Chasing Court History

by Gail Warren

Providing relevant, current collections and reference services for members of the judicial branch, particularly the two appellate courts in Virginia is, and will always be one of our library’s primary goals. However, staff experience and responsibilities have expanded in the last two years as we have embraced our “newer” role as the archives for the Supreme Court of Virginia. Interestingly enough, as the demands for immediate digital access to legal information increases, a parallel interest in the history of Virginia’s judicial branch, its judges and the legal community has also increased. The focus of our activities and projects are shaped, in part, by the recommendations of the Supreme Court of Virginia Historical Advisory Committee, chaired by Justice Donald W. Lemons.

Along the way, we’ve learned tidbits and fun facts about the Supreme Court of Virginia, best practices for exhibits and oral history interviews, the serendipity of locating pictures and artifacts on the Internet (including eBay!) and how to cut foam core board in a straight line. It’s been challenging and rewarding. What sort of projects have we undertaken? Here are some highlights from the past year illustrating the new projects our library has completed:

Oral History Interviews

On March 27, 2013, we were delighted to have five judges who served on the newly-established Court of Appeals of Virginia gather in Richmond to share their reflections on the unique experience of helping create a new court in Virginia in 1984. The panel discussion was recorded at WCVE Studios in Richmond. Professor Cassandra Newby-Alexander moderated the conversation among Retired Judge James W. Benton, Jr., Senior Judge Sam W. Coleman III, Senior Justice Lawrence L. Koontz, Jr., U.S. Circuit Court Judge Barbara Milano Keenan, and U.S. District Court Senior Judge Norman K. Moon. Our collection of 21 oral history interviews (and corresponding transcripts) includes interviews of retired justices, judges, court personnel and prominent civil rights attorneys.

Hon. Sam W. Coleman, III, and Hon. Barbara M.Keenan, at WCVE Studios in Richmond in March 2013.

Preservation Activities

We arranged for professional conservation of one of the oldest and most unique items in the SCV Archives, the List of Attorneys Qualifying to Practice Law in the Supreme Court of Virginia. This volume, begun in 1869, contains signatures of many individuals who were significant in the history of the Virginia State Bar, including the first African Americans and women who qualified to practice in the Supreme Court of Virginia (William C. Roane, circa 1878; and Mildred R. Callahan, in 1923—see her below signature).



We continue to acquire records of the Supreme Court of Virginia, including photographs, digital images, and ephemera from court ceremonies.  Recent acquisitions include a collection of 22 black-and-white photographs of the justices (1984-2001) and one photograph of a fox hunt, transferred in the spring from Justice Carrico’s chambers at the direction of his widow.  The Department of Judicial Information Technology transferred a laptop issued in 1985 to then Court of Appeals Judge Norman K. Moon (the first laptop issued to judges!).  The Clerk’s Office provided the archives two black-and-white photographs and a pencil drawing of the court building that burned in 1865:

A collection of audio and video and video recordings of court ceremonies, 1969-2011, was migrated from a variety of formats, including reel-to-reel tapes, audio cassette recordings, and VHS tapes, to a digital format. In the near future, we plan to add some of these digital files to our collection in the Legal Information Archive at: http://cdm16064.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/

Presentations

We presented a program at the Judicial Conference of Virginia on May 14, 2013 titled, “Completing the Historical Record: Preserving Your Judicial Papers.” Informational resources for judges considering donation of their papers to an archival repository were provided at a table in the conference exhibit area. Our program was followed by Corinna Lain, Professor of Law at the University of Richmond, who graciously mentioned how much she has depended on judge's papers in her legal history research. Building on this presentation, we have crafted a communication to send to appellate court judges and justices upon their retirement, encouraging them to consider the preservation of their chambers' papers.

Exhibits

This month we installed a new exhibit in the display cases on the third floor of the Supreme Court Building. Our exhibit commemorates the 125th Anniversary of the founding of the Virginia Bar Association and the 75th Anniversary of the organization of the Virginia State Bar. Our summer and fall semester interns from VCU’s History Department assisted with the research and preparation of caption cards for the exhibit. An “online” version of the exhibit is available at the Virginia Judiciary Web Site by clicking on The Bar at Work: http://www.courts.state.va.us/courts/scv/hc/home.html



VALL Fall Meeting at W&L Law School Library

The thirty people who met at the Washington & Lee Law School Library in Lexington on Oct. 25, 2013, for the Fall VALL meeting, got an extra treat -- cake to celebrate VALL's 30th birthday!  

Marie Antoinette would have been happy. 

  

Many thanks to the W&L Law School Library for hosting the meeting.

Attendees chatting and catching up at the VALL breakfast

This is where the day's programs were held

Eric Mill of the Sunlight Foundation talking to attendees about his organization's efforts to provide open access to government information.

Waldo Jaquith of the Miller Center, University of Virginia, talks about "The State Decoded" -- a free, open-source project that displays legal texts online.

W&L electronic services librarian, Stephanie Miller, was one of the speakers for the program -- "The Risk, the Plan, the Payoff: Implementing a Law Repository at Washington & Lee."

