Category Archives: LLAM Announcements

Invitation to Renew Your LLAM Membership / LLAM Membership Interest Survey

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Dear Friends,

I invite you to renew your LLAM membership and to also complete the 2018-2019 LLAM Membership Interest Survey. Your continued support of LLAM makes it possible for LLAM to continue providing benefits for our members. Completing the LLAM Membership Interest Survey helps us plan programs for the upcoming year.

Benefits of LLAM membership include:

  • Educational and networking events
  • Access to the LLAM Law Library Directory
  • Scholarships and grants
  • Job placement notifications

Membership dues may be paid online or by check. If paying by check, send a check made payable to “LLAM” to Patricia Behles, University of Baltimore Law Library, 1401 N. Charles St., Baltimore, MD 21201. Regardless of payment method, please complete the LLAM membership form and mail the form with your check or email the completed form (scans are also acceptable) to our membership co-chair, Pat Behles.

I look forward to seeing you this year.

Sincerely,

Jason Hawkins
LLAM President 2018-2019

LLAM Anniversary & Holiday Party

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LLAMHolidayParty

This year, LLAM’s annual holiday party is also doubling as a celebration of LLAM’s 35th anniversary! Fun and memory sharing will abound!

The holiday party and anniversary celebration will be a sit-down Italian dinner at Baltimore’s famous Chiapparelli’s restaurant.  There will also be a video presentation and silent auction with a portion of the proceeds to be donated to charity.

Come celebrate and reminisce with us!

Program Information

Date: Thursday, December 14, 2017

Time: 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

Location: Chiapparelli’s, 237 S. High Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21202

Price: Tickets are $30.00 per person if purchased by Tuesday, December 5, 2017.  Tickets purchased after this date or at the door are $35.00.

The ticket price includes salad, bread, entrée, dessert and coffee, tea or iced tea. Attendees will be able to select options from a fixed menu which includes vegetarian, gluten-free, and dairy free options. A cash bar for soda, beer, wine, and liquor will also be available.

Tickets can be purchased at LLAM’s new online store. When you go to the online store, select the link for tickets.

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Tickets can also be purchased by check.  Please send checks payable to LLAM to:

Chi Song
Maryland State Law Library
Robert C. Murphy Courts of Appeal Building
361 Rowe Boulevard
Annapolis, Maryland 21401-1697

Parking: There are several parking options.  First, there is limited on street parking.  Valet parking is available for $10 per car.  Garage parking at $9 for three hours is available at the Little Italy Garage (about a block and a half from the restaurant).

LLAM Spring Fling 2016

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Save the Date!

LLAM Spring Fling
Thursday, May 19, 2016, 4:00-7:00 p.m.

MtVernonPlace-WashingtonMonument4:00-5:00 p.m. – Visit Baltimore’s Mount Vernon Place and walk to the top of the newly renovated Washington Monument for breathtaking views.

RSVP required if you want an opportunity to climb to the top!  More information on the climb can be found at: https://mvpconservancy.showare.com/ .

Mount Vernon Place
699 Washington Place
Baltimore, MD 21201
For directions and parking information to Mount Vernon Place and the Washington Monument, visit: http://mvpconservancy.org/parking-directions/ .

WashingtonMonumentView5:00-7:00 p.m. – Once the monument closes (at 5pm) head on down to Spirits of Mount Vernon (address below) for a fabulous reception.  There will be wines specially selected for LLAM and snacks for every palette.  The cost for this event is $12.

Spirits of Mount Vernon
900 N. Charles Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
For directions and parking to Spirits of Mount Vernon, visit: http://spiritsofmtvernon.com/930486.html .

SpiritsofMountVernonRSVP TODAY!

Tickets: $12.00

To purchase tickets for the event, you may send a check addressed to “LLAM” to the LLAM Treasurer:

Thea C. Warner, Librarian
Niles, Barton, & Wilmer, LLP
111 South Calvert Street, Suite 1400
Baltimore, Maryland 21202

OR

You may purchase tickets by credit card through PayPal! Select the following PayPal Buy Now button:  Buy Now Button

Hope to see you there!

Congratulations to our new LLAM Board for 2016 – 2017!

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The new Board members will assume their duties at the conclusion of the LLAM Spring Fling event, which will be held in May. Special thanks to Kate Martin for arranging our election!

