professional development – Law Librarians of New England

Old Members, New Members, and Librarian Thoughts

A few months ago former LLNE member Professor Sarah Ryan emailed LLNE President Michael VanderHeijden to discuss a new Northern New England online cohort at the University of North Texas Department of Information Science. Mike sent the email to me and my interest was piqued.

As a former law librarian in Maine, I know that Northern New England can sometimes be overlooked. While there are three ALA-accredited Library and Information Schools in New England with the University of Rhode Island (Go Rams! I am a proud alum!), Southern Connecticut State University, and Simmons University, none are physically located in Northern New England (for more info on ALA-accredited programs, check out this database). As much of library school is online (because it is designed to be or because of COVID) I wondered what this Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine cohort was all about so I decided to ask a friend.

Amanda Ouellette is a Library Associate at the Maine State Law and Legislative Reference Library. She works mainly in technical services and cataloging and is part of a team working on a multi-year digitization and review of historical and current Maine legislative documents. (As I type this she is working on the digitization of the 1967 Maine House and Senate Registers having worked her way back from 2007 with her sights on going all the way back to 1915). She had worked in libraries for about 10 years when, in January of 2022, Amanda began UNT’s MLS program through its Vermont-New Hampshire-Maine Cohort.

I spoke with Amanda and first I convinced her to join LLNE for the low, low, low student rate of $5 per year! Next, I asked her some questions to learn more about the student perspective on the new cohort. Amanda liked the experience at UNT so far. She likes that the program is all online and affordable. (Also, work reimburses part of her tuition which is an amazing benefit of being a state employee!) She says she has up to 5 years to finish her program so she can pace herself and manage the school and work and life demands. She likes the cohort model, stating that there are about a dozen people in it. Amanda is the only member of the cohort with an interest in law libraries at this time but there are many other members of the cohort interested in public librarianship. She is most looking forward to a class on information organization like cataloging or metadata because she says her job revolves around cataloging which is something in which she has no formal instruction.

Looking to find out more details about this new cohort, I emailed Professor Sarah Ryan. The first thing I did was convince her to rejoin LLNE for the low, low, low cost of $10 per year. Next, I asked Sarah a bit about the program from her perspective as a professor. As Sarah describes it, “The cohort model is about people. Librarians are more than just walking skills repositories. We are sounding boards for each other, research collaborators, and just plain interesting people to know. The cohort class meetings bring our students together to make connections (and swap cat stories).”

For more information on the cohort, check out this flyer. For more information about joining LLNE, click here. (https://llne.org/join-llne/)

-Nicole Dyszlewski

Legal Research Instruction Program Scholarship Information

All public librarians are encouraged to apply for a scholarship, sponsored by the LLNE Access to Justice Committee, to attend our chapter’s Legal Research Instruction Program.

The Legal Research Instruction Program (LRIP) is a six-week online seminar geared towards public librarians interested in learning more about law librarianship. Each week, a different aspect of legal research is covered — everything from an overview of the U.S. legal system, to finding business transactional documents. The class will run on Wednesday evenings from March 23 — April 27, 2022. For more information about the LRIP course, go to https://llne.org/legalresearchinstruction/ or contact Brian Flaherty directly at brian2@bu.edu.

The LLNE Access to Justice Committee is providing two scholarships to cover the cost of registration. Applicants must be public (non-law) librarians from the New England region.

Applications should be submitted through this Google form https://forms.gle/Wdyy1hiYQJtzNwY89 by Friday, March 18, 2022. Scholarship recipients will be notified by Monday, March 21, 2022.

Please send questions about the scholarship to Anne Rajotte at anne.rajotte@uconn.edu.

We encourage all LLNE members to share this scholarship opportunity with their local public libraries and any public librarians that would be interested in this excellent professional development opportunity.

Events Scheduled in June by Asian American Law Librarians Caucus

This month, the LLNE Executive Board signed onto the Asian American Law Librarians Caucus Statement on Anti-Asian Incidents. We encourage you to review the statement and refer to the valuable resources it links to. The Caucus is now hosting a series of guest speakers, live music, movie watch parties, and a book discussion throughout the month of June. We hope you find an opportunity to participate in any number of these events. Please see the schedule below.

Wednesday, June 2

12:00-1:00 PM Central

Anti-Asian Violence Amid COVID-19 Pandemic: New Episode in the Long History of Anti-Asian Violence in the United States and Educational Implications. Presentation byProf. Sohyun An

Dr. Sohyun An, Associate Professor at Kennesaw State University, researches social studies education. In the NBC News article, “Illinois House passes bill mandating Asian American history in schools,” Dr. An cautions, “if we don’t teach [Asian-American history] or teach it in a misrepresented way it can lead to violence” (April 15, 2021). Bio/presentation description and article attached.

