Foreign, Comparative, and International Law Special Interest Section / American Association of Law Libraries FCIL Newsletter Volume 15 February 2001 Number 2 FCIL SIS Strategic Planning: Update Report submitted by Jean Davis, Tracy Thompson and Stefanie Weigmann

An exciting FCIL SIS strategic planning session occurred on Friday, October 27, 2000 at Fordham Actions to prepare for this meeting included: Law School. The participants were: Karen Corbett solicitation of draft goals from FCIL SIS officers, (Facilitative Consultant, Vadimus); Jean Davis Committee Chairs and Interest Group Chairs; (Chair); Victor Essien (African Law Interest Group conferences between Ms. Davis and Ms. Corbett; Chair); Patricia Kasting; Marta Kiszely (CIS and review of the draft Strategic Planning document by Eastern European Law Interest Group Chair); Jack the FCIL SIS Executive Committee and Ms. McNeill; Silke Sahl; Victoria Szymczak; Tracy Corbett; and completion of a survey in which the Thompson (Secretary/Treasurer); Dan Wade; and Executive Committee outlined prior strategic Stefanie Weigmann (Strategic Planning Committee planning activities and stated anticipated outcomes Chair). As members of the committee that drafted of the October meeting. our Section’s original Strategic Planning docu- ment1, Mr. McNeill, Ms. Thompson, Mr. Wade and At the beginning of the October 27, 2000 meeting, Ms. Weigmann worked to ensure continuity in the participants reviewed the Section’s mission planning process. Meeting participants also dis- statement: cussed comments and draft goals provided by those who could not attend the planning session, such as The purpose of the FCIL SIS shall be to two FCIL SIS Executive Committee members, provide a forum for the exchange of ideas and Anne Burnett (Publications Committee Chair), Joan information on foreign, comparative and Liu (Asian Law Interest Group Chair) and Marilyn international law and to provide continuing Raisch (Electronic Issues Interest Group Chair). The continued on p. 2 FCIL SIS Executive Committee thanks all members who have contributed to our ongoing strategic planning process. In This Issue The purposes of the October 27, 2000 meeting were: ASIL Annual Meeting ...... 4 Roznovschi & Popa Honored ...... 4 • To develop six-eight goals based on the draft IFLA Returns to United States ...... 5 FCIL SIS Strategic Planning for Continuing Correction to Minutes ...... 5 Education and Professional Development (July 2, Member News ...... 5 1999) and based on additional ideas and goals Schaffer Grant & Application ...... 6 subsequently identified by FCIL SIS officers, Newsletter Format Survey ...... 11 Committees, Interest Groups and Section members; Report from Beijing Conference ...... 13 and Ballot for Members ...... 14 • To begin discussing implementation schedules Candidate Profiles ...... 15 for these goals. From the ‘net ...... 15 continued from p. 1 • Increase active participation in the events and work of the FCIL SIS. educational opportunities at various levels. • Encourage FCIL SIS Committees and Interest Ms. Thompson then gave a brief Treasurer’s report, Groups to sponsor speakers and to host other noting that the balance in the FCIL SIS treasury as creative activities during the Section’s meeting hours of September 30, 2000 was $5,576.07. at the AALL Annual Meeting. In an hour-long brainstorming session, participants • Strengthen relationships with other organizations identified 33 potential goals that could advance and groups, such as British and Irish Association of FCIL SIS objectives. Ms. Corbett encouraged Law Librarians, Canadian Association of Law participants to express ideas and suggestions in the Libraries, Australian Library and Information format: “I wish to/for...” or “How to...” For Association, International Association of Law example, Ms. Thompson stated: “I wish to increase active participation in the life and work of the FCIL SIS” and Ms. Szymczak stated: “I wish for a moderated procedure for librarians to meet in cyberspace to discuss particular jurisdictions and FCIL Newsletter is published in October, Febru- subjects.” The 33 goals included all goals supplied ary and May by the Foreign, Comparative, and by those who could not attend the October 27, International Special Interest Section of the 2000 meeting. Some goals overlapped. Ms. American Association of Law Libraries. The Corbett posted the 33 goals on a large board. main goal of this Section is “to serve as a forum Participants then had an opportunity to vote on the for the exchange of ideas and information on 33 ideas. Each participant selected the top eight foreign, comparative, and international law, and to goals that he or she would like the FCIL SIS to represent its members’ interests and concerns implement. within AALL.”

Participants ranked a goal based on the following FCIL Newsletter is sent free to members of the criteria: FCIL SIS. It is available for that “exchange of ideas and information.” • Appeal of the goal; • Feasibility of the goal; and The newsletter can be read on the Word Wide • Degree that the goal would help to further FCIL Web at: http://www.aallnet.org/sis/fcilsis/ SIS objectives. fcilsis.html.

As a group, participants selected the following eight Editor: Anne Burnett, University of Georgia GOALS: School of Law, Athens GA 30602 (706) 542-5298 • Explore and promote ways to disseminate and FAX (706) 542-6800 to effectively use electronic information in the areas [email protected] of foreign, comparative and international law. Copy Editor: Carmen Valero at Luce, Forward, • Develop foreign law research guides and Hamilton & Scripps in San Diego teaching tools.

• Improve the FCIL SIS program and workshop Deadline for next issue: April 16, 2001 development process.

2 Libraries, International Federation of Library Ms. Corbett noted that many organizations strive to Associations and Institutions and the Joint Study obtain survey responses from at least 25% of their Institute planners. members. She also stated that an organization can • increase participation in initiatives by changing the • Establish a procedure for librarians to discuss way in which the organization shares information. hot topics. Participants then discussed ways to encourage Section members to provide comments and to rank • Create mentoring programs for new foreign, goals. Suggestions included 1) asking the Strategic comparative and international law librarians. Planning Committee to follow up the membership Ms. Corbett emphasized that the manner in which a survey with telephone calls and 2) offering incentives group evaluates and develops ideas impacts on to members who respond. Ms. Kasting suggested whether the group will translate ideas into action and that the Section could conduct a prize drawing whether the group will successfully resolve based on the names of members who respond to the problems. survey.

Ms. Corbett encouraged participants to examine Ms. Corbett concluded the meeting by each of the eight goals in terms of: recommending a method for effective problem solving. She suggested that each Strategic Planning • Do we know how to accomplish this goal? Committee Meeting begin with a clear objective. • What do we like about this goal? She encouraged the Strategic Planning Committee to • What are our concerns about this goal? follow the process: • How can we overcome these concerns? Thus, when confronting an opportunity or a After evaluating the eight goals for two hours, problem, the Strategic Planning Committee could participants planned future actions: brainstorm to develop a number of possible ideas, could select the most effective ideas and could • Obtain feedback on goals and their develop the ideas that receive the greatest support. implementation from Strategic Planning Committee Strategic Planning Committee Meetings could end (Current stage) with “next step planning,” by creating a timeline and • Integrate feedback and present revised goals assigning responsibility for tasks. and methods of implementation to FCIL SIS After the session, many participants stated that Ms. membership for comment and ranking (anticipated Corbett’s facilitation techniques greatly enhanced the time frame for distributing a survey form to Section October 27, 2000 strategic planning meeting. The members: April 2001). Ranking goals will help to FCIL SIS Executive Committee thanks Ms. Corbett determine projects of greatest interest to Section for scheduling to accommodate our group and for members. The ranking process also will assist providing exceptional service that resulted in a highly useful meeting. Section officers, Committees and Interest Groups in setting agendas for 2001-2002. The ranking process In addition, the FCIL SIS Executive Committee does not mean that the Section only plans to thanks the library staff of Fordham Law School for implement a couple of goals. offering a meeting site and greatly appreciates the • Hold a prize drawing, using the names of all efforts of host librarians Kate McLeod and Victor Section members who respond to the survey! Essien. • Post on FCIL SIS web site Section members’ comments and results of ranking goals (anticipated 1 This Strategic Planning Committee also time frame: May 2001). included Charlotte Bynum, Marci Hoffman, • Conduct next Strategic Planning Committee Lyonette Louis-Jacques, Gail Partin, Amber meeting (July 2001). Smith and Margareta Horiba (original Chair). 3 ASIL Annual Meeting: “The Visible fcilsis/143asil.html), the lunch will provide an College of International Law” opportunity to hear the latest developments on Jill McC. Watson ASIL’s electronic projects and products, as well as the activities of the many international and foreign law librarians who attend the ASIL meeting from around the country. FCIL members should find plenty to interest them at Please contact Jill Watson ([email protected]) at the the American Society of International Law’s 95th ASIL Library if you plan to attend the Annual Annual Meeting, which will take place April 4-7, Meeting and wish to attend the lunch program. 2001 in Washington, DC.

This Annual Meeting will undertake an examination of the discipline of international law -- its historical Roznovschi & Popa Honored evolution, current status and future status. Panelists Jeanne Rehburg and lecturers from practice, government and aca- NYU Law Library demic circles around the world will be looking back In a twist on the usual research process, a foreign through history in panels such as “Two Millennia of law source has found the librarians instead of the International Law,” and forward into the future in, reverse. The Monitorul Oficial al Romaniei (Roma- for example, “The New Cyber Campus of the nian Official Gazette) of December 19, 2000, College of International Lawyers.” “International reports that Mirela Roznovschi and Radu Popa of Law in the 2000 Presidential Election and the 2001 the NYU Law Library were honored by outgoing Transition.” and “Academic Publishers and Interna- President of Romania Emil Constantinescu for tional Law” are two of several panels that will exceptional contributions from abroad in the service examine how international law and lawyers are of Romanian culture and democracy. Mirela has perceived by those outside the discipline. been named an Officer of the National Order for Faithful Service and Radu has been named an Another plus of the meeting for librarians is the Officer of the National Order of Merit. Radu opportunity to peruse the latest materials and worked as an editor in Romania and has published resources of major international law publishers. A novels, short stories, translations, and literary list of exhibitors and the meeting program are now criticism. Mirela worked as a journalist in Romania accessible on the ASIL website at www.asil.org and has published novels and political commentary. with full descriptions of panels, lectures and other Radu’s short story “Panic Syndrome” is scheduled events, as well as detailed information on registra- for publication in the American journal Exquisite tion. Corpse. His latest novel, La Revolutia Romana (Of the Romanian Revolution), was just published Following the success last year of the Electronic in Romania. Mirela’s latest novel, Timpul celor Resources Breakfast held at Tillar House headquar- alesi (The Time of the Chosen Ones), published in ters, participants have urged ASIL to hold another 1999 in Romania, is under consideration to be special meeting for librarians and information profes- published in translation in France. sionals. A by-invitation lunch meeting entitled “Fostering an International Legal Information Network: A Program for Librarians and Infor- mation Managers” has been arranged from 12:30-2:00 on Thursday, April 5th. Like last year’s event, (reported in detail by Jean Davis in the May 2000 FCIL Newsletter at http://www.aallnet.org/sis/

4 IFLA in Boston this August Correction to Minutes The American Association of Law Libraries, of 2000 Business Meeting along with four other national library associations in the United States, is sponsoring the General The minutes of the 2000 Business Meeting, as Conference of the International Federation of published in the October 2000 issue of the FCIL Library Associations and Institutions this August Newsletter, p. 4, are corrected as follows: 16 - 25 in Boston. The theme for the 2001 conference is “Libraries and Librarians: Making a In the first column, under Announcements, under the Difference in the Information Age.” second item listed, replace the final word of the first sentence (“board”) with the word “association.” IFLA, headquartered in The Hague, has not held Thus, the corrected sentence reads “The AALL its conference in the United States since 1985. executive board would like to add foreign members AALL headquarters mailed copies of the Final to the association.” Announcement to FCIL SIS members in mid- January. As AALL members, we are entitled to the IFLA members discounted registration. For Member News more information about the conference, see http:// www.ifla.org/IV/ifla67/. The New Yorkers recently welcomed Silke Sahl, formerly of the Harvard Law School Library, to their ranks. Silke is the new International, Com- parative and Foreign Law Librarian at the Arthur W. Diamond Law Library at Columbia University.

Stefanie Weigmann made the move from Boston University to her new position as the Reference Librarian for International, Foreign and Compara- tive Law at the Harvard Law School Library.

Attention FCIL SIS Members: Please be sure to fill out the ballot on page 14 of this issue of the newsletter and return it to Tracy Thompson by the March 20 deadline. Only current members can vote, so check your member status at AALLNET (www.aallnet.org). Find profiles of our candi- dates on page 15.

5 Announcement from the FCIL SIS be happy to answer foreign librarians’ questions Executive Committee: about the grant application process. Tracy The Ellen Schaffer Foreign Thompson’s contact information appears on the Schaffer Grant application form. Note: The Chair of Librarian’s Grant the AALL FCIL SIS Grant Committee must receive all applications by April 16, 2001. The AALL The FCIL SIS received an extraordinary holiday gift FCIL SIS Grant Committee also will publicize the from Section leader Ellen G. Schaffer and the AALL Schaffer Grant in other print and electronic sources. Executive Board – creation of the Ellen Schaffer The FCIL SIS Executive Committee encourages Foreign Librarian’s Grant. The Schaffer Grant will supplemental contributions to the Schaffer Grant provide financial assistance to ensure the presence fund. and participation of foreign librarians at the AALL Annual Meeting. Ellen Schaffer has donated 1 The amount available for travel and per diem $10,000 to establish this new grant and AALL will expenses may vary, depending on the annual income match this amount in Fiscal Year 2001. Schaffer generated by the Schaffer Grant fund. Grant recipients will enrich AALL events by sharing 2 The FCIL SIS Executive Board worked closely with global perspectives to the benefit of all participants. Ellen Schaffer to develop the grant application.

Ellen Schaffer is a lively, caring mentor to many [ed. note: the Schaffer grant application follows on pp. 7-10 of this issue and on the Web at librarians. Currently, Ellen is Librarian to the Interna- http://www.lawsch.uga.edu/fcil/fcilgrant.pdf or tional Tribunal for the Law of the Sea in Hamburg, http://www.lawsch.uga.edu/fcil/fcilgrant.html] Germany. She was our dynamic FCIL SIS Chair in 1987-88. She also was a member of the Index to Annual Meeting/Workshop Grant Foreign Legal Periodicals Advisory Committee. Applications Due April 1, 2001 Ellen taught us how to conduct GATT research at the 1993 AALL Institute Introduction to Interna- The AALL Grants Program provides financial tional Organizations and co-directed the 1996 assistance to law librarians or library school AALL Institute Contemporary Practice of Public students who hold promise of future involvement in International Law. She is the editor of the Directory AALL and the law library profession. Funds are of Foreign Law Collections in Selected Law Librar- provided by vendors, AALL, and AALL individual ies (co-editor, Thomas R. Bruce, 1991) and Con- members. Grants cover registration costs at either temporary Practice of Public International Law (co- the Annual Meeting or Workshops. Preference is editor, Randall J. Snyder, 1997). The FCIL SIS given to newer, active members of AALL or of its Executive Committee thanks Ellen Schaffer for a chapters. career of generosity to librarians, as most recently expressed through establishment of the Schaffer An applicant must be either a member or student Grant. member of AALL or one of its chapters. If circumstances prevent a recipient from using the The inaugural Schaffer Grant will cover one foreign grant, it reverts to the Committee; however, the librarian’s 1) AALL Annual Meeting registration recipient remains eligible to apply another year. costs and 2) a percentage of the foreign librarian’s Recipients who use their grants may not apply a AALL Annual Meeting travel and per diem ex- second time. penses.1 The Schaffer Grant application2 appears in For more information about the grant, visit http:// this Newsletter and on the FCIL SIS web site at www.aallnet.org/services/grant_application.asp http://www.lawsch.uga.edu/fcil/fcil.html. Tracy and for a PDF version of the grant application, go Thompson (FCIL SIS Secretary-Treasurer) is Chair to http://www.aallnet.org/services/ of the AALL FCIL SIS Grant Committee; she will grant_application.pdf

6 Ellen Schaffer Foreign Librarian’s Grant Application [p. 1 of 4] Purpose: The purpose of the Ellen Schaffer Foreign Librarian’s Grant (“Schaffer Grant”) is to provide financial assistance to ensure the presence and participation of foreign librarians at the AALL Annual Meeting. Foreign attendees enrich AALL events by sharing global perspectives to the benefit of all participants. The inaugural Schaffer Grant will cover one foreign librarian’s 1) AALL Annual Meeting registration costs and 2) a percentage of the foreign librarian’s AALL Annual Meeting travel and per diem expenses. The amount available for travel and per diem expenses may vary, depend- ing on the annual income generated by the Schaffer Grant fund.

Qualifications: An applicant must be a librarian who resides and works in a country other than the United States of America. If circumstances prevent use of the Schaffer Grant by a recipient, the grant will revert to the AALL FCIL SIS Grant Committee (“Grant Committee”) for disposition at the discretion of the Grant Committee.

Deadline: The Chair of the Grant Committee must receive all applications by April 16, 2001. The Grant Committee will not consider late or incomplete applications.

Selection Criteria: The Grant Committee may give preference to:

• A foreign librarian who demonstrates financial need.

• A foreign librarian who has never attended an AALL Annual Meeting.

In future years, the Grant Committee will not consider applications from individuals who have received the Schaffer Grant during the preceding two years.

Notification: The Grant Committee will notify the Schaffer Grant recipient and other applicants of its award decision. The Grant Committee also may post a general announcement in AALL publications and listservs.

Responsibilities: The Schaffer Grant recipient will agree to help educate law librarians by completing one of the following activities: writing a brief article for the AALL FCIL SIS web site; or participating in an AALL FCIL SIS Interest Group or Committee meeting at the AALL Annual Meeting. The Schaffer Grant recipient can discuss appropriate methods of sharing knowledge with the Grant Committee.

Name:

Work Address and Telephone Number:

E-Mail Address:

(Application continues on next page) 7 Ellen Schaffer Foreign Librarian’s Grant Application [p. 2 of 4] Job Title/Position:

Check the statement below that applies to you:

______I have never attended an AALL Annual Meeting

______I have previously attended one or more AALL Annual Meetings. Year(s) ______

Will your employer pay any percentage of your registration and travel expenses for the AALL Annual Meeting?

______NO

______YES (if YES, please describe below the percentage and types of expenses that your employer will pay)

Check the statement below that applies to you:

If I do not receive a grant: (Check one)

______I will be unable to attend the AALL Annual Meeting.

______I may not be able to attend the AALL Annual Meeting.

______I will attend the AALL Annual Meeting.

Are you a member of AALL or any other library organization(s)?

(Application continues on next page)

8 Ellen Schaffer Foreign Librarian’s Grant Application [p. 3 of 4] In a few paragraphs, please describe why you are a strong candidate for the Schaffer Grant. Please include all factors that the Grant Committee should consider in reviewing your application.

(Application continues on next page)

9 Ellen Schaffer Foreign Librarian’s Grant Application [p. 4 of 4]

If I receive the Schaffer Grant and am unable to attend the AALL Annual Meeting, I shall return the money to the Chair of the AALL FCIL SIS Grant Committee. If I receive the Schaffer Grant, I will help to educate law librarians by writing an article, actively participating in an AALL FCIL SIS Committee or Interest Group meeting at the AALL Annual Meeting, or sharing knowledge in another manner as discussed with the Grant Committee.

Applicant’s signature:

Date:

Please send one copy of your application to:

Tracy Thompson, Chair of the AALL FCIL SIS Grant Committee Assistant Librarian for International Law Yale Law School Lillian Goldman Library P.O. Box 208215 New Haven, CT 06520-8215 USA e-mail: [email protected] telephone: (203) 432-7371 fax: (203) 432-4604

This application is also available in electronic format at: http://www.lawsch.uga.edu/fcil/fcilgrant.pdf (PDF version) http://www.lawsch.uga.edu/fcil/fcilgrant.html (HTML version)

10 REQUEST FOR COMMENTS: FCIL ballots for the election of FCIL SIS officers. Cur- NEWSLETTER FORMAT rently, the FCIL SIS Bylaws require the mailing of ballots to Section members. The FCIL SIS Executive Committee and Publica- 1 FCIL Newsletter costs for Volume 13 (com- tions Committee Chair Anne Burnett seek FCIL SIS prising the 10/98, 2/99 and 5/99 issues): post- members’ views regarding possible future publica- age: $697.17; printing: $502.27; total: $1199.44. tion of the FCIL Newsletter solely in electronic FCIL Newsletter costs for Volume 14 (compris- format. Please 1) complete the survey form below ing the 10/99, 2/00 and 5/00 issues): post- and 2) either mail the form to Anne Burnett or age:$685.64; printing: $475.28; total: $1160.92. provide an e-mail reply to Anne Burnett. In the near future, Ms. Burnett will report on the survey results. Please complete the survey on FCIL Newsletter printing and mailing costs require the next page of this newsletter. half of the total annual dues revenue available to our Section. Annual FCIL Newsletter printing and Your input is crucial! mailing costs are approximately $1,200.1 During 2000-2001, the amount available from our 380 Section members’ dues will be $2,280. (AALL provides FCIL SIS with $6 of the $12 annual dues Statement of Current Editor paid by each FCIL SIS member.) As of September 30, 2000, the total balance in the FCIL SIS treasury I support the proposal to save mailing and printing was $5,553.44. costs by distributing the newsletter primarily in electronic format, but it will continue to be necessary Beginning with the October 2000 issue, the FCIL to print a few copies to take to the AALL annual Newsletter appears in PDF format at http:// meeting for PR purposes in the Activities Area www.aallnet.org/sis/fcilsis/fcilsis.html. This web site (especially for CONELL). We would also need to also contains past FCIL Newsletter issues from mail hard copies to the few members who will have October 1994 to the present [in HTML]. difficulty accessing the newsletter online and to recipients designated by AALL requirements (see As FCIL SIS Committees and Interest Groups offer http://www.aallnet.org/sis/publications.asp). One more programs during SIS meeting hours at the suggestion for making the electronic copy accessible AALL Annual Meeting, our Section likely will incur to more members is to provide both PDF and additional expenses. AALL funds the costs of HTML versions. Thus, the editor would prepare a AMPC-approved programs but Special Interest print copy and two electronic versions, but the Sections must pay the costs of SIS programs and money and time spent printing, labeling and mailing functions held during SIS meeting hours. A tabletop would be significantly reduced. microphone in a conference hotel costs approxi- mately $26. A computer data display package costs An alternate plan is to accept advertising as a means roughly $650. Also, there are service and labor of offsetting printing and mailing costs. A recent charges for equipment setup in conference hotels. survey posted to the Council of Newsletter Editors One possible way to provide additional funds for listserv indicated that several SISs either already do our Section’s educational and social activities is to or are considering accepting advertising. Our publish the FCIL Newsletter solely in electronic newsletter has a focused readership, which should format. appeal to certain advertisers. This would require the editor to solicit ads and handle ad copy while the Note: The FCIL Newsletter’s format does not affect Secretary/Treasurer would take on the added tasks the FCIL SIS Secretary/Treasurer’s mailing of of invoicing and collecting payments.

11 SURVEY FORM Please reply to the FCIL SIS Publications Committee Chair:

Anne Burnett Reference/Foreign & International Law Librarian University of Georgia Law Library Athens, Georgia 30602 or [email protected]

Name of FCIL SIS Member: ______

Please check one:

______I would support the publication of the FCIL Newsletter solely in electronic format.

______I would not support the publication of the FCIL Newsletter solely in electronic format because:

(Examples: “because I do not have Internet access”; “because I know that FCIL SIS member X does not have Internet access”)

Additional Comments:

12 Insurance Conference in Beijing 2001 – A Teach-In Odyssey Yan Hong University of Connecticut Law Library LEGAL RESEARCH TRAINING FOR A NEW MILLENNIUM The Sino-American Conference on “Insurance and Does the dawn of a new millennium and all the ac- Financial Services: China after WTO” was held in companying technology find you floating aimlessly out Beijing from October 15-17, 2000 and was in space? Are you feeling beleaguered and bewil- cosponsored by the Insurance Law Center at the dered in our fast-paced, ever-changing law library University of Connecticut School of Law and environment? You will be pleased to know that University of International Business and Economics, there is one thing in our crazy, mixed-up world that China. As an insurance law librarian of the remains constant -- the National Legal Research University of Connecticut School of Law, I had the Teach-In! It is returning in 2001 for its ninth con- opportunity to organize and participate in the event secutive year! as the conference coordinator and planner. The 2001 Legal Research Teach-In, organized by the A number of distinguished speakers gave a variety Research Instruction & Patron Services SIS (RIPS- of presentations, and participants discussed among SIS), offers the opportunity to improve the skills of your patrons and showcase your skills as a teacher themselves the changes that would accompany and information provider. Following the pattern of the China’s expanding global role and how the country past eight years of highly successful Teach-Ins, would adjust its financial rules in line with WTO Teach-In 2001 is scheduled in conjunction with Na- principles. Attendees from both countries tional Library Week (April 1-7, 2001). As in previous observed that China is faced with a daunting task to years, the Teach-In committee has worked with the change its laws and regulations to adapt to the West Group and LEXIS-NEXIS to prepare unique WTO requirements, and the Chinese officials instructional and promotional materials. Thanks to believed that most of China’s law and generous donations from the two companies, the MA- administrative regulations are not in conflict with the TERIALS WILL again BE AVAILABLE AT NO WTO agreement. They also promised that any laws CHARGE. It is a true measure of their commitment and regulations not in accordance with the WTO to the law library community that both West Group and LEXIS-NEXIS continue to underwrite this activ- bilateral agreements would be revised. ity, as they have since its inception eight years ago.

Every year, the Insurance Law Center at the RESEARCH TRAINING KITS University of Connecticut School of Law sponsors Topped the “BESTSELLER” list again last year! -- a conference on the topic of foreign and West Group distributed approximately 750 kits to law international insurance and financial service librarians all over the world! The 2001 Teach-In train- regulations. In 1999, the Center sponsored a ing kit will cover a wide range of subject areas bring- conference that explored the topic in Central and ing together traditional legal resources and the newest South America. These conferences provided an electronic sources in one convenient package. The kits are designed to provide that extra assistance to opportunity for regulators and insurance scholars to get an instructional program off the ground. They learn from each other and to strengthen the may include pathfinders, research guides, posters, les- relationships that are essential to effective son plans, lecture notes, research exercises; a myriad international and regional cooperation. Attending of instructional materials developed by law librarians the conference also offered me a chance to revisit for use by law librarians. One kit per institution is Beijing and see with my own eyes the tremendous available free of charge from the West Group. Con- changes that had taken place in the last few years. tact Marketing Support, West Group, by fax 1-800- It was a pleasant trip I enjoyed very much. 854-1597 or email mkgsupport@ westgroup.com. Be sure to provide your name, address, institution, tele- phone number, and, if available, your West Group ac- continued on p. 16 13 AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF LAW LIBRARIES Foreign, Comparative, and International Law Special Interest Section

TO: Members of the FCIL-SIS FROM: Tracy Thompson, Secretary/Treasurer DATE: February 1, 2001 RE: Annual Election of Officers

Below is the official ballot for the election of FCIL-SIS officers. In odd-numbered years, the offices of Vice- Chair/Chair-Elect and Secretary/Treasurer are both up for election. Please feel free to vote for a write-in candidate of your choice—after verifying that individual’s willingness to serve.

Mark your ballot and place it in a plain envelope, seal it and mail it to me in a cover envelope. Your name must appear on the outer envelope for the ballot to be valid. Do not write anything on the outside of the inner envelope.

Please return your ballot by March 20, 2001.

Foreign, Comparative, and International Law Special Interest Section

Official Ballot 2001

The Nominations Committee, consisting of Maria Smolka-Day (chair), Silke Sahl and Milagros Rush, has nominated the following candidates:

Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect:

[ ] Ken Rudolf Head of Reference and Lecturer in Legal Research Lillian Goldman Law Library, Yale Law School

[ ]

Secretary/Treasurer

[ ] Mirela Roznovschi Reference Librarian for Foreign & International Law New York University Law School

[ ]

Please return ballots to: Tracy Thompson Assistant Librarian for International Law Yale Law School Lillian Goldman Library P.O. Box 208215 New Haven, CT 06520-8215 14 Meet the Candidates Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect: Kenneth Rudolf is Head of Reference and Lecturer in Legal Research at the Lillian Goldman Law Library, Yale Law School. He began his library career at Yale in 1990 as a reference librarian in the Foreign and International Collection and later became a supervisor in that department before taking his current position in 1997. He has been a member of the FCIL SIS since 1990 and has served as newsletter editor (1993- 1997), newsletter layout editor (1991-1993), and coordinator of the Electronic Issues Group (1995, 1998). He was an instructor at two of the “Training the Next Generation” Institutes (Cambridge 1993 on European Union electronic research, Seattle 1994 on private international law bibliography), and since 1998 he has been literature editor for the Yearbook of International Environmental Law. He lectures on treaty research and European Union research in legal research courses at Yale Law School. Last summer he was co-chair of the Joint Study Institute 2000 in New Haven sponsored by AALL, BIALL, CALL, and ALLG. He holds a J.D., an M.Libr., and a Ph.D. (in historical musicology) from the University of Washington.

