25 June 2016

Lynn Pollack Scholarship - Extended to 4 July 2016

Lynn Pollack was a strong role model for many law librarians. She was inspirational in her dedication to her profession. She encouraged and supported her colleagues, taking an interest in their careers.

As a tribute to Lynn’s memory the NSW Branch of the Australian Law Librarians’ Association is currently offering a scholarship drawn from its own funds to assist new law librarians and library technicians in their professional development. The scholarship gives a new law librarian or technician the opportunity to attend the Australian Law Librarians’ Conference. The funding of the scholarship is from the NSW branch of the Australian Law Librarians’ Association Ltd.

The scholarship will provide:
Registration to the national conference and,
$500.00 to offset travel and accommodation costs.

The application form and selection criteria is available at http://www.alla.asn.au/index.php/download_file/2027/

Applications - Due 4 July 2016

Please email the completed application to:

Holger Aman (Acting NSW ALLA President) NSW Australian Law Librarians’ Association Ltd

Email Address: holger.aman@justice.nsw.gov.au

Why Australians need Trove to be funded - Open letter

Please take a look at this open letter from Peta Hopkins of Inn0vate and act on it!

If you only write one letter this year, consider this one to #fundtrove

http://inn0vate.blogspot.com.au/2016/03/why-australians-need-trove-to-be-funded.html

Published: 22 March 2016

IALL is now accepting Bursary applications for IALL 2016 in Oxford

Applications for financial assistance to enable law librarians to attend IALL’s 35th Annual Course in Oxford in the UK from Sunday 31st July to Wednesday 3rd August 2016 are now being accepted.

To apply for a Regular Bursary or a Members-Only Bursary, you must use the online application forms found athttp://iall.org/scholarship-information/. All applications and accompanying documentation must be in English.

Deadline

The application deadline is Sunday 1st May 2016.

Information

Information and selection guidelines for both Regular Bursaries and Members-Only Bursaries are available athttp://iall.org/scholarship-information/.

Please contact David Gee, Chair of the IALL Scholarships Committee if you have questions.

Published: 10 March 2016

Future Libraries by Arup: our role, our space & our research



Presented by Kim Sherwin, Arup



Once a Law Librarian, Kim is now a Senior Librarian and Knowledge Specialist at Arup. Arup is a global engineering and design consultancy and has been involved in some of the world’s most iconic buildings, including the Sydney Opera House.

Kim will present on the role of the Library team at Arup and the delivery of their new and exciting workshop space in Sydney. Kim will also talk about the Future Libraries research that Arup published earlier this year. The session will provide a journey through the opportunity-rich environment that Arup provides. It will also challenge our thinking of what’s possible for libraries of the future.

This event is free to members of the Australian Law Librarians Association (ALLA) and $10 for non-members.

This event may be recorded and the recording distributed to members.

Lunch is provided. Please email linh.ly@klgates.com for any dietary requirements

Details

Where: K&L Gates LLP, Level 31, 1 O’Connell Street Sydney, NSW 2000

When: Thursday, 12 November 2015 from 12:30 PM to 2:00 PM (AEDT)

RSVP at EventBrite By C.O.B, 10 November 2015.

CCH on Demand - eLending - Joint Information & user implementation sesion

Come along and learn more about this new initiative and also the future of eLending and the digital library.

This will be a joint product information session presented by Alicia Cohen, from Wolters Kluwer, CCH, and a user implementation case study where one library who has implemented eLending will share how they did it and the outcomes they are seeing.

The event is free to members of the Australian Law Librarians Association (ALLA) and $10 for non-members.

WHEN: Tuesday, 27 October 2015 from 12:30 PM to 1:30 PM (AEDT) –Add to Calendar

WHERE: Australian Government Solicitor – Level 42, MLC Centre. Cnr Castlereagh and King St . Sydney, NSW 2000 AU – View Map

RSVP and details of the event are available at EventBrite

Published: 15 October 2015

Events near you - Hallowed Ground: Unexpected Libraries


On 7 October 2015, Customs House Library will be hosting the latest Hallowed Ground. This year the topic is Unexpected Libraries.