W&L law library staff gave VALLers tours of the law library during the lunch break.

VALLers looking at the law library's open space.

And then there was that trip down into the dungeons!

What is a scotch keg doing here? This particular one was used in the dedication of Lewis Hall.

VALL President Amy Wharton conducting the business meeting.

Many thanks to Washington & Lee Law School Library for hosting the meeting, LexisNexis and Westlaw for sponsoring the meeting, and also to Ben Almoite for the photos of the meeting.

VALL at VLA in September

submitted by Terry Long

On September 26th VALL members Leslie Ashbrook and Ben Doherty of UVA Law Library presented a program at the annual meeting of the Virginia Library Association. Their program, Legal Reference for Librarians: You’ve Got Questions; We’ve Got Answers was an interactive session in which Ben & Leslie debuted two the eleven videos they have produced on legal topics. These videos are available on YouTube and from the law library web site http://libguides.law.virginia.edu/video-instruction. 

Take a look at the videos and share this information with public librarians!

VLA always holds a gift basket raffle to raise money for its scholarship fund. Vendors, committees and library related organizations donate baskets/boxes/bags. This year VALL contributed a Virginia themed box to the cause. $6,134.00 was raised!

 

The VALL basket at the VLA scholarship raffle



Up for Adventure: Putting Your Library Skills to Work

by Jean Holcomb

Leaving the library upon retirement doesn’t necessarily mean that the skills you spent years acquiring will gather dust. Leaving the workforce might not be a permanent option for a variety of reasons: financial, social, entrepreneurial, or altruistic. Regardless of the motivations calling you to put your skills back in play in the non-profit or for-profit environment, bridges must be crossed to ensure a positive experience.

While the choice to search out opportunities may be driven by a wide range of circumstances, your approach to identifying these opportunities and addressing potential hurdles will be similar. Your search process begins with a process of self-evaluation. Understand what drives your interest in outside involvement. Identify your personal parameters before you actively examine paid work or volunteer settings. How much time do you have to give? What skills do you have to offer? What personal, physical or technical skill limitations do you have? Will transportation be a challenge? How long a commitment are you prepared to make?

Once you complete your self-evaluation, the process of identifying opportunities that match your criteria will be a familiar one. The two classic approaches you used during your library career, classifieds and contacts, remain the mainstays for position identification. Continue to read the literature in your fields of interest. Donna Bausch’s article for the April 2008 Virginia Lawyer, “Your Second Season of Service is Just Beginning,” is an example of helpful advice about finding ways to use your legal skills in retirement. Stay current with how positions become available in your areas of focus to jump start your search. Maintain personal networks centered on both social and professional interests to keep you appraised of options for involvement.

When did you last prepare a cover letter and resume? When did you last sit on the other side of the table from an employer or volunteer coordinator in an interview scenario? For many law librarians considering post-retirement work or volunteer options, the answer to those questions is probably, “not in the recent past.” If you left law librarianship after spending many years with one employer, the answer will most likely be, “not for a very long time.”

In preparing a cover letter, remember that this is your best opportunity to ensure you’ll get to the interview stage. To convince someone to talk to you in person, your cover letter must explain why you are interested and how your skills match the requirements. If I had a dime for every cover letter we received at the King County Law Library describing why the applicant wanted to live in Seattle, but omitting why they wanted to join us, I definitely could have treated our whole staff to fancy lattes even at Starbucks prices. Have a neutral “reader” review your letter to help detect typos and grammatical errors that kill employer interest. Since much of the application process now proceeds electronically, test your formatting to be sure your transmitted documents have the look you intended.

As you are leaving for retirement, take with you an updated copy of your resume. Continue to keep this document current by revising to reflect your ongoing professional and volunteer experiences. Note training and skill development acquired post retirement. Customize your resume for each opportunity you explore. Use the language of the position announcement and highlight your relevant experience to illustrate why you “fit the bill.”

If an interview will be a part of the selection process, first put yourself in the interviewer’s shoes. Be ready to address questions both directly asked and implied. While the interviewer should not ask about your health, be prepared to volunteer information about your fitness to fulfill position requirements. Also be ready to answer questions about why someone with your qualifications and experiences might be interested in this position. If your colleagues will be younger, what can you say that will defuse concerns about how you will fit in.

If the position you seek is as a volunteer, what can you do to make sure that this is a happy choice for both you and the organization? Be clear about your role. After 20 years working very closely with law library boards of trustees, I learned how important clarity about job responsibility will be to the success of the experience for both parties. Know which particular skills you possess led to your selection. Understand the time and commitment required. Be clear about whether there are hidden costs involved such as an expectation that you will make a financial contribution to the organization. Be aware of who in the organization makes final decisions and who speaks to outsiders about the entity. And the most important key for success: remember that this is not your “day job.”

If a successful placement occurs at the end of this process, enjoy the chance to be of service and to use your particular expertise. Keeping your mind and body engaged will contribute to your self-esteem and quality of life. The opportunity to continue to acquire new skills and new colleagues will made this exercise a worthwhile adventure.

