A Day in the Life of a LAW LIBRARIAN

The Very Busy Life of a Joint Degree Student CommunicationWhile perusing andthe AALLorganization website, Alison A. Shea, J.D./M.L.S. student, The Catholic University of America areI discovered two of the that biggestthere was challenges an even The ironic thing about writing an essay ona library school had any idea how to set up my facingmore challenging librarians Tday in the life of a joint degree student is that account and course schedule to reflect my joint- whoroute manage to take— there is no such thing as a typical day in my degree status. After many frustrating weeks of studentthat of theworkers dual- life—and that’s what makes it so exciting! For trying to convince the law school that I wasn’t indegree academic law and the past few years, each day of my life has actually there to learn how to be a lawyer, the libraries.library science Academic been filled to the brim with a different mix of problems were rectified and I was officially librariesprogram. rely on work, school, volunteering, language learning, recognized as a joint-degree student. student workers traveling, and goodness-knows-what-else I’m Aside from the technical issues that were to staff the library forgetting. Because each day for me is completely eventually worked out, there were quite a few during weekends, different from the one before it, it might be other issues that proved much more difficult holidays, and late easiest to give you an overview of the different to deal with. A wholly unanticipated problem into the night. elements in my life that give rise to my daily was the reaction from my peers, both in the law activities. To understand where I am today, school and in the library school. Although these however, it would probably be best to start from two schools are both part of Catholic University, the beginning. they could pretty much exist on different planets In late 2003, as my undergraduate career and no one would really notice. My peers in law was drawing to a close, I was faced with the school, who were unaware to begin with that familiar question asked by anxious mothers there even was such a thing as library school (let around the world: What are you going to do alone one on our campus), have always been with yourself when you graduate?! Although amused by my ferocious declarations of love it was my original intention to go straight for librarianship, but enjoy having someone into library school, having worked in libraries they can rely on when it comes time for them to since I was in high school, I was prodded into write a research paper. looking at other options, including law school. I did not get to begin taking my library While perusing the AALL website, I discovered courses in addition to law courses until my that there was an even more challenging route second year, due to the ABA-required first year to take—that of the dual-degree law and curriculum in law school. Catholic has a great library science program. Catholic University, reputation for its law librarianship program, and as one of only a few schools who offered such so many of my classes have a good number of a program, seemed like the perfect fit as it was aspiring law librarians who could relate to my in Washington, D.C.—an area rife with law focus. I generally try and schedule one or two libraries in all sectors of society. library courses a semester during the evenings so Arriving at Catholic with what I’ve been as to not conflict with my daytime law courses told was a “disturbing” enthusiasm for my and my part-time jobs. chosen profession, I soon discovered that things On the whole, I spend most of my time were not going to be as easy as I had previously down in the law school, either in class, working assumed. For starters, neither the law nor the continued on page 3

Volume 50, Number 2 • Winter 2007 1 FROM THE EDITOR Table of Contents A Passion for FEATURES Law Librarianship The Very Busy Life of a Joint Degree Student Dawn Bohls, Covington & Burling LLP Alison A. Shea 1

I suspect that this issue of Law From Electronic Resources to Librarian Library Lights may turn out to be Relations: Making the Switch my favorite one this year. I’ve had Cindy Carlson 6 a great time reading and editing Which Hat Will I Wear Today? all the articles and learning Leanne B. Battle 8 more about my colleagues in the process. Two themes that really A Day in the Life of the Covington shine through in this issue’s & Burling LLP Reference Desk contributions are a passion for Elizabeth LeDoux and Dawn Bohls 12 law librarianship in all its many The World Bank Law Library: permutations, and an amazing ability to adapt A Truly Global Experience to whatever challenges each day brings. In fact, Laura Lalime-Mowry and nearly all the authors say that the variety of Olesya Zaremba 14 their work is their favorite aspect of their jobs. Even those authors who don’t talk about variety My Life as a Solo Librarian: in so many words clearly enjoy the juggling Master of My Domain act that is the law librarian’s typical day. Louis Abramovitz 19 continued on page 3 ILL: A Look Behind the Scenes Steven Shearer 20

Life in an Academic Law Library Christine Ciambella 22

“I Can Do the Job”: The Hiring, Training, and Daily Duties of a Library Clerk with Cognitive Disabilities Edward O’Rourke 24

Deadline for If you would like to write for Lights, please COLUMNS contact Dawn Bohls at [email protected]. For Submissions Editor’s Column the up-to-date information regarding the 2006- Dawn Bohls 2 2007 submission deadlines and issue themes, visit the LLSDC Web site at www.llsdc.org. President’s Column Billie Jo Kaufman 4

Law Library Lights is published quarterly by the Law Librarians’ Society of Wash- Book Review ington, D.C., Inc. 20009, ISSN 0546-2483. Karen W. Silber 10

Beginning with Vol. 50, #1 (Fall 2006), Law Library Lights is now published in Membership News PDF format on the LLSDC Web site: www.llsdc.org. Notification of avail- Amy Taylor 11 ability of each new issue will be sent to the LLSDC listserv. If you would like to Eye on Serials receive individual e-mail notification when new issues are published, please send Susan Chinoransky 16 an e-mail to Dawn Bohls at [email protected]. Tech Talk LLSDC does not assume any responsibility for the statements advanced by Roger V. Skalbeck 17 contributors to Law Library Lights. The views expressed herein are those of the individual authors and do not constitute an endorsement by LLSDC.

2 Law Library Lights From the Editor continued from page 2 with interesting, inventive, and inspiring fellow For those of us librarians in academic, law, and special libraries; who’ve been law In my own library career, I’ve had para- belonging to LLSDC just expands the network librarians for a professional positions as a circulation desk of talent. while, this issue attendant, a corporate library trainer/reference I encourage you to distribute this issue can help motivate desk staffer, a cataloging technician, and a law widely. I hope this issue of Lights can serve as a and energize us library assistant. As a professional librarian, I’ve recruiting tool for future law librarians. I don’t by reminding us been an academic library cataloger, a law firm know how anyone looking for a rewarding and what a remark- technical services librarian, and now a research stimulating career could read these articles and able profession librarian. Although I have to say that my current not want to run out and earn that MLS degree! we belong to, and job as a research librarian is by far my favorite And for those of us who’ve been law librarians what great people (see the article Elizabeth LeDoux and I wrote for a while, this issue can help motivate and share our calling. to understand why!), every library job I’ve had energize us by reminding us what a remarkable has helped to make me a more complete, and a profession we belong to, and what great people better, librarian. I’ve had the pleasure of working share our calling. LLL

Joint Degree Student continued from page 1 contractor, in the Office of the Legal Adviser at the State Department. This job came with my LexisNexis student representative hours, or a number of thrilling perks: not only did I get working at the circulation desk in the law library. experience in an area of information science that Since the majority of credits for my program I was previously unfamiliar with, but I also got come from the law school, the majority of my to do it in the field in which I was most familiar classes each semester are law. This makes my and interested—international law. In addition to library classes each semester even more enjoyable the work experience, I was also given a top secret for me, as it allows me to escape the insanity that security clearance, which provided tremendous is commercial transactions, criminal procedure, excitement for my family back in Wisconsin professional responsibility, and conflict of laws— when they (and our neighbors) were visited by my law school “poison of choice” this semester. the FBI. Because I have often had a difficult time My bosses at the State Department—Susan relating to my law school peers due to my unique Brown and Fred Graboske—were wonderful career goals, I decided to look for someone in making sure I was always doing something who shared my interest in libraries and could that was interesting and educational, whether point me in the right direction. Although I am it was scanning treaty documents or evaluating not participating in the official AALL mentor International Court of Justice materials to see program, I found a mentor who was willing to if they were available online. They were also help me find my way in the field. Steve Young, incredibly accommodating when I informed one of the reference librarians at the law school, them (two years in a row) that I would be taking has been an invaluable resource in explaining off for the summer and attending a study abroad not only what he does in his job, but also how program in Dublin, Ireland. Through the great the profession works. Steve has provided the people at the University of Tulsa, I attended answers to many of my questions, and has law courses and secured internships at Ireland’s given me the much-needed confidence to figure Competition Authority in 2005 and the Com- out how to succeed in the profession. The mission for Aviation Regulation in 2006. These mentoring process has allowed me to learn so internships provided great experience in the much about the profession just from observing legal field, and exposed me to a number of issues how a professional handles reference questions that I had not previously thought I would be and other tasks related to the job, and I am interested in. incredibly grateful to Steve for allowing me the Upon returning from Dublin this past pleasure of being his mentee. summer, I had the amazing opportunity to When I’m not on campus, I maintain a work as a temporary assistant in the law library of number of part-time jobs to keep me out of the International Monetary Fund. This position trouble. Late in my first year of school, I secured involved doing a number of different jobs a position working part-time doing records within the library, including filing loosesleafs, management with Millican and Associates, a continued on page 5

Volume 50, Number 2 • Winter 2007 3 FROM THE PRESIDENT Greetings…

I hope everyone enjoyed the holidays. How can it be January already? So much has happened in the last few months and there are dozens of things to come. I recently attended the Internet Librarian Conference. I’m sometimes asked why I attend non- law librarian conferences. I wish those people had seen me return from the conference packed with information (literally, the suitcase was overweight). I heard new ideas, learned of new websites, new Web 2.0 applications, and met many new librarians from many different kinds of libraries ranging from corporate to elementary schools. There were great keynote speakers and individual sessions. See the conference website for details of the programs: http://www.infotoday.com/il2006/ There is so much out there to learn/discover/test; it’s increasingly difficult tokeep up. We law librarians can get a bit myopic, but we can learn from our users, from market- ing specialists, and even from our colleagues in other types of libraries. That was brought home to me last week when I served as a panel participant at a University of Maryland library school class. Panel members from the public library, public school libraries, and Factiva shared remarkable information. Hearing about the services provided was incredible, but even more exciting was our collective enthusiasm for the profession. We showed the library school students that librarianship is a great profession. This enthu- siasm ties in with the work of the LLSDC Mentoring Committee. We meet new potential law librarians every day—please think about hosting an intern or letting someone shadow Billie Jo Kaufman you for a day. Seize the opportunity to share our exciting field. American University From time to time, as your president, I get suggestions, complaints, or concerns. I do listen care- Law Library fully to every single one. Often we can do a “quick fix” and the issue is resolved. Other issues are bigger and much more far-reaching. These issues need reflection, information gathering, brainstorm- ing, and discussion. The LLSDC Board and a number of Committee Chairs will soon be meeting in a “retreat” mode. We’re hoping to follow the practice of many AALL Chapters by developing a thoughtful strategic plan. We will investigate what’s out there and ask: What are we doing well? What would we like to be doing for our members? We value your input, so please continue to share your aspirations for ways that LLSDC can continue to be one of leading chapters in the nation. We will involve the entire membership in this process, so be prepared! We’ll be creating ways to get your input and “rise to the challenge in 2007!” I do have some bittersweet news to share with the membership as I close my remarks this month. Bonnie Fedchock, our Executive Director has resigned effective December 31. She received an offer she simply could not refuse. We absolutely wish her the very best. Ever the consummate professional, Bonnie has agreed to serve in a consultant capacity until we find just the right replacement.

