Program Booklet

Keynote: From the Margins to the Core: Fostering Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Accessibility in the Classroom and the Workplace

Ursula Gorham, PhD, JD is an Associate Director in the Office of Faculty Affairs at the University of Maryland (UMD). Previously, she was a Senior Lecturer in the College of Information Studies at UMD and served as the director of the Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) program. During her time as MLIS director, she worked to bridge the gap between theory and practice in MLIS curriculum and oversaw a number of initiatives related to enhancing justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion.

Prior to pursuing a PhD, Ursula followed a career path that alternated between the law and librarianship. She is admitted to practice law in Maryland and served as a law clerk in Maryland appellate and federal bankruptcy courts. Dr. Gorham’s research and teaching reflect her passion for information literacy, particularly within the realm of legal and government information. Dr. Gorham’s research has been published in Government Information Quarterly, Public Library Quarterly, Journal of Open Access to Law, Law Library Journal, and First Monday, among others. She is the author of Access to Information, Technology, and Justice: A Critical Intersection (2017), as well as the coauthor of Foundations of Information Law (2023), Public Libraries, Public Policies, and Political Processes: Serving and Transforming Communities in Times of Economic and Political Constraint (2014), Libraries, Human Rights, and Social Justice: Enabling Access and Promoting Inclusion (2015), and Understanding Human Behavior: When, How, and Why People Interact with Information (2021). Dr. Gorham is a strong advocate for libraries, currently serving on the American Library Association’s Committee on Legislation as well as on her local library’s advisory committee.

Maryland Regulations History Research
This program will provide participants with a brief overview of the evolution of Maryland regulations. Participants will be able to identify and locate the historical versions on Code of Maryland Regulations (COMAR), MD Register, and MD Agency Rules & Regulations. Real world examples will serve as a guide for information on the Maryland regulatory process, available resources, and best practices for tackling a Maryland regulatory history request.

Tanya Thomas has been a member of LLAM for a decade, during which time she served on the Placement Committee (2017 to 2019), the Legal Research Institute (LRI) Planning Committee (2019), and as Treasurer (2019 to present). She also presented on two panels during the 2014 LRI.

Tanya is Research & Instructional Technology Librarian at the University of Maryland School of Law, Thurgood Marshall Law Library. Prior to joining Maryland Carey Law, she was a Research Librarian at the Thurgood Marshall State Law Library. She has also worked as a law librarian in law firms and federal government agencies.

Online and In Control: Select Legal Research Resources
This program will present free, online legal research resources available specifically from the Thurgood Marshall State Law Library and the Office of Administrative Hearings, as well as lesser-known digital legal resources.

Elizabeth Lukes is the Director of Library and Information Resources at the Guy J. Avery Law Library at the Maryland Office of Administrative Hearings. She began her library career in news research at the Baltimore Sun. In addition to maintaining the print collection and managing electronic services, she provides research assistance to Staff Attorneys, Administrative Law Judges, and the public. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in English at SUNY Cortland and Master’s degree in Library and Information Studies from Florida State University. Elizabeth currently serves as a board member for the Law Library Association of Maryland (LLAM).

Julia Roberts recently accepted the position of Head of Reference Services at the Thurgood Marshall State Law Library (TMSLL). Previously, she served as TMSLL’s Collection Management & Reference Librarian, providing legal reference services and managing the Library’s Scanned Collections. Prior to joining TMSLL, Julia worked as a Library Associate at the Anne Arundel County Public Library. She received her MLS from the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee. Julia has been a LLAM member since 2018 and served on the Board from 2020-2022.

Vickie Yiannoulou is currently the Assistant Law Librarian at the Prince George’s County Circuit Court Law Library, a position she has held since March 2011. Previously, she had worked at the Baltimore County Circuit Court Law Library, LexisNexis and the Maryland State Archives. Vickie’s LLAM participation has included positions with the Placement and Programming Committees and as a Board Member.

