Author: Polya

The LLNE Service Committee is looking forward to seeing many of you at the upcoming LLNE meeting, Protecting Libraries and the Freedom to Read, on June 12 at Boston University School of Law.

In keeping with the theme of the meeting, the LLNE Service Committee is supporting Unite Against Book Bans, a national campaign organized by the American Library Association. The campaign works to educate the public about book-banning efforts and censorship.

Unite Against Book Bans brings together librarians, educators, authors, readers, and community members who share a commitment to intellectual freedom. We encourage LLNE members and meeting attendees to learn more about the campaign and consider supporting this important effort. Information about donating to Unite Against Book Bans is available on the conference webpage.

Thank you for helping support libraries and the right to read.

The LLNE Service Committee

We are thrilled to announce that the Spring 2026 LLNE Conference is just around the corner! Mark your calendars for Friday, June 12th, and join us at the Boston University Fineman & Pappas Law Libraries for a day centered on a timely theme: “Protecting Libraries and the Freedom to Read”. This year’s event is co-sponsored by the Association of Boston Law Librarians (ABLL).

At a time when library resources and the freedom to access information face new challenges, this conference offers a space for critical dialogue. The program is designed to move from discussion to action, featuring:

º A special screening of the film The Librarians.

º Discussions led by speakers who will offer commentary on the film, explore Freedom to Read legislative initiatives, and delve into First Amendment issues.

º Dedicated sessions focused on finding tangible solutions.

It wouldn’t be an LLNE gathering without opportunities to connect with your colleagues. Beyond the formal presentations, attendees can look forward to a trivia session and reception.

For more information, and to register, you can visit the official conference guide.

Whether you are looking to deepen your understanding of legislative trends or simply want to connect with fellow New England law librarians, we hope to see you there!

The 2026 iteration of LLNE’s legal research instruction program will be entirely remote this year. It will be a combination of synchronous and asynchronous instruction, using zoom, the various google tools, video instruction, and the imagination of the great teaching librarians of the Law Librarians of New England.

The class will be run on six Wednesday evenings from March 18th through April 22nd.  The sessions will be 1.5 hours each Wednesday, though there will be some pre-work and some optional homework with each class.  To register, please fill out this form.

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.

Course Fee: $150.  You can pay using the Jotform, however if you need to pay by check please contact Brian at the email below.

Any interested public librarians can also apply for a scholarship to cover the registration cost. The deadline for the scholarship application is 3/15.

Registration deadline: Wednesday, March 18, 2025.

If you have any questions, please email Brian Flaherty.