The American Association of Law Libraries (AALL) holds an annual conference that features great presentations on the latest legal topics and technologies as well as fun events. This year’s AALL 2015 conference was held in Philadelphia in July. Your Chicago-Kent law librarians were well represented!
Tech Training
“Technology Skills Law Librarians Need to Thrive” Panel
Debbie Ginsberg, our Education Technology Librarian, led several presentations at the AALL 2015 conference focusing on technology training for law librarians and law students.
Her first panel discussion looked at the challenges of professional development with technology when the tools you use are constantly changing.
Working with a Sidley Austin tech trainer and a law firm librarian, Debbie and Emily Barney, our Technology Development & Training Librarian at Chicago-Kent, presented on their experiences teaching law students and lawyers the technology skills they need to succeed at school and in 
the workplace.
Emily and Debbie also each demonstrated a favorite technology at the hands-on Cool Tools Cafe. Emily showed off the versatility of her Microsoft Surface Pro 3, and Debbie demonstrated Asana, an online task management tool.
photo by Marie Kaddell
Showcasing Chicago
Research Librarian Scott Vanderlin helped our local law library organization, the Chicago Association of Law Libraries (CALL), set up a great display table showcasing some of their most recent achievements. Scott’s creative design skills have led to CALL winning several national awards.
Also in Philadelphia…
Around the edges of this very busy conference, Chicago-Kent librarians also provided helpful tips on exploring Philadelphia through a special AALL Supplement issue of the CALL Bulletin:
If you’re curious about the local collaboration and professional development of law librarians in Chicago, there’s a wealth of resources in the CALL Bulletin (edited by Scott Vanderlin)!
National Leaders
Chicago-Kent librarians are very active in a wide range of professional associations from CALL: Chicago Association of Law Libraries, the local chapter of AALL, to LIPA, CALI, and many more.
AALL: American Association of Law Libraries
Chicago-Kent Library Director Keith Ann Stiverson is the new 2016 president of AALL. At the AALL 2015 conference she emphasized promoting advocacy, professional development, and a creative work on current challenges in the legal field. She will also work to connect this national law libraries organization with other professional groups, including the ABA.
One advocacy initiative Keith Ann Stiverson has championed to improve access to legal information is UELMA:
The Uniform Electronic Legal Material Act (UELMA) is a uniform law that addresses many of the concerns posed by the publication of state primary legal material online. […] It furthers state policies of accountability and transparency in providing legal information to the public.
– UELMA FAQ (pdf)
Keith Ann Stiverson announcing Make It New 2016 Annual AALL meeting
Next year’s AALL conference will be held in Chicago from July 16-20, 2016. “Make it New, Create the Future” is the title: a rallying cry of Chicago leaders following the great fire of 1871 and early modernist artists (represented by the Chicago Picasso sculpture logo).
In a time of rapid changes, Keith Ann Stiverson emphasized the importance of law librarians being actively engaged with the issues confronting the legal field. Creative librarians provide key services to answer the needs of their firms and faculty. Law faculty and students are welcome to attend this conference July 16 – 19 in Chicago next summer.
LIPA: Legal Information Preservation Alliance
JoAnn Hounshell, our Associate Director, became Chair of the LIPA board of directors this year. LIPA provides “the leadership, the organizational framework, and the professional commitment necessary to preserve vital legal information.” You’ll appreciate the work LIPA does when you need an important research resource that you can’t find in the big online databases.