The panel includes:
Kathy Tritsaris (facilitator), Team Leader (Surry Hills Library)
Jaclyn Booton, General Manager (Wheeler Centre)@JaclynBooton
Mal Booth, University Librarian (UTS Library) @malbooth
Grace Turtle, Co Creator (Three Farm) @Threefarm3
Leigh Russell, Director (Hello Bookcase and Hello Library)@hellobookcase

Event details are below and you can RSVP for the event here: http://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/hallowed-ground-unexpected-libraries-tickets-18129487786

Event Details:
Wednesday 7 October, 6.30-7.30pm
Customs House Library

Published: 21 September 2015

Expressions of Interest: Mentors for QUT Course

The Australian Law Librarians’ Association (ALLA) invites experienced law librarians to serve as mentors to assist with the QUT online course, Law Librarianship: Legal Research, which will run from 29 September – 24 November 2015.

The application form and additional details of the program are available on the ALLA website.

Published: 16 September 2015

Throwback Thursday - Floppu Tech

This weeks throwback is brought to you by the good old horrendously storage inefficient floppy disk.

Anyone else use them as coasters now?




Published: 10 September 2015

Throwback Thursday - Oxnard Public Library Staff

This weeks Throwback is from the Oxnard Public Library. Entitled Oxnard Public Library Staff, the image has no known date how going by the fantastic outfits we can hazard a guess…



The complete Oxnard Public Library online photo collection is availablehere.

Published: 2 September 2015

All NSW Hansard is now available online!

Today the NSW Parliamentary Library announced that all NSW Hansard is available online!

Available from the Parliament’s website the collection includes a continuous run of NSW Hansard transcripts from 1879 to now.

The index material has been consolidated with comprehensive index to all parliamentary documents available online. The index collection includes the Marsh Index from the 1st to the 9th Parliament as well as scanned copies of the Reports of Debates published in the Sydney Morning Herald.

Well done to the NSW Parliamentary Library for completing this mammoth task!

Published: 1 September 2015

Job Opportunity - NSW Courts Library

Today is the last chance to apply for one of the two Reference Librarian (Grade One) positions available with the Law Courts Library.

Please follow the link for the details and how to apply.

https://jobsnsw.taleo.net/careersection/all_jobs/jobdetail.ftl?job=790985&lang=en

Closing date is 11:59PM on 24/08/2015

Published: 24 August 2015

Job Opportunity - Liaison Librarian (Law) at ACU

The Australian Catholic University (ACU) is seeking a Liaison Librarian (Law). Details of the position are below.

Liaison Librarian (Law)
Full time, continuing appointment based in North Sydney
Design and implement a range of library services
Act as the primary library contact for law academic staff and students

Australian Catholic University (ACU) is an inclusive community which welcomes students and staff of all beliefs. ACU has over 1,800 staff supporting more than 30,000 students across seven campuses – Adelaide, Ballarat, Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne, North Sydney and Strathfield.

As valued members of our community, all staff members are expected to have an understanding of ACU’s mission and values and to demonstrate an active contribution to them.

ACU’s libraries are well regarded within the University and are seen as key contributors to the University’s success. The directorate has a strong client focus with a commitment to delivering the same level of services, facilities and collections regardless of the client’s geographical location (including online).

As the Liaison Librarian, you will design, develop and implement a range of Library services in support of the Thomas More Academy of Law.

Specifically, you will:
facilitate the use of the library and its resources to support teaching, learning and research
be responsible for the initial development and delivery of legal research training programs
ensure that the Law collection is relevant, up-to-date and that appropriate access is set in place.

You will need to demonstrate:
tertiary qualifications in Library Science or Information Management, conferring eligibility for professional membership of the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA)
substantial relevant library experience delivering library information services
evidence of ability to show commitment with integrity to the Catholic Identity, Mission and ethos of the University
knowledge and practice of Information literacy/Legal research training.

The University pursues an excellence agenda and offers an environment where staff are welcomed and safe and valued through development, participation and involvement.

How to Apply:

Obtain the Position Description Liaison Librarian (Law).pdf. Applicants are expected to address all selection criteria listed in the position description. To apply for this role click the “Apply” link below. Visit Hints and Tips on how to apply.

Total remuneration valued to $93,438 – $101,126 pa, including salary component $78,956 – $85,453 pa (HEW Level 7), employer contribution to superannuation and annual leave loading.