President: CJ Pipins
VP/President-Elect: Julia Viets
Secretary: Sophie Le
Treasurer: Thea Warner
Board Member: Elizabeth Lukes
Board Member: Joe Neumann
Immediate Past President: James Durham

LLAM Application for Registration Grant for the 2016 AALL Annual Meeting and Conference

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LLAM is offering a grant to cover the cost of registration for the AALL Annual Meeting and Conference, July 16-19, 2016, in Chicago.

Selection Criteria:
The LLAM Grants Committee will evaluate an application on the following criteria:

• Lack of financial assistance from employer and/or financial need
• Promise of individual professional development
• Relevance or expressed interest in Annual Meeting program or event

Priority will be given to individuals who are not previous grant recipients, who have not recently attended the AALL Annual Meeting, and who are active members of LLAM.

Responsibilities:
Grant recipient will write a 250-500 word blog post summarizing and commenting on a program or activity that was especially valuable during the conference.

Deadline for submission: All applications must be received no later than Friday, April 22.

To apply for the grant, please fill out the application below. You must be a member of LLAM and AALL at the time of application to qualify for the LLAM grant.

LLAM Grant Application 2016

Notice of vote to amend the LLAM bylaws

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In 2015, our LLAM Secretary received a notice from the AALL Bylaws and Resolutions Committee that LLAM was required to amend its Bylaws to include “gender identity” in its anti-discrimination clause. The Committee also sent a list of suggested (and very helpful) edits to the Bylaws that would increase clarity and eliminate confusion. Some of the suggested changes were stylistic, and others were substantive.

Please read the proposed revision, which has been proofread by the LLAM Board and has been tentatively approved by the AALL Bylaws and Resolutions Committee. I am providing a copy of the current Bylaws so that you may compare the current language to the proposed revision. Please note the following substantive changes that appear in the draft:

• Former Article III, Section 2(B) has been eliminated because it read “All members shall receive the Corporation’s newsletter as part of their membership.” LLAM discontinued the newsletter approximately 1 -2 years ago, in favor of sharing LLAM news through its blog and the LLAM e-mail list. To be consistent, I also eliminated a reference to the newsletter in Article IV, Section 2, replacing newsletter with “website.”
• Article IV, Section 3 has been amended to establish a quorum for member meetings. (A quorum for Board meetings is four, as described in Article VII, Section 5.) I listed the quorum as ten persons. I have amended Article IV, Section 3 and 4, and Article VII, Section 5, to allow persons attending meetings remotely (for example, by conference call) to serve as part of a quorum and to vote.
• The anti-discrimination clause in Article XI has been amended to include gender identity.

Our LLAM Secretary will distribute an electronic ballot to LLAM members in one month to vote to approve the proposed revised LLAM Bylaws.

Thank you,
James Durham
LLAM President
LLAM_Bylaws_Proposed_Revision_2016_Feb5

LLAM_Bylaws_Current_October_2015

The Law Library Association of Maryland (LLAM) has a new logo and color scheme!

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Take a look at the top of our webpage to see the new logo, which incorporates an outline of Maryland with our acronym. Special thanks to Jenny Rensler for updating our webpages with the new look! Thanks to Mark Desierto for organizing our efforts to obtain logo proposals and bids from several graphic artists. Thanks to Mark, and also to Rachel Englander, for helping us obtain tablecloths with new LLAM logos for vendor halls and displays. The new tablecloths are navy blue with a white logo outline, matching the one posted at the top of our webpages. Special thanks also goes to Kate Martin for getting this project moving at the very beginning!

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In addition, our new LLAM tablecloth and logo made their first appearance recently in the vendor hall of the 2015 AALL Meeting & Conference in Philadelphia. Special thanks to Immediate Past President Kate Martin, who handled table arrangements and displays. Also, thanks to Mark Desierto, who managed the logo proposals and ordering of the two new tablecloths (which are identical, but in different sizes).

LLAM Needs You In Annapolis On February 18th

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LLAM Needs You In Annapolis On February 18th

Now is the time LLAM really needs you. The Maryland Uniform Legal Materials Act (UELMA) is on track for potential passage for this year. We have a hearing in the House of Delegates scheduled for Wednesday, February 18th at 1:00. That day also coincides with Maryland Library Day. We need you in Annapolis that day.

During Maryland Library Day members of the various county libraries visit with their delegations. Joanie Bellistri and I have asked the Maryland Library Association county delegations to adopt you 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.