Friday, June 4

12:00-1:00 PM Central

Donut King Watch Party! (We’ll gather via Zoom, then each watch the film on our own computers, but with Google Jamboard open so that we can watch “together” and post sticky notes to communicate during the screening. Film is free on PBS.)

Genre: Documentary

Film Duration: approx. 1 hour 30 minutes (We will watch the first hour together)

Ted’s story is one of fate, love, survival, hard knocks, and redemption. It’s the rags to riches story of a refugee escaping Cambodia, arriving in America in 1975 and building an unlikely multi-million-dollar empire baking America’s favorite pastry, the donut. Ted sponsored hundreds of visas for incoming refugees and helped them get on their feet teaching them the ways of the donut business. By 1979 he was living the American Dream. But, in life, great rise can come with great falls. (https://www.donutkingmovie.com/synopsis/)

Thursday, June 10

2:00-3:00 PM Central

Asian American Studies High School Course Curriculum, Presentation by Albert Chan

Niles North (Skokie, Illinois) High School teacher Albert Chan teaches one of the only Asian American studies high school courses in the United States. He will describe his course curriculum. In the article, “TEAACH Act could make Illinois first state to mandate teaching of Asian American history in public schools,” he observes, “the lack of Asian American representation in school courses leads non-Asian students to fall back on stereotypes about their Asian and Asian American peers.” (The Daily Northwestern, April 20, 2021). Article attached.

Wednesday, June 16

2:00-3:00 PM Central

Simon Tam of The Slants, the world’s first and only all-Asian American dance rock band, will speak about his Journey to the U.S. Supreme Court, in Matal v. Tam. With live music featuring Simon and The Slants’s guitarist, Joe X. Jiang!

Simon Tam is best known as the founder and bassist of The Slants, the world’s first and only all-Asian American dance rock band. He helped expand civil liberties for minorities by winning a unanimous victory at the Supreme Court of the United States for a landmark case, Matal v. Tam, in 2017. He also leads The Slants Foundation, a nonprofit that supports arts and activism projects for underrepresented communities.

Joe X. Jiang is a filmmaker and musician who has called Portland home for nearly ten years. His movies, which range from intimate documentaries to artistic narratives, have been featured at film and art festivals around the world. He plays guitar for The Slants as well as other groups based in Portland, OR.

Thursday, June 24

2:00-3:00 PM Central

Kumu Hina – Amazon Watch Party! (Requires each participant to rent the movie on Amazon for $3.99)

Official website, with trailer

Genre: Documentary

Film duration: 1 hour 17 minutes (We will watch the first hour together)

KUMU HINA is a powerful film about the struggle to maintain Pacific Islander culture and values within the Westernized society of modern day Hawaiʻi. It is told through the lens of an extraordinary Native Hawaiian who is both a proud and confident māhū, or transgender woman, and an honored and respected kumu, or teacher, cultural practitioner, and community leader.

Amazon Prime membership not required.

Wednesday, June 30

2:00-3:00 PM Central

AAPI Book Discussion – Choose your favorite (or any) AAPI book and come prepared to “show and tell” us about it!

Some suggested titles are on these documents:

· Asian Pacific American Resources (pages 7-8)

· Books by/about Asian American lawyers/judges

· Books by/about Asian American politicians, civil rights activists, non-legal scholars

Announcing the 2021 LLNE Legal Research Instruction Program

For the first time in LLNE history the annual legal research instruction program is going to be run entirely online. It will be a combination of synchronous and asynchronous instruction, using Zoom, various Google tools, video instruction, and the imagination of the great teaching librarians of the Law Librarians of New England.

The class will run on six Wednesday evenings from March 17th through April 22nd. The times of the synchronous class will vary based on the amount of asynchronous instruction for each topic, but each Wednesday will include at least one hour of synchronous online instruction. To register, fill out this Google form.

This is a great opportunity for newer library staff or staff who are learning to work with legal research resources in a different way. Instruction will include:

· Overview of the US legal system
· Introduction to legal research methods, including using secondary sources
· The role of case law, the courts and case finding tools, such as digests
· The organization of statutes and conducting a legislative history
· Finding regulations
· Understanding administrative law
· Finding transactional law documents
· Finding information about businesses and people
· Putting everything together with legal research strategy

For the course, you will have access to some of the more important legal research tools in the profession, however we will also cover how to do effective legal research without some of the more expensive resources.