General enquiries can be directed to Sam Hou, Campus Librarian on (02) 9739 2986.

Only candidates with the right to work in Australia may apply for this position.

Equal Opportunity and Privacy of personal information is University policy. For more details visit www.acu.edu.au/careers

Applications Close: Sunday 6 September 2015

Upcoming Event - New Timebase LawOne Platform Memo







TimeBase invites you to come and see the new LawOne platform. Enjoy an assortment of wraps and fruit from 12.30pm; demo and presentation will kick off at 12.50pm sharp.

Date: Wednesday, 26 August 2015

Venue: Sparke Helmore, Level 16, 321 Kent Street, Sydney

Note: Numbers are limited!

Time: 12:30pm to 1:30pm

Lunch will be provided

RSVP at EventBrite

Law Librarianship - Legal Research - QUT's popular course is available online from September 2015

Are you looking to make the leap into law librarianship?

Or perhaps you’re a public, academic or corporate librarian who wants to be better equipped to help clients navigate the complexities of legal information resources?

QUT has got your professional development covered!

After the success of the initial online offering of our Law Librarianship: Legal Research course in 2014, we are offering the course online again by popular demand from September 2015.

About the course

This course, developed with the support of the Australian Law Librarians’ Association, introduces you to the Australian legal system and the world of legal research. The program specifically helps you to explore and evaluate primary and secondary legal research sources, covering Commonwealth, State and Territory jurisdictions. There is a strong focus on helping you to develop strategies to identify the characteristics of legal enquiry and to locate relevant, authoritative information to meet your clients’ needs.

This course is perfect for professionals that want to make the leap into law librarianship more experienced law librarians looking for a refresher course librarians from other sectors – learn all about legal research to help you answer law enquiries more effectively LIS students those looking to earn points for the ALIA PD Scheme.

You even have the option of completing assessment to gain formal course credit towards a qualification in Library and Information Studies*.

This is not your typical online training course! Participants in the Law Librarianship: Legal Research online course will engage in a range of facilitated learning experiences, self-paced and in real time, which reflect QUT’s flexible and innovative approach to teaching and learning in the Master of Information Technology (Library and Information Studies) course.

Course details:

When: 29 September to 24 November

Online classes will run on Tuesday evenings (6pm-8pm AEST) over 9 weeks, starting 29 September. Can’t make a class? Catch up with a recording, available through QUT’s online learning platform.

Registration: Register online now to secure your place. Registrations close on 15 September 2015.

About the facilitator:

Dr Gillian Hallam is Adjunct Professor with QUT. As an experienced educator and trainer, Gillian develops and delivers highly specialised academic and professional programs for the library and information services sector in Australia and overseas. She also provides consultancy services to academic, public and special libraries. Prior to joining QUT, she worked as a librarian in the corporate sector, managing business and legal information.

Further information:

Contact Kate Davis kate.davis@qut.edu.au

* Check with your institution about options for applying course credit.

Event Summary - LexisAdvance

On the 18th of June NSW ALLA and LexisNexis held a lively demonstration of LexisAdvance. We had Carolyn Norman Client Upgrade Delivery Manager and Jo Wade Senior Product Lead presenting and demonstrating the new database LexisAdvance. Obviously early days and from this distance difficult to tell, but my first thoughts are it seems to be a major step up from LNAU and for those lucky souls who remember Butterworths Online.

Which means you probably need to pay attention to the LNAU marketing department this far out; it is a major development for us and our users.

Thanks to Jo Wade we were able to look under the hood of LexisAdvance and discuss some of the new design features and thought processes that went behind the design changes. Again my first impression is that the new design seems cleaner and makes very good use of graphics. This should make retrieval and reading easier and more “pleasurable”.

LexisAdvance is a significant development for LexisNexis users, the cleaner design and the way Casebase interacts with the database is major step up for legal research in Australia for Law Librarians and Lawyers – some people might even say innovative.

Thanks to both Carolyn and Jo for presenting and being so collaborative and sharing with information about the new product. I know everyone at the meeting was intrigued and excited about the changes.