If you need a crash course in UELMA the AALL and Uniform Commissioner’s web sites have LOTS of information to make you an expert very fast. Joan Bellistri and I are available to answer any questions you may have.

Please let me know if plan to attend, even if right now it is just tentative. I also need to know what county you live in so we can hook you up with your county delegation.

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

PS if you have not sent the UEMLA message to your delegates PLEASE do so. See https://llamonline.org/2015/02/02/uelma-introduced-in-maryland/

A Slice of Full Disclosure

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Back by popular demand is “A Slice of Full Disclosure”, a segment of LLAM’s Spring 2012 Conference, “Full Disclosure:  Librarians Sharing Best Practices”.  You asked for it, you got it!  Last Spring, LLAM’s conference highlighted best practices of librarians.  Now, five of the many compelling sessions return to the stage on Tuesday, October 16 to offer a second dose.

An additional bonus is a special appearance by AALL’s President, Jean Wenger. Don’t miss out!

“A Slice of Full Disclosure”
Tuesday, October 16 from 12:00 – 2:00 pm
Marshall Law Library at the University of Maryland School of Law
500 W. Baltimore Street, Baltimore, MD 21201-1786
Level 4 Classroom, Room number 4403

 Featuring, LLAM’s Immediate Past-President, Sara Witman, Gordon Feinblatt, LLC, “Free Online Tools for Legal Research” – Learn about the free online tools that Sara uses regularly (sometimes unconventionally!) to make her look like she knows something about researching the law, individuals, and companies.

Michael Shochet ,University of Baltimore, Langsdale Library, “PowerPoint Doesn’t Have to Suck”-  By applying some basic principles of graphic design to slideware (such as PowerPoint),  you can make slides that are engaging and that enhance a presentation, instead of detracting from it.

Sara Thomas, Miles & Stockbridge, P.C., “Stuck in the Middle with You: Print v. Online” – Sara will discuss the present dichotomy of legal resources between the “old school” print format and the increasingly emerging electronic options and why both play an important role, both in the present and future, for our researchers and ourselves.

Jason Hawkins and Jenny Rensler, University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law, “Teaching Technologies for Legal Research Instruction” – This presentation will introduce selected multimedia technologies that support legal research instruction. Participants will discover tools and techniques for using these technologies to create innovative user-centered lessons, applicable in both formal classroom settings, and information settings at the “point of need.”

Wendy Maines, Thomson Reuters Westlaw, “Library Yogi” – In this mini Office Yogi session, an RYT-200 yoga teacher will move you through some simple poses.  These postures can be performed at your desk to ease common workplace discomforts such as carpal tunnel, tight shoulders, and low back issues. Wendy will discuss a corresponding handout that can be posted on an intranet/portal so that your patrons may also benefit.

Please RSVP by COB Tuesday, October 9, 2012 to Tonya Baroudi at tebaroudi@co.pg.md.us. If you have any questions, please let me know.  Thank you and we look forward to seeing you on October 16.

You are welcome to bring your lunch; beverages provided.

Directions and parking information:
http://www.law.umaryland.edu/marshall/aboutlibrary/location.html

Libraries and Access to Justice Webinar Series

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Libraries and Access to Justice Webinar Series:

This has already started but there are still more that may be of interest.  Best of all they are FREE.

Upcoming Webinars:

Sept 27 – Webinar 2: Connecting Library Patrons with Legal Information: Key Resources
Oct 11 – Webinar 3: Helping Patrons Find Legal Assistance in their Community: Online Referral Tools
Nov 1 – Webinar 4: Developing Legal Aid-Library Collaborations: Models and Replication Resources

http://www.probono.net/librarywebinars/

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Thank You – From the Past President

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by Sara Witman, Director of Library Services, Gordon Feinblatt LLC

Honestly, I had a blast serving as President of LLAM this past year. The members of this organization are just plain fun to be around. It is rare to find such a perfect mix of energy, camaraderie, and dedication to public service.

Our Spring Fling in May is a great example of this. First of all, could we get a better location that Nick’s Fish House patio? The view of the harbor was lovely. And although the report called for rain, the weather held up all night with a gorgeous sunset. Moreover, what a great group of people to chat with. That night, we raised all kinds of donations, such as books and household items, for an organization that works to prevent child abuse, called The Family Tree. A successful evening, indeed.