Tech-Savvy: Tools, Tips, and Tricks for Tomorrow’s Law Librarians
In the rapidly evolving world of law librarianship, staying ahead in the tech game is not just an asset; it’s a necessity. “Tech-Savvy” will discuss real-world scenarios and demonstrate a variety of tools to get the job done. From simple tasks like making a webpage into a PDF to managing complex research projects, this presentation will equip you with the knowledge and skills to stay at the forefront of legal information management.

Leland Sampson joined the Thurgood Marshall State Law Library in 2017 as the Administrator for the Peoples Law Library. As the current Head of Web Content and Services, Leland manages all Library websites and IT infrastructure. Leland is a 2015 cum laude graduate of the University of Maryland Carey School of Law and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Library and Information Science at the University of Maryland, College Park.

Maryland Legislative History Research: Foundations, Fundamentals, and… Fun!
This program will teach participants how to conduct Maryland legislative history research using both the current and obsolete versions of the Maryland Code. Participants will learn about the history of the codification of Maryland laws over time and how the various forms of the law are important in the understanding of comprehensive legislative history research. As well, participants will also be provided with examples of additional resources beyond the Maryland Code to consult in the absence of or to supplement traditional legislative history materials. The goal of this program is to provide foundations and key concepts in Maryland legislative history research so that participants will feel confident in tackling a Maryland legislative history request.

Annette Haldeman is the Library Director for the Maryland Department of Legislative Services. Annette began her career with the Maryland Department of Legislative Services as a reference librarian in 2007, became the Manager of Reference Services in 2015, and began her service as the Library Director in 2021. Prior to legislative service, Annette worked as a public librarian in the Anne Arundel County Public Library System from 2004‐2007. Annette received her Master of Library and Information Science degree from the University of Pittsburgh in 2004 and is a 2003 graduate of St. Vincent College in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, with bachelor’s degrees in both English and history.

Annette has served in various roles in the Special Libraries Association (SLA) Maryland Chapter, including President in 2013 and 2014. She also previously served as the Editor of the Crab, the quarterly digital magazine of the Maryland Library Association (MLA) for over 10 years.

Improving Equity through Conversational Intelligence®
This session will demonstrate tools for intentional conversations around challenging topics related to equity-based workplace issues using Conversational Intelligence® (C-IQ®). The session will examine various tools, including the C-IQ® dashboard, ladder of conclusions, and strategies to self-regulate during difficult conversations. C-IQ® is based on the brain and neurochemistry of conversations and is the intellect hardwired into every human being to help us navigate relationships with others. Through intentional language and conversations, we gain trust and improve relational bonds at work, home, and community. For more information on C-IQ®, read The Neuroscience of Conversations: A deep dive into the fascinating world of conversations.

Kirstin Nelson, MLS, JD, is an experienced law librarian who has worked in law firms, corporations, and federal government libraries and is an adjunct law professor at the University of Maryland Carey School of Law. She coordinates the Agricultural Law Information Partnership at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Agricultural Library (NAL), which supports agricultural and food law dissemination to consumers, researchers, policymakers, and legal professionals. Kirstin is also the project manager for NAL’s three-year DEIA Strategic Plan implementation process.

She is committed to DEI work both in her professional and personal life. She holds a DEI certification from Cornell University, earned a foundations certificate in Conversational Intelligence® (C-IQ) from the CreatingWe Institute, and is a Qualified Administrator of the Intercultural Development Inventory® (IDI). She also earned her diversity coaching certificate from CoachDiversity Institute. Last year, she was temporarily assigned to the USDA Chief Diversity and Inclusion Office (CDIO) in the Office of the Secretary.

Developing an Inclusive Law Librarian Pipeline
This moderated panel discussion brings together academic and firm librarians to explore strategies and initiatives aimed at building an inclusive pipeline into the law librarian profession.

Zanada Joyner (Moderator) joined the University of Maryland School of Law, Thurgood Marshall Law Library in November 2022 as the Associate Director for Collections & Information Discovery. In her role, she oversees the acquisition and management of materials in all formats ensuring the collection supports the diverse and evolving needs of the law school community.