Phil Mullen

A Storify of all the twitter activity is available at https://storify.com/ALLA_NSW/lexis-advance [View the story “Lexis Advance” on Storify]

ALLA NSW AGM

Please be advised that the Ninth Annual General Meeting of ALLA (NSW) Division Inc. will be held at 12.30pm on Wednesday 19 August 2015 at the New South Wales Bar Association, Lower Ground Floor Level, 174 Phillip Street, Sydney, N.S.W., 2000.

All details are available on the ALLA website at http://www.alla.asn.au/news-events/event/nsw-agm/?eID=126

Please contact austlawlib.nsw@gmail.com with any questions.

Upcoming Lunchtime Event - JustisOne - 13 July

Justis will be joining us for lunch on the 13th July to discuss the latest development from Justis Publishing, JustisOne.

JustisOne brings together the richness and coverage of JustCite and the full text of a large number of court decisions from the UK, Australia and Canada. The service includes a number of innovative concepts in legal information research, and has been identified by experts as an example of how future research tools should be created.

JustisOne was launched at the Law Libraries conferences in Canada in May and the UK in June, and will be presented to groups of ALLA members in a number of cities in Australia in July.

For additional details and to RSVP see EventBrite

Event - Lexis Advance

Join us on 18 June to hear an update from Lexis Nexis on their new platform Lexis Advance.

Take a look at the top 10 features of the product for a sneak peak into the product before the event.

COST – Free for members, $10 for non-members.

WHEN – Thursday, 18 June 2015 from 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM (AEST)

WHERE – Level 31, 1 O’Connell Street Sydney

RSVP – At EventBrite

Throwback Thursday - 1987 Sydney Law Firm Librarians Salary Survey

This weeks Throwback is to 17 March 1987 and the release of the 1987 Sydney Law Firm Librarians Salary Survey.

Prepared by the Sydney Law Firm Librarian Group, the survey included the below results.



Upcoming event: Deterring Online Piracy - WK Copyright Update

On 11th June, Wolters Kluwer editor Rufina Cheung will provide an update on the latest developments in Australian copyrightand online piracy. Rufina will discuss:
the two recent Dallas Buyers Club cases where the court helped copyright owners identify BitTorrent downloaders:Dallas Buyers Club LLC v iiNet Limited [2015] FCA 317, and the follow up case, Dallas Buyers Club LLC v iiNet Limited (No 3) [2015] FCA 422
the online piracy code, and
the website blocking bill.

Cost Free to members, $10 for non-members

RSVP At EventBrite by C.O.B, 9th June 2015.

Where and When: 1-2:30pm, 11 June at Level 5, Law Courts Building, 184 Phillip St, Queens Square Sydney

Recording An audio recording of this session will be made available to ALLA members.

About RufinaRufina Cheung edits and writes for Wolters Kluwer, CCH’s Australian Industrial & Intellectual Property and Australian Contract Law Reporter. Rufina has worked in the NSW Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (criminal law), NSW Crown Solicitor’s Office (administrative law) and NSW Attorney General’s Department (Legislation and Policy Division).

ALLA CPD - Mitigating financial, regulatory and reputational risk

App-etite for Success: Mitigating Financial, Regulatory and Reputational Risk
How does your firm know it is entering business with reputable people or businesses?
Looking to enhance your business research with risk analysis?

Then this ALLA LNAU CPD will help.

May 26th 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm AEST

Now more than ever law firms are under pressure to better understand their prospects, clients, litigation opponents, IOP/M&A targets and business associates to help mitigate their financial, regulatory and reputational risk and reduce liability.

Join this one hour webinar to gain an understanding of the:
Current anti-corruption and compliance landscape
Regulators expectations
Recent enforcement activity
Due diligence process (from free > paid > risk advisors)

Presented by Mark Dunn:

Mark Dunn is the Due Diligence Leader for Risk and Compliance at LexisNexis. He developed Lexis Diligence – the solution used by banks, law firms and accountants to conduct enhanced customer due diligence. Mark is a highly-regarded industry thought leader and has written extensively for industry journals

Cost: Free to ALLA members, join us if you are interested

See the Lexis Nexis invite for further information and a link to registration.

