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By Newsletter-Blog, April 30, 2012 10:56 am

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?'»

Comments Off on eBooks on the Rise

By Newsletter-Blog, April 18, 2012 4:32 pm

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.

Comments Off on AALL in Boston – May 9 deadline for LLOPS grant applications

By grants, April 16, 2012 9:00 am

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

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By Newsletter-Blog, April 12, 2012 10:51 am

by Robyn Hagle

If you like to keep up with news on all types of libraries in all types of media, Library Link of the Day is a great tool.  The link of the day for April 11th lead to a very interesting and worthwhile read on library entrepreneurialism.  I can’t say I found all of the links of the day as relevant as this one but this site may be worth a look every couple of weeks.  You can also sign up to receive a daily link via email for keeping up to date with all things related to libraries.

Comments Off on Super PACs are Super Fun

By Newsletter-Blog, April 10, 2012 9:59 am

by Stina McClintock

A few weeks ago I joked, following the Supreme Court’s decision in Citizens United,  that I wouldn’t be surprised that in a few years the High Court would rule that the Constitution’s definition of “person” covers not just human beings, but also corporations, partnerships, associations, special purpose entities and other types of legal entities.  This ruling would thereby force us to count each Kardashian (with their multitude of businesses) three times over for census purposes.
Continue reading 'Super PACs are Super Fun'»

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By Newsletter-Blog, April 5, 2012 1:32 pm

by Amy Eaton

PLL-Summit III: The Path to 2020: A Vision for Change

Saturday, July 21, 2012 | Boston | Marriott Copley Place

Are you starting to make your plans for the 2012 American Association of Law Libraries Annual Meeting?  If so, don’t forget to also register for the third annual PLL Summit!  The PLL Summit will occur on Saturday, July 21.  The Summit is an all day program focusing on issues critical to the future of law librarians and law firms. As change agents, we must ask the questions which will help us understand the fundamental changes in the business and practice of law. What will information services look like in 2020 and what should we be doing now to advance that vision? How do we empower ourselves to drive information strategies, ensuring our own viability as information professionals? In addition to a forward-looking discussion of library services, a panel of partners, including Greg Castanias, Library partner at Jones Day, will discuss the value proposition librarians bring to the table and how they see our roles evolving. Break-out sessions will cover the business of law, proactively managing your career and technological advances and challenges. We will continue to update the Agenda as speakers and panels are formalized.

Not a private law librarian?  You may still find it helpful to see the issues facing law librarians in the private sector.  As an academic or court librarian, this will help you prepare your students and interns for life in the law firm.

The PLL Summit is $145 and the fee includes a reception Friday night, breakfast, lunch and a day full of exciting programming!  We hope to see you there.

Comments Off on Legal iPads

By Newsletter-Blog, April 4, 2012 9:53 am

by Karen Helde

At the February LLOPS meeting, Tina Ching, Sarah Griffith and I talked about our experiences with iPads in our organizations.  At that meeting,  I promised to post a list of the apps we discussed.  With apologies for the delay, here it is.

Fastcase – Access to state and federal cases and statutes via browsing, searching or citation.  Requires registering for an account, but it’s free.

Dragon Dictation – Easy-to-use voice recognition app that creates notes which can be edited, saved, emailed or copied into another application.

LawStack – Access to court rules, including the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure, and Federal Rules of Evidence.

WestlawNext – Close to the full functionality of WestlawNext via the web, but with an iPad-friendly interface.  Requires a WestlawNext subscription.

HeinOnline – Uses Hein’s vast collection of law review articles, ABA journals, CFRs and more.  PDF content can be viewed within the app or opened in the iPad reader of your choice.   Requires HeinOnline subscription.

Evernote – A tool to save and organize websites, photos, lists, ideas, notes, etc.  Synchs across all devices, mobile or desktop.

iAnnotate – Read, annotate, organize and share PDF documents.  Syncs with ITunes or Dropbox.

Dropbox  – Store photos and documents in the cloud for access via mobile and desktop devices.

Lexis Advance – Run searches, Shepardize cases and add documents to synchronized folders.  Lexis Advance subscription required.

If you want to hear more about iPads and are attending AALL in Boston, I’ll be speaking at a Monday morning program called iCan! Empowering Librarians with iPads and Other Mobile Devices.