AALL Hackathon

by Jennifer Gonzalez

 

 

For the 2014 AALL Annual Conference, I was fortunate to attend the first-ever AALL Hackathon. A Hackathon is an event where technology-focused people such as developers and designers meet to collaborate on new projects. For the AALL event, these technologists worked with subject specialists (law librarians) who have specific, in-depth knowledge in an area that is under-represented on the Internet.

At the beginning of the day, a representative from sunlight.org and the Census Bureau spoke about the importance of these types of projects and how much good they can do. Bringing together people who have the ideas (law librarians) and the people who can make it happen
(technologists) is a collaboration that can result in the creation of projects to solve problems.

Once the motivation was in place, groups were formed based on people’s interests. Some people came into the project knowing exactly what they wanted to pursue and most groups were formed around those ideas. Projects had to be identified quickly so that work could begin
immediately. Once the work began, it continued throughout the day in a very informal setting. Unfortunately, there was a shortage of technologists, so some groups of specialists adapted and made plans for what they would do once they had the resources to pursue a project. In upcoming years, this type of event might attract more people, especially if the event is held in a larger city.

At the end of the day, three judges evaluated presentations by each group and made comments before giving out the placements and grand prize. Projects addressed state materials and decisions in special education advocacy, consolidating and organizing state administrative
codes, working with the AALL inventory, improving a particular state’s search functions by creating a proxy search, and several more. The judges identified themes that were common across all of the projects. These themes included crowd-sourcing, the need for participants from all states for collaboration, accessibility, archiving, increasing functionality, open source (free, public access), the desire to inspire other projects, and adding value to legal information.

It was a fantastic experience and one I hope will become a staple in the AALL Annual Conference.



President's Message

Hello, VALL members! I hope you all had a wonderful summer. My favorite time of the year is finally arriving, and there is much going on with VALL that I’d like to share with you. 

VALL at AALL

There was a good contingent of VALL members who attended the AALL Annual Meeting in San Antonio, Texas last July. We held our summer lunch meeting at Paesano’s on the Riverwalk.

 

Also during the conference, we had a VALL chapter table on display at the Exhibit Hall.

 

 

Thanks to our Public Relations Committee for having created special VALL 30^th Anniversary buttons made to give to the exhibit hall visitors.

 

Overall it was a great showing of VALL at AALL this year (Thanks to Stephanie Miller for the pictures)!

 

Memory Book

There is still time to share your memories with the 30^th Anniversary Committee for inclusion in the VALL Memory Book. As an incentive, all members who submit a memory for the book will automatically be placed in a drawing to win a $25 gift card from Barnes & Noble. You can send your VALL memories to Jane Harrison (jharrison@hunton.com) or Sally Wambold (swambold@richmond.edu).

 

Strategic Planning & Communications Committees

There are two projects of note that are currently ongoing. The first is the work of VALL’s Strategic Planning Committee. A mission statement has already been implemented, with a proposed strategic plan to be discussed by the Executive Board. There will be more news to follow. Thanks to the planning committee, under Chair Andrew Winston, for its hard work in creating an essential strategic plan for VALL.

 

The other project involves the Communications Committee, which is currently working to strengthen its communication to its members. As you may have already seen, the association blog, VALLTalk, has already gone through some revisions, with more to come. The plan is to improve the blog and possibly combine it with the VALL Wiki to create one integrated association blog and website. Communications Committee Chair Evelyn Campbell has been working hard with a focus group to identify those areas of communication improvement. The committee would appreciate any feedback by VALL members on the changes.

 

Fall/Annual Meeting

 

I am very excited about our upcoming Fall Meeting, to be held at Hunton and Williams LLP in Richmond on Friday, October 10. We will be hosting a special visitor and speaker: AALL Vice President Keith Ann Stiverson. She will talk about the work that the AALL Executive Board has been doing this year.

 

In addition to Keith Ann, we will have two interesting talks. Sherwin Siy, from Public Knowledge (https://www.publicknowledge.org/), will discuss net neutrality and the implications for first sale and copy ownership in the digital environment. Sally Wiant, from the Washington & Lee University School of Law, will speak about 3D printing and the intellectual property issues that arise from this new medium.