We Thank: Lexis Nexis for assistance

– See more at:

http://alla.asn.au/news-events/event/app-etite-success-risk-implementing-effective-third-party-due-diligence-process/?eID=103#sthash.JLDnrOn1.dpuf

Throwback Thursday - Everything changes and yet somehow stays the same

This weeks Throwback is taken from the 1997 text Making sense of LawFirms by Stephen Mayson. There’s a rather fantastic quote from the dust cover of this 18 year old text which just goes to show in some ways everything changes and yet somehow stays the same.
“In the last twenty years the legal profession has seen dramatic changes. Law firms, large or small, have had to manage through these changes. Some firms have been more successful than others, but on the whole the profession has emerged leaner and fitter”

Throwback Thursday - Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No its a Librarian Action figure

This weeks Throwback is brought to you by ALLA member Carolyn Kearney.


Back in 2003, Carolyn received The Nancy Pearl Librarian Action Figure! as a gift from a lawyer colleague.
As Carolyn Thowbacks: “Naturally, she caused controversy when she was first on sale, for reinforcing librarian stereotypes.
But I chose to accept the gift as an ironic comment on the stereotype, because she didn’t act like or resemble me in any way… I think!
At least I never got her out to use her shushing action on the senior lawyers in meetings, although now I wish I had.
She is still in her original wrapping sitting on my bookshelf at home.”

Throwback Thursday - The Library Confusion


By State Library of New South Wales from Australia, via Wikimedia Commons

Throwback Thursday - Instant-ish Communication

Before email and before fax – there was Telex. This weeks throwback is brought to you by Telex.

Throwback Thursday - Law and the Superhighway


After a few weeks hiatus, this weeks throwback is from The Australian published on 30 August 1994:

App-etite for succes - CCH Webinar for ALLA Members

COLLABORATE AND LEARN
ALLA is proud to collaborate with Wolters Kluwer to bring you the first in a series of webinars. Over the coming months ALLA will collaborate with leaders in the information industry to bring you expertise and knowledge that will enable you to turn information into knowledge.
APP-ETITE FOR SUCCESS
In this national ALLA webinar, Chris Taylor, Customer Insights Manager at Wolters Kluwer, will share key insights about the strategic and technical considerations for mobile application design, development and testing. You’ll hear about:
  • State of the mobile
  • Digital and mobile convergence
  • Disrupting software development
  • Mobile strategy and more
When: Wednesday, 18th of March, 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. AEST
Registration: Click here to register for this event.
Cost:  Free to ALLA members, join us if you are interested
We Thank: Wolters Kluwer for assistance
About Chris: Chris Taylor is a solutions architect in Wolters Kluwer CCH’s iSolutions team in Sydney. He has been responsible for a number of the customer research, analysis and usability projects and has been heavily involved in the resulting prototype and product developments. Before iSolutions Chris was a CCH team leader and editor and also has more than 15 years’ experience as a newspaper and magazine journalist in Australia and the UK.

Throwback Thursday -AALL Spectrum, Feb 2001

There are some thing that change and some things that stay the same.
One of those things that stay the same within the Law Library industry is change.
Whilst the focus or triggers for change evolve the necessity for Law Librarians to adopt and adapt to change remains a constant as evidenced in this week’s Throwback Thursday, the February 2001 edition of AALL’s Spectrum.
The complete issue is available on the AALL website.
For the latest changes in the American Law Library industry take a look at the February 2015 edition available here.

Throwback Thursday - 1,2,3...The Tally Counter

Whether you still use one and only remember them this weeks Throwback is to the simple (but necessary) tally counter.
Where would our reference stats be without them?