You do NOT need to be an LLNE member to attend this course.

Course Fee: $150. Payable by check (see registration form) or credit card.

Registration deadline: Monday, March 10, 2021

If you have any questions, please email Brian Flaherty

*Syllabus coming soon*

LLNE Spring 2020 has moved online!

Dear LLNE members and friends,

2020 is totally bonkers.

First, we hope you are safe and healthy, and that your family members are also safe and healthy.

Second, we would like to invite you to our LLNE Online Spring meeting. This meeting is intended as a celebration of the resilience of our community, all of whom have been going above and beyond to support their work places and institutions. While we recognize that not everyone may be well enough or interested in attending a meeting, we are hoping to provide community and togetherness by holding this meeting.

Third, a few notes about the day.

This is being provided for free for members of LLNE and some other local organizations. We decided against seeking sponsorship because this event is the result of the hard work of our community and we wanted to promote that.
You can register for each session separately. We do not expect you to stay for the whole day. Rather, you should come and go as you feel appropriate and as you feel the sessions apply to your work,
Several of the sessions are unconference discussion sessions. Feel free to veer off topic or bounce around topics. This day is for our members and the session titles are just a starting point.
You can snack, drink tea, or eat lunch during the sessions.
The sessions are being recorded. We are trying to increase access to members who could not participate but would like to view the content.

Finally, gratitude is in order. We would like to thank the staff at BC Law who were in the midst of planning an in-person Spring 2020 meeting when COVID-19 happened. They have graciously agreed to participate in one of our sessions online. Thanks also go to Shira Megerman and Maureen Quinlan, LLNE’s Education Directors who didn’t flinch when we discussed making this an online meeting and have done so much work so quickly. Next, we should thank BU Law for providing us the technology we will be using. Finally, I would like to thank the entirety of the LLNE Executive Board. They have been such kind and gracious problem solvers, and have given generously of their time, even during this crisis.

Onward,

Nicole P. Dyszlewski, LLNE Vice President on behalf of the Executive Board

LLNE Members Speaking at New England Clinical Conference this Friday!

The New England Clinical Conference is being held this Friday (10/12) in Providence, RI.

I am especially proud because a panel of law librarians (all members of LLNE!) will be presenting at it. Jordan Jefferson from Yale Law School, Anne Rajotte from University of Connecticut Law School, Ana Isabel Delgado Valentin from Suffolk University Law School and I will be presenting on Re‐envisioning Collaboration, Law Library Services, and Experiential Education.

Here is a link to the Agenda and to Registration.

Nicole P. Dyszlewski

Research/Access Services Librarian

Roger Williams University School of Law Library

Exciting News about the LLNE Legal Research Instruction Program

By Ellen Phillips, LLNE Education Committee Co-Chair

Each Spring LLNE offers a six-week legal research instruction program for librarians in the New England area who would like to learn about law librarianship. For many years, this unique course has been offering instruction in various legal topics.

Beginning this year, one class of the Legal Research Instruction Program (LRIP), the section on Case Law, will be taught online. The rest of the classes will be held in person on Tuesday evenings at Suffolk Law in Boston as it has been for the past two years.

Each topic is taught by academic law librarians who are members of LLNE and is overseen by Reference Librarian Brian Flaherty from New England Law.

Currently Brian, along with Susan Vaughn, a legal information librarian from Boston College Law Library, is working together to create a lesson plan to teach caselaw online. All of the instructors volunteer to donate their time to participate in LRIP, and the students have the benefit of being taught by a variety of information professionals who are also experts in their field.

Class participants are varied in their background and career goals. The class traditionally has an even mix of public, academic, and law firm librarians, as well as the occasional pupil who is considering library school. This ensures a lively mix of skills and experience, but it was noted that the majority of the participants are from the greater Boston area. It is hoped that by offering a hybrid format, LLNE will be able to encourage librarians who live further away to consider attending.

This year’s Legal Instruction class will run from March 14^th through April 25^th. Classes will not be held on April 18^th.A description the program is available at the LLNE website. The deadline to register is Friday, March 7^th.

The Education Committee is excited about this change and welcomes any feedback. The members of the committee are Greg Ewing, Brian Flaherty, Bonnie Gallagher, Elliott Hibbler, Jessica Lundgren, Ellen Phillips, and Susan Vaughn.