VALL Grant to AALL Leadership Academy

The 2014 AALL Leadership Academy is going to be held in Oak Brook, Illinois, from April 4 - 5. See here for details: http://www.aallnet.org/main-menu/Education/leadership-academy

If any VALL member is interested, the VALL Board would like to assist any member who is accepted into the academy with a grant of $800 to help defray the costs. If more than one VALL member is accepted into the academy, the grant may be split between the applicants. Please consider applying and if you are accepted, let Joyce Manna Janto know.

In Memoriam: Beverley Butler

submitted by Frosty Owen

Beverley Butler, Hunton & Williams' firm librarian from 1958 to 1992, passed away on Tuesday, September 17, after a long illness. A memorial service for Beverley was held on Thursday, October 3, 10:00 a.m., at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Oregon Hill.

Beverley was one of a kind. Even though he retired from Hunton &Williams more than 21 years ago, people still enjoy sharing “Beverley stories.” Blessed with a great sense of humor, Beverley was known for his comical impersonations of firm partners. Thanks to his love of strong cologne, you always knew in advance that Beverley was coming. And, when you heard the exclamation, “Stop. I ain’t ready!” you knew Beverley was within earshot.

Beverley also was known for the wonderful lamps he made as a hobby. The offices and homes of many of his former co-workers are decorated with his creations … lasting memorials to a colleague whose contributions to the library and to the firm will always be remembered.



Law Librarianship in Today's Economy: the New Normal

by Michele Gernhardt, Frosty Owen & Lisa Reinhard

Anyone reading the news about law libraries today or any other day since the economic downturn in 2008 comes across the same phrases again and again. “The new normal," “doing more with less," “cost-cutting measures,” “belt-tightening,” “shrinking budgets,” “shrinking headcounts,” “shrinking footprints,” etc., are constants in the literature.

All law libraries are dealing with these problems every day, and most library staff members doubt that things will ever go back to the way they were pre-2008. It really has led to a new normal. There have been significant staff reductions. There is less money for resources. Already busy, we are forced to do more with much less time and manpower and for as little cost as possible. It has also become more important than ever to demonstrate our value in ways meaningful to firm administrators and decision-makers.

Solution 1: Improving Reference Services Through Team-Building and Coordination:

We have implemented changes here at Hunton & Williams in order to maintain the highest levels of service to our users in this new environment. Once fairly isolated and self-sufficient, our offices share human and non-human resources to a much greater degree. This has fostered communication and team building between and within offices. One of the ways this cooperation is manifested is in firm-wide reference coverage through an e-mail address which requestors use after hours. Moving across the country we are able to provide live reference coverage from 8 am-9 pm ET. The west coast handles later hours and the east coast handles early hours.

We have several offices which have no library staff. Responsibility for requests from these offices rotates through our staffed offices by the day of the week. Requestors use the same firm-wide e-mail address to submit their requests. On Monday the Richmond office handles these requests. Tuesday the McLean office is responsible. Wednesday requests are handled by Washington, D.C., etc.

This cooperative mind-set has also increased inter-dependence and support. It is not uncommon for someone to send out an SOS if they have several time-sensitive or in-depth reference projects going at once and other offices are quick to assist. Since several of our offices have only one library staff member and those with more than one often run at less than full power due to vacations or illness, this is a great anxiety reducer when projects pile up.

The Richmond office also has a brief daily staff meeting where we discuss up-coming projects, meetings, training sessions, absences, and anything else we wish to cover which has led to a feeling of closeness and team spirit that we would not have otherwise.

Solution 2: Harnessing Technology and Education to Reduce Costs While Maintaining Service and Satisfaction Levels:

We are using technology to help us to thrive in the “new normal.” We take advantage of electronic resources and seek out all possible efficiencies to provide more valuable services than ever before. We provide more training, more reference assistance through the above mentioned firm-wide handling of requests from non-staffed offices, send out library services newsletters, e-mail a daily legal headline compilation, and set up alerts to monitor dockets, legal issues, companies, and other subjects so that our patrons can be kept up-to-date on whatever they need to know.

These new cooperative efforts have been very successful in providing a high level of service to all of our offices. Attorneys and staff report that they are just as happy, if not happier, with the quality and timeliness of services they receive from the library now. In firm-wide surveys regarding administrative departments, the library has consistently been ranked number one in overall satisfaction.

A significant potential pain point for librarians and their clients is the paring down of resources. Some duplicative and/or costly resources had to be eliminated. Other subscriptions had to be reduced; firm-wide subscriptions became limited access subscriptions. This can be very frustrating for users, who can no longer access their favorite resources. Adequate communication and education often replaces frustration with acceptance. The Library Services team uses reference exchanges, newsletters, and targeted communications and training to educate users about alternative resources that will meet their information needs.

Centralizing access to more costly subscription resources to the Library Services team (and in some cases select “sophisticated users”) has resulted in cost savings and often improves efficiency and satisfaction levels. Those who actually perform the research have much more training and experience, and are therefore more likely to produce meaningful result sets in the shortest amount of time. Once firm attorneys understand that we can still get them what they want, probably faster than they could have on their own, they don’t mind sending an e-mail to the reference desk.

