Testing the waters: Reflections for the uninitiated

by Michele Gernhardt

As a relatively nascent law librarian, I felt some intimidation over the prospect of attending an AALL Annual Meeting. The cost, time commitment and travel involved can be overwhelming for a first-time attendee. This year, the convenient location, a generous VALL grant, and a fantastic roommate provided the opportunity and incentive I needed to finally take the plunge. No longer one of the uninitiated, I hope that future first-timers will benefit from my observations and experiences.

Scheduling

If my experience is close to the norm (and I believe it is in this case), you’re not going to spend much time in your hotel room. I had just enough time to shower, change and grab some breakfast or a beverage before dashing off to the first item on my very full schedule each day.

Even with the assistance of AALL’s new online calendar creator, the scheduling process can be quite daunting. The final program for the 102nd AALL Annual Meeting and Conference was 80 pages long and chock-full of programming, meeting details and special event announcements. There were six different programs scheduled during each block of time, meaning it was impossible to attend more than 16% of the programs. I was dismayed at having to choose, and wondered whether I was missing out on some life-changing presentation in another meeting room.

In addition to the programming, one must also make room for chapter meetings (such as the PLL-SIS luncheon and VALL meeting) and events. As if the official AALL Annual Meeting program wasn’t enough, there’s also the deluge of post-cards, e-mails and telephone calls from vendors and library groups announcing special events, meetings and promotions. These little extras started pouring in a few weeks before the meeting and didn’t stop until after my first day in D.C.

Now that I’m on the other side of my first experience, here’s my advice regarding scheduling:
- Don’t schedule every minute. Make peace early with the fact that you can’t attend every program, meeting and special event.
- Make time for fun. You’re in a new and different place. Make sure you get to see more than just the hotel and convention center. Take a library tour, go on an organized outing or just do some sight-seeing.
- Block out a few hours (not necessarily all at once) for the exhibit hall. My biggest regret is not having any time to explore the exhibit hall. Some very generous colleagues saw to it that I didn’t go home empty-handed (thanks for the swag!), but next time I’m going to make sure that I give myself enough time for a leisurely visit.
- Volunteer. I’m especially glad that I made time to volunteer. The online volunteer sign-up form made the process quite simple, and there were a variety of volunteer opportunities to choose from. I worked at the registration desk and also helped out at the closing banquet. It felt very good to give back to AALL and my colleagues in this small way.

Dining

I must admit that I came very close to writing an article solely devoted to my culinary experience at the Annual Meeting. Wining and dining is a constant and pleasant component of the convention. You will have more lunch and dinner invitations than you can possibly oblige. I opted for the more intimate functions this year, with the exception of the closing banquet. I will definitely try the larger West and Lexis functions should I have the opportunity to attend a future Annual Meeting.

Learning

Overall, the programming at the Annual Meeting was excellent. Our colleagues imparted a great deal of knowledge utilizing a variety of presentation styles. There was an even mix of “big picture” and subject-specific programs.

I attended some wonderful “big picture” programs:
- So You Think You Can Teach: Keeping the Audience Awake and Learning Alive
- Got Ideas? Tools and Techniques to Identify, Refine and Communicate Ideas That Stick; and
- Emerging from the Cocoon: Innovative Ways to Reteach Legal Research to Externs and Summer Associates.

I also thoroughly enjoyed two subject-specific programs:
- What’s in a Name? Trademark Searching, Services and Domain Names; and
- Law Librarian: The New Private Investigator.

These programs provided me with a veritable treasure trove of information to share with my colleagues. However, the most lasting and important piece of knowledge that I gleaned from attending these programs is something very personal. I realized that “I can do it.” I can put this knowledge to use to improve myself professionally. I can provide better service to my patrons. And finally, I can now see myself standing up on the podium at some future Annual Meeting, presenting my own program.

Collegiality

Sharing professional experiences with colleagues in both formal and informal settings is perhaps the most significant benefit of attending an AALL Annual Meeting. It was wonderful to listen to law librarians talk about the challenges and issues that they face and realize that I shared similar concerns and experiences. Chatting with fellow law librarians at vendor-sponsored dinners and between presentations made me really feel I was a part of a professional community.

