Celebrate the holidays with LLAM at

Crush Kitchen and Winehouse
114 West Street
Annapolis, MD 21401
Phone: (410) 216-9444

on Friday, December 11, 2015,
6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Tickets are $25.00 per person.

Click the following Buy Now button to purchase tickets. You can also add a donation to the LLAM scholarship fund to your total payment:

Alternatively, you may send a check paid to the order of “LLAM” to:

LLAM c/o Thea Warner
111 South Calvert Street, Suite 1400
Baltimore, Maryland 21202

If you would like to donate an item to the LLAM Silent Auction, please complete the form below: 

Crush Kitchen & Winehouse is Annapolis’ oldest winebar.

Parking at Crush: Crush is adjacent to the Loews Annapolis Hotel (126 West St., Annapolis, MD 21401). Guests of Crush have access to Loews Hotel Parking. Self Parking is $8; Valet Parking is $10.

Parking is also available at the Knighton Garage (1A Colonial Ave., Annapolis, MD 21401) for $5 all day.

Holiday Party Menu:

Hors d’oeuvres

• Stuffed Mushrooms(v)
• Shrimp Cocktail
• Chicken Skewers
• Crab Balls
• Prosciutto Wrapped Dates
• Crab Dip
• Tuna Tar Tar on Cucumber
• Blue Cheese Cranberry Tart (v)
• Bruschetta (v)
• Assortment of Fruit
• Antipasto Platter
• Crudites
• Cheese Platter

Beverages
1 complementary specialty cocktail, glass of wine, or glass of beer included

Email Camilla Tubbs at ctubbs @ law.umaryland.edu if you have any questions!

The LLAM Programs Committee has put together an exciting list of events. Please check out the list below and mark your calendar so you don’t miss out on any of the fun!
If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact Camilla Tubbs, ctubbs @ law.umaryland.edu.

• Monday, November 9th from noon – 1:00 p.m.: LLAM Brownbag Lunch Lecture  – International Arbitration Research by Jason Hawkins.  Thurgood Marshall Law Library, Room 4403, University of Maryland School of Law.  Directions and Parking Information here: http://www.law.umaryland.edu/about/directions.html.  To RSVP, please contact Camilla Tubbs, at ctubbs @ law.umaryland.edu.
• Friday, December 11th from 6 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.: LLAM’s Holiday Party & Silent Auction will be held at the Crush Kitchen and Winehouse, 114 West St, Annapolis, MD 21401. Registration and auction information will be announced soon.
• Wednesday, January 27th, 2016 from 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.: LLAM Brownbag Lunch Lecture at the Maryland State Law Library. Judge Lynne Battaglia will discuss her book, “Finding Justice: A History of Women Lawyers in Maryland since 1642.”
• February 3rd, 2016 (Time TBD): MLA Legislative Day
• Friday, March 11th, 2016 from 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 pm:  LLAM Service Project with the Maryland Food Bank, 2200 Halethorpe Farms Rd, Baltimore, MD 21227.  Registration information will be announced closer to the date.
• Friday, April 8th 2016, All Day: LLAM LRI Cybersecurity Conference, University of Maryland –  Baltimore. An all-day conference at the UMB Campus Center, followed by a reception for LLAM members at Westminster. Registration information will be announced closer to the date in the Spring.

Please join us Monday, November 9^th at the University of Maryland Carey School of Law’s Thurgood Marshall Law Library for the November 2015 Program!

Jason Hawkins Presents: International Arbitration
Noon – 1:00 p.m.

Thurgood Marshall Law Library Room 4403
500 W. Baltimore Street
Baltimore, MD 21201

The event is a BYO brown bag lunch, but drinks and desserts will be provided by our hosts. To RSVP and/or request discount parking passes contact Camilla Tubbs by email or at 410-706-0792. We hope to see you there!

Directions and Parking

Please join us Monday, November 9^th at the University of Maryland Carey School of Law’s Thurgood Marshall Law Library for the November 2015 Program!

Jason Hawkins Presents: International Arbitration
Noon – 1:00 p.m.