Demystifying Lexis and Westlaw billing so users can do research without fear is another educational tactic that we have started implementing. We have offered “what it costs” sessions and try to answer any billing questions quickly and clearly.

Solution 3: Demonstrating Value:

In this new reality it has become even more important than ever for libraries to draw attention to the significant contributions they make to the firm. Demonstrating our value is crucial to our continued existence. Keeping statistical records of what we are doing is one way we can show firm administrators how busy and needed we are. All eight staffed U.S. offices at Hunton & Williams record reference requests in a monthly log. The data is compiled into reports that illustrate firm-wide reference demand. Team-wide buy-in has been absolutely critical to the success of this project.

We also record our time daily in the firm’s time entry program. This illustrates the “day’s work” for each librarian, and allows for the firm to potentially bill clients for research performed. Reference requests, training, billing/cost recovery, material processing, library maintenance, CLE administration, cataloging, etc., all are listed in a daily report.

Flexibility and adaptability are becoming more important attributes for librarians. Taking advantage of other opportunities to focus attention on the library is good business. We offer specialized training to different teams or groups in the firm. We do research for client and practice development. We assist attorneys by finding information for their speaking opportunities and articles. Through various newsletters and alerts we can offer regular and timely information about clients, industries, technology, practice areas, deal news, and breaking or potential lawsuits. We focus attention on the library during National Library Week with events and celebrations. Through all of these activities we can let our firm know that the library and its staff add value to the bottom line.

Solution 4 : Teamwork and Time/Project Management:

We are thrilled that we have been able to maintain such a high level of internal client satisfaction despite the reduction in human and non-human resources. But now that we have about half the number of librarians providing even more services than before the economic downturn, we all understandably have much less time to devote to non-reference work. Our attorneys need very fast, thorough, and accurate responses to their requests; therefore valuable and essential functions such as collection maintenance and development, cataloging, integrated library system and web development, and other projects must take a back-seat.

A positive approach, teamwork, and innovative time, task, and project management, have allowed us to continue to successfully maintain and improve our library. To complete routine tasks or to meet looming deadlines, a little teamwork can go a long way. The occasional request for help, typically in the form of reference coverage, never goes unanswered. For larger and/or longer-term projects, breaking the project down into smaller components helps maintain momentum, measure progress, and provide a sense of accomplishment for each completed goal or project phase.

Since each firm and library is so unique, there isn’t a single path to success. We have taken many steps to adapt and thrive in the “new normal,” but we know there is ample room and opportunity to improve. That said, we hope some of the solutions we have implemented at Hunton & Williams can be applied to your library and will bring you success in the “new normal” environment.



VLA Board Meeting Sept. 6, 2013

By Terry Long, VALL Liaison to VLA

Highlights of the VLA Council Meeting:

• VLA’s financial picture looks good. Membership did not decrease in the last fiscal year – it increased by 1.

• VLA Conference

o Exhibit hall is sold out, with 5 vendors wait-listed.

o 373 registrants thus far

o $10,000+ raised in sponsorships

o Scholarship Committee is soliciting donations of gift baskets from forums and organizations to be raffled off to benefit their scholarship fund for those attending graduate program in Library Science.

• VLA executive committee is considering purchasing a software program for managing membership, committees, donations and conference registration.

• Declaration for the Right to Libraries is an initiative championed by ALA president Barbara Stripling. It is designed to build the public will and to support the right of Americans to libraries of all types. An effort will be made by VLA to get this document signed by as many libraries as possible and included in information sent to Virginia’s Congressional delegation prior to Legislative Day in May. For more information see http://www.ala.org/advocacy/declaration-right-libraries

• ALA has a projected deficit of $1.5 million; it does have a healthy endowment of $34.9 million.

• VLA’s Paraprofessional Forum is accepting program proposals for their annual conference in May.

• Successful lobbying by Virginia libraries resulted in an increase in state-aid to libraries for the first time in many years.

VALL Directory Changes

If there are changes to your membership information after your membership renewal forms were submitted, please make sure you let VALL know because the 2013-2014 Directory will need to be updated. Please submit all changes in membership information to Chris Vassey at christina.vassey@thomsonreuters.com by Monday, Sept. 16, 2013.

Using Social Media for Legal Investigations

by Evelyn M. Campbell

When I was setting up my itinerary for AALL in Seattle I knew I had to attend this program – Finding the Veronica Mars Within: Using Social Media for Investigative Purposes in Legal Research. Not too many years ago I had written a series of articles and presented programs on how to find people which I had jokingly (but aptly) titled, You Can Run But You Can’t Hide.

During one of my programs at the Homestead someone had asked whether I had considered using Facebook to track people, and I had said, “No, not yet.” The time wasn’t right then when Facebook was just coming into being, and some of the other social media did not even exist. With more than 500 million people now on Facebook, and another estimated 500 million more on Twitter, the time is now to include social media when you need to search for people, or if you conduct lessons on how to find people, now is the time to add social media as part of that process.

Social media is more than Facebook but one can always start there. Just like any other people search, before you start, gather as much information about the person you are researching – name (including nicknames and maiden names), hometown, age, employer, alma mater, interests, names of family members, and of course, friends. Facebook is designed in such a way that knowing someone’s friends may get you the information you need. Don’t forget that the person you are researching may not have a Facebook page but you may still find a picture of them with a friend or friends who have Facebook accounts, and that may give you clues as to where this person is or what this person does for fun. Never forget that people trying to hide something are not going to use their real names on Facebook.

Don’t discount Twitter as well. For some reason people seem to have the need to share with the world every thought that goes through their heads and every thing they do. As one of the presenters at the AALL program said, “Every gang member in New York City has a Twitter account.” And you would think that people would think twice about posting incriminating evidence or actions, but apparently not so. Use Twitter to find out what people are saying about what they are doing and where they are doing it.

Community websites like Topix.com can provide valuable information. People posts all kinds of information about all kinds of things which can give insight into who they are, where they eat and what they do for fun … when you are looking for someone, this can be a gold mine. Some people even advertise their part in the oldest profession in the world, and where they are to be found performing said profession. That is how one of the presenters of the program who was acting as guardian ad litem for a child found out what the mother of that child was doing. There are all kinds of stupid in the world … use that to your advantage. When you think, “no one can be that stupid” … check anyway.

Craigslist has become a site for more than the selling of things. And it is particularly helpful that you can search it by locality. Yes, people sell more than things on Craigslist, so if you are looking for criminal activities, check out the different sections, including the casual encounters section.

Trying to track down stolen items for a client? Check eBay -- also known to many as the new pawn shop of the world. The news is filled with people who have found items stolen from them for sale on eBay.

This is just scratching the surface of how to use social media for legal investigation. And I also haven’t even started on searching images on the web. The presenters made their point, and left us with this – if you are not already teaching this as part of your legal research … you really ought to give it some thought, because if you don’t you might be doing your students a disservice.

Finding Career Contentment

by Patty Petroccione

Attending the AALL Annual Conference is a valuable experience for all law librarians; however for a “solo” like me it is essential. It is not only important for my professional growth and well-being; it is for my personal sanity as well.

Other than reading list serve messages, and when time permits, occasional professional blogs and the AALL Spectrum, often a month or more may go by without my having any direct or personal contacts with my professional peers. Granted, there are interactions with the “other” professionals: lawyers, judges, deputy sheriffs and other courthouse personnel, but what do they know, understand or care about the world of libraries (generally, not much)? So I was very grateful to be awarded a VALL grant to attend the 2013 Conference in Seattle.

And I appreciated all that the Conference had to offer -- I attended many informative programs, observed vendor demonstrations of existing and new products, reconnected with colleagues and made new connections. I attended the State, Court and County Law Libraries’ breakfast meeting and the VALL luncheon. I took notes and collected business cards. To me, this is the real value of the Conference, the hands-on aspect and face-to-face interactions that one cannot replicate from blogs, Facebook, LinkedIn and webinars.

Appropriately, it all culminated in my attending on the last day of the Conference, in the last time slot, the program “Is It My Job, or Am I Burnt Out?”: Finding Career Contentment. Despite the 3:45 p.m. time slot and the weary look on the faces of many of the attendees, the panelists Wendy Moore and Francis Norton, Jr., captured our attention from the beginning with their great repartee and humor. It didn’t hurt that they were tossing peppermint patties into the audience (surprise, chocolate at the AALL Conference)! The theme of the program was mid-career challenges, how to identify them, and what approaches to take to improve your situation.

They explained that our relationship to our jobs could be described in one of five ways: 1) clingy, we expect our jobs to give us everything; 2) vacant, the pay check keeps us there; 3) BFF, things are okay but there is no passion; 4) arranged, pushed together by external forces; or 5) open, can only find satisfaction outside of the job. What are some of the challenges? Does it seem like everyone else is happy and successful? It may feel that way, especially while at the conference. Others appear engaged, they are presenting, attending special meetings, receiving awards. It may feel like time is passing us by and we are “stuck in a rut.” It is easy to simply accept our situation and proceed with our day-to-day tasks “for the rest of our natural lives.”

Wendy and Francis reminded us that negativity breeds more negativity and is reflected back to ourselves and to our co-workers, patrons, and vendors. The panel tried to teach us some tools we could use to reinvigorate ourselves and our jobs, instead of choosing to “sit around and be grumpy.”

One simple exercise is to identify three positive things you can do to improve attitude and relations with staff and users, and then actually put them into practice. One suggestion was to proactively approach patrons instead of hiding in your office until they find you. Another was to smile when approached by another staff member or patron, even if you are busy. Set up a specific time when you will be able to help them later. Try not to scowl or growl! If someone is encountering a minor problem, help them so things run more smoothly at work. It will be less stressful for both of you. When someone else is negative or bad mouthing others or a project, redirect or disengage. Hopefully they will stop their negativity, or at least leave you alone since you will not “play ball” with them.

We learned that there are many ways to find renewed interest in one’s work life. Look better - improve your professional presence with an updated resume, then you will be ready for opportunities, such as grants, leadership positions, projects at work. Keep your online profiles current and relevant using LinkedIn, AALL My Communities, and social networks. Make work more interesting by getting active in professional organizations and special interest groups, follow blogs and write for blogs. These do not necessarily have to be library-related. You will feel more connected with those in and out of the profession.

I thought an excellent recommendation was to do something new at work. Ask yourself “if I had time at work to do something of my own choosing, I would work on ________” Practice a version of the Google “20% time rule” (which says to set aside 20% of your time to work on projects other than your normal work). Take the time to innovate (this was how Gmail was born). One suggestion was to block out two hours a week. Perhaps call it “Friday afternoon fun-time.” Use the time to work on your novel, prepare a history of the library, develop a rare books display or invent an app for your patrons. Many of us (especially those attending this presentation) are already overwhelmed by our work load. But the hope is that by spending some time on a new project that we’ve chosen, we will become invigorated and that will spill over into our daily tasks.

Other recommendations to refresh one’s work attitude include -- set specific, measurable goals for yourself. Track your accomplishments, including thank you notes from patrons, judges, professors, and completion of projects. Help someone else with their job. Be a mentor. Get involved in the new AALL mentoring program. Most importantly, a piece of advice we all know but tend to ignore -- do not let your work define your life. Be a volunteer in your community, exercise, take vacations, and pursue your passions outside of the office.

Sadly, sometimes it isn’t a mid-career slump we are experiencing, just a bad job fit. If so, then it may be time to move on. But for those of us who may only be weary, yet determined to stay the course, there are tools we can use to refresh our jobs. Though I was tired after all the activities of the four conference days, I was reinvigorated after attending this program. As several of us walked away from the Seattle Convention Center we talked about plans for our own Friday afternoon fun-times.



Patty Petroccione and Terry Long at the SCCL reception at the Federal Court House



Welcome Baby Sofie!

Congratulations to Anthony and Rosie Ikwueme on the birth of their daughter, Sofie Chnwendum, who arrived on Aug. 11, 2013, at 5:02 pm. Sofie weighed in at 8 lb. and was 21 inches long. Both mother and baby are doing well, and we wish them all the best.

Alexis Fetzer

Alexis is the new reference and research services librarian in the Muse Law Library at the University of Richmond School of Law.

She was born in Lake Charles, LA, and  earned her B.A. in History from Louisiana State University in 2008. She remained at LSU for her J.D. (2011) and M.L.I.S. (2013), during which time she also served as Law Library Fellow to the Paul M. Hebert Law Library. An inactive member of the Louisiana Bar, Alexis has a background in civil law.

Her hobbies include long distance running and snow skiing. Her favorite skiing trip so far was to Whistler, Canada in January.

"Whistler Mountain along with the adjoining Blackcomb Mountain together make up the largest ski area in North America. Aside from one very epic spill I took on black diamond run, it was quite possibly the best skiing I have ever experienced," Alexis said.

The most recent race Alexis trained for was the New Orleans Crescent City Classic 10k where she set a personal best of 39 minutes 58 seconds (6'26" per mile). She is currently training for Richmond's Anthem Marathon in November.

We wish Alexis the best and we hope to see her at a VALL meeting.

Andrew Winston

Andrew is the research and instructional services librarian in the Muse Law Library at the University of Richmond School of Law.

He also teaches legal research in the first-year program and has developed a course on innovative technologies in law practice that he taught for the first time in the spring of 2013.

Prior to joining Muse law library, Andrew served as a law librarian in the American Law Division of the Congressional Research Service (CRS) through CRS’ Graduate Recruit Program. Before obtaining his library science degree, he practiced corporate and securities law with LeClairRyan in Richmond, Virginia, and Cahill Gordon & Reindel in New York, New York.

Andrew obtained his master’s in library and information science from Drexel University, and his law and undergraduate degrees at the University of Virginia.

When not working, Andrew enjoys hiking in the Blue Ridge Mountains, reading mystery novels and ancient Greek and Roman history, and traveling.

Mei Kiu Lo

Welcome to Mei Kiu Lo who is the new catalog/systems librarian at the University of Richmond Law Library!

Before moving to UofR, Mei Kiu had been the state and federal publications cataloger at the Library of Virginia.

She has a B.S. in China Studies from Hong Kong Baptist University, an MLS from the State University of New York at Buffalo, and an advance information and library science degree from UNC-CH.

Mei Kiu loves traveling and has been all over the US. Her favorite city is Portland, Oregon, and her favorite National Park is Bryce Canyon. She hopes to someday visit Australia.

We hope to meet her at a VALL meeting!

Congratulations to Tim Coggins!

Timothy L. Coggins, Associate Dean for Library and Information Services & Professor of Law at the University of Richmond School of Law Library received the Oakley Award at AALL's Annual Meeting in Seattle, WA, on July 14.