I am thrilled to be able to serve for another year as Past President, since our newly-elected Board members are top notch. I look forward to getting to know better our new Board members Kate Martin and Mark Desierto, and our new Secretary Sara Thomas. We are lucky to have such bright people in our ranks. I am also happy to be able to continue to work with Treasurer Bijal Shah, who is always up for a challenge and is thankfully incredibly organized. This year’s Vice President Tonya Baroudi has already planned a number of events, and we haven’t even made it to August yet! Tonya is awesome! I can’t wait to see what she does with the programming.

And, of course, my year would not have been nearly as wonderful without the phenomenal Mary Jo Lazun, who served as Vice President, and will no doubt be an amazing President this year. She was the driving force behind the successful LRI conference in March, put together some of the best programming we’ve seen, and also has so many great ideas for LLAM in the future. I am grateful to be able to continue to work with her this year.

I will definitely miss working closely with Susan Herrick, who has been a true mentor to me in the last few years.

Obviously, being able to spend more time with LLAM members has been the best aspect of my time served this past year, and I’d like to thank all of the members for being so great.

Greetings From the New Vice President

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by Tonya Baroudi, Director of Library Services, Prince George’s County Circuit Court Law Library

Recently, I attended an Employee Appreciation Awards Ceremony where a host of individuals were proudly honored with gifts, plaques, good cheer, and celebration for their exemplary service as a team player, demonstrating superior customer service traits, and performing above and beyond the call of duty. As I glanced around the room, I was reminded of my involvement with LLAM, as both a Committee Chair for several years and as a Board member, in which I had the privilege of working with a number of you who could have easily been one of the recipients of the awards that were distributed that day.

However, my role this year as Vice President will be quite different from previous roles and to be honest more challenging yet quite exciting. I am honored to be partnered with Mary Jo Lazun who is dedicated to our team’s growth and development. In addition to planning and implementing educational and social events, there is much on this year’s agenda. We will revisit our strategic plan, establish short-term objectives, and adjust our committee structure, to name a few. I look forward to building new relationships and to embark on a year-long journey that promises to be a rewarding and insightful experience.

AALL/LLAM Grants for Annual Meeting/Conference

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Each year, on a rotating basis, AALL provides grants to members of local chapters to cover registration for the Annual Meeting.  In 2011 it is LLAM’s turn to have a member receive a AALL grant for the Annual Meeting, to be held in Philadelphia from July 23-26.  To make the grant even more appealing, LLAM is adding $500 to AALL’s registration grant to help cover the cost of transportation/hotel/meals at the conference.

To apply for the grant, you must fill out an application and return it to the LLAM Grants & Awards Committee by Wednesday, April 4, 2012.  Applicants must be members of AALL and LLAM at the time of their application.  A committee consisting of Jean Hessenauer, Mark Desierto, and Jim Gernert will review all of the applications, and let the grant recipient know of his/her selection by April 8, 2011.

For more information, or to request a copy of the application, contact Jim Gernert at jgernert@yahoo.com, or (410) 965-6107.  You can also find a copy of the application on LLAM’s website at http://www.aallnet.org/chapter/llam/llamgrantapplication2011.doc .

LLAM Dine around at AALL in Philadelphia

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LLAM Dine around at AALL in Philadelphia

The LLAM Dine Around in Philadelphia will take place at 7 p.m. on Saturday night, July 23, at Maggianos Little Italy. The restaurant is within walking distance of the convention center- the address is 12th & Filbert which is a half-block from the convention center.

http://www.maggianos.com/EN/Pages/Menu.aspx

Maggianos requires family style dining for groups of more than ten people. We must choose in advance one of the available menus (go to the Web site at the link above and click on Family Style menu on the left sidebar.)

If you want to join us, please contact Susan Herrick at sherrick@law.umaryland.edu.

Let her know the number of people in your party, and which menu you would prefer.  The majority will rule as to choice of which family style menu we will request!

Looking forward to seeing you at AALL!