All my best wishes for a great 2007!

4 Law Library Lights Joint Degree Student continued from page 3 similar program—is that while employers in Being a joint libraries look for relevant experience when degree student distributing newspapers, preparing journals for making their hiring decisions, attorney recruit- places you in the bindery, and answering reference questions ers look primarily to grades. Being a joint a Catch-22 for the attorneys in the department. This was degree student therefore places you in a situation: how a great experience in that I gained necessary Catch-22 situation: how do you get the re- do you get technical service skills required for library jobs, quisite experience for librarianship while spend- the requisite and also had the opportunity to receive practical, ing enough time studying for your law school experience for hands-on training as a reference librarian. courses? Not everyone is as naturally hyperactive librarianship while As of early December 2006, I have returned as I am, so I consider myself extremely lucky spending enough to the IMF part-time for five weeks while the that I have been able to obtain a great deal time studying for assistant is off on home leave, and, for something of experience while still maintaining a decent your law school completely different, I will be starting a new grade point average. courses? position as the de facto law librarian at the And so I find myself currently in the same Distilled Spirits Council of the United States position as I was in three years ago, although in January. My days are currently filled with I have advised my mother that she is not allow- juggling library projects, working at the IMF ed to ask her trademark question any more. and the law library on campus, and studying No matter what opportunities present them- for exams. I currently should be studying for selves for me, I can honestly say that I have my aviation law exam at George Mason tonight enjoyed these past three years here at Catholic, (a course that I decided to take “for fun” after and have immensely enjoyed getting to know being exposed to the field in my internship everyone in the LLSDC community. Although this past summer in Dublin), so I’m very short- I might not know what tomorrow holds for ly off to complete that task. me, I am confident that I will find a way to The big question for me these days (and participate in law librarianship, whether it be one that I had hoped to have answered by the a full time position in an academic law library, time I wrote this essay) is where I’m going to a part-time reference gig, or something com- be working next year. What I failed to realize pletely different. And heck, why not try them before embarking on this journey—and a point all—I think I have shown that I have quite a that I would make to anyone considering a knack for multi-tasking! LLL

The LexisNexis Call for Papers Has Begun Have you been thinking of writing an article of interest to law librarians? Need a push to get started? Well, here it is. The AALL/LexisNexis Call for Papers Committee is soliciting articles in three categories: Open Division: for active and retired AALL members with five or more years of experience; New Members Division: for recent graduates and AALL members who have been in the pro- fession for less than five years; and the Student Division: for students in library, information management or law school. Participants in this division need not be members of AALL. The winner in each division receives $750 generously donated by LexisNexis plus the opportunity to present the winning paper at a program during the AALL Annual Meeting, coming up in New Orleans! Winning papers are also considered for publication in the Association’s prestigious Law Library Journal. For more information, a list of previous winners and an application, please visit the AALL Web site at http://www.aallnet.org/about/award_call_for_papers.asp. Submissions this year must be postmarked by March 1, 2007, so don’t waste any time getting started. If you have any questions, please contact a member of the AALL/LexisNexis Call for Papers Committee: Chair, Renee Rastorfer, [email protected]; Ed Greenlee, [email protected]; or Joe Gerken, [email protected]. Good luck!

Volume 50, Number 2 • Winter 2007 5 From Electronic Resources to Librarian Relations: Making the Switch Cindy Carlson, Librarian Relations Manager, Thomson West

I loved my job at Fried Frank, where I worked Library Week events. I also spend lots of time Ias Electronic Resources Librarian from July learning about new research tools just like at my 2000 to June 2006. I got to design and deliver old job, though now they are all West tools and lots of training, and I had a great reputation this is a daily event rather than an occasional as a search expert, so I was well respected by necessity. attorneys and staff. I even had time to work on The two biggest differences in the content of some side projects like articles for LLRX.com my job are that I do hardly any reference work and coordinating sessions for the LLSDC Legal and that I have many more administrative tasks. Research Training Focus Group. I also loved It is definitely a challenge to keep everyone in the staff and my boss, Diane Sandford. She was our management structure informed about what always supportive and did her best to give me I am doing. The bigger challenge, though, is the freedom to work on whatever interested me and juggling involved in my daily job with librarians. to provide opportunities for me to grow in my I need to know whom to talk to in all the firms I job. So why am I now working for Thomson am responsible for, and need to be conscious of West? Mainly, I wanted to spend less of my their schedules and those of the West Account non-work life commuting and was looking for Managers who work with them. I need to tailor something a little different after having been a training for every firm. In my old job, I always law firm librarian for ten years. worked with the same main practice areas, but My experiences with Thomson West, and now I work with different training topics every especially with my predecessor Wendy Brown, day depending on which librarians I see. It is my made me think that being a Librarian Relations job to know as much as possible about a firm Manager might be the change I was looking before I go in so that what I show is helpful and for. When I applied for the job after Wendy does not waste anyone’s time. After all, I have left to move to Florida, I was not worried about been on the librarian’s side of the desk, and I working for West, mainly thanks to Wendy’s know how precious that time is. terrific example. Wendy was always responsible and knowledgeable, and she never made you Greater Schedule Flexibility think, “Oh no, not another vendor visit.” She Another huge difference is in my schedule. always respected her competition and simply did As a family, we have enough troubles with her best to keep us well informed about useful sleeping to make a traditional commute from new West features and content. She was also Northern Virginia a real challenge. I remember My daily work in always honest about West’s products, welcoming driving downtown exhausted once after a librarian relations our feedback and taking it very seriously. Plus, particularly bad night with a sick child thinking, is not that differ- the position seemed like a good fit for my “Oh no! There are probably other people on ent from my law background in training and marketing. the road who have infants too!” Really, it is a firm work—the wonder that there are not more car accidents. difference is main- Changed Responsibilities? Everyone will be happy to know that now that ly a matter of My daily work in librarian relations is not I work from home, I gain back an hour or more scale. I still do lots that different from my law firm work—the of sleep or family time by not having to leave of training, though difference is mainly a matter of scale. I still do the house every day early enough to struggle it now tends to lots of training, though now it tends to be with with a commute and still arrive at an office by be with people I people I do not know as well or with much 9:00 A.M. do not know as larger groups, and I do lots more presentations. Most days, I work at home on administrative well or with much This is definitely not a job for anyone with a fear tasks early in the morning and then go to larger groups, of public speaking. It is strange to be one of the appointments downtown after the worst of the and I do lots more people arranging for those large events, but I commuting traffic has passed. I spend less time presentations. have some experience with that work too from on the road and more time doing the relevant organizing association meetings and National stuff—hurrah! The price? I do more work now

6 Law Library Lights outside of traditional business hours. I carry a see often with whom I can share stories and I get more quality Blackberry and have a cell phone so that I can who can answer some of my many questions. time with other be as accessible as possible to my clients. I can librarians to talk practically hear the groans, but it is not all bad. New Challenges, New Perspectives about all kinds of I check my e-mail most mornings when I get How else is working as a librarian relations issues in librari- up, well before office hours, and I am often manager different from being a librarian in a law anship in a way exchanging e-mails about something or other firm? I get more quality time with other librarians that I rarely got after 5:30 P.M., but the time I have gained back to talk about all kinds of issues in librarianship to do at my old in not commuting during the standard rush in a way that I rarely got to do at my old job. I job. I can go to hours still puts me ahead for family time. can go to more association events, and I have more association more opportunities to speak, write articles, and events, and I have Logistics serve on committees—maybe I will even be more opportunities So what are the biggest adjustments? Working able to get the LLSDC Legal Research Training to speak, write from home means I am the only person who can Focus Group up and running again. Also, I have articles, and serve really impose discipline on my time. I may work much more contact now every day with people on committees. earlier and later in the day than I did as a firm from all kinds of libraries: academic, firm, court, librarian, but I need to put in the same number and government alike. It has been a revelation. of hours each day and not to go overboard in I understand much better the advantages and either direction. There is always a balance to limitations of each environment and the chal- think about that I did not encounter in a firm. lenges that all kinds of librarians face. Now I work some weekends and am also required It is also nice that I am not a sales person. I to be away for whole weeks traveling, but since have the unique job of keeping West’s customers I usually get to see my family a couple of extra informed about the best new products and features hours a day the rest of the time, that seems a that we have to offer and also of advocating for worthwhile trade. customers. It is great to see what developers are And can I mention that it is surprisingly working on WAY in advance, and amazing to find challenging not to be confined to an office out from the vendor side of things how much during my work day? If I put something down weight the opinions of librarians really carry. at work as a firm librarian, I could depend on While there are some things about not it being somewhere in a limited space. Now, working in a firm that I miss, the switch for me it could very well be anywhere in the house. has been a great choice. I look forward every day Thank goodness mobile phones ring; other- to learning more new things and to working wise, I would lose mine at least once a week. with so many of my librarian colleagues. Hope And while I say that I work from home, I to see you soon! LLL am actually rarely there. I am hardly ever at a desk! Most often I am downtown for meetings, in my car, or on the streets of D.C. between my appointments. I find that it is much harder to keep track of all the projects and responsibilities on my to-do list. I must take advantage of all the electronic tools (calendars, task lists, reminder alarms) that I rarely needed to use as a firm librarian to stay on top of everything. I need to consciously check voice mail and turn the alarms and ring tones on and off as I go through my day and am meeting with people in a way I never had to before. They are small things, but when I lose track of them, they can result in big problems. Also, since I am no longer in an office environment, I miss having daily coworkers. I do get to see many more librarians, but it is not quite the same as the Monday morning coffee talk I was used to. It is good to have a person sharing my territory—I do at least have a colleague I

Volume 50, Number 2 • Winter 2007 7 Which Hat Will I Wear Today?