Tim has played a significant role in AALL’s government relations program since its inception and has been an outstanding advocate for the AALL policy agenda through a number of leadership roles. Tim served as chair of the Government Relations Committee (1991-92 and 2005-2006); chair of a special Task Force on Government Relations Activities (1993-94); co-chair of the AALL Working Group on information Technology and Implementation (1996-1998); chair of the Access to Electronic Information Committee (2006-07); chair of the Electronic Legal Information Access & Citation Committee (2010-11); member of the Washington Affairs Office Review Special Committee (2008-09); and is currently a member of the Government Policy Advisory Group (2011-2013). Tim’s service helped to establish a major role for AALL and its members as information experts on government use of technology for authentic and accessible public information.

Former VALLer Merrill Chertok presentation

L-R: Patty Petroccione, Merrill Chertok and Donna Bausch, just before Merrill's presentation, "Build It and They Will Come: Creating an E-Reader Device Display in Your Library." Thanks to Donna for the picture.



AALL in Seattle 2013

The weather for the 106th annual meeting was perfect -- sunny and cool! It seemed a bit ironic that the rain fatigued folks from the east coast had to find sunshine on the west coast ... but no one was complaining! And some were even heard to remark that this was the best AALL weather they've had in a very long time.

The weather was perfect, the beauty of Seattle was at its best and the programs I attended met and even exceeded my expectations (with the exception of one that fell flat on its face). All in all, a very good meeting.

The grand old man, Mt. Rainier, is almost visible ... peeping through the mists.

Here is another view of Mt. Rainier from the water.

An iconic symbol of Seattle ... the Space Needle ... as seen from the water.

Cathy Lemann and Terry Long found Gelatiamo (photo from Terry Long)

Yes, I found the Gelato shop too ... delicious scoop of mango and strawberry gelato.

 

But no place was as popular as the Wild Ginger for law librarian foodies. Here's a Malaysian laksa dish ... ok it was pretty good but still nothing like the original.

The coconut ice cream at the Wild Ginger was seriously good ... no doubt about it!

We did come for the conference and here is AALL President, Jean Wenger, at the Opening General Session bright and early on Sunday, July 14, 2013.

Chief Justice Barbara Madsen of the Washington State Supreme Court welcomed AALL to Seattle and spoke briefly about how the Seattle community rallied around and saved the King County law library from being closed.
 

Keynote speaker Dr. David Weinberger from the Harvard Library Innovation Lab talked about libraries as platforms and how they are under-represented on the web.

VALL President Amy Wharton at the VALL luncheon on Monday, July 15. The fall meeting will be at Washington & Lee in Lexington, and the spring meeting will be at South University in Glen Allen. Information will be coming soon!
 

Cathy Palombi and Victoria Kahn having a discussion at the VALL luncheon.

New VALL member Jennifer Gonzalez, and Anthony Brown Ikwueme deciding on what to order for lunch.

Patty Petroccione

Donna Bausch, Rae Ellen Best, Jim Heller ... choices, choices and in the end the most popular dish was the salmon burger.

Joyce Manna Janto at the VALL table in the exhibit hall.
 

My favorite program -- Finding the Veronica Mars Within: Using Social Media for Investigatice Purposes in Legal Practice. Years ago when I was writing about how to find people, I knew this day would come -- that we would someday be using social media to locate people.

The Marian Gould Gallagher Distinguished Service Award recipient, Carolyn P. Ahern

The Marian Gould Gallagher Distinguished Service Award recipient, Judy Meadows.
 

The changing of the guard, incoming AALL President Steve Anderson and outgoing president Jean Wenger.

AALL President Steve Anderson. On to San Antonio in 2014!

Part-Time Reference Librarian Position available at South University

Responsible for providing reference, research and information literacy instruction to the campus community, using library materials in all formats. Will assist faculty, students and staff in development of research skills as well as teach patrons how to use the Library’s integrated catalog. Incumbent must assure that the South University philosophy is considered in carrying out the duties and responsibilities of this position: quality services to clients; development, growth, involvement, and recognition of employees; sound economic principles; and maintenance of an environment which is conducive to innovation, positive thinking and expansion.

For a job description and how to apply, please click on link: https://edmc.hua.hrsmart.com/ats/js_job_details.php?reqid=23222

Time Management for the Retiree

by Jean Holcomb

When you walk out of your library office for the last time, you will leave many things behind. No more worries about budget negotiations, technology upgrades, or space planning. You will take with you skills built over your working career. In particular, you will find that your time management and negotiation techniques will play key roles in building a fulfilling life after work.

Why do time management and negotiation skills continue to play important roles? Isn’t life in retirement just six Saturdays and a Sunday? Why worry about how you use your time in a new world without deadlines?

For most retirees who leave a structured work environment, the last thing they expect to find challenging will be how to budget their time. After the first weeks filled with planning for that dream vacation, starting a much anticipated home project, or just sitting with your feet up, reality strikes. Gone are three day weekends, days off for conferences, and personal leave days.

Soon the “six Saturdays” challenge appears. Without the comfortable sense of routine a schedule brings, without the structure of your day at the library, how will you characterize the days of the week? Much depends on your personal orientation on the glass half-full meter. Is every day now a Monday? Would that be a good or bad thing?

At first, dealing with the challenges brought by a new time frame without structure may feel disconcerting. Don’t rush to fill this vacuum. Resist the temptation to replicate the rigidity of your work life routine. Understand that a balanced schedule includes time for a wide variety of activities.