Two Members Receive AALL Awards

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Janet Camillo, Joan Bellistri

Longtime LLAM members Janet Camillo and Joan Bellistri received national law library association awards this year, which will be presented during the 2011 AALL Annual Meeting and Conference in Philadelphia. Janet received the Bethany J. Ochal Award for Distinguished Service to the Profession from the SCCLL-SIS. “This award goes to a State, Court and County Law Libraries Special Interest Section member who has made a significant contribution to law librarianship and who is nearing the end of his or her library career or who has recently retired. Criteria for receiving this award include service to the profession of law librarianship, contributions to legal research, teaching and outreach efforts and recognition by members of the legal or government community.” Janet is the only recipient of the Ochal Award this year. She retired in January of this year from the Montgomery County Circuit Court Law Library, where she served as Director since 2006. The award will be presented at the SCCLL breakfast meeting on Sunday morning, July 24, at 7:00 a.m. in the Marriott-Liberty Ballroom Salon AB.

Joan Bellistri, director of the Anne Arundel County Public Law Library, was selected as the 2011 recipient of the American Association of Law Libraries Robert L. Oakley Advocacy Award, which recognizes “an AALL member or group who has contributed significantly to the AALL advocacy agenda at the federal, state, local, or international level.” The judges also consider “the extent to which the individual or group has been an active advocate for law libraries and legal information at the federal, state or local level.” Joanie will receive this award at the AALL Public Policy Update program (D-2) on Monday, July 25, at 8:45 a.m. in the Pennsylvania Convention Center Room 201 (A).

Joan Bellistri Awarded the Access to Justice Commission’s Maryland Access to Justice Award

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By Mary Rice
Charles County Public Law Library
 

Joanie Bellistri received an important Maryland state award this year. She was one of the inaugural recipients of the Maryland Access to Justice Commission’s Maryland Access to Justice Awards. “These awards recognize individuals, programs and entities in the State that improve the ability of all Marylanders to access the courts or to get legal help in civil legal matters so they can benefit from the rights, protections, services and opportunities that the law provides,” said retired Maryland Court of Appeals Judge Irma S. Raker, chair of the Commission. Joanie was awarded the Judicial Branch Excellence Award “for her ongoing efforts to make legal information more accessible through publications, training and programs such as the creation of a self-help corner in the court’s law library. [She] also created the ‘Ask a Lawyer in the Library’ program in Anne Arundel County, organizing attorney volunteers to staff regular clinics at local public libraries.” Joanie received her award at the 2011 Judicial Conference on May 13 in Annapolis. She was in good company. Other honorees included Gov. Martin O’Malley, winner of the Executive Branch Award, and Chief Judge Ben C. Clyburn of the District Court of Maryland, winner of the Judge of the Year Award.

What’s New with LLAM Members? Awards, Graduations and more…

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1. Joan Bellistri Wins Access to Justice Award
2. Two Members Receive AALL Awards
3. Jenny Rensler Graduates from University of Maryland School of Law
4. Kurt Meyer Accepts New Job
5. Evan Levasseur Graduates
6. People’s Law Library Web Site Wins AALL Award

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1. Joan Bellistri Wins Access to Justice Award

Joan Bellistri, Judge Irma S. Raker, Judge Robert Bell

Joanie Bellistri received an important Maryland state award this year. She was one of the inaugural recipients of the Maryland Access to Justice Commission’s Maryland Access to Justice Awards. “These awards recognize individuals, programs and entities in the State that improve the ability of all Marylanders to access the courts or to get legal help in civil legal matters so they can benefit from the rights, protections, services and opportunities that the law provides,” said retired Maryland Court of Appeals Judge Irma S. Raker, chair of the Commission. Joanie was awarded the Judicial Branch Excellence Award “for her ongoing efforts to make legal information more accessible through publications, training and programs such as the creation of a self-help corner in the court’s law library. [She] also created the ‘Ask a Lawyer in the Library’ program in Anne Arundel County, organizing attorney volunteers to staff regular clinics at local public libraries.” Joanie received her award at the 2011 Judicial Conference on May 13 in Annapolis. She was in good company. Other honorees included Gov. Martin O’Malley, winner of the Executive Branch Award, and Chief Judge Ben C. Clyburn of the District Court of Maryland, winner of the Judge of the Year Award.