Secretary/Treasurer: Mirela Roznovschi is the Reference Librarian for International and Foreign Law at the New York University Law Library. She earned her M.A. degree from the University of Bucharest, Romania, and her M.L.S. degree from Pratt University, New York. She also has a Certificate on Internet Technologies from New York University. She teaches foreign, comparative, and international law research at NYU Law School, and at Long Island University Palmer School of Library Science. She has written many articles and lectured on international and foreign law research abroad: Yerevan State University (Armenia), Central European University (Budapest, Hungary), Constitutional and Legal Policy Institute (Moscow, Russia). She is involved in NYU’s Legal Information Transfer Network (ITN) project (http://www.law.nyu.edu/library/ itn/), the 24-hour virtual reference desk of a global “library without walls.” She was a frequent speaker at foreign and international law programs for AALL and served as a member of the Index to Foreign Legal Periodicals Advisory Committee (1997-2000) She is the Editor and Webmaster of the Guide to Foreign and International Legal Databases from the NYU Law Library’s Home Page and a contributing editor for LLRX.com (responsible for a database of articles and guides to international and foreign law research). From the ‘net Recently “seen” on the Law-lib listserv: in response to a request for information about courses or work- shops on European Union research, Reference Librarian Judy Dhanraj of Stroock & Stroock & Lavan in New York received the following suggestions for useful Web sites on EU research. Many thanks to Judy for posting the responses to her query and for allowing us to share them here. Also, thank you to FCIL SIS member, Dr. Lenore Glanz of the Chicago Kent College of Law Library, for suggesting their inclusion in this newsletter.

http://www.eurunion.org/cgi-bin/frames.cgi?infores/resguide.htm http://www.pitt.edu/~wwwes/euguides.guide.html http://www.eurunion.org/infores/euguide/euguide.htm http://www.llrx.com/resources4.htm http://www.law.duke.edu/lib/libser/publicat/researchGuides/eu/euframe.html http://www.lawschool.cornell.edu/library/Finding_the_Law/Guides_by_Topic/eu.htm http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/GSSI/eu.html http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/ http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/GSSI/eu.html#bib http://www.law.umn.edu/library/tools/pathfinders/euguide.htm http://www.columbia.edu/cu/libraries/indiv/lehman/guides/westoid.html 15 continued from p. 13 count number.

PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS A BIG HIT from last year is back by popular demand! Over 20,000 notepads were sent out to approximately 525 locations around the United States, Canada, and Australia, setting another new record! Colorful notepads designed with Teach-In committee assistance and produced by LEXIS-NEXIS, can help you promote your 2001 Teach-In activities.These notepads can be used by library staff or given away to patrons as an incentive to participate in your library events. Email or fax requests to Melissa Engler, Marketing Manager, Librarian Relations Group, LEXIS-NEXIS, at [email protected] or 937-865-1585. Be sure to indicate your name, address, and the minimum quantity you need. If deemed necessary, a limit will be imposed in order to accommodate as many requests as possible.

Orders for training kits or promotional materials should be placed by March 3, 2001, so you will receive them in time for your National Library Week events.

Now is the time to make the commitment that your library will conduct some sort of event involving legal re- search during National Library Week 2001. With the vast amount of materials available to you, it’s easy to plan an educational event. If you need more ideas, descriptions of Teach-In kits from previous years can be found on the RIPS-SIS web page at http://www.aallnet.org/sis/ripssis/. Past years’ kits can be obtained through AALL Headquarters. Contact: AALL, 312-939-4764.

Questions or comments about the 2001 Legal Research Teach-In should be directed to the coordinators for the event, Gail Partin, Associate Law Librarian, Dickinson School of Law, Penn State University, 717-240- 5294, [email protected]; or Karen Brunner, Library Manager, Riker, Danzig, Scherer, Hyland & Perretti, 973- 538-0800, [email protected].

FCIL Newsletter c/o Anne Burnett University of Georgia Law Library Athens GA 30602

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