Event Summary - Whats trending in US and Canadian Law Libraries

On 22 January, we started the CPD year with a fantastic talk from Jean Willis, hosted by the Law Courts. Jean, a Director at the Sacramento Public Law Library and American Association of Law Libraries Board Member, discussed the trends in the 3 primary sectors of the US and Canadian law library industry:
• law firms
• academic and law school law libraries, and • public law libraries.
Law firms
Private law libraries are moving past the disruption created by the global economic crisis to a point of stabilisation. Within the industry there has been experiences of downsizing and near shoring which has impacts both law firm libraries and other law firm support services. There have also been ventures into outsourcing by a few firms. Work outsourced to international companies/ offices includes the pro-forma work of temporary/contract attorneys, research attorneys as well as law library services.
What has received the most publicity, including news coverage, is the push within the law library industry toward digitisation and digital collections. Due to a range of factors including reduced space allocation, near shoring etc the law library industry is moving quickly towards digital collections.
Academic law and law school libraries
Within academic libraries a primary issue is the decline in students enrolling in law degrees. This decline has been attributed to a combination of:
• of the high cost of university education
• laws position as a post-graduate degree, and
• increased competition and decreased immediate reward/consideration from being a law graduate.
Whilst the decline hasn’t yet reached the prestigious law schools it is effecting other schools around the country. Schools are actively ‘selling’ the degree to students. This downturn in demand is impacting upon law school and academic libraries with downsizing taking place to combat the reduced student numbers.
Outside of this issue, the academic and law school libraries are working to create practice ready law students.
Public law libraries
US public law libraries operate on a funding model very different from that of Australia. A rapid rise in the numbers of self represented litigants in the 1990s caused law courts to transform from libraries solely serving the bar to providing support to the public.
The capacity of the public law libraries is dependent upon the funding structure of the library – particularly whether its funding comes from court filing revenue. Depending upon their budget and capacity public law libraries within America also have active outreach programs.
The primary service provided by public law libraries is facilitating access to the legal resources and information through physical and online collections as well as creating legal guides. The library may also provide access to pro bono lawyers either through having attorneys on staff or providing space for practicing attorneys to offer pro bono services.
We also discussed as a group the similarities and differences between the US/Canadian experience with that of Australia. Thank you to all our attendees for ensuring that it was a lively discussion.
Key resources that Jean referenced in her talk available here. The podcast from the session is available to members.
Are you a member? Email us at austlawlib.nsw@gmail.com and we will send you the podcast

Throwback Thursday - Movies and Librarians

This week we look at how the movies have portrayed librarians. Librarians have been portrayed many different ways from the nerdtastic Librarian triology to the drunken statement ‘I am a librarian!’ from the Mummy.
Take a look at some of the movies profiling librarians here.