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2. Two Members Receive AALL Awards

Janet Camillo, Joan Bellistri

Longtime LLAM members Janet Camillo and Joan Bellistri received national law library association awards this year, which will be presented during the 2011 AALL Annual Meeting and Conference in Philadelphia. Janet received the Bethany J. Ochal Award for Distinguished Service to the Profession from the SCCLL-SIS. “This award goes to a State, Court and County Law Libraries Special Interest Section member who has made a significant contribution to law librarianship and who is nearing the end of his or her library career or who has recently retired. Criteria for receiving this award include service to the profession of law librarianship, contributions to legal research, teaching and outreach efforts and recognition by members of the legal or government community.” Janet is the only recipient of the Ochal Award this year. She retired in January of this year from the Montgomery County Circuit Court Law Library, where she served as Director since 2006. The award will be presented at the SCCLL breakfast meeting on Sunday morning, July 24, at 7:00 a.m. in the Marriott-Liberty Ballroom Salon AB.

Joan Bellistri, director of the Anne Arundel County Public Law Library, was selected as the 2011 recipient of the American Association of Law Libraries Robert L. Oakley Advocacy Award, which recognizes “an AALL member or group who has contributed significantly to the AALL advocacy agenda at the federal, state, local, or international level.” The judges also consider “the extent to which the individual or group has been an active advocate for law libraries and legal information at the federal, state or local level.” Joanie will receive this award at the AALL Public Policy Update program (D-2) on Monday, July 25, at 8:45 a.m. in the Pennsylvania Convention Center Room 201 (A).

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3. Jenny Rensler Graduates

Jenny Rensler

Jenny Rensler graduated from the University of Maryland School of Law with a Juris Doctor degree on May 20, 2011. While in law school since 2007, Jenny continued working at the Thurgood Marshall Law Library as Research Librarian. Jenny will join her esteemed colleagues on the library faculty who teach legal research at Maryland School of Law and teach her first legal research course in Fall 2011.

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4. Kurt Meyer Accepts New Job

Kurt Meyer

Kurt Meyer, Research Librarian at Thurgood Marshal Law Library, has accepted a new job at Gonzaga University School of Law in Spokane, Washington. Kurt’s new position will be Reference Librarian and Assistant Professor of Law.  Good luck, Kurt!

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5. Levasseur Graduates

Evan Levasseur

On May 26, 2011 Stephanie Levasseur’s son, Evan, graduated from kindergarten at the Immaculate Conception School. Congratulations, Evan!

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6. People’s Law Library Web Site Wins AALL Award

Congratulations to the Maryland State Law Library for being the 2011 recipient of the AALL Innovations in Technology Award for The People’s Law Library (http://www.peoples-law.org).  The Innovations in Technology Award was established in 2009 “to recognize an AALL member, SIS, chapter, or library for their innovative use of technology in the development of an application or resource for law librarians or legal professionals.”  The award will be presented during the AALL Opening Reception on Saturday, July 23rd, from 5:30 to 6 p.m. Kudos to the State Law Library and all its staff who have been involved in this project!

Volunteer Needed: LLAM eNews

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Are you experienced in using Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) in WordPress? If not, do you want to learn? LLAM eNews is looking for a volunteer to enhance the look and format of our WordPress newsletter page using CCS. This is a perfect opportunity to learn valuable new technology skills to add to your resume or take on a new challenge. And being a member of the Special Committee for Communication and Technology requires just a few hours of work each quarter.

There are many web tutorials and step-by-step guides available that teach CSS so even if you’ve never heard of it there are plenty of ways to learn. If you are interested in enhancing your web skills please contact the committee at llamnewsmd@gmail.com.

AALL Program Preview: Chinese and American Forum on Legal Information and Law Libraries (CAFLL) Conference

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By Bijal Shah
Electronic Services Librarian
University of Baltimore Law Library
 

Two days prior to the upcoming AALL annual meeting in Philadelphia, the second biannual Chinese and American Conference on Legal Information and Libraries will take place in the same city.  The first such conference was held in Beijing, China in May, 2009.  This conference is being sponsored by the Chinese and American Legal Forum on Legal Information and Law Libraries (CAFLL), a non-profit organization whose membership includes legal information professionals in China and the United States.  The Forum’s mission statement indicates that the organization “promotes the accessibility of legal information and fosters the education of legal information professionals in the United States and China.” (http://cafllnet.org)

The two-day conference on Friday, July 22 and Saturday, July 23 will serve as an opportunity for Chinese and American legal professionals to come together and share views on topics relevant to law libraries in both countries.  Since conference attendees will include law school deans and librarians from China and the United States, all sessions will be presented in both Chinese and English.  On the first day of the conference, workshops for Chinese library administrators and librarians on American law libraries are scheduled.  These pertain to such topics as leadership training and the internationalization of legal research.  The second day will feature keynote speakers, as well as panel discussions on evolving trends in law librarianship and future collaborative efforts between legal information professionals in the two countries.