Zanada spent 5 years at North Carolina Central University Law Library in various roles including Digital Services, Faculty Services, and eventually Senior Reference Librarian. Prior her service at NCCU, she was an Instructional Services and Reference Librarian at the University of Georgia Law Library and worked at both Rutgers Law Library (Newark) and Loyola University New Orleans Law Library while pursuing her library degree.

She earned her MLIS from Rutgers University. She graduated from Loyola University New Orleans College of Law. Her undergraduate degree is from Loyola University New Orleans (English) and she holds a graduate degree from the University of Mississippi (Education). She is an active member of the American Association of Law Libraries (AALL) and the Southeastern Chapter of the American Association of Law Libraries (SEAALL). She was awarded the 2018 AALL Minority Leadership Development Award and the 2022 Joseph L. Andrews Legal Literature Award as co-editor of the textbook, Introduction to Law Librarianship.

Kristina J. Alayan is an Associate Dean for Library & Technology and Associate Law School Professor. Before joining the law faculty in 2021, Professor Alayan was the law library director and assistant professor of law at the Vernon E. Jordan Jr., Law Library at the Howard University School of Law. Before that she was at the Georgetown University Law Center and held several positions on the law library management team and served as an adjunct professor of law at the Georgetown University Law Center. Her career began at Duke Law as the Foreign and International Law Librarian & Lecturing Fellow.

Sara Billard is the Director of Research and Information Services at Miles & Stockbridge, PC. She was previously the Research Director at Gordon Feinblatt LLC, and was President of the Law Library Association of Maryland for the 2011-2012 year.

Rachel Englander works extensively with attorneys, business analysts, knowledge workers, external vendors, practice groups and administrative departments to promote knowledge sharing throughout the firm. Rachel helps translate our business needs into strategy, policies, and procurement.

Prior to joining Ice Miller, Rachel served as Director of Research and Information Services at an AM Law 200, Baltimore-based law firm. In that role, she led a team of Research and Competitive Intelligence professionals to effectively serve the firm’s needs. This included directing all activities for research, reference collection development and maintenance, developing practice area specialties and evaluating emerging technologies and resources.

Striving Beyond ADA Compliant
The University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC) Library is working to enhance our accessibility and become a usable research point for all students, faculty, and staff. To achieve these goals, we are working to make Accessibility one of the building blocks of all we do. Accessibility is often built into every piece of technology that we use now, yet most do not know how to use these features or make them work with many of the unique systems and technologies that libraries provide. While the cost of these tools should not be a barrier, it can prohibit libraries from moving away from existing tools. For example, screen readers can be highly cost prohibitive for users with minor visual impairments and a fully fleshed out transcript for video can be time consuming and costly when not planned from the beginning of a project. With that in mind, the UMGC Library is working to make our best practices start and end with Accessibility. With Accessibility as the foundation of our best practices we can provide our students, faculty, and staff as seamless an experience as we can create no matter their needs or preferences.

Renee Brown has been with UMGC since 2006 and is the University Archivist. She is part of the Library Accessibility Team and has worked in the UMGC Graduation Accessibility Team since 2010. She has volunteered as archivist for the Lead On Foundation, supporting people with disabilities. She came to UMGC from University of Missouri, Columbia.

Mariette Largess has been with UMGC since 2019 and is Reference and Systems Librarian preforming reference, liaison to the Department of Cybersecurity and the Department of Information Technology in the School of Cybersecurity and Information Technology and is part of the systems team in the library. She came to UMGC from University of Maryland, College Park where she worked as part of the Natural Resources and Cooperative Extension Program on a project supporting work being done at the National Agricultural Library. Mariette is a Master of Information and Library Sciences; her degree comes from the Catholic University of America.

Colleen Quinn has been with UMGC since 2018 and is the Reference Services Librarian. She helps coordinate the reference service points schedule and actively participated with the UMGC Library Web Uplift project, which included a focus on accessibility. Colleen has a Master’s degree in Library & Information Science from Rutgers University and a Master’s in Learning Design & Technology from UMGC.

Westminster Hall & Burying Ground Tour. This private group tour includes the Burying Ground, Catacombs, and Westminster Hall. An additional cost of $5 applies for the tour. Learn more about Westminster Hall & Burying Ground here.