Leanne B. Battle, LexisNexis, Senior Librarian Relations Consultant

I love hats. The top of my closet is stacked with SmartIndexing™ to stress management to legal Ihat boxes of every shape and size, filled with hats research for non-law librarians. My thinking of every color and description: black, purple cap helps me to not take myself or my work and cream; wool, suede and straw; new, vintage too seriously. It frees up the creativity in me. Of and heirloom. Each one is unique and suitable course, you don’t have to have an actual thinking for a specific type of event or situation. I love cap to be creative or productive, but you might to attend events where I can wear one of my be surprised how much it helps. hats and I take great care in choosing exactly the right one. Examining my hats for work is a no The Hard Hat less thoughtful process, but often requires me to My grandfather worked in industrial con- be something of a quick change artist. struction. He helped to build the Hampton Like you, I rarely have the luxury of choos- Roads Bridge-Tunnel in Virginia. His Tidewater ing a single hat on any given day. I’m a trainer, Construction Company hard hat sits in my office an event planner, a desktop publisher, a feedback as a reminder that no matter how hard my day channel, a reference librarian, a colleague, a is, I am rarely in any physical stress or danger, committee volunteer, a speaker. It was the the occasional ride in a D.C. taxi aside. variety in the work that drew me to a job in the Regardless of the lack of actual physical library as an undergraduate student and it is the danger, we all have those days when we feel like variety that keeps me in this profession more we work in a hard hat zone. The world of librarian than fifteen years later. Here are a few of the relations is no exception. The path between li- hats I wear in my work as a librarian relations brarian feedback and product development can consultant. I imagine several of them will fit have a falling limb or unexpected pitfall. The road you too! that leads from a huge print distribution center to a single book shipped to a single customer is The Thinking Cap often under construction. Librarians are known Believe it or not, I actually have a thinking cap. for their tenacity—the ability to keep trying It was a gift from a colleague and mentor who until you find not just an answer, but the best has a slightly warped sense of humor. It is a gray answer. I think our tenacity functions like a hard plastic Viking helmet with gold horns. I used to hat when we have to travel a long and difficult wear it sometimes in my office at the University path. I am fortunate to work with talented and of Richmond to serve as a signal to colleagues dedicated colleagues at LexisNexis and with that I was deeply involved in the project of the talented and dedicated librarian customers. I day and not to be disturbed unless absolutely don’t need my hard hat very often, but it’s nice necessary. On the rare occasions when I have to know it’s there when I do. a day in my office now, I put on my thinking cap to help me focus. This is my opportunity The Backwards Baseball Cap to bring myself up to speed on new LexisNexis Sometimes you just need to roll up your sleeves It was the variety sources, features, and products so that I will be and pitch in. I have been an active member of in the work that ready to answer your questions. It is a day of LLSDC, VALL, and AALL for years. Com- drew me to a job virtual meetings and conference calls. It is my mittee work is rarely glamorous, but it is always in the library as time to perfect sound editing skills that I use for rewarding. I have taken minutes, written reports, an undergraduate producing Web-based presentations. It is a few stuffed envelopes, licked stamps, or written student and it is hours catching up on the professional reading articles for every organization I have ever been the variety that that piles up on the corner of my desk. It is a a part of. The return on my investment has al- keeps me in this day spent brainstorming about articles to write ways been ten times more than I contribute. profession more or presentations to develop for the next quarter Professional development starts with profession- than fifteen or the next conference. al involvement, and I feel lucky to have a job years later. In the past six years, I have developed that affords me the opportunity to be involved. presentations on everything from LexisNexis Participating in committee work allows me to

8 Law Library Lights meet and work with colleagues I might not corners of napkins. The LexisNexis librarian So those are a otherwise encounter. Ours is a profession that Web seminars reflect hours of careful editing to few of the hats relies upon and excels at cooperation, col- remove the inevitable stumbling over words and that are part laboration, and networking. Local, regional, long pauses. These are the tasks that allow me of my Librarian and national associations are the perfect place to use a part of my brain that sometimes gets Relations Consul- to develop those skills and relationships. overshadowed in the very factual world of legal tant millinery. Recently I was honored to serve as a and business research. No doubt you member of the AALL Annual Meeting Program have worn some Committee for the 2007 annual meeting. The The Top Hat of these and a committee was composed of an astounding array From time to time, I get to dust off my top number of others of librarian talent from across every law library hat for a slightly more formal presentation. in your library discipline and every region of the country. We Those of you who have had the dubious honor career. I hope you read close to 200 proposals from librarians of giving presentations at 7:30 A.M. or in the have many left to across the AALL organization and beyond. The late afternoon slot can appreciate that it try. The key it to selection meeting is amazing. It begins with a sometimes takes a few fancy steps to hold your keep trying them huge list of programs already reviewed and audience. Those of you who have experienced until you find the ranked by each individual committee member a technology failure during a presentation can ones that fit! and ends with a completed annual meeting appreciate the skill and practice it takes to program chosen by the consensus of the full effectively perform an Astaire-and-Rogers-like committee. If ever there is a time in librarian twirl to keep things moving. work to put on a backwards baseball cap, this Traveling from firm to firm, law school to meeting is it. It’s very hard work, but very well law school, and conference to conference has worth it. I hope you will think so too at the given me the opportunity to present in a wide 2007 annual meeting. variety of locations to audiences from one

The Artsy Beret person to a few hundred people. I have learned This is one of my favorite hats. These are the the hard way to keep a presentation on my days when I can show my creative side. I get to laptop even if I am planning for a live Internet design event invitations, plan menus, and choose connection. I have learned that good handouts party centerpieces. I create flyers that showcase can turn failure into success. Most importantly, new sources and services. This year, I even had I have learned that the ability to breathe deeply, the opportunity to learn about sound editing smile, and keep going even in the face of a sleepy and creating Web casts. audience or broken equipment is an invaluable I am one of those people who can get skill. I’m not Ginger Rogers yet, but I really lost for hours looking through photo files enjoy working on my steps! and trying out different fonts and colors. Much So those are a few of the hats that are part of the time, I try to control the impulse to refor- of my Librarian Relations Consultant millinery. mat and recolor documents and presentations No doubt you have worn some of these and a in a dozen different ways, but preparing for number of others in your library career. I hope events gives me license to play a little bit. So you have many left to try. The key is to keep when you see an invitation to a LexisNexis trying them until you find the ones that fit! LLL librarians’ holiday event, know that I have spent a blissful hour or two finding exactly the right graphics, the perfect font, and the most appealing colors. Catchy titles for presen- tations represent dozens of possibilities jotted on scraps of paper, the backs of receipts, the

Volume 50, Number 2 • Winter 2007 9 BOOK REVIEW

Karen W. Silber, Legal Reference Librarian, BNA, Inc. Everything Bad Is Good For You: How Today’s Popular Culture Is Actually Making Us Smarter by Steven Johnson

Johnson’s main argument in Everything Bad is proceed further. He explains that the tasks “are JGood For You is that today’s video games and more like chores than entertainment” and one television programs are not necessarily bad may become frustrated, confused, disoriented, for society. Some hold the belief that society and even stuck. Time in the “real world,” or is following a downward path because the time spent away from the game, may lead to masses want dumb, simple pleasure and big “mentally working through the problem you’ve media companies want to give the masses what been wrestling with.” It’s not instant gratification they want. But in fact, according to Johnson, as some would believe. “the exact opposite is happening: the culture The learning advantages of playing video is getting more intellectually demanding, not games spring from the fact that games force less.” He defines this phenomenon as the you to decide, to choose, to prioritize. Johnson Sleeper Curve, whereby “the most debased forms goes into further detail about the complexities of mass diversion—video games and violent of playing video games, noting that the rules television dramas and juvenile sitcoms—turn become apparent only through probing the out to be nutritional after all.” depths of the game and exploring the “world.” Johnson backs up When non-gamers ask, “What am I supposed his argument in detail to do?,” the reply is usually, “You’re supposed throughout the book. to figure out what you’re supposed to do.” It’s He compares the rewards a probing expedition in which you get results of reading, concentration, by trial and error, by stumbling across things, attention, the ability to and/or by following hunches (sounds a little like make sense of words or to legal research). Remember Pac-Man? Today’s follow narrative threads, games are far more complex and more is ex- etc., to other forms of pected of the gamer. There are multiple layers culture such as games, with immediate problems and long distance television, movies, and the goals coupled with puzzles thrown in by the Internet. He stresses that game designers. many newer forms of Just as video games have grown in culture “have intellectual complexity, so have our television programs. or cognitive virtues in And although television shows are more passive their own right—different than video games, TV shows have “increased from, but comparable to, the cognitive work they demand from their the rewards of reading.” audience, exercising the mind in ways that In addition, heavy gamers would have been unheard of thirty years ago.” show improved skills com- This development is due in part to the multiple pared to non-gamers in manual dexterity and/ threading we see in today’s programs. Johnson or visual memory. But that is just the tip of compares several popular dramas starting the iceberg. Games are challenging, not merely with Dragnet. Dragnet follows one of two lead fun. Johnson details a few games and what one characters, has a single dominant plot, and must do to achieve victory or get to the end. reaches a decisive conclusion at the end of Time must be spent figuring out strategy as there each episode. Fast forward to Starsky and Hutch. is a sequence of tasks that must be completed to You have the same format plus the additional

