by Tal Noznisky
In her recent AALL Spectrum article “Cheaper Online? Our library’s gradual move to all electronic,” LaJean Humphries describes what looks like the road ahead for many libraries. Her library at Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt in downtown Portland had to drastically downsize their print collection and go online as much as possible. Deselection and divestment was easy. Relocating the remaining print resources was almost as easy. The difficulty is in the intangible stuff of the Internet. I went to Portland last week, where LaJean was nice enough to fill me on the web-ward transition’s outlook and prospects.
In her article, she concludes that the migration is incomplete. As she explained it to me, three issues stand in the way. The first is access. The library crew made early leeway there by updating their web catalog by spotlighting their digital resources and recasting ebooks’ URLs with plain, descriptive English. Every publisher, however, requires a more or less convoluted way of accessing their ebooks. LaJean expects to seal a deal with Lexis in the next few months that will provide streamlined access to a fairly consummate digital collection. But it won’t simplify resource delivery through OverDrive, or support maintenance of historical materials. Continue reading 'Printless in Portland?'»
by Philippe Cloutier
A great many things are bubbling for AALL. The PLL Summit’s registration is open: SOS: Shaping our Success as is the Conference of Newer Law Librarians (CONELL). I highly recommend CONELL not only for the peer-to-peer networking, mentoring, and scheduled touring; but also for the sheer fun!
Happy CONELL faces
Continue reading 'AALL Announcements'»
by Tal Noznisky
Happy Sunshine Week, everyone! And, if you’re reading this on March 16th, let’s hope you’re having a wonderful National Freedom of Information Day!
Every Sunshine Week, open government activists speak up about freedom of information, laud its preservation, and caution its diminishment. Sunshine Week was founded in 2002 by the Florida Society of News Editors founded Sunshine Week as an expansion of National Freedom of Information Day (which was itself founded years earlier to commemorate James Madison’s birthday). In 2005, the American Society of News Editors raised the idea to a national platform. The goal was, and remains, to amplify the dialogue about government information access issues across America for a solid seven days of news reporting, editorials, conferences, and more. The impact of social media, in particular, on Sunshine Week themes and reporting is worth watching.
A series of Sunshine Week posts on the White House Blog is a good place to start. Continue reading 'Sunshine and Washington'»
by Grace Feldman
Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don’t lose faith. I’m convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did. You’ve got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don’t settle.
-Steve Jobs
I recently read this quote on Pinterest. I had just moved from another state leaving some of my closest friends behind to take a job here in Seattle and though I missed my old home, I found myself nodding my head in agreement with the quote. I nodded because life had hit me in the head with a bag of bricks and in spite of this, I kept looking and did not settle. I nodded because I am finally truly satisfied doing what I believe is great work. I nodded until I came to the end of the quote and saw that Steve Jobs was the alleged source. What? Really? Steve Jobs said that? Continue reading 'Find What You Love'»
by Anna L. Endter
Did you know that the Member Resources section on the Blog includes a LLOPSCited Archive? I reviewed many of the old LLOPSCited newsletters recently and was struck by how much great content there is about this field we call law librarianship. You might consider reading through some of the interesting articles our members have written over the years.
Speaking of members, I also noticed that LLOPSCited often included member news/updates and profiles and I’ve decided to revive some of those features here. Stay tuned for fascinating interviews and news about our talented community of law librarians (and note that no membership information will be posted without your permission, this is entirely voluntary and optional).
If you’d like to volunteer to be interviewed by me for a member profile send me an email! Or if there is other information you’d like to share (news, job changes, etc.) let me know, I’m happy to incorporate that information into a post. Who wants to go first?
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