be surprised if you see me on the prowl in St. Louis with my digital recorder.

I will be recording the meeting of the Gen X Gen Y caucus at 5:30pm on Sunday. If you can't be there you can still listen in!
Throughout the conference, I will be posting a series of short nightly podcasts. A rotating team of friends and colleagues will sit down with me each night for a 20-minute lowdown on the day's highlights.
I'll also try to catch as many of you as possible in the hallways and between sessions to chat and ask a question or two. Don't be shy! If you take the time to talk you will receive a beautiful CTO! button.

ALL-SIS Programs Too Good To Miss (But They Won't Appear in Your Official Program)

2006-07-02T15:07:00.000-07:00

The Academic Law Libraries SIS is sponsoring two “alternate” programs that will run concurrently with traditionally scheduled AALL programs. Here are additional options for you to add to your conference itinerary. Enjoy!

Sunday, July 9, 2:45-4:00 PM - America's Center-Room 262
What Public Services Should Know About Technical Services and Vice Versa

Library technical services and public services colleagues often know just the bare essentials about each other's viewpoint and work focus. The object of this program, with a panel of people who have worked in one area or the other, and sometimes in both, is to promote teamwork by describing innovative things they have done to bind their two crucial areas into a dream team dedicated to fulfilling the library's mission. Come and contribute your thoughts to the discussion!

Wednesday, July 12, 9:00-10:15 AM - Renaissance Grand-Benton
Harnessing Digital Video Technology

Do you want to hear ideas on how to use digital video technology to market the library to other parts of the law school? Do you want to learn about preserving and archiving your existing videos, including deteriorating videotapes? Are you curious about using digital video technology in marketing your school to the world at large? Are you eager to hear the best methods for incorporating digital video technology into the classroom? This panel of experts will explore the video world with you.

Technical Services SIS: What a Year!

2006-07-02T14:40:00.000-07:00

Lions and tigers and bears, oh my! Amid extensive hurricane damage to libraries, the OCLC-RLG merger, the decision by the Library of Congress to no longer control series, and reports on the dubious future of cataloging as we know it, we've been through quite a year. Fortunately, your TS-SIS colleagues have come to the rescue with an outstanding package of programs, meetings, roundtables, and other events to help us understand and assimilate what's been going on. Be sure to catch our AALL-sponsored programs, but don't miss all the other learning opportunities that TS-SIS is offering this year.

Start out on a light note by sharing greetings, gossip, and war stories at the annual TS/OBS/RIPS/CS-SIS Joint Reception, scheduled for 6:00-7:30 Saturday evening, and once again generously sponsored by Innovative Interfaces, Inc. After a year like this one, we could all use a little down time.

Sunday, a program on transforming technical services librarians into digital librarians (A-5) will feature Carol Hixson from the University of Oregon Libraries, a nationally recognized expert and speaker. Carol will also lead the discussion on law cataloger education at the New Law Catalogers Roundtable from 2:45 to 4:00. Immediately afterwards (4:15-5:15), please join us for our centennial celebration program, “Conversations across the Cubicles: Pioneering Change in the TS-SIS, 1978-2006.”

Other open-to-all sessions scheduled for Sunday include the Preservation Committee Meeting (11:45-1:15), the Preservation and Binding Roundtable (2:45-4:00), the Heads of Technical Services Roundtable (11:45-1:15), the Web Site Advisory Roundtable (11:45-1:15), and the TS-SIS Business Meeting (5:30-6:30). All members are welcome and encouraged to attend!

On Monday, TS-SIS will be presenting a special forum on “21st Century Technical Services: Reorganizing for the Future” (10:15-11:30). In the afternoon, you can participate in a real cataloging hot topic by attending “Cataloging at the Crossroads: LC's Series Decision and Its New Role in National Cataloging Policy” (2:00-3:00). Monday open meetings include those of the Serials Committee (7:30-8:45am), the Cataloging & Classification Committee (8:30-10:00), and the Acquisitions Committee (9:00-10:00).

Tuesday will offer Program G-3 on the transformation of AACR2 into “Resource Description and Access” (RDA), presented by our own Ann Sitkin, Kathy Winzer, and Jennifer Bowen. Also meeting on Tuesday will be the Education Committee (11:45-1:00), Acquisitions Roundtable (5:15-6:15), and Heads of Cataloging in Large Law Libraries Roundtable (5:15-6:15). And on Wednesday you can take part in the Management Issues Roundtable (7:00-8:45am) as well as the very first meeting of the brand-new Membership Committee (noon-1:15).

For building and room locations of all these events, check the chronological and alphabetical lists of meetings in your Annual Meeting program booklet, which you should receive when you check in at the registration desk. By attending them, in just a few days you can learn an awful lot about where we came from, where we are, and where we may be heading!

CS-SIS News and Annual Meeting Events

2006-07-02T12:28:00.000-07:00

CS-SIS Grants Committee Announces Awards for Annual Meeting

Since 2000 the Computing Services-SIS has provided a number of grants for registration to the AALL Annual Meeting. The Grants Committee is pleased to announce the 2006 recipients of the CS-SIS grants. Our three grant recipients are very worthy candidates who hold promise of future and continuing involvement in the law library profession. Marin Dell is a new librarian at the Florida State University Law Library, and is pursuing postgraduate study in law librarianship as well. Frank Lima is the new Computer Services and Reference Librarian at Northern Illinois University Law School. Hadi Amjadi is the Systems Librarian at Golden Gate University Law Library, and has been active in the CS-SIS. Please take a moment to seek them out and congratulate them on receiving a grant. Many thanks to the Grants Committee members for all their hard work: James Gernert (Chair), Irene Good, Robert Jacoby, Judith Kaul, Cynthia Lewis, Melissa Serfasss, Bonnie Shucha, and Eric Young.

Don't miss any of these CS-SIS events!

Saturday, July 08, 2006

6:00 PM - 7:30 PM TS/OBS/RIPS/CS-SIS Joint Reception (Sponsored by Innovative Interfaces, Inc.)

8:30 PM - ? Karaoke Night Out 2006
Where: Tom's Bar & Grill, 20 S. Euclid, St. Louis, 314-367-6699. Meet in the lobby of the Renaissance Grand Hotel between 8:30 and 8:45 P.M. Then we will cab over, or take the Metrolink from the Convention Center station to the Central West End Station and walk 3 1/2 blocks. Or meet us at the restaurant later. For more information see http://www.law.duke.edu/ken/karaoke2006.html.

Sunday, July 09, 2006

11:45 AM - 12:45 PM Web Development Committee Meeting. All are welcome!

4:15 PM - 5:15 PM C2: Let's All Wiki Wiki! Creative Uses for Wikis in Any Library with Deborah Ginsberg.

5:30 PM - 6:30 PM Business Meeting

Monday, July 10, 2006

7:00 AM - 8:45 AM Breakfast Meeting
Speaker: John Mayer, Executive Director of CALI

10:15 AM - 11:30 AM Roundtable 1: Organizing Legal Databases on Library Websites
How are the links on your webpage organized and who maintains that organization? Are free legal websites commingling with your online subscriptions? Does your webpage organization make sense to anyone outside the law library? If these questions keep you awake at night please come with suggestions and ideas about the effective organization of links and databases.

2:00 PM - 3:00 PM E3: Invasion of the Podcast People: Podcasting for the Law Library with Fred Barnhart, John Mayer, and James Milles.

5:15 PM - 6:15 PM Program Planning Meeting

Tuesday, July 11, 2006

11:45 AM - 1:00 PM Roundtable 2: Web Site Design & Maintenance
Have you found a great new web tool that you would like to share? Are you struggling with a design issue and stuck for a solution? Are you trying to figure out how to attract more hits to your web site or track the hits you get now? Come and exchange tips on effective web site design and maintenance.

4:00 PM - 5:00 PM H5: Managing Beyond the Library: Successful Management of IT Departments for Law Librarians with Fred Barnhart, Penny Hazelton, Filippa Anzalone, and Richard Danner.

Wednesday, July 12, 2006

2:15 PM - 2:45 PM K2 : Beyond Google: Hot New & Specialty Search Engines with Susan Boland

PLL-SIS Alternative Programming

2006-07-02T11:49:00.000-07:00

There's never enough programming for law firm and corporate librarians, but AALL has given the PLL-SIS the opportunity to schedule some extra programs as alternatives to the official programs at St. Louis.

If any of these programs are of interest to you, please plan to attend:

Sunday, July 9, 4:15–5:15pm, America's Center-Room 260
Creating New Best Practices Through Law Firm Expansion: How to Avoid Having to Circle the Wagons

The trend in law firms is to use mergers as a way to expand their global presence. With over 170 law firm mergers in the last three years, the chances of it happening to you are becoming increasingly likely. Participants will be able to better analyze and identify collection management, staff integration, and reference services issues inherent in law firm mergers/expansions. The panel consists of law firm librarians who have successfully survived mergers and used them to proactively create new best practices within their departments.

Tuesday, July 11, 9–10am, America's Center-Room 263
Marketing 101: Five Easy Steps to Successful Library Marketing

Building on the 2005 program Marketing Schmarketing! Program, this programs asks, and answers, the questions: is a marketing plan really needed? How do you evaluate the success of your marketing effort? etc. Speakers offer five tips they've devised to help any Librarian focus on marketing.

Tuesday, July 11, 4–5pm, America's Center-Room 263
The Butterfly Effect: Are You Ready for Change?

Attendees will analyze which skills and competencies should be developed over the next 20 years and also gain insight in law firm library trends over the next 20 years. The panel discusses predictions of what the next 20 years will hold for law firm libraries based on changes that they have seen over the last 20 years.

Honoring Kathryn Mattox

2006-07-01T15:33:00.000-07:00

Kathryn Mattox served as Librarian for Stites and Harbison in Lexington, KY from 1987 until her death in 2005. She facilitated the library's move into the firm's current space. She loved her job and especially enjoyed attending the AALL Annual Meeting. In addition to naming their library the Kathryn Mattox Law Library, Stites and Harbison contributed (along with the Lexington Association of Law Libraries, LEXIS, and WESTLAW) to fund an all expenses paid scholarship to allow a law firm librarian to attend the 2006 Annual Meeting. The funding groups asked the SEAALL Scholarship Committee to handle the award process.

The Scholarship Committee selected Elizabeth Cavendish of Adams and Reese, LLP in New Orleans, LA as the recipient of the Kathryn Mattox Scholarship. Those who knew Kathryn say that she would be so pleased with this selection as she loved New Orleans and loved a party; she and her husband visited there often.

The SEAALL Scholarship Committee would like to thank Stites and Harbison, the Lexington Association of Law Libraries, LEXIS, and WESTLAW for their generous gifts in honor of Kathryn Mattox.

Another Suggestion for Sharing Photos

2006-07-01T14:37:00.000-07:00

Jim Milles had a good suggestion for those of you who already have Flickr accounts and don't want to bother with getting an invitation to join the AALL Gateway group. You can just tag your photos “AALL2006” in your own Flickr account.

Photos tagged AALL2006 but not added to the AALL Gateway pool will not appear in the sidebar of this blog or on the AALL Gateway Pool page. You can find them by going to Flickr and searching for AALL2006. You don't need to sign in to search or browse Flickr.

If you want to add your photos to the group pool, email me at dmurley@siu.edu to request a Flickr invitation, and see these tips to get you started.

Show Me the Books!

2006-07-01T10:15:00.000-07:00

The Social Responsibilities Special Interest Section (SR-SIS) is coordinating the 8th annual children's book drive this year in St. Louis. The theme in the Show Me State is “Show Me the Books!” This year's efforts will benefit two of the most needy schools in the St. Louis area, Wellston School District's Central Elementary and St. Louis City School District's Vashon 9th Grade Academy.

The Wellston School District was established in 1894 and currently educates 600 students in four facilities, including an early childhood center and the Central Elementary School. Wellston, like many small inner suburbs, was plunged into economic depression and social chaos after the losses of population and declining home values of the post-World War II era. Test scores had declined to such an extent by the 1990s that the State of Missouri was forced to place the district into a form of receivership.

The City of Wellston has made efforts to stabilize its political, commercial and physical infrastructure and attract new residents. They have also consolidated and reorganized the school system with Central Elementary now serving grade levels 1 through 4. Central has slightly less than 200 students and has begun rebuilding the library collection.

Vashon High School is one of a number of schools in the St. Louis City school district that has suffered a plague of financial, political, and severe discipline issues. In January 2006, as part of an immediate effort to create smaller, more manageable student communities, the new superintendent of the city school system took the bold step of removing the current 9th grade class to an off-site facility. The freshman class was relocated to a vacant middle school facility in the downtown area, now known as the Vashon Williams Ninth Grade Academy.

The academy's library is in the process of building a collection to support the new program. They are in need of all appropriate materials for 14 – 16 year old students. The small amount of funding provided by the school district has allowed the library to purchase only a few reference titles and some fiction items. Currently they have 594 titles (and 653 copies) in their collection. According to the state, the library should have the following in order to meet minimum standards: 350 reference titles, 3080 nonfiction titles, and 1530 fiction titles.

You can help by donating cash, checks, or books that are appropriate for the age groups in the two schools. Please leave donations at the Social Responsibilities SIS table in the exhibit area. Alternatively, it is still not too late to order books from Amazon.com. Just go to: http://tinyurl.com/og5re. Books appropriate for the Wellston students are listed on the “2006 Elementary School List,” and Vashon's preferred titles can be found on the “2006 9th Grade List.” Your donation will be shipped directly to the Book Drive Team.

Gen X / Gen Y Caucus

2006-07-01T04:59:00.000-07:00

Are you a Gen X or Gen Y law librarian? Or, are you interested in the future of law librarianship? Come to the first meeting of the Gen X / Gen Y caucus which will be held Sunday July 9th from 5:30 to 6:30pm. At this meeting, we'll be eliciting input from the group about our profession, where we see it heading, and how we want to be involved. Contact Jennifer Marshall at JMarshall@reedsmith.com if you have comments or questions.

Book Club Meets in St. Louis!

2006-06-30T19:31:00.000-07:00

Alternative program explores making the impossible possible.

The State, Court, and County Law Libraries Centennial Committee will present an alternative program on Monday, July 10th from 2-3 pm in Renaissance Grand-Landmark 7 room. The Committee has encouraged law librarians to read the book The Impossible Will Take A Little While by Paul Loeb. This collection of inspirational writings by various authors is hopeful, encouraging, and motivating. The Atlanta Journal Constitution described the book as a “stirring collection of essays aimed at people who still want to believe that ordinary people can change the world.”

The book club program will begin with a panel of SCCLL librarians discussing portions of the book that most impressed them. They will each share personal experiences and aspirations that mirror themes from the book. Audience members will be encouraged to join in the discussion with their reactions to the book or the panel’s comments and to pass on their personal viewpoints and stories. This program will provide a thoughtful conversation about our future and how we can lead change in our libraries, our communities, and our profession during the next one hundred years.

Panelists:

Anita Anderson Law Librarian, Minnesota Attorney General
Anne Grande, Director of Law Library, Hennepin County Law Library
Jean Holcomb, Law Librarian, Westfield, NC
David J. Lockwood, Deputy Circuit Librarian, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
Judy Meadows, Director, State Law Library of Montana
Regina Smith, Director of the Law Library, Jenkins Law Library

Sharing your photos of the annual meeting

2006-06-30T18:59:00.000-07:00

If you would like to contribute photos to the AALL Gateway group on Flickr, email me at dmurley@siu.edu to request a Flickr invitation. I will send you an invitation email from Flickr. Click on the link in the email and follow the instructions.

Flickr has an extensive FAQ, from which I have extracted some basic tips on getting started with Flickr, uploading photos, and adding those photos to the AALL Gateway group.

2nd Annual Stitches SIS

2006-06-30T15:07:00.000-07:00

Take a mini break and unwind with a ball of yarn or threads;
come network with your fellow knit-wit Librarians!

Monday July 10th at 3:00pm and Tuesday July 11th at 1:15pm
during the Exhibit Hall break.

Posted for Carolyn Tanen and Joanne Dugan

Celebrate the French Heritage of St. Louis on Bastille Day

2006-06-30T11:40:00.000-07:00

Friday, July 14: Alliance Française, St. Louis Presents a Bastille Day Dinner
6:00 p.m. cocktails (cash bar), 7:00 p.m. dinner. Enjoy this wonderful three course dinner, coffee and tea. $40 per person. Café de France, 7515 Forsyth Blvd. RSVP tel: 314.432.0734 or alliancesl@accessus.net.

Thursday, July 13: Les Amis and the St. Louis Woman's Club Bastille Day Celebration
Celebrate Bastille Day with a delicious gourmet French luncheon at the St. Louis Woman's Club followed by a docent-led tour of the spectacular "Jospehine Baker: Image and Icon" exhibit at the Sheldon Art Gallery. Meet at 10:30 a.m. on the east side of Woman's Club parking lot if you wish to carpool. 11 a.m. tour, 12:30 a.m. luncheon. $23.60 per person. Send name and payment payable to "St. Louis Woman's Club" to: Janine Harris, 4600 Lindell, St. Louis, MO 63108.

Soulard, the old French district, usually has festivities and the Tour de Soulard bike race will be on Sunday, July 16. The city of Maplewood will have - Let Them Eat Art! Bastille Day Event July 14th in Downtown Maplewood!

Calling all Law Librarian Bloggers, Curious Bloggers and Bloggers To Be!

2006-06-29T15:56:00.000-07:00

Did you know St. Louis is considered home to many blawgers?

There will be a wonderful opportunity to meet law librarian bloggers and St. Louis bloggers during the AALL conference.

We will have an informal gathering at 5 p.m. on Monday, July 11th for drinks, etc. at a place near the conference center. Bloggers are invited to meet each other and share their ideas. And, even if you do not blog, you are invited to participate!

St. Louis’ blawgers include Dennis Kennedy of http://www.denniskennedy.com/blog/, Matt Homann of http://thenonbillablehour.typepad.com/ and http://www.lexthink.com/, Evan Schaeffer of http://www.legalunderground.com/, and George Lenard, http://employmentblawg.blogspot.com/.

The location will be announced at a later time. Please plan to attend on Monday, July 11th from 5 p.m.-6:30 p.m.

For more information, please contact Barbara Fullerton at 214-800-4576 or bfullerton@10kwizard.com.

AALLNet Discussion Forum Managers Workshop in St. Louis

2006-06-29T14:17:00.000-07:00

If you have just been tapped to be the new discussion forum (listserv) manager for your AALL group (or are a continuing manager but are not on the managers' listserv), then we hope you will come to the Discussion Forum Managers Workshop in St. Louis, which will take place on Tuesday, July 11, from 5:15-6:15 p.m. in the Renaissance - Grand Aubert room. Charles Reese, AALLNet Director of Information Technology, and Chris Siwa, AALLNet Administrator, will be there to give tips and to answer questions so as to help us make our listservs run smoother.

You can register (no charge) at this site: http://www.aallnet.org/committee/aac/workshops/2006forums.htm

Your registration will let us know how many participants to plan for, and the form also provides space for you to submit questions.

We look forward to seeing you there --

Jan Anderson
for the AALLNet Advisory Committee
email: anderjan@law.georgetown.edu

Picturing the Annual Meeting

2006-06-29T13:43:00.000-07:00

We have set up a Flickr group photo pool for the annual meeting this year. Flickr is a website where individuals and groups can share photos with each other and the world. A selection of photos in the AALL Gateway pool will display in the sidebar of this blog, or you can see the entire pool at http://www.flickr.com/groups/aall_gateway/.

There are only three photos in the pool at this time, but you can help. If you plan to take a digital camera to the AALL annual meeting and would like to share your photos with the pool, email me at dmurley@siu.edu to request a Flickr invitation. I will post some tips for getting started later this week.

Unfortunately, it is not possible at this time to splice photos from a group photo pool into our blog feed. I tried last night, and many feed subscribers receive random photos that weren't from the pool. Sorry about that. You can subscribe to a separate feed for the AALL Gateway photos or visit the AALL Gateway pool to see all photos.

the Hot Pink Ribbons

2006-06-29T11:43:00.000-07:00

They're here...they're pink. Be sure to look for them at the registration desk. If you have run for SIS or AALL office, regardless of the outcome, you should be wearing one!

See how many you can spot on the badges of your colleagues!

Kathie Sullivan

The Hot Pink Ribbons

2006-06-28T11:29:00.000-07:00

The Hot Pink ribbons will be out this year in St. Louis. Can you wear one?

They will say "I Ran, Did You?"

What do you have in common with the following people? Karl Gruben, Al Podboy, Susan Siebers, Kathy Carrick, Betty Taylor, Tim Coggins.....among others.

If you meet the criteria, pick up a ribbon at the registration desk.

More clues to come.

Kathie Sullivan

Day in the Life Winning Photos in Exhibit Hall

2006-06-28T09:46:00.000-07:00

Come view the winning entries from the AALL A Day in the Life of the Law Library Community Photo Contest at the Public Relations Committee table in the Activities Area of the Exhibit Hall. The winners will be acknowledged during a brief ceremony on Tuesday, July 11, at 1:30 p.m. in the Activities Area.

Famous St. Louisan: Josephine Baker

2006-06-28T08:10:00.000-07:00

From AP:

St. Louis Childhood Shaped Josephine Baker
By CHERYL WITTENAUER, Associated Press Writer Wed Jun 21, 11:39 PM ET

ST. LOUIS - Freda Josephine McDonald Martin was only 13 when she left St. Louis to begin the journey from poverty to international star.

But just as T.S. Eliot's poetry was influenced in this Mississippi River city by his "childhood beside the big river" and playwright Tennessee Williams met his Stanley Kowalski in a factory here, Josephine Baker's artistry and passion for human rights sprang from her early years growing up black in the St. Louis slums....

Learn about more famous St. Louisans (like Buddy Ebsen, Harold Ramis, John Goodman, Vincent Price, Tina Turner, Betty Grable, William S. Burroughs, Miles Davis, Marlin Perkins, T.S. Eliot, Kevin Kline, Nelly, Tennessee Williams, Shelly Winters, and more) at the St. Louis Walk of Fame on Delmar Boulevard, just outside the city limits in University City.

Wireless Access Points in the America’s Center

2006-06-27T13:36:00.000-07:00

Wireless Internet Access Locations in the St. Louis America's Center:

First Floor:
Washington Lobby
Plaza Lobby
First Floor long hallway that connects Washington & Plaza Lobbies

Second Floor:
Lobby outside of 220 Complex and 230 Complex
Second Floor Atrium
Second Floor long hallway that connects Second Floor Atrium with the lobbies by 220 Complex and 230 Complex

Other locations at the America's Center include the Internet Room (sponsored by West) in the Exhibit Hall (available until 3pm, Tuesday, July 11) and the Convention Center Internet Café (across from 9th Street Entrance – between hall 3 and Plaza lobby – next to security).

Note: It does not appear that secure wireless access is available for purchase in the America's Center. Check out the St. Louis Local Arrangements page's Business Services Guide for links to other WiFi and Internet locations in St. Louis.

Disaster Planning is the Hot Topic!

2006-06-27T12:20:00.000-07:00

Join your colleagues on Tuesday, July 11, 4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. for the hot, Hot Topic in St. Louis: Prepare for the Worst, Hope for the Best: Using a Library Disaster Plan Template to Prepare the Library's Disaster Plan. Disasters can range from plumbing leaks and broken water pipes to major catastrophes, such as hurricanes and fires. Good disaster planning can make it possible to get your library back into operation. Speaker, Jeanne Drewes, Chief, Binding and Collections Care, Library of Congress, and managing editor of Insurance and Risk Management for Libraries, will walk attendees through creating a library disaster plan using a template, which is available on the Educational Program Handout Materials Collection site. Attendees are strongly encouraged to bring the template. Ms. Drewes will review existing disaster plans (limit 5 plans) while she is at AALL. If you would like Ms. Drewes to review your existing plan, bring it to the session.

Be sure to bring with you printed copies of the 3 documents for Program H-1 (available for printing/downloading here).

Nancy Johnson, Coordinator

Button, Button, Who’s Got the Hurricane Button?

2006-06-26T07:07:00.000-07:00

Last year the Gulf Coast was devastated by three category 5 hurricanes–Katrina, Rita, and Wilma. Courts, law firms and law schools were in many cases forced to go on the road for significant periods of time, trying to maintain services even when the devastation occurred over a large geographical area. Many law librarians were, and still are, affected by these events. Those librarians who are willing to discuss their experiences will be wearing a button with the hurricane symbol and the words "I was there." The buttons may be picked up at the hospitality area, at the same place where you pick up the sticker to show that you will be attending AALL in New Orleans in 2007. Thanks to Catherine Lemann, Law Library of Louisiana, for coming up with this idea. (Posted for Barbara Fritschel)

The Hollywood Librarian

2006-06-26T07:03:00.000-07:00

“Librarians are almost always very helpful and often almost absurdly knowledgeable. Their skills are probably very underestimated and largely underemployed. “— the Social Audit Consumer Handbook, Macmillan, 1978, p. 41
Charles MEDAWAR

As Librarians, we have few heroes to look to on the silver screen. Instead of being depicted as advocates for free speech, expeditors of information, and the guardians of our history and culture, we’re most often shown as ill-tempered, sensible shoe-wearing gatekeepers whose greatest pleasure comes from silencing people with a resounding “shhhhh.” It would be great, wouldn’t it, if the world could see librarians for what we really are and the true importance of our work? Luckily, you now have the opportunity to help make that dream a reality.

Over the past three years, librarian and information consultant, Ann Seidl, has been working on The Hollywood Librarian, a thoughtful, entertaining, and enlightening documentary that focuses on the lives and work of librarians in the context of the highly influential medium of American feature films. Ann has been gathering dozens of interviews with real library professionals and library supporters and movie clips of cinematic librarians, from Katharine Hepburn in Desk Set to Goldie Hawn in Foul Play. Interwoven within the scenes of reality vs. perception are the issues that matter both to librarians and the public: censorship, intellectual freedom, pay equity, funding issues, and the value of reading. The work is nearly done, but we need your help.

To finish the film, we need $150,000 to purchase the rights to film clips and music, and edit the more than 50 hours of footage into the final product. How can you help? You can easily make a donation by sending a check to: The Hollywood Librarian, c/o Bi-Folkal Productions, Inc., 809 Williamson St., Madison, WI 53703, or by going to The Hollywood Librarian website, http://www.hollywoodlibrarian.com/, click on Sponsor the Film, and click on Support the Documentary. Any amount is appreciated and if you need more convincing just check out some of the preliminary footage on The Hollywood Librarian website.

A film like this, if you’ll pardon the pun, is long overdue. Support your fellow librarians, the profession and of course, the librarians that will come after us.
Many thanks. (Posted for Priscilla Stultz)

Bring your pioneering spirit to the dance floor….

2006-06-25T16:02:00.000-07:00

Join the unofficial Dance-SIS group which will meet in the entryway/lobby area of the Grand Renaissance Hotel for the first time on Saturday evening at 9:30. Tentatively we are planning on going to Club Buca (walking distance - less than a mile away) the first night. See information about that area of downtown (Laclede's Landing) and other entertainment venues in that area. If we find a better venue, or hear a better plan, we will try to get the word out. Contact Ed Beltz, at 919-619 6517 during the conference, or Donna Nixon, at 919-593-4288, to coordinate plans. Prior to the conference, email at ubeltz@gmail.com or nixon@law.duke.edu . (Posted for Ed Beltz)

OBS-SIS Special Committee on Record Sharing Meeting

2006-06-25T15:55:00.000-07:00

Are you concerned about “record nabbing vs. record sharing” using the Z39.50 protocol?
Worried, but not sure what to do, about the fact your ILS is a Z39.50 server that other libraries (or even vendors) might use obtain MARC records for free, sometimes without your permission?
Apprehensive about the future of the CIP program in light of the survey recently conducted by the Library of Congress and whether possible changes in that program might affect where libraries get their MARC records for acquisitions and cataloging?
Rethinking your cataloging workflow, including how you will obtain MARC records, now that the RLG/OCLC merger has been approved?

If any of those issues are of interest to you, please join the Online Bibliographic Services SIS Special Committee on Record Sharing for an informal discussion/focus group during the AALL conference in St. Louis. Our meeting will take place on Sunday, July 9 from 4:15 – 5:15 p.m in the America’s Center Room 125.

You don’t have to be a member of either OBS or the Committee to be part of our discussion. We’re looking for opinions from folks in all different types of libraries and from vendors as well on the issues involved. Are you using Z39.50 now? Are you interested in it, in discussing the possible abuses of record “nabbing” or in helping to develop a set of guidelines for the future? Please come and share your views on July 9! (Posted for Pat Callahan)

New Exhibit Hall Event: Meet St. Louis regional lawyer/authors at the Left Bank Books booth!

2006-06-25T15:43:00.000-07:00

Special exhibit hall event just added! Meet regional authors who are lawyers at the Left Bank Books booth. Left Bank Books, St. Louis’ premier independent book store, will present a book signing and meet and greet session.

Confirmed so far is Michael Kahn, author of the Rachel Gold series of legal thrillers. Kahn, a St. Louis trial attorney, has been selected for inclusion in the current edition of The Best Lawyers in America. (See link for additional biographical information.) Other participants are still being confirmed, but possible authors could range from writers of mysteries to sports to federal procedure.

Left Banks’ participation in the exhibit hall is made possible by a generous donation from Greensfelder, Hemker and Gale, PC, with assistance from the Rocky Mountain Division of West Librarian Relations, and through the efforts of Sally Crowley, Local Advisory Committee Exhibits Chair.

Watch for announcement on the day, time, and authors and be sure to visit Left Bank Books and all our exhibitors! (Posted for Sally Crowley.)

Meet the Editors in St. Louis

2006-06-22T12:29:00.000-07:00

Meet Law Library Journal Editor Frank Houdek and AALL Spectrum Editorial Director Paul Healey at the AALL Publications Booth (#402) in the Exhibit Hall during the Annual Meeting. Frank will be available Sunday, from 11 a.m.-12 p.m. and 1-2 p.m., and Tuesday, from 9:30-11:30 a.m. Paul will be available Sunday and Monday, from 9-11 a.m., and on Tuesday, from 10-11:30 a.m. Come to discuss an article idea or to simply say hi.

Some Academic Law Library History

2006-06-20T13:11:00.000-07:00

Since part of what we're going to be doing at AALL this year is look back at the history of AALL and law libraries, I thought I'd post this quote I found today while looking through some old journals.

The law-school library is at a crossroads: either it must remain an integral part of legal education, advancing under the direction of thoroughly competent and trained librarians possessed of satisfactory salary, status and opportunity, or it must fail in a most important part of its mission, to the corresponding detriment of the school it serves. Fortunately, in the experience of the writer at least, most law-school administrators are prepared to meet the challenges, once they know the facts.

Miles O. Pierce The Law School Librarian 1 J. Legal Educ. 268, 272 (1948)

That quote is from 1948, but it sounds like it could have been written yesterday!

-Sarah Glassmeyer

Those New Ribbons You'll be Seeing

2006-06-15T13:50:00.000-07:00

They're going to be HOT PINK.
Look for them, see how many you can find. Everyone wearing one will have one important thing in common.

More to come!

Kathie Sullivan

See those colorful ribbons!

2006-06-12T15:07:00.000-07:00

You've seen the ribbons hanging from name badges before...in St Louis there will be a new one to spot! See how many you can find.

Want to know more? Want to know what the new color and ribbon represents? Can you wear one?

Stay tuned here!

Kathie Sullivan

If you're coming to AALL in St. Louis...take in the Wizard of Oz

2006-06-05T14:36:00.000-07:00

The Muny Opera in Forest Park will be presenting The Wizard of Oz July 6 - 16. The Muny is the nation's oldest and largest outdoor theatre. It is an open-air theatre, so be prepared for any weather. There are some free seats in the back if you get there early. There is a shuttle bus from the Forest Park Metrolink station to the theatre. For more events, check out our "Experience St. Louis in July" page.

July 6 - 16

Somewhere Over The Rainbow * If I Only Had A Heart * Ding! Dong! The Witch Is Dead!
The Muny invites you to experience one of MGM’s grandest musicals come to life, as we recreate all of the magic and marvel of this best-loved children’s classic. Dorothy, the Cowardly Lion, the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodsman and Glinda will all be there. And Toto, too! Follow the Yellow Brick Road, to the land where dreams really do come true.

Thanks to Chris Tighe for this posting.

Glass in the Gardens

2006-05-24T09:37:00.000-07:00

The Missouri Botanical Garden (also called "Shaw's Garden") is always worth a visit with 2 rose gardens, a Japanese and a Chinese garden, demonstation gardens and more, but this summer they are having a special exhibit of glass by artist Dale Chihuhly. You can see that part of the exhibit which is on the grounds with the regular garden admission, but to see the works in the climatron and desert house, you will need a timed ticket, so plan ahead.

Glass in the Garden brings the work of renowned artist Dale Chihuly to St. Louis in a custom-designed exhibition dramatically installed within the natural landscapes of the Missouri Botanical Garden. Please note: Climatron and Temperate House available during the exhibition by ticket only.
tips!
Record-breaking crowds are expected for Glass in the Garden, so follow these handy tips when planning your visit to best enjoy the exhibition.
Speed through admissions by purchasing tickets online. Garden members get a discount. Join today!
To avoid the crowds, visit in the morning and choose a Monday, Tuesday, or Thursday.
Dress for the weather. Tickets are good rain or shine and will not be refunded or exchanged.
Allow a minimum of one hour prior to your ticket time to park, be admitted, and approach the exhibit.
Free parking is available on site and 1½ blocks west of the Garden in lots at the corner of Shaw and Vandeventer.
Chihuly nights
Every Thursday from 6 to 10 p.m. “Glass in the Garden” glows every Thursday evening during Chihuly Nights, beginning May 4. Enjoy the serenity and beauty of the Garden from 6 to 10 p.m. Live glass-blowing demonstrations, music, cash bar, hors d’oeuvres, and desserts for purchase. Admission is $15 (Garden members $10) and includes Garden admission. No reservations required. Purchase tickets online or at the Garden. For information about Chihuly Nights, (314) 577-5101 or email.

Watch local artists from Third Degree Glass Factory create objects out of molten glass during Chihuly Nights on Thursday evenings and on Saturdays 10 a.m. to noon. Demonstrations will be held at our hotshop near the Linnean House. Included with admission.

City Flag

2006-05-22T15:55:00.000-07:00

Back in 2004, in a recent American City Flag Survey, St. Louis' flag ranked 5th out of 150. "NAVA, the 450-member North American Vexillological Association, conducted a poll on its website, asking members and the public their opinions of 150 flag designs: the 100 largest cities in the U.S., all state capitals, and at least two cities per state."

http://www.nava.org/Flag%20Design/city_survey.htm

If you like any of the flags, you can buy them from NAVA or Amazon.

Calling All Punk Rockers!

2006-05-22T15:47:00.000-07:00

I bet you did not know that St. Louis has a thriving punk scene. Check it out at http://www.lofistl.com/. Lo-Fi Saint Louis gives a weekly digest of live clips and music.

Come to Fair St. Louis

2006-05-17T09:12:00.000-07:00

St. Louis has a huge Fourth of July celebration on the riverfront called Fair St. Louis (http://www.fairstl.org/) with parades, fireworks, bands and more. The festivities will continue though July 15 if anyone is staying for the weekend after the conference.

Fair Saint Louis / LIVE on the Levee Program Schedule
Saturday July 1
10AM 10AM-10PM 11AM-8PM 1PM 3PM-6PM 8PM 9:30PM 10PM	V.P. Parade Restaurants and local bands on Eads Bridge Family Fun Village Concert on the Overlook Stage Local bands on the Overlook Stage Jason Mraz on the Overlook Stage Fireworks Grounds Close
Tuesday July 4
11AM-10PM 5PM 5PM-8PM 6PM 7PM 8PM 9:30PM 10PM	Restaurants and Local bands on Eads Bridge Grounds Open Family Fun Village Opening band on Overlook Stage Regional band on Overlook Stage Hootie and the Blowfish on Overlook Stage Fireworks Grounds close
Every Friday and Saturday July 14th - August 12th
5PM 5PM-8PM 6PM 8PM 9:30PM 10PM	Grounds and Eads Bridge Open Family Fun Village Opening band on Overlook Stage Concert on Overlook Stage* Fireworks Grounds and Eads Bridge close
July 14th - featuring Better than Ezra & Sister Hazel July 15th -* featuring India Arie

Ode to Toasted Ravioli

2006-05-16T14:59:00.000-07:00

Originally posted at Buffalo Wings & Toasted Ravioli:

St. Louis is known for many things: the Gateway Arch, the world's largest brewery, a world-famous Zoo, Botanical Garden, and Art Museum. But few things are more beloved to St. Louisans than our greatest contribution to world cuisine: toasted ravioli.

Ode to Toasted Ravioli

O Ravioli, golden, hot,
They call thee “toasted”—yet, thou’rt not!
But boiled, dipped in bread crumbs, fried,
With marinara on the side,

And grated cheese from Parma’s hill,
Thou temptest me to eat my fill.
With choice red wine, or Busch’s brew,
I cannot stop at one or two.

Fetch here a plateful—friends, partake!
The King of Beers thy thirst will slake.

Ignore the envious jibes and barbs
Of those who shun both fats and carbs,
For life is short and full of woe.
We will enjoy thy crispy dough.