10 Law Library Lights comic subplot at the end of the show and per- embrace the challenges which technology and haps a few twists. Fast forward to Hill Street complexity offer. Johnson also discusses ways Why are the Blues. There are more characters and the episodes that the Internet and films increase our cog- themes of John- may include threads from previous episodes nitive ability. son’s book impor- (albeit some of the threads are quick scenes Why are the themes of Johnson’s book tant to us as law scattered throughout the episode). The initial important to us as law librarians? Because the librarians? Because reaction to the Hill Street Blues pilot brought generation now in law school grew up playing the generation complaints from the audience that it was too video games and watching more complex now in law school complicated. Fast forward to today and we have television programs than Gilligan’s Island. Due to grew up playing The Sopranos “with narratives that makes Hill the increased complexity of entertainment media, video games and Street look like Three’s Company.” Viewers this generation has come of age in “an environment watching more may have complained about the complexity likely to enhance problem-solving skills.” Rather complex television of Hill Street Blues when it first aired, but after than playing with toys that simulate household programs than years of watching The West Wing and/or Lost, chores, today’s children use cell phones, IM, Gilligan’s Island. etc., we have honed our analytical skills. Today’s and e-mail to communicate with friends. They dramas layer each scene with a “thick network immerse themselves in complex games, adapt to of affiliations. You have to focus to follow the new technologies, trouble shoot when systems plot, and in focusing you’re exercising the part crash, and exercise logic skills to find a solution. of your brain that maps social networks.” We We must be ready to accept this new generation want more out of our leisure time and happily and its expectations in our libraries. LLL

MEMBERSHIP NEWS

Amy Taylor, Georgetown University Law Library Ross Kiser joined the Internal Revenue Service as the new librarian for the agency’s Legislative Affairs office. He previously worked asthe Congratulations! legislative research coordinator at the American Staffing Association. He received his MLS in Trina Robinson is the new head of acquisitions 2006 from the University of Maryland and his at the George Washington University Law law degree from American University. Library. Trina was formerly the acquisitions Jennifer Eckel joined Dixon & Bell, LLP librarian at Tulane University Law Library. as the new library manager, replacing Robyn Rebollo. Jennifer was formerly with Dorsey and Roger V. Skalbeck joined the Georgetown Whitney. University Law Library as the Associate Law Librarian for Electronic Resources and Services. Cecile Kay Richter received credit as the Roger was formerly the Assistant Law Librarian primary researcher of The Wanderer: The Last for Technology Services at George Mason School American Slave Ship and the The Conspiracy That of Law. Set Its Sails by Erik Calonius. Ceceile performed research in many of the area’s libraries, including Joy Hanson is the new Research Librarian at the Library of Congress and the National the U.S. Supreme Court Library. Archives.

Congratulations to David Mao from LLSDC! David Mao, a longtime LLSDC member and former LLSDC Treasurer, has just been elected to serve as AALL Treasurer for the July 2007 through July 2010 term. A Covington & Burling LLP alumnus, David now works with the Congressional Research Service at the Library of Congress. We are proud to have one of our own on the AALL Board and know that David will do a great job.

Volume 50, Number 2 • Winter 2007 11 A Day in the Life of the Covington & Burling LLP Reference Desk

Elizabeth LeDoux and Dawn Bohls, Senior graph IV and other abbreviated new FDA drug Research Librarian and Research Librarian, applications. Meanwhile, our legislative librari- Covington & Burling LLP an Priscilla Day is compiling a regulatory history from the state of Maine, monitoring recent 8:56 a.m. Monday morning. Coffee? Check. Congressional activity, and pulling electronic 8Water? Check. Login to reference desk com- documents together for an e-legislative history puter? Check. Answering ringing phone…and on the Child and Family Services Improvement we’re off! Act of 2006. Our reference desk is busy, busy, busy. Off the reference desk, Dawn has spent We typically respond to anywhere from fifteen the morning busy in her cubicle. She is always to 30 non-billable questions a day (those taking working on the next issue of Lights, which is less than ten minutes or so), and we all bill hugely time consuming; she is recording her between 20 and 80 hours a month depending billable time in the time entry database; and on the demand for our services. We tend to she is dealing with follow-up questions to get from five to ten more substantive research last week’s research projects, including corre- requests a day that range from pulling pleadings sponding with our Brussels librarian to get a from a docket on PACER to finding out copy of an old bilateral investment treaty to everything there is to know about a company which Belgium is a party. This afternoon, away for a client development brief in the afternoon. from the reference desk, Elizabeth will spend In addition, with 77 summer associates this her time in similar employ. Our time off the past summer and something over 50 associates reference desk is also used for more complex, who started this past fall, we’ve always got new time-consuming research projects that require patrons to introduce to the library’s resources more concentration than we usually have and our capabilities. available to us at the reference desk. Covington & Burling LLP has six research 1:00 p.m. Changing of the guard. When librarians, and four of us staff the reference desk Elizabeth is relieved at the desk by Dawn, she during the week in a kaleidoscope of reference heads back to her office to start a large research shifts, two librarians at a time. Carolyn Mc- project compiling lists of company executives Kelvey and Elizabeth staff the reference desk on who own more than $50 million in shares of Monday morning. We answer the same three their companies. questions over and over again: Carolyn is on the desk all day on Mondays, with an hour break for lunch. She spends fifteen What is my Lexis password? minutes of that break calling a court reporter in What is our PACER login? Seattle to track down a transcript, and another Can I get a desk copy of the Bluebook/Federal thirty minutes working on a weeding project Rules of Civil Procedure/[insert desired title in the international collection which needs here]? to get done so technical services can shift the Covington & collection. In her days off the reference desk, Burling LLP has When there’s an outside meeting in the large Carolyn spends much of her time assisting six research conference room just down the hall, we also with interlibrary loan administration. librarians, and have repeated requests for directions to the Speaking of interlibrary loan, our ILL four of us staff restrooms, but thankfully, there’s no meeting librarian Larry Guthrie is the unsung hero of the reference desk this particular Monday morning. the library and an indispensable member of during the week While Carolyn and Elizabeth are covering the public services team. More than once, the in a kaleidoscope the general reference requests at the desk, our reference staff has teared up upon his return of reference shits, boss Jennifer Korpacz, the head of public ser- from vacation because we are so happy to have two librarians vices and our food and drug expert, is doing him back. Larry has been with the firm for more at a time. in-depth research to compile statistical informa- than ten years, and is one of those people who tion on the tentative approval time for para- knows everyone. There is nothing Larry can’t

12 Law Library Lights find, and he has been credited with finding that LLSDC: Elizabeth, Dawn, Carolyn, Priscilla, With a total one thing needed to win a case on more than and Jennifer all hold or have held positions in staff of eighteen, one occasion. the Society; and Elizabeth, Carolyn, and Larry including fourteen Heather Macdonald, our fourth reference have been heavily involved with their respective librarians and four desk librarian, staffs the desk on Thursdays and national organizations, AALL and SLA. paraprofessionals, Fridays. She splits her week between conflicts We work hard, but we also try to have as the Washington and reference, and is a genius at both. much fun as we possibly can every day. We chat library of Coving- 5:30 p.m. As the reference desk closes a bit with our patrons and the office staff as ton & Burling LLP down for the night, we all have a chance to wrap they pass by our reference desk, we consult is a large one. Our up our research projects, check our calendars each other on research strategies, we discuss our capabilities are for the next day, and work on our own projects, weekend plans, and we vent our frustrations enhanced by our whether that is volunteer work for LLSDC, over research projects that aren’t going smoothly. other librarians in planning a party for the library (almost inevitably On the rare slow day, sometimes we even get a New York, London, to be hosted by social organizer extraordinaire little silly, like the day Elizabeth and Dawn took Brussels, and San Elizabeth), or figuring out a better way to mange turns wearing a dollar-store tiara. Francisco. all those Lexis passwords. We can’t finish this article without talking As Covington research librarians, we about the rest of the Covington library team. take our jobs very, very seriously, and take The reference librarians may be the library’s pride in being part of a crack reference team. public face, but technical services and conflicts In return, we are blessed with patrons who are equally important to the successful running love us, and who respect our intelligence, our of the library. work, and the Library. We get really interesting Our tech services staff is made up of three research questions; the attorneys aren’t afraid librarians and three paraprofessionals who keep to ask us to find information they’ve failed to the physical library running and manage all our track down themselves. Our days are a mix of electronic licensing agreements. They pay the the routine and the challenging, which makes bills, process the daily mountain of mail, keep for a satisfying blend of work. We can go from track of the full time looseleaf filing staff, handle feeling completely competent one minute attorneys’ requests for materials, and maintain a to having no idea where to find something catalog across all our offices. the next minute, but our research librarians While the rest of us are toiling away at a more- have no problem with taking on the unknown or-less steady pace, our conflicts department and feel confident that we have the skills, slams to the beat of a much faster drummer. The resources, and creativity to conquer (almost) any basic task of conflicts is to ensure that we are not assignment. suing a client we also represent. The conflicts The reference desk is located in a very group performs hugely intensive business and high-traffic area of the office just down the corporate research, and is in high demand from hall from reception and right across from the 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. (and beyond) seven office area that houses our managing partner days a week. Everyone in that department has Stuart Stock; we probably see more people in a an MLS and an attention to detail that would day than anyone other than reception and the make your head spin. cafeteria workers. Although we sometimes get With a total staff of eighteen, including a bit tired of all the requests for directions to fourteen librarians and four paraprofession- the coffee room and the restrooms, we generally als, the Washington library of Covington & see our exposed position as a blessing. We try Burling LLP is a large one. Our capabilities are to greet everyone who passes by, which increases enhanced by our other librarians in New York, our visibility and shows our friendliness and London, Brussels, and San Francisco. The size willingness to help. of the Covington staff is part of the satisfaction The reference work always takes center stage, of working here. We all have our individual but we have time for other pursuits as well. We responsibilities, yet they all overlap. We all have are encouraged by John Harbison, the library our individual personalities, yet we are all part director, and by Jennifer Korpacz, our manager, of the Covington library team. We are proud of to participate in professional activities and our library, and we enjoy working for attorneys, to attend professional training opportunities paralegals, and staff who count on us and who whenever possible. We are incredibly active in appreciate our contributions. LLL