 

Finally, we have two special events planned right after the meeting. First, interested attendees will tour the Virginia State Law Library (which is where I happen to work), located in the Supreme Court of Virginia, and just a short walk from Hunton & Williams. Afterward, we will have a reception for Keith Ann at The Tobacco Company, also located near Hunton & Williams. The reception will be a great opportunity to meet Keith Ann in a more social setting. If you plan to attend the meeting, I do hope that you will be able to stay after and join us at one or both of these special events.

 

The meeting program and registration form can be found here, where you can print and fill out the form. Please note that you have until Friday, October 3 to register. You can send your completed registration form (or questions about the meeting) to Programs Committee Chair Stephanie Miller (millersc@wlu.edu).

 

Well, I think that is all for now. I hope to see you all at our Annual Meeting next month. Have a great fall season!

 

 Ben Almoite

 

VLA Council Meeting Sept 12, 2014

by Terry Long

 

• Jobline is profitable which indicates more jobs are available.
• Institutional memberships have increased.
• An audit was recently conducted of VLA’s finances and no irregularities were found. An audit will be conducted every three years.
• Richmond Convention Center will be the site of the 2015 annual meeting.
• The Executive Committee has been discussing the future of the publication, Virginia Libraries.
• Though VLA is not a member of Southeastern Library Association, they are exploring ways to partner with them on programing.
• ALA has reaffirmed its stance on net neutrality.
• Registration for VLA’s annual meeting is progressing nicely.
• Speakers at this year’s annual meeting are: Dr. Michael Stephens, writer of the monthly Library Journal column “Office Hours” and assistant professor at San Jose State University’s School of Information, will speak at the opening session on Thursday. Keynote  speaker for Friday is Gene Ambaum, a co-creator of the “Unshelved” comic.
• Phil Abraham, VLA’s lobbyist, will be presented with the George Mason award at VLA’s annual meeting. This award is not always given each year;  rather , it is given when appropriate, to a librarian or an individual “distinguished for advocacy of libraries and/or informationaccess”… [In years past Phil has helped VALL with issues involving the General Assembly.]
• The Scholarship Committee is accepting baskets for their raffle at the annual meeting.
• New librarians in Richmond area will gather at Hardywood Park brewery for a social on October 2^nd.
• Association of College and Research Libraries is hosting a webinar on making effective presentations on September 23^rd. It will be archived on VLA web site.
• The next para-professional forum will be held May 17-19, 2015 at the Doubletree Hotel in Chesterfield.

 

VALL Through the Eyes of the President

by Jane Harrison

Ben Almoite, Librarian at the Virginia State Law Library in Richmond, Virginia, has already had a full professional calendar this year. He attended the American Association of Law Libraries (AALL) Leadership Academy in Oak Brook, Illinois in April – thanks to assistance from a VALL Grant; and he attended AALL’s Annual Meeting and Conference in San Antonio, Texas in July.

So how did Ben first find out about VALL? Well, he “Googled it”! In 2011, Ben was relocating to Richmond from Washington, DC, where he was a law firm reference librarian, and active in the Law Librarians’ Society of Washington D.C. Wanting to see if there was a chapter of AALL in the Richmond area, he did a quick search on Google. He was delighted to find VALL. Three years later, Ben now wears the president’s hat.

Among the things Ben is excited about this year is seeing VALL celebrate its 30^th Anniversary. “Thirty years as an association is a long time – a great achievement. I am honored to be the VALL president during this milestone year,” Ben said.

The 30^th Anniversary Committee has invited all VALL members to share their memories, which will be compiled in a “VALL Memories” book. So, what has been Ben’s most memorable moment as VALL president so far? “Definitely holding my first executive board meeting back in June. I had never ran a formal meeting before, let alone worry about putting together a meeting agenda, facilitating discussions and putting issues to a vote. For me it was certainly a memorable experience.”

Ben feels that VALL has been a huge influence in his professional development as a law librarian. “Being a member of VALL has given me the opportunity to keep in touch with trends in law librarianship, legal research and teaching. It has also allowed me to meet so many colleagues – both locally and nationally - and to use them as an occasional sounding board.”

During his tenure as VALL president, Ben wants to see an increase VALL’s visibility as a chapter. During the AALL 2014 meeting in San Antonio, VALL had a table set up in the Exhibit Hall, and the Public Relations Committee had special “30^th Anniversary” VALL buttons made, to be distributed to conference attendees. In addition, AALL Vice President Keith Ann Stiverson will be visiting and attending the Fall Meeting in Richmond in October.