Thurgood Marshall Law Library  Room 4403
500 W. Baltimore Street
Baltimore, MD 21201

The event is a BYO brown bag lunch, but drinks and desserts will be provided by our hosts. To RSVP and/or request discount parking passes contact Camilla Tubbs by email or at 410-706-0792. We hope to see you there!

Directions and Parking

Join the LLAM Dine-Around in Philadelphia

Saturday, July 18th at 6:00 pm

If you are you attending the 2015 AALL Annual Meeting & Conference in Philadelphia, please consider joining the members of LLAM for the annual “LLAM Dine-Around.” This year, the group will meet at Alma de Cuba, 1623 Walnut St, Philadelphia, PA 19103, a Cuban-fusion restaurant that is a 20 minute walk (shorter via Metro) from the Convention Center.  Vegetarian options are offered. The reservation, under the name of “James Durham,” is for 6:00 p.m. on Saturday evening, July 18. To view photos and a menu, visit www.almadecubarestaurant.com/. Vegetarian options are offered. If you plan to attend, please RSVP to james.durham[at] mdcourts.gov, so that the reservation can be amended to accommodate the actual size of our group. See you in Philly!

The Library of Congress has three positions available in Washington, D.C. Full vacancy announcements at USAJOBS.gov.

Job Title:Librarian (Preservation Specialist)
Agency:Library of Congress
Job Announcement Number:140308
Salary Range: $52,668.00 to $68,465.00 / Per Year
Open Period:Tuesday, June 16, 2015 to Tuesday, June 30, 2015

https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/407169900

This Librarian serves as a preservation specialist in the Preservation Directorate of Library Services. The Librarian uses expert knowledge and skills to undertake preservation research to preserve the Library’s rarest, most valuable, and heavily accessed art, books, manuscripts, photographs, recorded sound, moving image, and other special media collections.

Job Title:Librarian (Manuscript – Historian)
Agency:Library of Congress
Job Announcement Number:150142
Salary Range:$90,823.00 to $118,069.00 / Per Year
Open Period: Friday, June 12, 2015 to Monday, July 13, 2015

https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/406842800

The Librarian (Manuscript Historian Specialist) position has primary curatorial and acquisition responsibilities for the political, military, and legal collections of the Manuscript Division that fall in the modern period, roughly from 1900 to the present. Included in this time frame are hundreds of collections, notably the papers of Presidents Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, Woodrow Wilson, and Calvin Coolidge as well as cabinet members from those and subsequent administrations; dozens of members of Congress; Supreme Court Justices; journalists and publishers; military officers and defense secretaries; diplomats and foreign intelligence officers; and countless other American luminaries. The Manuscript Division is one of the foremost special collections repositories of the world. The specialist works under the general supervision of the chief of the Manuscript Division, who provides guidance concerning the general scope, direction, and objective of assignments. This position is located in the Manuscript Division of Library Services.

Job Title:Librarian (Reference Librarian)
Agency:Library of Congress
Job Announcement Number:150026
Salary Range:$52,668.00 to $68,465.00 / Per Year
Open Period:Tuesday, June 9, 2015 to Monday, July 6, 2015

https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/406371900

The Reference Librarian provides assistance to researchers in the culture, history, literature, politics, political structure, economies, humanities, and social sciences of the assigned countries and regions in the Asian Division. Clients include Congress, foreign and US Government agencies, national and international scholars, research and scientific institutitons, the professional and business communities, and the general public. Librarians respond to inquiries that are received in person, by telephone, by correspondence and by electronic media. Librarians recommend items for acquisition.

The work of law librarians will be a topic at the conference this year: “Access to Justice through Access to Legal Information” with Catherine McGuire, Dave Pantzer, Mary Jo Lazun and Sara Witman on the panel.  Here is the program description: Knowledge of the law and the legal system is an important component in providing Access to Justice. Everyone says “it’s all online” – but where?  Law librarians will showcase free resources that can be used by legal services providers for their own research or as referrals to clients or anyone interested in accessing legal information. The Maryland State Law Library website contains a wealth of information on legal resources and legal research including links to free online legal resources.  The Maryland People’s Law Library is “a legal information and self-help website maintained by the Maryland State Law Library.”  Everyone knows how to use Google but may not be familiar with the Google tools for accessing legal resources.  Learn the many ways that Google can enhance legal research for attorneys and non-attorneys alike.