Parting Thoughts

99997.005000 EMF_US 28233313v1I left the annual meeting feeling both humbled and empowered. I am very grateful to the VALL Grant Committee for providing this excellent opportunity. If you haven’t had the chance to attend an AALL Annual Meeting, I hope you’ll jump at the next opportunity.

Mr. and Ms. Librarian Go to Washington: VALL Members Participate in AALL's Day on the Hill

by Fred Dingledy

This year’s AALL Annual Meeting and Conference was held in Washington, D.C., which not only proved a convenient location for VALL members, but also gave conference-goers a chance to meet their U.S. Representatives and Senators as a part of the 2009 Day on the Hill, sponsored by the AALL Government Relations office.

Day on the Hill took place on Friday, July 24, the day before the main conference began, but still received a strong turnout – the Government Relations office reports that more than 75 members from across the country took advantage of the opportunity, including a librarian from Japan’s National Diet Library. Virginia was proudly represented by a strong contingent – joining me at the event were Heather Harrell Buchanan from the Suffolk Circuit Court Library; Robert Davis from the Prince William County Public Law Library; Tom Pulver from the Fairfax Public Law Library; and Roger Skalbeck from Georgetown University Law Library.

After introductions all around, Mary Alice Baish and Emily Feldman from the Government Relations office gave a presentation on “Hot Topics on AALL’s Policy and Legislative Agenda”, summarizing the topics that we would be discussing with our Representatives and Senators later in the day, including free public access to PACER; easy and free public access to Congressional Research Service reports; and funding for the Law Library of Congress.

Next, we heard from “advocacy guru” Stephanie Vance, who gave an entertaining program with group tips on effective advocacy. Some of the more entertaining tips were of the “stuff you’d hope people wouldn’t need to be told, but apparently they do” variety:

· If your meeting is with a politician’s staffer instead of their boss, don’t express disappointment that you’re meeting with “just” them.
· Don’t ask how much the Honorable Representative/Senator was paid to advocate a position.

Stephanie also offered suggestions on how participants could craft their message to best grab politicians’ attention, and demonstrated with the able help of one brave soul who volunteered to do a mock walk-and-talk with her. Stephanie left her audience with several valuable takeaways, among them:

· Be sure to know exactly what you want and clearly ask for it. Don’t accept a general “we love libraries” for an answer.
· If you’re meeting as a group, coordinate your message. Everyone doesn’t have to speak at every meeting.
· Have a personal story that illustrates why it’s important Congress grant your request. Your request sticks in the mind much better as “I want to make it easier for John and Jane Prose to find the bankruptcy filings they need” than as an abstract concept like “public access to U.S. District Court documents fulfills an important need”.
· There’s a good chance you’ll only have five minutes to meet. Be sure you can condense your message accordingly.
· Be persistent (but not overly so). Be sure to follow up – suggesting a site visit is often a good way to bring your message home. E-mail is often a better option than snail mail, since physical mail has to be irradiated in a facility in New Jersey (a side effect of the anthrax letters from a few years ago) before it arrives in Congressional offices in D.C. Physical mail sent to district offices may not be subject to the same holdup, though.
· Remember that Representatives’ and Senators’ staffers are your friends. They’re the ones doing most of the research work, and they’ve got their boss’s ear. Having the staff on your side can help you greatly; getting on their bad side won’t help you at all.

After Ms. Vance’s presentation came break-out sessions for each state’s delegation, followed by a brief Q&A session and parting words from Mary Alice, Emily, and Stephanie.

After a brief lunch, it was time to meet Congress. I’ll have to admit to a case of nerves beforehand, this is the first time I’ve been involved in lobbying like this. Fortunately, our group had learned our lessons well, and the people at each office were friendly and courteous.

We started our meetings with Virginia’s U.S. Senators. Emily Feldman joined our group for these meetings. First stop was Sen. Jim Webb’s office, where we met with Legislative Correspondent Courtney Weaver. After meeting with Ms. Weaver, we discussed AALL identified issues with Nicholas Devereux, Senior Legislative Correspondent for Sen. Mark Warner. Finally, Heather, Robert, and Tom joined me for a meeting with Brent Robinson, Senior Legislative Assistant for Rep. Rob Wittman (Va. 1st Dist.).