Volume 50, Number 2 • Winter 2007 13 The World Bank Law Library: A Truly Global Experience

Laura Lalime-Mowry and Olesya Zaremba, Information Analysts, World Bank Law Library

The variety of research topics along with the source of financial and technical assistance to Tmulticultural staff make the World Bank one developing countries, the World Bank plays a of the most enriching places to be an interna- supportive role in global poverty reduction and tional law librarian. the improvement of living standards. They do not call us librarians here; officially we are “Information Analysts.” We think of Learning About International Law— ourselves as “holistic librarians,” handling every What Experience Has Taught Us aspect of the library from materials selection and While a basic understanding of U.S. law, procurement to cataloging; from reference and knowledge of other legal systems, and exposure research to Webmaster and newsletter author. to international law concepts are the founda- Librarians wear many hats, are multi-skilled, tion of a World Bank law librarian’s know- and must be able to multitask, switching from ledge set, we did not have all of these com- one project to another in the matter of seconds. ponents when we started out as librarians in The wide variety of questions we receive in one the World Bank. day forces us to change focus rather quickly, “Learning by doing” is the motto of the moving from country to country, and very experienced law librarian. Originally a cata- often language to language. Fluency in English loger and general reference librarian with a and a reading knowledge of at least one addi- background in Spanish and Latin American tional language is critical in our multicultural studies, Laura gained an in-depth knowledge environment. of the World Bank law library collection The World Bank Law Library, a member of through the process of cataloging and classi- the Joint Bank-Fund (IMF) Library Network fication. Her experience in designing and consortium, has two librarians: Laura Lalime- maintaining the library Web pages and in Mowry, a U.S. national with 24 years of research procurement of information allowed her to experience and twelve years in international keep current on electronic resources. Working legal research, and Olesya Zaremba, a Ukrainian with a mentor law librarian for nine years national with five years of non-legal research and taking advantage of various training experience. Our clients are primarily the legal opportunities were invaluable in gaining ex- staff in the World Bank Group, although we pertise in research. assist any staff member who needs assistance. For the novice law librarian, acquiring Through our role as a legal help desk, we are these topical skills is exciting and enlighten- also the contact point for external requests ing. Self-education on the subject matter and concerning legal aspects of the Bank’s work. You seeking the assistance of colleagues are vital could say that anyone in the world could be to progressing as a law librarian. As a Ukrainian national, Olesya needed to learn about the We think of our- our client, as long as the question concerns the U.S. legal system. As an alumnus of Catholic selves as “holistic World Bank! University, she was able to enroll in a legal librarians,” han- What is the World Bank? literature class, where she was exposed to a dling every aspect variety of resources on the topic. The class of the library from Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the World included an introduction to bibliographic materials selection Bank Group is a multilateral organization that organization, techniques of legal research, and and procurement includes the International Bank for Recon- the use of primary and secondary sources. In to cataloging; struction and Development (IBRD), the Inter- addition, subject readings and a review of past from reference national Development Association (IDA), the reference questions also helped her to gain a and research to International Finance Corporation (IFC), the good view of what she might encounter in Web master and International Centre for Settlement of Invest- her daily work. Finally, when in doubt, we newsletter author. ment Disputes (ICSID), and the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA). As a never hesitate to ask our colleagues for advice

14 Law Library Lights and assistance. It is worse to give the wrong written by a former General Counsel that all With the ultimate answer to the client than to take a minute to staff used to be given when they first started in goal of helping double check with your co-workers. Seeking the Legal Department?” the poor around knowledge and being open to new concepts Long-term research projects often require the world, the true are essential for success. one-on-one training to allow the legal staff to excitement in our do the bulk of the work themselves. Projects work is seeing the How Our Research Helps might include locating the civil procedure impact of our re- Our clients are some of the best and brightest laws of twenty countries, the mining codes of search in practice, from their own countries. The World Bank ten countries, or even the competition laws either through a attracts some of the most talented lawyers worldwide. Our librarians must be able to train legal opinion or from all over the world. These global clients staff on different subject matter using a variety memorandum, a of ours can be located in Washington, D.C. or of databases. In our orientation sessions for new research paper, or in offices around the world. We often provide legal staff, we include a tour of our Web pages use by a lawyer general information to staff who are heading and highlight resources staff can use on their in the field. to the field and need a basic overview of the desktops. legal systems in place. These staff briefings are a good example of how our work translates At the End of the Day, directly to the operational work of the Bank— What Really Matters the projects in the field. With the ultimate goal of helping the poor Every staff member takes a shift at the around the world, the true excitement in our reference desk. The amount of off-desk time work is seeing the impact of our research in can vary, and we are likely to be pulled back practice, either through a legal opinion or out to the reference desk to assist during the memorandum, a research paper, or use by a busiest times. The questions can stagger in or lawyer in the field. When you put all the pieces come in droves. Sometimes you feel like a juggler of the puzzle together and the client is thankful with several balls in the air. and happy, you know that through your efforts Research questions cover a wide range of you are contributing to the work of the World topics and are not limited to law-related issues. Bank in the fight against poverty. LLL Specific requests for information vary from the privatization laws of Bosnia and Herzegovina, to the tax laws of Peru, or even the 1892 treaty between Afghanistan and Persia on the Hel- mund River. In-depth research requests cover topics such as the future of the Kyoto Proto- col, the impact of NAFTA implementation, wind energy development, and debt in African Francophone countries. Searching a variety of databases with different interfaces, sometimes in languages you do not know, is standard practice. Case law requests can range from interna- tional courts (International Court of Justice, the Iran-U.S. Claims Tribunal, European Court of Human Rights, etc.) to national or regional courts (European Union, United Kingdom, Philippines, United States, etc.). We also receive many requests for the interpretation and the application of the World Bank’s Articles of Agreement and its operational rules. Some of the most challenging questions highlight the importance of institutional memory—“I need the small red book that the former department head used to use on commercial treaties,” or “Do you have the paper

Volume 50, Number 2 • Winter 2007 15 EYE ON SERIALS

Susan Chinoransky, The George Washington University Law Library A Day in the Life of the Serials Department

The day begins early for the Serials Depart- office, as well as UPS, FedEx, and DHL. These Tment, as the “dailies” (newspapers and daily shipments are delivered throughout the day, as is current awareness publications) must be checked library mail that has been misdelivered to other in, processed, and sent on their way first thing parts of the law school and hand deliveries from in the morning. As soon as the USPS mail is couriers. We are ever vigilant to keep Receiving delivered to Receiving (also under the purview of empty of mail, an ongoing task. Serials), the mail is sorted; then the periodicals, My “second-in-command,” the serials super- serials, and continuations are brought to the visor, has her hands full managing the daily flow appropriate staff member for check in and prep of work through the department, performing work prior to being processed by our student quality control on all items leaving the depart- assistants. ment, and handling “claiming” duties. She is Meanwhile, in another part of the library, the first line of defense for problems that are our bindery specialist gathers and prepares brought to the department. material to be shipped to our bindery near My job, in theory, is to make sure every- Hershey, Pennsylvania. The turnaround time for one else is doing their job. In practice, I put our bindery materials is two weeks, so there is out fires from the time I walk in until the time always something to do, either getting material I leave each day. I have stacks of papers, each ready to ship out or processing the bound representing some problem with a bibliographic materials upon return. Four of the five members record. I have a file of “ticklers” alerting me to of the serials department are involved with the problems in publication status, subscription acquisition of missing issues for the collection; status, or the latest unnamed mystery. Some- we spend a great deal of time and energy trying times I feel like the Sherlock Holmes of the to “scare up” older issues of periodicals and library, solving mysteries with ambiguous clues. serials in order to bind complete runs of titles. Who knew how exciting the world of serials The influx of mail in today’s environment could be? is constant; we receive shipments from the post

New Periodical Titles Journal of World Intellectual Property Rights, 2005- Cardozo Journal of Conflict Resolution Semiannual, Serials Publications Two issues yearly, Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, Yeshiva University Stanford Journal of Civil Rights & Civil Liberties, 2005- Intercultural Human Rights Semiannual, Stanford University Law School Law Review, 2006- Annual, Saint Thomas University Texas Journal of Oil, Gas & School of Law Energy Law, 2006- Semiannual, University of Texas School of Law Journal of Animal Law and Ethics, 2006- Annual, University of Pennsylvania Title Changes Law School The American, 2006- Journal of International Aging, Six issues per year, American Law & Policy, 2005- Enterprise Institute Annual, Stetson University College of Law Continues: American Enterprise

16 Law Library Lights Berkeley Journal of African-American NAELA Journal, 2005- Law & Policy, 2006- Semiannual, National Academy Annual, Boalt Hall School of Law of Elder Law Attorneys Continues: African-American Continues: NAELA Quarterly Law & Policy Report Washington University Law Review, 2006- Federal-State Court Directory, 2007- Six times per year, Washington Annual, CQ Press University School of Law Continues: Want’s Federal-State Continues: Washington University Court Directory Law Quarterly LLL