Take time to let your post-professional life circadian rhythms develop. Listen to your internal clock to discover the best time of day for special tasks requiring concentration. Through trial and error figure out when you’re most comfortable including daily exercise activities. Recognize signals that tell you it’s time to slow down and recharge. Reap the restorative benefits of a mid- day nap. Insert time to put your feet up and enjoy a book. Practice mindful decision making.

Recognize that not every minute needs to be filled. Accepting non-action as a legitimate use of time may take practice. Having a guilt-free day off may be especially challenging when family members have a lower threshold for inactivity. Consider instituting the idea of a rainy-day pass good for time off from daily routine even without the rain. A day without structure brings with it the time to let the mind wander.

The role played by reflective thinking in planning and reassessment activities continues throughout our lives. The change from a work focus to a more personal orientation doesn’t devalue the importance of finding time to reflect. While the process of reflective thinking won’t change, we may face a challenge in creating an environment conducive to such thought. With no office door to close, be creative in finding an “away” space at home for uninterrupted thinking time. In our family the long standing joke is that my bed is my office. When papers and a yellow legal pad appear on the cover, family know it’s time to tip-toe away.

For most of us, how we develop our daily routines will not be a unilateral decision. The interests and needs of the family members and friends in our lives will impact our time planning. Retirement offers opportunities to renegotiate how we apportion family tasks. Decisions made in the past about tasks like grocery shopping, bill paying, yard work, and meal preparation stand ready for reevaluation based on non-work priorities. Not who has the time, but who has the interest might become the determining factor in task ownership.

Changes in the technology that surrounds us once we retire play a role in how we accomplish tasks. Keeping up with new operating systems for everything from home entertainment systems and phones, to cameras and computers opens opportunities to maximize task completion. For those of us who relied heavily on in-house library technical support to bridge the steep new technology learning curve caisson, smooth mastery often depends on building informal technology safety nets of family, friends, community college courses and home based trial and error. I’ve learned that the old saying about teaching an old dog new tricks exists for a reason. At the same time, the feeling of satisfaction that comes with mastery never grows old.

Even while new technologies such as smart phones give us the option to never be unconnected from the greater world around us, learning to “turn off” phones, instant messaging, and email remain just as important today as when we worked in the library. Establish personal parameters about reading and responding to emails and text messages. Then share those parameters with those with whom you are in regular contact. Setting boundaries in this fashion sets expectations and avoids conflict and miscommunication.

As you take the first steps to build a daily routine, don’t rush to fill all of the vacuum left by an empty schedule. Don’t immediately commit to time constraining projects. Take at least six months to decompress and design a new time management outline that matches your new reality. Recognize this outline as a first draft that will evolve as you explore new interest and focus on new projects. Never forget the importance of building in a reward mechanism for project completions. Right now I’m looking forward to exploring a new mystery author’s first book and baking a peach mascarpone tart.



VALL Luncheon at AALL Deadline

The deadline to register for the VALL Luncheon at AALL is fast approaching on July 8! Don't let the deadline creep up on you ... register now!  This is a great opportunity to network with your colleagues.

Click here for the registration form:
http://vall.pbworks.com/w/file/66554493/VALL_2013_Summer_Lunch_Meeting_Registration.doc

VLA Council Meeting Highlights: June 21, 2013

By Terry Long, VALL representative to VLA Council

Finances are strong.

• Jobline has been active – brought in revenue and means the job market is picking up.

• Paraprofessional Forum brought in some money.

• Membership is strong at 882 members.

The association has migrated from a physical server in Radford to a cloud server, Bluehost.


VLA Legislative Day was May 8th. 11 VLA members met with 9 congressmen. They pushed the importance of LSTA funding and reminded them that librarians are also teachers when they are writing legislation.

182 people participated in the VLA Paraprofessional Forum in May. A survey was made about changing the name, 76% favored making a change. The change is prompted by a change in the demographics of those attending the annual forum; they are not just paraprofessionals, there are others involved with the library, i.e. HR professionals, IT staff, branch librarians, etc.

VLA Annual Conference will be held at the Doubletree by Hilton-Williamsburg September 25-27. The preliminary program will be posted on VLA’s web site after July 4. VALL has a program developed by UVA law librarians, Ben Doherty and Leslie Ashbrook. They will unveil videos designed to help the public understand common legal issues.

VA College & Research Libraries will have a program to discuss the 24/7 library. The discussions will be held at Hampden-Sydney and Washington & Lee.

The Membership Committee surveyed non-renewing members. In some cases this prompted renewal. They also received some good feedback.

Cindy Church from the Library of Virginia reported they have contracted with an architect for a study on repurposing their public spaces. Zinio, a distribution system for digital magazines, is now available for public libraries through the Library of Virginia. Note: I tried it from Richmond Public Library’s web site; it is like reading the print magazine.

The Scholarship Committee is soliciting gift baskets from libraries and VLA committees to be raffled off at VLA to benefit the Scholarship fund. Should VALL contribute one?