One of my colleagues and I will be co-presenters during the panel discussion on technical services topics.  Clement Lau, Associate Director for Technical Services and Administration at University of Baltimore Law Library, and I are planning to briefly talk about resource sharing systems used in Maryland libraries.  Resource sharing is considered a “hot topic” in Chinese library circles, and Chinese library administrators are curious about how such systems operate in U.S. libraries.  We hope the discussion of our policies, practices, and challenges may foster additional dialog among both our American and Chinese colleagues.  In addition, I look forward to this unique opportunity to learn about a different library world.

Announcements – March 2011

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1. AALL/LLAM Grants for Annual Meeting/Conference
2. Unraveling the Mysteries of the Law Firm Marketing Department
3. Save the Date: April 28 AALL Webinar on Library Technology
4. Get a Free Year of AALL Membership with Nonmember Annual Meeting Registration
5. Renew Your AALL Membership Early for a Chance to Win a Free 2011 AALL Annual Meeting Registration
6. AALL2go Pick of the Month
7. Unleash Your Inner Leader October 28-29

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1. AALL/LLAM Grants for Annual Meeting/Conference

Each year, on a rotating basis, AALL provides grants to members of local chapters to cover registration for the Annual Meeting.  In 2011 it is LLAM’s turn to have a member receive a AALL grant for the Annual Meeting, to be held in Philadelphia from July 23-26.  To make the grant even more appealing, LLAM is adding $500 to AALL’s registration grant to help cover the cost of transportation/hotel/meals at the conference.

To apply for the grant, you must fill out an application and return it to the LLAM Grants & Awards Committee by March 31, 2011.  Applicants must be members of AALL and LLAM at the time of their application.  A committee consisting of Jean Hessenauer, Mark Desierto, and Jim Gernert will review all of the applications, and let the grant recipient know of his/her selection by April 8, 2011.

For more information, or to request a copy of the application, contact Jim Gernert at jgernert@yahoo.com, or (410) 965-6107.  You can also find a copy of the application on LLAM’s website at http://www.aallnet.org/chapter/llam/llamgrantapplication2011.doc .

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2. Unraveling the Mysteries of the Law Firm Marketing Department

How much do you know about the marketing department in your firm? What does your chief marketing officer (CMO) envision as the biggest challenges and opportunities in this tough business climate? And most importantly for you, what is your role in helping your firm win new business and sustain longstanding and profitable client relationships?

In this installment of the Private Law Libraries (PLL) Change as Action Summit, you will hear from Joe Calve and Kelly Brown of Morrison & Foerster. Calve is MoFo’s chief marketing officer, and Brown is the director of client relations. For the past year, the MoFo Research and Intelligence Group (the library) has reported to Calve and Brown in the Marketing Department. Calve and Brown bring a deep understanding of the capabilities of the MoFo Research and Intelligence team, and they are in a unique position to share their thoughts about how libraries can position themselves to become active participants in the practices of their firms by providing research at the highest level, both for business development and for client work.

This program will be videotaped and posted on the PLL website and will be available for free beginning on March 28 on AALL2go. It can be viewed by individual members or by groups. You may want to suggest that your chapter or SIS plan an educational program around the video. For example, tap a marketing director from a local firm to attend a brown bag lunch and watch the video with you; then, follow-up with a Q&A session.

This is the third in a series of five programs moderated by PLL members to provide a primer in law firm management from the view point of firm managers and administrators. The series is part of a two year program undertaken by the Private Law Libraries Special Interest Section (PLL-SIS) of AALL. The goal is to identify significant changes taking place in the legal world, to understand how these changes provide opportunities for assuming leadership roles, and to develop concrete plans for librarians to become leaders within their organizations. The culmination of these efforts, the Change as Action Summit, will take place in Philadelphia on July 23.

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3. Save the Date:  April 28 AALL Webinar on Library Technology

The Private Law Libraries Special Interest Section will host AALL’s April webinar, Library and Technology: Finding Common Ground on April 28 at 11 a.m. Central Standard Time. Check the AALL Calendar of Events for more details to come.