He also wants VALL to continue to be an inclusive association, and encourages members from all regions of the Commonwealth to get involved with VALL. “Even though our members are widespread throughout the state, I want them to know that we are all ‘one’ through this association; and we need their involvement and participation in order for VALL to continue to be a strong organization.”

“Volunteering some time as a member of a VALL committee is a great way to get involved,” said Ben. “You can really make a difference without much of a time commitment.” “Another way to participate is following VALL in social media, where members can share news through a Community page on Facebook, and a Group page on LinkedIn.”

Finally, as to VALL’s role in the future of the legal community, Ben hopes that members will continue to write articles in the Virginia Lawyer, as well as promote VALL to other colleagues in the workplace.

“I think as long as we continue to show legal professionals who we are and what we do, through our work and contributions, VALL can remain relevant in the Virginia legal community.”

 

Seeking Your VALL Memories!

The 30th Anniversary Committee is seeking your memories of VALL for inclusion in the VALL Memory Book. if you recall, Ben Almoite talked about this in his President's Message, and this was also discussed at the fall meeting at South University.

Submit your memory to Jane Harrison at jharrison@hunton.com or Sally Wambold at swambold@richmond.edu, and your name will be placed in a drawing for a $25 Barnes & Noble gift card.

Come on VALLers, we know you've got memories you want to share!

Reinventing the New Classroom -- Lessons from San Antonio

by Alexis Fetzer

 

I was fortunate enough to travel to San Antonio and attend the 2014 AALL Conference with the help of a generous grant received from VALL. My anticipation in attending was fueled all the more after a long battle with flight delays. Finally arriving, I was eager to attend my first session, Sunday afternoon’s Deep Dive : “Inventing the New Classroom.” 
 

Speakers included Debra Denslaw and Jesse Bowman of Valparaiso University, Jennifer Mart-Rice of Northern Kentucky University, and Susan Boland of the University of Cincinnati. The title “Inventing the New Classroom” initially led me to believe we would be focusing on the popular trend of flipping legal research classrooms. My suspicion was confirmed when the first speaker requested we text or tweet in answers to a live polling survey determining who among us had ever flipped their classroom. Results revealed that most of us had not.  However, a further discussion of what it meant to really flip a classroom caused some of us to begin rethinking our answers.  

 

Going into the session, I associated a “flipped classroom” with creating video lectures to be watched by students outside of class and using class time to work on practical application. My definition was really only partially correct. A flipped classroom is based on the idea that foundational knowledge comes before the classroom, using actual class time to apply, analyze, evaluate, and create. Using video lectures is one conceptual design of a flipped classroom, but it is not the only one. Assigning material to be read before class could in theory accomplish the same goal. We were reminded that a video lecture is still a lecture. If lecturing is not the most effective means of teaching a topic, merely changing the format of that lecture will not change that.   

 

In addition to discussing the concept of a flipped classroom we learned about utilizing social media tools in the classroom. There are currently over 200 social media tools at our disposal and the number is continually growing. This was a topic I was very excited to hear about. While I love the idea of using social media in the classroom, I have struggled to come up with practical ways of doing so. I would hate to use social media simply for the sake of using it without having any real impact on instruction. In other words, I don’t want my students to think I’m trying too hard to be hip and cool.  
 

We were given several examples of appropriate social media tools depending upon your teaching methods. If you are lecturing, consider using Google Hangouts, Twitter hashtags, or YouTube videos. If you are employing collaborative learning methods, consider Google Hangouts or YouTube videos. Using screen sharing with Google Hangouts was offered as an example for this purpose. If you are composing a worksheet or memo, perhaps use blogs or wikis. For a pathfinder, consider having students create YouTube videos, websites, blogs, wikis, or even Pinterest boards pointing to their sources. One of my favorite ideas came from a librarian in the audience who had her students write blogposts and then create corresponding tags to help other people find their work.  

 

While using social media is a creative way to engage students, it should be noted that its use does raise some privacy and boundary issues. For example, you may not want to begin receiving Facebook friend requests from your students. As an instructor, you should be aware of these sorts of issues when choosing an appropriate social media tool for your course and students. It does, however, provide a great opportunity to discuss appropriate web presence among students.  

I found this session to be one of the most informative and motivating sessions I attended at this year’s AALL Conference. I am eager to begin teaching this fall and try out some of the ideas I picked up. