by Stina McClintock
…The following information is not of interest to you. I apologize and give you this to read instead.
I’m going to deviate away from the topic of law librarianship and let you all know that it is Seattle Beer Week! And in order to talk about something very near and dear to my heart, I had to find a way to make it relate to this blog…so here goes.
Did you know that beer has its own classification system? Before I went through the training to become a Certified Beer Judge in 2005, I thought of beer as either “tasty” or “not as tasty”. Never did it occur to me that a specific type of beer was SUPPOSED to taste like bacon. Or grass. Or green apple (I’m looking at you Bud Light). It was only after 16 weeks of beer drinking, or should I say “tasting”, that I realized that like every other science, beer has its own language and its own system of organization.
Over the next week, a variety of venues in the Seattle area will be pouring up some of the best that breweries have to offer. This is our opportunity to get out and try something new. Check out a sour ale (tart and refreshing) or a dry hopped cider (from Finn River). And if you need to attach something “headier” to your tasting exploits, tell yourself that you are learning a new classification system in the name of professional development.
*editor’s note: hic!
by Stina McClintock
Every morning I watch the Daily Rundown on MSNBC because I have a crush on Chuck Todd and because I have an even bigger crush on Luke Russert. At the end of each show they go around the table and do a “shameless plug”, which is the main motivation for this post. That and because Kim Kardashian has taught me the fine art of self promotion.
The Public Law Library of King County has a new website! Have you checked it out yet? It does everything the old site did, but a little bit better. For example, did you know that we have a wealth of information on Consumer Protection on our website? Maybe you didn’t because in the olden days you would not have been able to drill our site “By Topic” from A to Z. Or that we have quick links to Limited Practice Officer forms so you don’t have to click seven pages deep on the WSBA website? That’s right! We have had a virtual facelift.
I was going to sit here and take full credit for the whole thing, but in light of the fact that I am not big into lying or stealing spotlights (a lesson I learned from Snooki) I think this is the appropriate place to send a big ol’ shout out to Kim Ositis and Rick Stroup. Both of them worked exceptionally hard to keep the site development on schedule and delegate tasks to the rest of us here at the library. While a group effort, every big project has a leader, and it was definitely a well run operation. Or as library folks might say “an excellent collaboration.” Now go explore!
by Kristine Lloyd
Nothing says morning better than a cup of Librarian’s Blend coffee, brought to you by the fine folks of Intelligentsia Coffee:
The Librarian’s Blend is named for that person who always told you to keep quiet when you were studying. This blend is representative of the soul of the librarian: steady, reassuring, and always there with that slight edge of eccentricity. It has a bold base with a bit of sparkle. Here’s to good reading.
What baffles me is that it’s decaf. Why would I want decaf when I need to fortify myself to forcefully shush patrons, stamp books with fervor and patrol the stacks for perverts? Honestly, I think the Honey Badger Espresso sounds a bit more apt for our feisty clan:
Honey Badger’s reincarnation is true to the original’s form: assertive and acidic, with excessive sweetness and a syrupy body. Complex, citric, zesty, and well-rounded, this blend is both versatile and exciting, with much to offer both the home user and the ambitious barista.
*editor’s note: If you’re looking for the best coffee downtown check-out Monorail Espresso (cash only). They regularly fuel a number of librarians.
by Philippe Cloutier
This just popped into my mailbox and thought it worth sharing:
Sent on behalf of AALL President Darcy Kirk, for the week of May 7, 2012.
AALL Student Caucus Formed
I am very pleased to announce an AALL Student Caucus has been formed following approval by the Executive Board. The purpose of the caucus is to offer a community for students pursuing careers in the field of law librarianship where they can assume an active role in shaping the future of the profession.
Any member can join a caucus, so join the Student Caucus and support the future of our profession. Continue reading 'AALL News: Student Caucus'»
by Kristine Lloyd
I do so love The New Yorker, but I feel like Lucille Ball on the candy conveyor belt—they just keep coming, and I can barely keep up. That said, I am usually about 3 or 4 months behind, but thankfully the articles are often timeless in their wisdom.
Recently, I read this interesting article about collaboration and brainstorming, and it really made me further consider an earlier post I contributed about embedded librarians. There’s no argument that we need each other, but how often does our tendency to groupthink impede the actual exchange of new ideas? It might be that by stepping out of the library and integrating with different departments and practice groups we open ourselves up to new ideas about our library services.
What I found most interesting about the article was the exploration and exchange of ideas based on architecture. The article describes the bunker-like Building 20 at M.I.T. which was initially regarded as an architectural failure but later turned out to be an intellectual breeding ground for collaborations that resulted in the creation of the Bose Corporation, the first video game and Chomskyan linguistics. With people from different departments housed in proximity to each other, there were lots of interdepartmental exchanges of ideas that led to the creation of new theories and inventions.
It always amazes me when, despite all of our outreach efforts, I encounter an attorney who has no idea that we have a library page on our intranet. Not only am I able to assist the attorney in finding helpful resources, but I also have an opportunity to assess how the attorney processes information and what his/her specific needs are. This often generates new ideas for training classes or outreach for a specific practice group. Whether we venture out intermittently or we go whole-hog and set up shop amongst the attorneys, the exchanges we’ll have will surely lead to the library innovations essential to keeping our services fresh.
by Philippe Cloutier
The LexisNexis® Librarian Relations Group sponsors an annual program: Teaching Research in Private Law Libraries (TRIPLL). TRIPLL took place this past weekend, in Frisco, TX, and I was lucky enough to attend. TRIPLL’s history spans over 20 years; and past attendees often exclaim its merits and benefits to their careers. My experience was a three-day whirlwind. Here are some quick and dirty notes/outlines.
Our first day, Friday, laid down the groundwork and prepped our minds, diving into law firm dynamics, change, and the business outlook. We were then given a bigger picture, looking at law school operations, goals, and concerns. Select questions arising on Friday: How do firm librarians fit into these models, how can we improve our services given the range of needs, and where do we go from here?
Continue reading 'TRIPLL Down'»
by Amy Eaton
I read a variety of blogs, journals and magazines covering everything from leadership and librarianship to reality TV, politics and book reviews. When I find inspiration and thought provoking articles I print and file them in a binder which I have cleverly labeled, Thought Leaders. I turn to this binder on a regular basis when I find myself stuck with a problem and looking for a new way to solve it. These are the people I turn to help me understand what is happening in my profession and in the world around me. I define a thought leader as someone who not only writes about new ways of doing things but also tries new ways of doing things. Thought leaders are not afraid to fail because they know that failure is just a step in the process of figuring out what works. Thought leaders are innovative because they are not afraid to be disruptive. Some of the most disruptive issues facing law librarians right now are also the most innovative: eBooks, virtual libraries, embedded librarians.
Continue reading 'Who are your thought leaders?'»
by Philippe Cloutier
Seattle Libraries hit the NPR newswire today in praise of ebooks and readership levels. Kirk Blankenship, head of electronic resources at Seattle Public Library, is extensively interviewed and makes clear several points:
- Demand for econtent is massively growing and SPL is fighting to meet it
- Publishers are taking advantage of the situation either by charging libraries more and more (or by not selling to libraries at all)
- Patrons want cookbooks
- The ebook landscape is still forming
With the exception of cookbooks, though I could be wrong, I’d wager that the legal sector is similar to the public. We were just behind the public when it came to regular computer use, email, and online catalogs. Perhaps only recently has printing cases, statutes, articles, and the like become irregular. Legal research databases are catering to mobile platforms and are trying to figure out the ebook game, not wanting to miss a valuable market. While public libraries pave the way, actually lending out e-materials in the hundreds of thousands, they stand with us in trying to figure out the shape (and cost) of things to come.
Your LLOPS Grants Committee wants to remind you that we are able to fund three early-bird registrations ($520 each) for the 2012 AALL Annual Meeting in Boston, July 21-24. In addition to the two LLOPS-funded registrations, our chapter qualifies for one AALL Chapter Registration Award. Applications are due to the Grants Committee by May 9, 2012. Conference early-bird registration deadline is June 15.
Preference will be given to LLOPS members who have not received a grant in the last 3 years and who have actively contributed to the Law Librarians of Puget Sound. The AALL-provided grant is to encourage attendance by newer members.
See the Grants Committee page for more information and the grant application
2011-2012 LLOPS Grants Committee: Dawn Kendrick Gibb, Chair | Bridget Dacres | Jan Lawrence
Comments (0) 
Themocracy