Rather than try to cover the entire range of issues concerning AALL, we believed it better to focus on one or two issues, so we devoted most of our time towards two issues:

1. Asking Congress to encourage the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts to revive a pilot program aimed towards allowing free public access to PACER; and
2. Encouraging the Senate Rules and Administration Committee to pass S.Res. 118, which would create a system for easy and fee public access to Congressional Research Service reports.

My nerves quickly calmed after a couple of minutes as we began discussing the issues. The CRS Reports in particular seemed to be a very popular resource among Congressional staffers, and they seemed interested in granting the public access to these valuable resources. When it came to both issues, staffers did have questions of their own: Was PACER’s $.08/page cost really unreasonable? Shouldn’t Congressional staff be able to get a chance to review CRS reports before the public, since they’re the intended audience? It wasn’t really hostile questioning, though, it seemed to me more along the lines of making sure they get all sides of the issue in the grand legal tradition.

So, although I was a little hesitant before the day began and wondered what I’d gotten myself into, by the end I was glad I’d participated. It was informative getting to meet the people representing me in Congress – and dare I say, actually fun. It’s easy to get cynical about the political process, but it’s important to take part. Congress can’t know what law librarians want unless we tell them, and the men and women of Congress and their staffs really do want to listen.

The Government Relations office has created a page for this event at http://www.aallnet.org/aallwash/toolkit/dayonhill3-3.asp with a copy of Mary Alice Baish and Emily Feldman’s presentation, along with Stephanie Vance’s. The site also has links to AALL Issue Briefs covering “hot topics” of special interest to the organization.

If you want to contact your U.S. Senators and Representative, check their website. Sites usually have information setting up appointments and contact information:

· Sen. Mark Warner’s website is at http://warner.senate.gov/public/.
· Sen. Jim Webb’s website is at http://webb.senate.gov/. To find your local U.S. Representative’s website, go to the House’s homepage at http://www.house.gov/ and enter your ZIP+4 (yes, you do need to know the +4 part as well) in the “Find Your Representative” form at the upper-left corner of the screen (it’s in the darker title bar area of the page).

Why I Value the Annual Meeting

by Isabel Paul

Back when my employer was economically disposed and generous enough to fund my attendance at the AALL Annual Meeting, it was understood that I would be gaining knowledge of some value to the library. Fortunately, I could always uphold more than my end of the bargain, and, as the 102nd Annual Meeting and Conference proved, I can continue to contribute.

It goes without saying that the Programs are the centerpiece of any AALL Meeting and I discovered several gems. Here is a brief recap of a few of the real sparklers.

For an update on relevant resources, there was nothing to compete with Finding Services for Seniors (Ourselves and Others). The featured speaker, Ellen Klem, a staff attorney with the ABA Commission on Law and Aging, really focused on information for the public, my dominant user group. Many of the publication she discussed are generated by the ABA and are available for free or for a nominal charge. Her numerous, detailed handouts featured other publications and many appropriate websites, including FTC consumer related pages, and the Alzheimer’s Association webpage and a description of its contents. As a final gesture of convenience, Ellen agreed to add names to the subscriber e-mail list for ABA’s Bifocal newsletter. I’ve already received my first issue!

Taking me completely out of my comfort zone was the program, Strategic Alliance: The Tribal Supreme Court Project. Richard Guest, staff attorney for the Native American Rights Fund, spoke about the organization’s goal of strengthening advocacy for Native Americans and improving their win-loss record before the U.S. Supreme Court. The Project monitors cases in state appellate and federal courts, submits amicus briefs on behalf of tribal government interests, offers advice and expertise on the certiorari process, reviews tribal briefs, and steers tribes away from cases with a remote chance of winning. To date, this group has participated in 12 cases that have been argued before the Supreme Court, with progress made under the Rehnquist Court (3 wins, 2 losses, 2 ties) and discouraging results with the Roberts Court (0 wins, 5 losses, with tribes winning in the lower courts on every case). Chris Pereira, Systems Administrator for the Project, demonstrated their impressive presence on the Web as they track cases pending before the Court and cases they are monitoring, and as they upload a complete online archive of court documents.