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4. Get a Free Year of AALL Membership with Nonmember Annual Meeting Registration

AALL offers nonmembers a complimentary one-year membership when they register for the AALL Annual Meeting and Conference, to be held July 23-26 in Philadelphia. The membership includes:

  • Career resources, such as the online Career Center and continuing education to help you learn new skills to advance in your career
  • Access to specialized information created just for law librarians, such as the Biennial Salary Survey and the Price Index for Legal Publications
  • Subscriptions to the monthly magazine, AALL Spectrum, and quarterly journal, Law Library Journal, to help you keep up on the latest trends in law librarianship
  • The opportunity to network and connect with other law librarians from across the country who share similar interests and are facing the same challenges
  • Discounted rates on all AALL products and services, such as publications, webinars, and online job postings

Annual Meeting registration is now open. Register by June 1 at the early bird rate and save $100. Be sure to take advantage of this special offer for nonmembers.

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5. Renew Your AALL Membership Early for a Chance to Win a Free 2011 AALL Annual Meeting Registration

In March, AALL dues invoices for 2011-2012 will mail out to all library directors for their institutionally paid memberships and to all other individual members. The deadline for membership renewal is May 31.

When you renew early—by May 1—you will be entered in a drawing for a free 2011 AALL Annual Meeting and Conference registration. If you renew on time—by May 31—you’ll be entered in a drawing for a free AALL webinar of your choice in 2011-2012. Following is the 2011 membership renewal schedule:

  • March: First dues invoices mailed out.
  • May: Second dues invoices mailed out.
  • June: Final dues invoices mailed out.
  • July: Expiration notices e-mailed to all members—individuals and those paid by institutions.
  • August 1: Expired members deleted from the AALL membership database and access to the AALLNET Members Only Section and Law Library Journal and AALL Spectrum subscriptions discontinued.

For more information or to renew your membership online, view the application form on AALLNET. If you have any questions about your membership renewal, contact AALL Headquarters at membership@aall.org or 312/205-8022.

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6. AALL2go Pick of the Month

AALL’s Continuing Professional Education Committee presents the AALL2go pick of the month: Web 2.0 Challenge.

Need a refresher on blogs or RSS? New to creating wikis? Want to know what colleagues are saying about the value of social networking for your library? AALL2go offers you solutions.

The AALL Computing Services Special Interest Section (CS-SIS)‘s Web 2.0 Challenge is an online course for law librarians about social media and how to use it in their libraries. It is a comprehensive and social learning opportunity designed for law librarians based on hands-on use of these technologies.

Each of the five sessions includes:

  • An introduction to the topic and suggested learning outcomes for the week
  • A screen cast explaining the technology with step-by-step instructions on its use
  • Links for further learning
  • Examples of libraries/librarians using the featured tool
  • An assignment with activities designed to give you hands-on experience with each tool

Whether you’re just browsing some of the articles listed or you’re looking for additional ideas for a particular social networking solution, you have the flexibility to decide how much or how little information meets your needs. To follow along with the course, log in as a guest. (Guests may access most course content, but may not contribute to the site.)

Find this and more than 80 other free continuing education programs and webinars for AALL members on AALL2go!

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7. Unleash Your Inner Leader October 28-29

New law librarians in the early stages of your career—achieve your leadership potential by attending the 2011 AALL Leadership Academy, October 28-29 in the Chicago area. Designed as an intensive learning experience aimed at growing and developing leadership skills, the academy program will help you discover how to maximize your personal leadership style while connecting with other legal information professionals.

The program will feature speakers Gail Johnson and Pam Parr. Johnson is a widely regarded leadership and communications expert and holds a Master of Arts in Communication Studies. Parr has extensive business management and customer service expertise. They have conducted many leadership programs for library organizations and will speak at the 2011 American Library Association Annual Conference.

The application period will start April 1, and applications will be due by June 30. Watch for more details coming soon.

2011 Election Announcement

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The election of LLAM officers and board members will take place in early April.

Please watch your email for an announcement and link to the ballot. Votes will be collected and tabulated via Survey Monkey, similar to last year.

Our nominations committee, consisting of Chair Joanne Dugan Colvin, Pat Behles, and Janet Camillo, have recruited a great slate of candidates.  Many thanks to those who agreed to run as well as those whose terms are ongoing for the upcoming year.

Results of the election will be announced, and both the outgoing and the new board members will be recognized, at the Spring Fling on May 6.