The early bird rate – until April 24 – is only $95 ($105 after).  Considering this includes breakfast and lunch in addition to the great programming there is no good reason to miss this conference. In addition to the law library program another interesting program will be “Serial” – How the Popular Podcast Impacts the Court System.   It is great opportunity for law librarians to let the legal community know the role we play in access to justice.

Find out more here:  http://probonomd.org/about-us/conference/?utm_source=2015PJC%20Early%20Bird%20Announcement%20%20&utm_campaign=PJC15%20Early%20Bird&utm_medium=email

It would be great to see more of the law library community this year!

Joan M. Bellistri
Law Library Director
Anne Arundel County Public Law Library
Anne Arundel County Circuit Court, RM 303
P.O. Box 2395, 8 Church Circle
Annapolis, MD 21401
joan.bellistri@aacounty.org
410-222-1387 P
410-268-9762 F

Earlier this week at the Maryland State Archives, Mary Alice Baish the U.S. Superintendent of Documents, presented the National Plant for Access to US Government Information to a group of LLAM members for our February Program. The attached PDF is a copy of her Powerpoint presentation.  Check it out for some really helpful nuggets of information!

LLAM_MSA_National_Plan FINAL (02242015)

Next Wednesday, February 18th is LLAM’s opportunity to make a real difference. It is Maryland Library Legislative Day, a chance to meet with your legislators and urge them to support libraries and UEMLA: House Bill 162 and Senate Bill 611. During the day members of the various county libraries visit with their delegations. LLAM has arranged to  have county delegations to adopt a LLAMer for a day so you do not need to worry about making appointments, finding buildings, and rooms. They are vets at this process and will welcome your expertise in UELMA.

The agenda for the day is below and the attached PDF includes the day’s agenda, map, and MLA talking points and info on UELMA.

• 8:00 AM   Continental breakfast (hosted by LLAM) briefing packets and candy giveaway will be available for pickup in the Anne Arundel County Circuit Court Library (enter from Church Circle).  The legislative panel will brief us on general talking points to keep in mind as visits are planned.  The law library will be available all day if anyone would like a place to sit down and take a break.
• 9:15 AM   Proceed to State House for Senate presentation followed by House presentation. We will split up with a group going to House Balcony and a group going to Senate Balcony At conclusion, participants to make delegation visits.
• 1:00 PM UELMA Hearing at the House of Delegates Office Building Room 240.
• 5:30 PM Legislative Reception in the President’s Reception room in the Senate office Building. This is an opportunity to mix and mingle with legislators and other officials.  Be on the lookout for elected officials from your district and extend greetings to them.  When you make your visits to their offices, make a point of inviting them to stop by the reception. (All legislators were mailed invitations)

CLICK HERE: Md Lib Leg Day for LLAMers
for more information on the agenda, parking and other important information.

Need more info contact:
Mary Jo  Lazun
mjlazun@gmail.com  | mjlazun@mdcourts.gov
410-260-1441 work | 410-292-8882 cell

Good news! Last week The Maryland Uniform Legal Materials Act (HB 162) was introduced in the General Assembly and is sporting a growing list of sponsors throughout the state. Many thanks to Del. Cathy Vitale of Anne Arundel County who introduced the bill.

We need your help to increase the number of sponsors of the bill so we are asking LLAM members to contact their legislators to request their sponsorship of the bill.  If you do not know who represents you (there have been a lot of changes) see Locate Your Legislators.

Below is a sample message that will fit perfectly in the Contact Legislators form available for each legislator. FYI, this form has a 1,500 character limit and the sample message below is around 1400 characters.

Also, please mark your calendar for Maryland Library Legislative Day on February 18. The schedule begins with a terrific breakfast at the Anne Arundel County Circuit Court law library. Details will be forthcoming.