Finally, in an effort to sharpen my influence as a library manager, I attended Got Ideas? Tools and Techniques to Identify, Refine and Communicate Ideas That Stick! Presented by two dynamic speakers, our very own Gail Warren and Jean Holcomb, this program was designed to assist managers in recognizing bright ideas (unexpected, simple, concrete, credible, having emotional appeal, and telling a story), in nurturing staffs to think creatively, and in communicating so as to leave a lasting impression. Jean and Gail had their own bright idea for driving the message home: make the session interactive. Attendees were given a “Bright Idea Identification and Assessment Tool Template” and asked to engage their brains in the thought process. First, we had to come up with an idea, communicate the idea so that it would “stick”, and then evaluate it based on the 6 factors for identifying a bright idea.

As much as I was able to take home from this Meeting, I also intended to give back. So, I relinquished an hour for walking around the Exhibit Hall in order to sit at the SCCLL SIS table in the Activities Area. I was able to meet and greet many passing colleagues and old friends, and distribute materials about the SIS and the programs it sponsored this year. This was definitely time well spent.

In closing, I would like to thank Donna Bausch and the Grants Committee, and VALL’s financial largesse for making my attendance possible. May future grants provide a similarly enriching professional experience for many VALL members.

Walking in the Humind Summerland (to the tune of Walking in a Winter Wonderland)

by Robert L. Davis, III

One of the benefits of being a DC resident is that I walk everywhere. By the time I walk to a metro-rail stop I am halfway to my destination. So, I just keep on walking. Since I love to walk I usually dress casually and comfortably. Dressing casually was somewhat up-ended during the American Association of Law Libraries (AALL) conference in Washington, DC.

Picture me walking from my townhouse on Capitol Hill to downtown. It is July 24, 2009, 7:45 a.m. and 78+ degrees. I am dressed in a suit, tie and dress shoes. The nation’s Capitol is busting with hot, steaming pavement. Come walk and perspire with me. Feel the full effect of letting your footsies do the walking to AALL-DC.

After weeks of 80+ degree temperatures and really low humidity, the AALL conference dropped into Washington, DC on July 23rd and the weather reversed itself. I am not trying to imply AALL brought the heat and humidity. But it seems a little more than coincidental that AALL, 87+ degree temperatures and more than 78% humidity arrived in town simultaneously.

Weather notwithstanding, this “Innovation” themed conference provided practical and useful information. It helped inform me, within and without limits as a law librarian. My connection with the samples and goodies in the exhibition hall or the homework associated with the legislative foray was all relevant and useful.

This particualar adventure began very innocently at the VALL Winter Meeting at George Mason University Law Library when Mary Alice Baish and Emily Feldman asked for volunteers to meet with congressional representatives from their states. Volunteers were needed to express and promote support for AALL positions. I presumed this would be similar to what some of us did with VALL in Richmond 10-15 years ago. What I did not count on was the homework I received. Come on! Except for presenters and committee chairs, who gets homework before a conference? Whatever happened to just showing up and schmoozing? Well, those of us who volunteered got homework! We were asked to e-mail and set up meeting times with our congressional representative(s) for the afternoon of July 24th.

I am a DC resident and chose to meet with Delegate Eleanor Norton but that fell through. Ultimately, I joined the Fab-4 Virginia delegation of Heather Buchanan, Fred Dingledy, Tom Pulver, and Roger Skalbeck. After training and getting very helpful tips from expert Stephanie Vance at a Legislative Workshop that morning, we proceeded with our mission.

Before speaking of our walking tour I want to take this opportunity to thank Mary Alice Baish for the homework. Simply put, it was all about relationships. It is establishing that connection with colleagues, partners, public and community. Constantly and consistently following through with that connection and seeing where it can be taken is what it is all about. This process reminds me of a courtship -- a pre-marriage of ideas which coalesce, reform, reshape and meet over time into a meeting of minds

This homework and relationship helped me realize first and foremost that people in Congress and their staff are people seeking practical connections to their constituencies. It is the common elements that connect us.

It is estimated that more than 10 thousand approaches are made to Congress via bills. Only 4% proceed to committee and action. Generally, 7.5 minutes are allotted by congressional staff for impromptu meetings with constituents. As such, connections can be very tenuous. Very much in the way we form personal friendships and associations that we value, we must gift members of Congress with the belief that associating with AALL ideals and goals hold value as well.

Heather, Fred, Roger, Thom and I visited the legislative aides for Senators Warner and Webb, as well as with the delegate from Fred’s jurisdiction. Each of us shared stories in association with our plea for the representatives to support Access to CRS reports, Public Access to Court Electronic Systems (PACER), and Authentication, and Funding for the Law Library of Congress. We were well-received. I believe, however, without constantly reinforcing the connections we made by letter, e-mail, fax and/or phone on a constant and consistent basis no relationship will really be formed.