7 Things I would now do differently

By Linh Ly, C.A.S.E 2014 Scholarship recipient
Before I begin sharing my own experience of the 2014 ALLA Conference held in Adelaide, I would like to say a very big thank to the ALLA NSW Committee in giving me this wonderful opportunity by sending me to the conference. Overall it was a great experience and I walked away feeling inspired being amongst a group of law librarians in Australia and internationally. You can read my tweets from @OurGirlInAdel.
Below are 7 things I have learnt, personal observations that intrigued or inspired me to change the way I do things from now on.
Get out and Tweet!
Some people who know me can attest I can get a little nervous when it comes to social media. I decided this conference will be a perfect time for me to explore what Twitter can do for me and to help me engage with my fellow peers. So with tentative steps as @OurGirlInAdel, I discovered the Twitter world was not scary as I thought. With patient guidance from my fellow peers at the conference, I learnt how to tweet. It was a nice feeling when my new followers would retweet my comments. Apparently “retweeting” is like a “gold star” for your comment. I also gained one new follower from a law librarian from Wales.
The conference certainly beat the fear of using Twitter out of me! In her workshop, Mary Ellen Bates encouraged information professionals to learn how to use social media. Her message is, this is no different to learning how to use a research database. With this wisdom and encouragement from my fellow peers, I will certainly continue to engage, learn and be inspired!
Think like a learner
As a trainer in my current role, I am always keen to hear about what others have come across and their experience in the e-learning sphere. Nicola Parkin’s session on her take on Online Educational Design and how this affects our users was very informative. Her key message was”think like a user”. It seems obvious but we still need to be reminded about this.
She believes we cannot just “think” as librarians but also as a learner, web user, architect, auditor, educator, artist, lawyer and designer. That is certainly quite a few hats! Nicola reminded me that it is a “user-driven” future, where we will only learn
by doing the actual task. She suggests putting a human element in the e-learning sphere, such as adding a photo or a video clip. The communication with the users can be mix of online and face-to-face.
These ideas are food for thought when I come to plan for my online training sessions and to keep the learner in mind!
Effective Questioning techniques in training sessions
Manjeet Janjua from LexisNexis delivered a session on how to effectively use questioning techniques to uncover training needs. His style and approach to training was a good refresher for me. Depending on the type of delivery style you choose, higher participation and retention of information from the training session can be achieved.
I am a big believer in encouraging the users to collaborate and, share ideas during a session. According to Manjeet, the Facilitation and Brainstorm type of delivery produces a higher level of retention of information for attendees. The use of varied open, leading and probing questions all play a role in the type of sessions you run. I now intend to review my training sessions to fine tune my questioning techniques so the users get the most out my training sessions. I will also take on board and make sure there are not too many questions, as Manjeet advised.
Tools to use to engage with your users
I was really keen on what Emily Allbon had to say and see how she used technology to engage with her students. For my own purpose, I would like to incorporate online tools to engage, enhance learning and also add a different element to training. Emily mentioned tools such as social media and videoscribe are good examples as it is more apparent that training is no longer just in the classroom. This session has encouraged me to focus on catching up with users’ expectations.
I am amazed and inspired by how much Emily has achieved in this sphere, with her work on Lawbore (http://lawbore.net/). The golden rule for user engagement is to incorporate technology to engage users of library sources as it is no fun just looking at black text!
Add some creativity to your professional development
As our roles have changed, and the current information professionals needing to wear many hats, Karen Rowe-Nurse strongly encourages us to undertake CPD. Why? To become better at our job. Some CPD programs are not even taxing to
the budget, such as presenting a 10 x 10 at work, reading up on professional literature, writing articles, becoming active in ALLA or even better, apply for a scholarship to attend an ALLA Conference!
For myself, I see CPD as an on-going project, to learn and share my knowledge with others. I also find talking to my peers for ideas is always a good one. It is hard not to become complacent but it is important to continue to learn, not just for my role but for myself.
Are we really indispensable?
I was fortunate enough to attend Mary Ellen Bate’s (MEB) workshop on “The Indispensable Librarian” prior to the conference. I need to say she was fantastic and kept me engaged and awake despite my morning flight to Adelaide! I look orward to meeting or possibly working with Mary Ellen in the near future!
One of MEB’s main messages is how we see ourselves is not the same as how our clients perceive us. She has the study to back up her claim! (SLA/FT Report: The Evolving Value of Information Management And Five Essential
InfoPro Attributes) As an informational professional, I like to think I am doing a job that adds value to my client. The keyword here is perception. Deep down I knew this but to have MEB say it out aloud was a reality check for me. It made me question whether I was really “indispensable” to my clients?
My takeaway’s from MEB’s session were:
1. It is not about the process but the outcome. Not about working faster/harder but how we can help them win a big matter/deal
2. Clients demand relevancy over “data dump”
3. Understand executives/clients and their needs and find out what their biggest challenges are.
4. Clients want us to be proactive
5. Do not say NO. MEB encourages us to raise our clients expectations and that in turn will raise
our value.
6. Take ownership of your own learning, this includes social media as well as research databases.
Signing off for now…
There was so much to take in at this conference. I am so glad and very grateful for this chance to attend. I now feel there are some things I am doing right and have received guidance on areas I can improve on. When I present at an ALLA event later in the year, I can tick that off my CPD list.
I will certainly add some new things at the presentation. Thank you again NSW ALLA Committee and to all my peers I have met during my travels in Adelaide!

Throwback Thursday - Quotable Quotes from 1988

This weeks throwback is from the March/April 1988 edition of the Australian Law Librarians’ Group Sydney Newsletter. p72.
Enjoy!

Throwback Thursday - Building your law library

After a brief hiatus the Throwback Thursday is back!Building your law library
In the first throwback for 2015 we are travelling back to 1988 with Mickie A. Voges Buliding your law library: A step by step guide. 
Published by the American Bar Association, the text provides you with the ins and outs of law libraries from acquiring legal materials to networking and keeping up to date with new technology.



Whats trending in US and Canadian Law Libraries - Evening Seminar

Join us at 5:30pm on Wednesday 21st January 2015 to hear Jean Willis Assistant Director at Sacramento County Law Library discussing current trends in US and Canadian law libraries.
Beginning her career in Australia, Jean has been working in the United States Law Library Industry for over 20 years. Jean will be sharing her thoughts on the recent challenges and opportunities within the industry.
Hope to see you all at this event!
Event detailsDate: Wednesday, 21 January 2015, at 5:30pm
Venue: Law Courts Library, Level 15, Law Courts Building, Queens Square Sydney, NSW 2000
RSVP: via EventBrite by 19 January 2015.
Recording An audio recording of this session will be made available to ALLA members.
Not a member? If you are not a financial member of ALLA you are still welcome to come to the CPD session, the cost is $10 to be paid on the day.