LLNE Members’ Leadership Potential Recognized by AALL

Leadership is a vital quality that empowers individuals to inspire and guide others toward shared goals and success. In today’s dynamic and competitive professional landscape, cultivating effective leadership skills has become increasingly crucial. The AALL Leadership Academy provides a remarkable platform for aspiring members of the legal profession to enhance their capabilities and learn from experts in the field. Through a comprehensive program encompassing various assessments, collaborative discussions, and networking opportunities, participants like Claire, Nicole, Cate, Anna, and Anne will embark on a transformative journey toward becoming exceptional leaders. As they delve into topics such as communication, collaboration, and the distinction between leadership and management, they will gain invaluable insights that will shape their careers and contribute to the future of their organizations. To navigate the ever-evolving landscape of leadership in the legal field, it is essential to embrace such opportunities for growth and development. For more information on leadership strategies and insights, visit https://kurtuhlir.com/what-is-enterprise-seo/ to explore valuable resources and perspectives from industry experts.

The January 2016 issue of the AALL E-Newsletter announced the participants for this year’s AALL Leadership Academy.
The LLNE Executive Board is pleased to acknowledge the five LLNE members selected to participate in this year’s academy:

• Claire DeMarco
• Nicole Dyszlewski
• Cate Kellett
• Anna Lawless-Collins
• Anne Rajotte

AALL’s Leadership Academy is an opportunity for newer and aspiring members of the profession to develop and learn from experts and each other essential skills for effective leadership such as communication, collaboration, leadership versus management, and more.
Through a series of assessments, focused conversations, group activities, and networking opportunities, these aspiring newer members will develop these skills and add colleagues from around the nation to their expanding network of professional connections.
Congratulations to Anna, Anne, Cate, Claire, and Nicole! Watch this space and other LLNE communications media for a view into the leadership academy from our participating members.

Posted on behalf of Raquel Ortiz, Assistant Dean for Library and Information Services & Associate Professor of Law, Roger Williams University School of Law, Membership Development Chair of LLNE

Theory into Practice: Looking Forward, Looking Backward

by Nicole Dyszlewski, Roger Williams Univesrity School of Law

When Brian Flaherty started his “Theory Into Practice” posts on the LLNE blog, he asked some of the members of the LLNE Executive Board if there had been any memorable experiences they had to share of turning something they learned at an LLNE meeting (theory) into something they did at their own library (practice). I immediately emailed him that I had something to share.

Back in November, 2010, I attended the Fall LLNE meeting hosted by Northeastern University School of Law Library titled “Improve Your Workplace Health! Inoculate Against Bad Morale.” What made this meeting so memorable is that it focused heavily on bringing positivity to the workplace. The theme of the meeting resonated strongly with me and I have tried to bring some of the lessons learned from that meeting to work every day.

It is not always easy to be positive at work. In fact, sometimes (Mondays? Snowstorms?) it is downright impossible. What I learned from the Fall 2010 meeting is that there are small things we can do to try and increase morale. One of the things I do to boost my own mood is listen to upbeat music. In the registration packet for that meeting we were given a list of upbeat songs (one song on the list was Katrina and the Waves “Walking on Sunshine”!) and while I can’t say that I play “Don’t Worry Be Happy” every day before my reference shift, I can say that I have made an effort to have a few “happy” Pandora stations at my disposal when I am working on a tedious task or just need a burst of sunshine.

Another way I have worked to inoculate myself and my workplace against negativity is by adding a bit of fun to my job. For example, I regularly participate in the Green Bag’s Lunchtime Law Quiz. While the weekly question itself is released at lunchtime on Monday, you usually have a day or two to research and answer the question. While I find legal research to be fun on its own, the Green Bag quiz is a lighthearted way to take a break from serious work and flex my research muscles on something more humorous and less consequential. Not only does it give me an opportunity to discover (or re-discover) some of the resources in my library’s collection, but it gives me an opportunity to discuss possible answers with other librarians who may also be stumped on a question. If you haven’t tried it, you should!

This Spring, the LLNE meeting is being co-hosted by the University of New Hampshire School of Law Library & The Association of New Hampshire Law Librarians. The meeting’s theme is Mindfulness and Librarians. According to the description, “We will explore how practices will lead us, and those we serve, to… decrease stress and anxiety, cultivate and advance joy and satisfaction in the practice of law.” I look forward to attending this meeting and finding new ideas to bring back and put into practice!

Public Librarian Scholarships available for Intro to Legal Research Course

The LLNE Service Committee has made two scholarships available to public librarians interested in taking the Intro to Legal Research course. If you know a public librarian who is interested in learning more about legal research, please direct them to the Service Committee page to apply.