Time is of the essence so please contact your legislators right away and urge them to support UELMA.

For more information, you can contact:
Mary Jo Lazun
410-260-1441
mjlazun@gmail.com
-or-
Joan Bellistri
410-222-1387
joan.bellistri@gmail.com

SAMPLE MESSAGE TO DELEGATES

I write in support of House Bill 162, the Maryland Uniform Electronic Legal Materials Act (UELMA). I strongly urge to you to sponsor this important legislation.

UELMA ensures that online state legal materials that are deemed official — for example, the Code of Maryland, Maryland Rules, reported appellate court decisions, Attorney General Opinions, and the Code of Maryland Regulations — will be preserved in unaltered form and made permanently available to the public.

In Maryland, there have been efforts to discard traditional print access with no method to ensure access, preservation, or authentication to these materials. For example, The Division of State Documents recently proposed offering online-only access to the Maryland Register. Last year the General Assembly exempted the state judiciary from publishing rules committee materials in the Maryland Register if they are promptly posted on the Judiciary web site. Some states no longer publish important legal materials in print — a decision that Maryland may eventually make as well.

UELMA is the people’s insurance policy that our state’s laws are available, preserved, and authenticated online.

To date, twelve states have passed UELMA. By adopting UELMA, Maryland will establish itself as a national leader and demonstrate its commitment to providing its citizens with access to legal materials regardless of format.

Let’s talk about DRM.

Digital Rights Management, or DRM for short, can be generally defined as a system that restricts how one is able to view, save or share digitally acquired information. Much like the now ubiquitous “Terms of Use” agreement required to use most digital services, DRM is a way that publishers can control who, how and where material is being viewed.

DRMs can be particularly problematic for libraries. Librarians are being put in the position of either breaking the electronic locks in order to exercise their legal rights under the Fair use Exemptions or letting a company determine how best to serve library patrons. Fortunately, those put in this predicament now have some recourse. You might recall that in October there was mention of upcoming opportunities for public comment. That day has come! The Copyright Office published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking.  <Proposed rule: http://www.copyright.gov/fedreg/2014/79fr73856.pdf >

Here are a few highlights of the proposed rules:

• Space & Format shifting. “This proposed class would allow circumvention of access controls on lawfully made and acquired literary works distributed electronically for the purpose of non-commerical space-shifting or format shifting. This exemption has been requested for literary works distributed electronically in e-books.” (Proposed Class 10: Literary Works Distributed Electronically—SpaceShifting and Format-Shifting, 79 Fed. Reg. 73856, pg.73863 (B) (2).)  This would allow for the stripping of DRM or reformatting of content, for purposes of “backup copies” and other (Legal) purposes. This issue came up before in 2006 and was not adopted. Support and good examples might help it pass this time.

• Jailbreaking-Dedicated E-book readers. “This proposed class would permit the jailbreaking of dedicated e-book readers to allow those devices to run lawfully acquired software that is otherwise prevented from running.” (Proposed Class 18: Jailbreaking—Dedicated E-Book Readers, 79 Fed. Reg. 73856, pg.73867 (3).) This would return some freedom of choice to consumers and library systems in how to purchase and read e-books. It could potentially reduce some of the administrative friction of getting an e-book to a patron. Imagine reading a book purchased on Amazon via a Nook rather than a Kindle or vice versa.

Re-reading the preamble, prior to commenting, is encouraged. The required formatting is very specific and it might be best to use the long or short form guidelines provided by the Copyright office.  <Link is here: http://copyright.gov/1201/comment-forms/>

Each of us is in a different and unique position to provide insight, guidance and advocate for our users. Go forth! February 6, 2015, is the deadline for comments.

Part 4 of our Copyright Series is forthcoming.

by Rachel Englander

A vacancy announcement for a Law Librarian (GS-1410-11) has been posted on USAJOBS. The vacancy number is #150003. The application deadline is Friday, February 6, 2015. Additional details are available at: https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/391828900 .  Please share the announcement with anyone you feel might be interested in the position. Questions should be addressed to the Library of Congress Employment Office at (202) 707-5627 JobHelp@loc.gov.