AustLii Co-founder wins 2014 Justice Medal

This years recipient of the Justice Medal is Professor Andrew Mowbray, Co-Director and Co-Founder of AustLII.
Presented the award by Sir Anthony Mason AC KBE, Professor Mowbray was presented the award in recognition of his commitment over the past 25 years to facilitate online access to legal information.
The other three awards presented on the evening were:
  • The Law Society President’s Award awarded to Harry Freedman for his outstanding contribution to the Law Society’s Pro Bono Scheme.
  • The Community Legal Centres NSW Award presented to Inner City Legal Centre for their Safe Relationships Project.
  • The Legal Information Access Centre ‘Centre of Excellence’ Award awarded to Albury Library/Museum for their Law Week program, which included the staging of a ‘Murder in the Museum’.

Event Summary: Mobile Application Development

On 15 October 2014, Chris Taylor, Solutions Architect and Erik Ferrari, iSolutions Manager of Wolters Kluwer delivered a fantastic presentation on mobile app development.
Providing an overview of the user and technical considerations you should make when entering into the world of mobile technology, Chris and Erik addressed:
  • User based considerations
    • The current state of mobile use
    • Digital and mobile convergence
    • Understanding the user
    • Mobile Strategy
    • Challenges faced by information and content
    providers
  • Technical considerations
    • Software development disruption
    • User expectations
    • The development of apps/mobile information sources that are:
    • Web based
    • Mobile native, or
    • Hybrid
Want more detail? Recordings of the session, presentation slides and more? Sorry you have to be a member.
Interested in joining ALLA NSW? Email austlawlib.nsw@gmail.com

RSVP Now for the Christmas Party

Yes its a bit early to be thinking about Christmas but don’t miss the ALLA NSW Christmas Party!
Venue: The Fox Hole 68A Erskine Street (enter via Kent Street) Sydney
Date: 4 December 2014
Time: 6pm until 9pm
Cost: Members $10, Non- Members $55
Payments must be made by the November 6 to ALLA NSW
Please include your surname and Xmas in the details
Payment details available on the ALLA website 

RSVP: November 6 to  events.allansw@gmail.com with payment details

Got an app-etite for success?


Attend our upcoming event app-etite for success!
Mobile Application Development can be done in a variety of formats and tools. This presentation focuses on the technical side of mobile application design, development and testing, and what skills are needed.
We also look into trends locally and globally, and touch on mobile strategies.
Topics covered include:
  • State of the mobile
  • Digital and mobile convergence
  • Disrupting software development
  • Mobile strategy
  • Challenges
  • User expectations
  • How to target mobile
  • Native development
  • Web development
  • Hybrid
  • Requirements first
  • Future?
Erik Ferrari serves as iSolutions Manager and is part of the innovation team at Wolters Kluwer CCH. Over the past five years, Erik has been one of the companys key technologists helping to drive innovation in the delivery of content to all different type of devices. Prior to CCH, Erik had a successful career as an IT-consultant and technical architect and has been involved in many projects in Europe, North America and Asia/Pacific. Erik developed his first mobile app based on WAP technology in 2001.
Chris Taylor is a solutions architect in Wolters Kluwer CCH?s iSolutions team in Sydney. He has been responsible for a number of the customer research, analysis and usability projects and has been heavily involved in the resulting prototype and product developments. Before iSolutions Chris was a CCH team leader and editor and also has more than 15 years experience as a newspaper and magazine journalist in Australia and the UK.
An audio recording of this session will be made available to ALLA members.
If you are not a financial member of ALLA you are still welcome to come to the CPD session, the cost is $10 to be paid on the day.
The important stuff 
Where: Thomson Geer Lvl 25, 1 O’Connell St  Sydney, NSW 2000 Australia
When: Wednesday, 15 October 2014 from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM (AEDT)
RSVP at Eventbrite