TECH TALK

Roger V. Skalbeck, Georgetown tion buttons on the MSIE7 interface. The new University Law Library version is an improvement, however, as it makes browsing the Internet easier and more secure. In the spirit of the theme “A Day in the Life of In terms of improving the daily life of a Ia Law Librarian,” I focus this Tech Talk column law librarian, the following are what I see as on three topics to make some daily technology the three best features of MSIE 7: 1) “tabbed tasks easier. Whether working in a court, law browsing,” which allows you to open multiple firm, law school, or other law library, it is a safe Web sites in a single application window; 2) im- bet to say that every law library employee has proved support for RSS newsfeeds, permitting to use a web browser and read e-mail. I suspect you to actually read and search an RSS feed in most law librarians regularly have to search, the browser directly, instead of being presented download, describe, attach, unzip, decrypt, with the raw XML source code with no active package, summarize, and send countless types links of visible images; and 3) better support of of information using a web browser and e-mail. web-based standards, so you can, for instance, The more efficient these tasks become, the more resize the text of almost any web page. Adding time we have for thinking and learning. to the ease of transition, MSIE 7 was an auto- Read on to learn about updates to Inter- matic update for Windows, so you may be using net Explorer and Firefox, a more efficient way it already. to download documents, and two tools to help On the day MSIE 7 was released, Mozil- manage e-mail using Thunderbird software. la also released a trial version of Firefox 2.0, which is now no longer beta software. Firefox Moving to a New Internet Browser 2.0 also has better support for reading and sub- Microsoft’s Internet Explorer is the default scribing to RSS feeds. Upgraded security helps browser on all Windows-based computers, and it to identify phishing and fraudulent web is the most commonly-used browser bar none. sites. Finally, it comes preinstalled with a spell- Interestingly, for more than five years Microsoft checking program. It does not let you correct made few if any improvements to the features of others’ spelling errors, but it does allow you to this program. Internet Explorer 6 was released check the spelling on forms you fill out online, in August 2001, with the next version not ap- helping you avoid typing words like “infoma- pearing in final form until October 2006. tion” or “libarian” which are “imbearassing” mis- This latest version, branded as Microsoft takes to say the least! Internet Explorer 7 (MSIE 7), includes new fea- tures for navigating Web sites, improved secu- Make Downloading Documents Easier rity, and better standards compliance. With this Law librarians often download documents, fre- upgrade, Microsoft was playing a bit of catch-up quently in large groups. Maybe you want all with competing browsers like Mozilla’s Firefox the Congressional hearings from a particular and Opera. It is, therefore, no surprise that Committee Web site or perhaps all the annual many of the new MSIE 7 features look a lot like reports for a single company. For most people, those in other browsers. Regular IE users may this activity involves clicking on a link, asking to be disoriented by the new placement of naviga- continued on page 18

Volume 50, Number 2 • Winter 2007 17 TECH TALK continued from page 17 folders with the click of just a few buttons. I can even copy items to multiple folders with no download them one-at-a-time, and then print- added effort. If you use Thunderbird and like to ing or e-mailing all of the results. Thankfully, file your e-mail, check out Nostalgy. this multi-step process is no longer necessary. Now you can get a free download manager to Quicktext—Pre-scripted E-mail Responses automate the process for you. Librarians who are high-volume down- http://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/640 loaders should consider getting the free down- load manager called FlashGet (http://www. Much of my e-mail correspondence tends flashget.com/). This program allows you to to be a bit routine. In a previous job at a law go to a page of documents, select them in the school library, I got repeated requests for ad- window and download everything at once. The missions information, inquiries about teaching program can also be used to follow links on opportunities, and questions seeking legal ad- webpages to discover documents in multiple vice. Since most of these questions could be an- directories. This program works for many docu- swered with a standard response, I created short ment types, making it just as easy to get all PDF text files to cut and paste into my responses. court documents from a page as it is to get all Even that proved tedious, so I was delighted to the pictures of your friend’s dog from an online find the Quicktext extension for Thunderbird. photo album. With this program, you can pre-script responses The FlashGet program integrates automati- to e-mails and send them with only a few key- cally with Internet Explorer, so its functions are strokes. For example, I could type ALT-9 to available in the browser toolbar or by clicking tell people the requirements for proposing a the right mouse button when viewing a page. new course or ALT-8 to send a student detailed Firefox users can install the free extension call- download instructions and the password for ed FlashGot (http://www.flashgot.org), which using a computer-based training system. delivers the same features. With either program, The responses can also have variables such as it may still take a while to download large docu- the person’s name or e-mail address or the cur- ment collections, but this process runs in a sepa- rent date, so they don’t look too impersonal. If rate program, so you can go on to do other tasks you find that you tend to write the same e-mail while items are being downloaded. often, check out Quicktext to help make your life easier. There’s also a commercial version that Improved Thunderbird adds more bells and whistles. LLL E-mail Experience On the final topic of improving daily life, two free extensions make managing and responding to e-mail a lot easier—but only if you are using Mozilla’s Thunderbird program.

Nostalgy – E-mail Message Filing

http://addons.mozilla.org/thunderbird/2487

One duty common to almost all librarians is that we need to organize things. Whether it’s books, documents, or data, we’re pros at orga- nizing knowledge. And since we all get a lot of e-mail, we also have to organize it as well. For years, I dutifully dedicated time each week to filing my e-mail in folders to collect messages on similar topics. Recently though, I found an extension program for Thunderbird that made this much easier. With the Nostalgy extension, I can now file e-mail in local or server

18 Law Library Lights Life as a Solo Librarian: Yes, work can be like a box of Master of My Domain choocolates for a solo librarian. Louis Abramovitz, Librarian, Wilkinson Barker Knauer LLP Sometimes you just have to So, you ask, what’s it like being a solo librarian? our profession, I am somewhat of an introvert, watch out for SAs Forrest Gump might have said, you never so cold calling people is not exactly my favorite the nuts. know what you’re going to get. Although there thing to do. But I was pleasantly surprised at is what one could call a daily routine, every day how responsive and willing to help the is a little different. bureaucrats I spoke to were—and none of them My “typical” day begins with a review of were fellow librarians! the morning’s news from trade press and major On any given day, I may be interrupted newspapers. News items are forwarded to the by vendors hoping to send me a trial sub- attorneys early in the day, both for general scription to one of their publications. I don’t awareness purposes and to help them better advise necessarily mind these calls, even on busier their clients. In addition, other information, days, because they may present an opportunity such as Federal Register notices, is circulated via to learn about a new resource that is worth a e-mail to the firm’s attorneys and paralegals. closer look. On the other hand, there are times Many of the articles I sort through arrive in the it’s clear that the salesperson calling me hasn’t form of automated alerts, but I also take time done his or her homework. Given all the mergers to scan a wide variety of sources for items of in the legal publishing industry, I probably interest to individual attorneys and/or the office shouldn’t be surprised, but some of these calls as a whole. Sometimes important developments are from vendors with whom the firm has done take place after regular business hours, in which business for many years, pushing publications case I may scan and forward court opinions or that have absolutely nothing to do with our other updates over the weekend or in the evening specialized practice. hours. It’s all part of the job. Another regular part of my routine involves One of the most interesting and challenging keeping up with a seemingly endless stream of parts of my routine involves fielding reference vendor invoices and account statements. These requests. Some are relatively simple, such tasks include reviewing all of the online searches as tracking down a specific piece of recent undertaken during a given billing period, in legislation. Other times, the requests are a bit part to verify that attorneys and paralegals are more complex. For example, I was recently not unnecessarily running up thousands of asked to determine the status of an issue of dollars worth of charges. In this respect, newer importance to communications companies attorneys may require some education, or rather, that was slowly winding its way through several re-education: “What do you mean my little bit states’ public utility commissions. Trying to of online research cost the firm $5K?—in law adhere to the principles of cost-effective research, school we searched as much as we wanted, and I first jumped online to see what I could find it was free.” This is your brain on [fill in your on the free Web. Because I was getting nowhere favorite online service]—any questions? Then fast, I turned to one of the major online legal there’s the challenge of figuring out where to research services. My search returned no results. assign searches in cases when users have input Just to be sure I hadn’t missed something, and to nonexistent client codes, which sometimes save time, I called the service’s customer service seem to have been pulled out of thin air. line and enlisted the help of one of their research Although specialized software is available to help professionals. Still no luck. with this, the cost of the software is arguably At that point, I decided to try a more old- harder for a relatively small firm to justify. fashioned approach: I picked up the phone Wearing multiple hats is often part of a and started calling legislative and state Public solo’s job. As a stand-in for a formal marketing Utilities Commission research offices. At first, department, I am frequently asked to put I played telephone tag, but the calls started to together detailed company briefing reports on pay off before the end of the day. Like many in continued on page 20

Volume 50, Number 2 • Winter 2007 19 Life as a Solo Librarian library candy jar and a few puzzles on the coffee continued from page 19 table, several events over the course of the year have helped me draw users to the library. short notice. These reports are used to support These events may require days or even weeks the efforts of the firm’s client development of planning. As part of this year’s annual office partners. While the tight deadlines can be Halloween party, the library was transformed stressful, the detective work involved in prepar- into a graveyard, complete with skeletons, ing the reports can be interesting. tombstones and special effects, thanks to a In addition to all of the above activities, fog machine and strobe lights. Attorneys and I occasionally have to route periodicals and staff brought their kids to the library, where sort through the mail. Although I’m fortunate they were given Halloween-themed mugs to to have access to an assistant, her position is decorate and keep, or to give their parents as structured so that she also serves as the firm’s mementos. No holiday or occasion is too small relief receptionist. If the regular receptionist is to exploit: In celebration of our collective ‘Irish away for an extended period of time, or if my heritage’ on St. Patrick’s Day, I put up a neon assistant is otherwise unavailable, it may be shamrock display—which has sometimes been necessary for me to take on some of these tasks. accompanied by a platter of (intentionally) Finding new ways to provide value- green bagels and cream cheese. added services to my users can be both fun A willingness to take on functions that are and challenging. One ongoing project is the not typical for a librarian also helps to enhance office intranet, designed to provide one-stop the perceived value of the library. For instance, I shopping for attorneys, paralegals, and other was not a notary public when I started my job, staff. The intranet features annotated research nor was it part of the “official” job description. links, Webliographies on “hot topics” of current However, because of turnover and other factors, interest, and trade press RSS feeds. For client the few administrative staff who completed the schmoozing purposes, there is a database of paperwork required to become a D.C. notary restaurant reviews and related information. were not always available. So I volunteered to There are also movie reviews and a monthly become the firm’s backup notary. The attorneys staff profile to help people get to know their have been extremely appreciative of this effort. coworkers. At the same time, it has not interfered with my Getting attorneys to visit the library is daily routine. another big challenge, given the increasing Yes, work can be like a box of chocolates number of information resources that reside for a solo librarian. Sometimes you just have to on their desktops. In addition to the obligatory watch out for the nuts. LLL