The walking tour was a rewarding experience for it helped me realize that without constant lobbying for library issues, none will advance. Lobbying, at best, must be left to those with the expertise and connections established from years of working with congressional aides. This experience also dissolved my fantasy of believing my congressman or delegate has the warm-fuzzies for law libraries simply because they are in his or her district. This was reinforced in two workshops.

“Building a Coalition of County Law Libraries: A Place to Begin” and “Law Libraries & the Access to Justice Revolution” are two workshops I attended. In the first, Angela Baldree, Head of the Ohio Coalition of County Law Libraries, and other presenters, emphasized making law libraries an “in my backyard” issue for the politicians representing. This has to be done in tandem and not individually. In the second workshop, Richard Zora, of the Self Represented Litigation Network, said the political and social landscape is changing in favor of law libraries. We, as librarians, must get the attention of policy makers and as a unified association, support that shift politically, socially and economically to keep it moving.

These workshops showed the need for persistence and “playing” the political game to move law library issues forward. That was a valuable lesson I gained from AALL 2009.

The other lesson I gained was the generosity of VALL and the value of asking for what I need. Please see post below.

Despite the heat and humidity I had a wonderful time at AALL 2009. It enabled me to reconnect with colleagues and gain new ideas and perspectives on how to approach the work of being a law librarian. For that I am most appreciative.

Reflections

by Robert L. Davis, III

In my personal life I often advise folks who are seeking anything to “go for it!” and “don’t let them tell you ‘no’.” But I have neglected to do that for myself and my library.

Sure, I was trying to be altruistic and give librarians who were new to the profession, the advantage of using the scholarships/grants offered. Thanks to talking with Leanne Battle at the VALL Winter meeting I applied for and received a grant. I clearly appreciated and understood its value.

This was especially poignant when I saw and read the article “Wishing We Were in Washington” by Kathy Fletcher and Jennifer Finch, The Capital Crier, Convention Newspaper, Saturday, July 25, 2009. The authors were not able to attend AALL “for institutional financial reasons”. The article also indicated overall attendance for the annual meeting was down about 20%.

Unlike some of you whose library budgets have endured cuts within the last year, the PWCLL travel and membership budget was cut years ago. Civil filing fees, on which this library subsists, were down, anything other than essential operating costs were eliminated.

Thus, I am really grateful to Leanne for strongly encouraging me to apply for the grant. Sure, I had to add monies to make registration a reality. But for the grant I probably would not have attended this annual convention. Not attending would have created a lapse of 10 years of not connecting with colleagues and renewing my spirit to continue.

Speaking of “renewing my spirit to continue”, I want to share a secret I have carried during my 14 years as a law librarian. The mere presence of Gail Zwirner, Donna Bausch, Isabel Paul, Evelyn Campbell and Terry Long always encouraged and sustained me. These stalwarts of the profession have always been there for me and for VALL. When I see and speak with them I understand and know they are the keepers of my flame. Looking to the examples and standards they set keeps me on track and helps me continue to strive to be the best law librarian I can be. I thank them for all that they do and represent. And I thank VALL for the grant and opportunity to serve and commune with you all.

VALL at AALL Washington, DC, 2009,

Thank You from VIP Sandra Treadway

Dear Leanne and Fred,

Just a quick note to say thank you for giving me the opportunity to attend AALL this past week as VALL's VIP guest. It was a wonderful experience! I learned so much, made many new professional acquaintances and connections, and came away tremendously impressed with the state of law librarianship as well as an appreciation for many of the issues that the law library community faces.

You both as well as many other members of VALL who I encountered during the three days I was there made me feel very welcome and watched out to be sure that I could find my way around the the program schedule, receptions, etc. I truly felt like a VIP, which my staff back at the Library has already told me not to get used to!

I am off on vacation this Friday, but on my return I plan on joining VALL to show my support for the wonderful work that you do.

If I can help you in any way, please don't hesitate to let me know.

Again, thank you for including me in this special opportunity. I wouldn't trade the experience for anything.

Hope the conference concluded successfully and that you both had/have a little time to rest before heading back to work.

All the best,
Sandy