Of appetizers, nachos, wings,
O ravioli, thou art king!
Thy meaty fill and golden crust
Leave all pretenders in the dust.

O Ravioli, golden, hot,
Thy sav’ry joys be ne’er forgot!

by James Milles

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 2.5 License.

If you miss the Cardinals...try River City Rascals

2006-05-12T08:33:00.000-07:00

The River City Rascals, an independent professional baseball team, is located in O'Fallon, MO. They will be playing at home on July 8th-July 10th. The ballpark is located in the Ozzie Smith (hurrah for Ozzie!) Sports Complex, about 35 miles west of downtown St. Louis.

Check the website for game times and prices.

http://www.rivercityrascals.com/index.html

Virtually Missouri

2006-05-12T07:57:00.000-07:00

From The Scout Report

Recommended by Jane Reynolds, Jenkens & Gilchrist

NOTE: It includes links to a variety of Missouri libraries' digital collections including the St. Louis Circuit Court Historical Records Project at http://stlcourtrecords.wustl.edu/index.php.

Virtually Missouri

"While it seems that almost every state historical museum or library has set
up a digital collection or twelve, coordinating access to these lovely
offerings has proved to be a bit tough. Fortunately for those collections
created in the state of Missouri, there is the Missouri Digitization
Planning Project, which has created this fine site. Sponsored with monies
from the Institute of Museum & Library Services, Virtually Missouri serves
as a place where institutions can place their digitized collections, and not
surprisingly, the generally curious public can take a look at their
creations. From the homepage, visitors can take a look at the featured
collection, or delve right into the other materials by searching the catalog
of collections or by just browsing a list of the collections. The offerings
here are quite impressive, as they include exhibits on the African American
community of northeast Missouri created by the Hannibal Free Public Library
and images from the now-defunct newspaper, the St. Louis Globe Democrat."

Celebrating "100 Years in 100 Days"

2006-03-28T15:50:00.000-08:00

Did you know that 27 members attended AALL’s second annual meeting at the Battery Park Hotel in Asheville, N.C., in 1907? That AALL ended its fourth year of existence, in 1910, with a balance on hand of $321.96? Or that the first woman to serve as AALL president was Rosamond Parma in 1930-31?

If not, plan to visit AALLNET frequently over the next three months to learn more about the fascinating history of AALL during its first century. To whet your appetite for the Centennial festivities at the Annual Meeting in St. Louis, July 8-12, AALLNET will countdown AALL’s 100 years, from 1906 to 2005, one year at a time for 100 days. Beginning on Thursday, March 30, the spotlight will naturally first be turned toward 1906, the year of AALL’s founding. Thereafter, a new year will be covered each day, culminating with 2005 on July 7.

Enjoying "100 Years in 100 Days" couldn’t be easier. Clicking on the year listed beneath the Centennial logo on the AALLNET homepage will take you to facts about that year prepared by Frank G. Houdek. It will also provide a link to an archive of previously covered years ("One Hundred Years of AALL History") on the Centennial Website maintained by the AALL Centennial Celebration Committee.

So don’t delay . . . learn about AALL history with "100 Years in 100 Days" beginning March 30.

St. Louis Cardinals Tickets: Don't Delay!

2006-03-17T07:50:00.000-08:00

From Ann Fessenden, Local Advisory Committee Co-Chair:

If you are interested in seeing the St. Louis Cardinals, do not delay! Only single seats and standing room are available for most games, including those immediately following AALL (July 13, 14, 15, 16 v. Dodgers)! Unfortunately, the Cards are out of town at the beginning of the conference, and the All-Star break occurs the 10th-12th. For ticket info, see Cardinals Tickets.

Don't Forget the Centennial

2006-02-23T09:24:00.000-08:00

While the 2006 AALL Annual Meeting will, as usual, be chock full of educational programs focused on helping us maintain and develop the skills and knowledge necessary to be outstanding twenty-first century law librarians, I hope that everyone will keep in mind that we also will be celebrating the 100th anniversary of our Association. To learn more about AALL's history and the activities planned for St. Louis, don't forget to frequently visit the AALL Centennial Website maintained by the AALL Centennial Celebration Committee. It includes information about upcoming events and activities, links to articles about AALL history, a list of chapter and SIS histories, and a FAQ section that, among other things, responds to the question, "if AALL is celebrating its one-hundredth anniversary in 2006, why is the Annual Meeting in St. Louis the ninety-ninth meeting?"

AALL Gateway Blog Welcome

2006-02-15T12:39:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the AALL Gateway Blog! The blog is a companion piece to the Gateway Gazette, official conference daily newspaper of the 99th AALL Annual Meeting in St. Louis, Missouri, July 8-12, 2006. AALL Gateway will feature news, announcements and informational pieces about the upcoming meeting (and birthday celebration), as well as stories, tips and other items of interest for conference attendees. We also hope to recruit "Gateway Bloggers" to report on their experiences during the meeting.

Since we will be using Blogger to host the AALL Gateway Blog, you will need an invitation from us to post directly, and a Blogger username and password (you can always post comments to previous postings without blogger registration).

If you would like to blog now (or throughout the meeting), or simply post an occasional article or picture, you must:

Request a Blogger invitation by e-mail from:
James Duggan duggan@siu.edu
or
Diane Murley dmurley@siu.edu
Agree to the blogger guidelines, which will be sent to you in a separate e-mail.

The AALL Gateway Blog is now open for postings by registered users!

AALL Gateway Blog Editors
James Duggan
Diane Murley