ILL: A Look Behind the Scenes Steven Shearer, ILL Specialist, Steptoe &Johnson

“Library, Steptoe and Johnson, to-find items not available via a simple Google this is Steven” or database search. There are foreign language Most days, the phone is ringing before I get requests to decipher, conference proceedings settled into my desk. The e-mail requests are from forty years ago that need to be found, and already pouring in, and the voicemail light is more. As the Interlibrary Loan (ILL) Specialist at on and waiting for me to check the messages. Steptoe & Johnson, it is my job to beg, borrow, Today, as with any day, requests can range from or steal (well, not literally) books, articles, and those for standard legal texts and articles, to whatever else our patrons need. letters from the Bureau of Indian Affairs in the 1880’s. One day, I had a request for an article ILL Day to Day from Playboy. My job, as you can see, is never I am in charge of both the circulation desk and boring. It is more than simply looking for books ILL. Currently, we have two people working and e-mailing information. It consists of the full time in this area and a total library staff of challenge of locating obscure, unusual, and hard- eighteen. With approximately 3,000 individual

20 Law Library Lights items obtained each year and nearly 1,000 items, mostly medical-related, many with bad Working in ILL books lent to other libraries, my job consists of citations or from foreign medical journals. As has taught me managing a constant flow of materials in and we don’t read any languages other than English how to multitask out. I had assumed the majority of our requests with any proficiency, finding medical articles and prioritize. would be for legal materials, but I was quickly listed only in the Polish, French, or German I’ve learned proved wrong. Approximately 25% of the languages added a unique twist to the search shortcuts on how requests we receive are for legal materials process. Unfortunately, the online translator to effectively use and nearly half are for scientific and medical programs were of little use and it took much search engines documents, leaving 25% of the requests for trial and error to track these down. of all types, items that you just never know about, and which We also have worked on several large and even after are often the most interesting. requests for patrons who were writing books or several years, Through this job, I am in contact with articles. One of these projects involved finding I still remain people all around the world in an attempt to and obtaining over 400 items, many of which interested and track down the materials requested. Many were not widely held. It was interesting to see surprised by the documents are available through Lexis, Westlaw, the many different items that were requested, requests I pro- and the many other databases we have access and you just never knew what you would be cess. Without the to, but what about someone who wants an asked for next. It was also rewarding to see the help I get from article from an early 1990s issue of Computer final published products and know that our the many LLSDC Shopper? With the never-ending advances in work went into its completion. In many cases, libraries, I couldn’t technology and the shortage of space at many you never really know if what you found was do my job. libraries, I was very skeptical of finding a useful or even used. library that had kept the needed issue, never mind one that also took rush requests. At Day’s End By the end of the morning, however, As you can see, each day can bring something the patron had what he needed from the different. Nevertheless, some things remain the British Library and was extremely happy. same. We strive to serve our patrons with quick We take pride in the fact that there are few and efficient customer service. We try not to requests we’ve had to admit defeat on. let calls go to voicemail, preferring to offer live Being able to connect with my library assistance to any colleague whenever possible. colleagues and other book-related professionals There are basic administrative duties to con- both locally and around the globe is one of tend with, books we’ve loaned out to retrieve, the favorite parts of my job. You quickly and countless other tasks to be done. Working learn who can help you with the inevitable in ILL has taught me how to multitask and last-minute requests, or who picks up the prioritize. I’ve learned shortcuts on how to phone. I realize that just as some of my requests effectively use search engines of all types, and sometimes are needed within hours, other even after several years, I still remain interested libraries’ requests are as urgent, and I try to and surprised by the requests I process. But offer the same service I hope to receive. In mostly, it is the countless people who help me some cases, other libraries go above and out that I like most about my job. Without the beyond to try and help out. A good example help I get from the many LLSDC libraries, I of this responsiveness was a request we recently couldn’t do my job. LLL received for an outdated map. After many hours of searching without success, we were all but ready to give up on this request. Later that day I received a call from U.S. Geological Society Library in Colorado, which had been contacted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, whom I had called earlier. They had the map and were happy to forward it to me.

A Translator Please? In addition to the day-to-day work, the ILL staff also works on many long-term major requests. One was a large project requiring over 1,000

Volume 50, Number 2 • Winter 2007 21 Life in an Academic Law Library

Christine Ciambella, Access & Research Services Librarian, George Mason University School of Law Library

Just What IS “Access Services”? I am responsible for ensuring that the Run a Google search on “access services” and circulation desk is staffed during all of the ninety- most of the hits have to do with accessibility six hours per week that we are open. In order to issues for people with disabilities. That is but one do this, I work closely with the two circulation small part of my job. In the library world, Access managers (one for day and one for evening) who Services encompasses the circulation system report directly to me. They in turn supervise and the circulation desk staff. It also includes the desk attendants. The desk attendants are all maintaining the collection in good working student workers; most are law students but some order, creating and implementing policies on are graduate students from other departments. access and usage, seeing that the physical library Supervising these students requires some special building is kept in good condition, and ensuring considerations. By definition, the law students patron safety and security. are temporary employees and their first priority Access Services can also be a catch-all is their studies. We ask for a firm commitment department for functions that do not clearly from them regarding their schedules, but we belong to reference or technical services, such are flexible when they need to miss shifts to as interlibrary loan, photocopier and computer accommodate assignments or other school- equipment maintenance, disaster preparedness, related activities. It’s a balancing act, but it usually and media services (videotaping lectures and works pretty well. Most students are responsible special events for the university). and hard working even though library work is One of the great pleasures of my job is not their career goal. the variety. I have three areas of responsibility: The circulation department maintains all Access Services and circulation, reference, and reserve materials, both permanent and course training. This article will focus primarily on the reserves. Permanent reserves are popular items Access Services part of my job. Much of my job that circulate for a short period of time, typically is administrative and preemptive. I try to address only a few hours. Course reserves, on the other problems before they arise, and to implement hand, are items that a professor wishes to have policies and procedures that will ensure that the readily available to students for his or her class. library runs as smoothly as possible. Reserve materials must comply with copyright The first person a library patron sees guidelines, so our staff must be very conscientious or speaks with is usually someone on the about keeping current with copyright rules and circulation staff, so excellent customer service is university policies. our primary goal. We are the trouble shooters The circulation staff regularly monitors The first person a for the library and for our patrons. Questions our collection for problems needing attention library patron sees and problems are usually submitted here and ensures that the books and materials are or speaks with is first. We refer patrons to the appropriate available and accessible to all of our patrons. usually someone department, whether reference, technical ser- We pay attention to patron activity and try to on the circulation vices, computer services, or law school admini- regulate behavior as appropriate. For example, staff, so excellent stration. When you walk in the law school our library is open to the public but only for the customer service is building, the library is the first thing you see; purposes of legal research. We redirect people our primary goal. the other administrative offices are located who wish to do other kinds of research to other We are the trouble elsewhere in the building. We function as the libraries, and we try to maintain a quiet, scholarly shooters for the information desk for the entire law school. atmosphere to ensure that the law students have library and for our Consequently, we get lots of questions about a comfortable place to study. patrons. Questions things other than the library. The circulation We take advantage of the summer break, and problems are staff must keep abreast of events on the campus when there are fewer students and the library is usually submitted and be informed of the areas of responsibility quiet, to handle larger and less pressing projects. here first. of the rest of the law school departments in Typical summer projects include weeding and order to refer people correctly. shifting the collection, updating maps and signs,

22 Law Library Lights working on long term projects (for example, but my plans are sometimes derailed by the I encourage every- revising procedure manuals), and dealing with crisis of the day. I have learned to anticipate that one to join and administrative issues. Each spring, the library possibility and to shift gears accordingly. participate in director takes a survey of the law students and Additionally, I am constrained by the local and national solicits their input on ways the library can physical design of my workspace. The George professional improve. Many of our new projects are suggested Mason Law Library has a lovely open design organizations. by the students. and staff offices are located along the perimeter. They are an The circulation staff must be flexible and It is a beautiful space, but not as functional excellent way anticipate issues before they become problems. as I would like. For example, I cannot see the to meet your We are constantly evaluating our policies and circulation desk from my office. This requires colleagues, procedures in light of experience and in response me to “manage by walking around” in order enhance your to suggestions from our patrons and the library to overcome the limitations of the space. Also, skills and educa- staff. The old adage about an ounce of prevention I do not feel that I am as approachable sitting tion, and give back certainly pertains to library work. We do allow in my office. The reference suite (where Iam to your profession. for flexibility rather than rigid adherence to the located) looks like an office suite, and patrons rules. Every situation is different and we strive and staff are constantly apologizing for to resolve problems in such a way that is most “bothering” me. favorable to the patron and to the goals of the library. Our ultimate concern is providing a How Would You Get a Job Like Mine? superior quality library that meets both the Take advantage of every professional develop- research and the studying needs of our students ment opportunity that comes your way. and faculty. My first library job required that I assist in teaching training classes and I was terrified. Pros and Cons Over time, I came to enjoy teaching and my The variety of work is the biggest plus of my skills improved. That experience was a real asset, job. I never know what each day will bring. as instruction is a central element of working Of course, sometimes that variety is a curse in an academic library. and not a blessing, but on balance I would not Remember, too, that although you may not change a thing. I am never bored. In addition, have the exact skill set for a particular job, some the academic setting lends itself more easily to skills do translate into others and you may still self enrichment. Obviously, education is highly be the most qualified candidate for the advertised valued here and management is supportive of position. For example, I had never worked with career development. There are many opportuni- an automated circulation system before joining ties to take on special projects that are not George Mason. Most of my career was spent in necessarily within my job description; thus I am the private sector and many law firms do not able to make my job my own. use automated circulation systems. However, I love working with students—both as my reference, management, and training skills a librarian and as an employer. Many of our counterbalanced this lack of experience, and I student workers are just looking for a convenient was able to quickly come up to speed on the job on campus, but others genuinely enjoy circulation system. library work. Regardless, all of them have a fresh I encourage everyone to join and partici- perspective that helps me to look at my job with pate in local and national professional new ideas. organizations. They are an excellent way to I also like helping the students, particularly meet your colleagues, enhance your skills and the first-year students, the “1Ls.” The circulation education, and give back to your profession. You desk is an ideal place to ask all sorts of questions will have a more meaningful experience if you about the law school, not just the library, and it’s volunteer to work on a committee or project, rewarding to help new students get acclimated rather than merely attend a program or meeting. to this scary new experience called law school. You will also make contacts that will not only No job is perfect, and there are some things enhance the richness of your professional life, about my job that I would change if I could. By but will also provide you with a wealth of necessity, a good portion of my job is reactive resources in doing your work. LLL rather than proactive. I come in to work with a general idea of what I’d like to accomplish,

Volume 50, Number 2 • Winter 2007 23 “I Can Do the Job”: The Hiring, Training, and Daily Duties of a Library Clerk with Cognitive Disabilities

Edward O’Rourke, Manager of Library Services, Baker Botts LLP

This article is rather different from the others The summer experience with the daughter Tin this issue of Lights in that, rather than dis- was successful both for the library and for cussing my job, it highlights a paraprofessional her, particularly as her level of independence library position designed to be filled by a person improved over that period. That experience with cognitive disabilities. As the Manager has led to a fruitful relationship between our of Library Services at Baker Botts, I’ve had firm and the Fairfax County Public Schools’ the opportunity to hire, train, and supervise “Options for Life” program, which matches three library clerks with cognitive disabilities. cognitively disabled students with employers Although the initial training of these per- in the Washington region. These students are sonnel is more intense and in-depth, the usually participating in the education-work time spent is extremely worthwhile and coop program (cognitively disabled students the department and the firm end up with can remain in the program until age 22). This a loyal, motivated, hard-working employee program provides valuable work experience, in the position who enjoys coming to the and in many cases, the students are hired on as office every day and who makes a valuable permanent employees when they leave school. contribution to the library team. The students are usually matched to employers The firm also has cognitively disabled based on their interests and their level of employees in other departments, and was disability. Due to their high unemployment featured in a recent Washington Post article for rate (68% nationally), some of the candidates its hiring and retention efforts (http://www. have no work experience but nevertheless desire washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/ a chance to contribute to the work force and article/2006/10/27/AR2006102700970. prove they can “do the job” with sufficient html). In addition, the firm received the 2006 training and resources. Employer of the Year Award from the Fairfax Since that initial summer, two other students Area Disability Services Board for the three have made a valuable contribution to our people hired for the library clerk position. The library team. Prior to being hired, the students Although the employees are also a valued part of the firm’s are matched by their local coordinator with initial training of diversity initiatives, which include the hiring potential employers. The coordinator forwards these personnel is and retention of disabled employees. the resumes to the Human Resources (HR) more intense and The idea of employing a person with cog- Manager, who then contacts me and schedules in-depth, the time nitive disabilities originated in 2002 when one the interviews. I interview the candidates and spent is extremely of the Washington office’s partners was en- determine suitability based on the desire to work worthwhile and couraged to have his cognitively disabled in a library. I am also mindful that the candidate the department daughter work in the library during the summer should be able to perform physical tasks, such and the firm end associate season. As there were only two library as shelving and bookdrop pickups. In addition, up with a loyal, staff for over 100 attorneys at the time, alot I also try to determine whether the candidate motiviated, hard- of consideration was given to this possibili- has a basic knowledge of number combinations working employee ty. The partner provided (in conjunction with and organizational skills (essential for checking in the position Human Resources) his daughter’s resume, in and shelving serials and books and for who enjoys coming which included her experience with the local separating mail into various piles). The position to the office every public library system. We had not worked with has been part-time since 2002 with a schedule day and who a disabled person before, but were willing to of 2.5 hours per day, five days per week. The makes a valuable give the daughter a chance. She was still in high person commutes on his or her own to the firm’s contribution to the school, but was eager to work and also eager to office, which is a commendable achievement library team. show what she could do for us. and furthers the person’s independence.

24 Law Library Lights As stated above, training is a bit more all as he likes walking around the office intense and takes a little more time than that for and interacting with fellow employees. His a person with no disabilities, but the extra time development is at the level that he will be spent pays dividends when the clerk can master given extra tasks and levels of responsibility in certain tasks (with pride) and then be available the coming year. He is very concientious and for extra tasking. I provide written step-by-step attempts a task before requesting help. If an instructions on the various tasks involved and error is made, we work through the matter have the clerks repeat the tasks for me before together and I have him perform the task I let them perform on their own. In addition, a few times to ensure he understands the some steps may have to be revisited more than steps involved. once, particularly in the area of shelving due to The clerk is not part of the overall evalua- the Library of Congress call numbering system tion process (as yet), but a special progress used by our library. report is sent to the Director of Administration Overall, training is an essential part of and HR Manager twice per year detailing the clerk’s development into a productive areas which require minimal (if any) advice or employee, and the time spent is very worth- assistance, areas requiring further training, and while. It pleases me greatly to see the clerks goalsetting for the next six months. The current learn and master various tasks (in addition to clerk is also a native speaker of Farsi; if it weren’t shelving and bookdrop pickups) such as disposal for his disability, he would be an excellent of old newspapers, maintenance of the Library candidate for a government or military position. Archive and filing rooms, mail processing and However, in my view, the government’s loss is routing, book labeling, assistance with filing my department’s gain and I am very pleased to of bills/invoices, minor troubleshooting of the have him (and his predecessors) on my team. Westlaw and Lexis printers on various floors, The clerk always beams with pride whenever ensuring the trays are always filled with paper, I provide positive feedback and when he is and return of ILL materials to the messenger commended for a job well done, which is often. room located in the basement. Our current He also enjoys telling me “I can do the job.” I clerk enjoys the bookdrop pickups most of now know he can. LLL

Volume 50, Number 2 • Winter 2007 25 SPECIAL INTEREST Joint Spring Workshop Web Site SECTIONS Kate Martin Paul Weiss 202/496-7752 202/434-4277 Academic [email protected] [email protected] Frances Brillantine [email protected] 202/319-4331 Kelly Yuzawa [email protected] 202/822-3621 Konrad Rieke [email protected] [email protected] Federal Laurie Green Susan Panasik FOCUS GROUPS Executive Director 202/619-3719 202/508-6055 [email protected] [Position vacant] [email protected] Franklin Square Group 703/619-5033 Foreign & International Law Library Lights Scott Larson http://www.llsdc.org 202/789-6166 Janice Fridie Dawn Bohls [email protected] 202/344-4879 202/662-6180 [email protected] EXECUTIVE BOARD [email protected] Ann Green 202/408-6452 President Membership Interlibrary Loan [email protected] Billie Jo Kaufman Sara Balls Mary Woodruff 202/274-4374 202/772-5800 x3149 202/274-2876 Legal Research [email protected] [email protected] maryelizabeth.woodruff@ troutmansanders.com Training Group Vice President/ Legislative Research Cindy Carlson Amy Taylor 703/203-5187 President-Elect Margot Gee 202/662-9141 [email protected] Abigail Ross 202/639-7365 [email protected] 202/434-4148 [email protected] Library Managers’ [email protected] Mentoring Group Private Law Libraries Scott Bailey Barbara Folensbee-Moore Recording Secretary Carolyn McKelvey 202/626-6708 202/739-5131 Barbara Fisher 202/662-6157 [email protected] Bfolensbee-moore@ 202/263-3314 [email protected] morganlewis.com [email protected] Pamela Gregory COMMITTEE 301/952-3438 LAW LIBRARY LIGHTS Corresponding Secretary CHAIRPERSONS [email protected] Carla Evans 202/416-6899 Arrangements Nominations Editor [email protected] Kate Martin Martha Klein Dawn Bohls 202/496-7752 202/496-7844 202/662-6180 Treasurer [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Christine Ciambella Assistant Editor 703/993-8111 Laurie Green Placement Shannon O’Connell [email protected] 202/508-6055 [TBD] [email protected] 202/434-5303 Assistant Treasurer Publications [email protected] Laurie Green Bylaws Revisions Keith Gabel Eye on Serials 202/508-6055 William H. Grady 202/466-2388 Susan Chinoransky [email protected] 202/508-9858 [email protected] [email protected] 202/994-8902 Immediate Past President Public Relations [email protected] Education Elizabeth LeDoux Kevin Dames Tech Talk 703/971-7434 Craig Lelansky 202/541-9671 Roger Skalbeck [email protected] 202/662-9182 [email protected] 202/662-9158 [email protected] [email protected] BOARD MEMBERS Scholarships & Grants Matthew Braun Iris Lee Member News Joan Scherer 202/994-8545 202/944-2733 [email protected] Amy Taylor 202/647-1146 [email protected] 202/662-9141 [email protected] Julie Bozzell [email protected] Volunteer Karen Silber 202/533-2397 [email protected] Julia Leggett Publisher/Graphic 202/452-4631 202/707-6779 Designer [email protected] Elections [email protected] Cindy Dyer Dyer Design Lisa Harrington Mike Gentile Joyce Baker 703/971-9038 202/457-5911 202/942-5409 202/739-6424 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] History & Archives Heather Bourk 202/662-9133 [email protected]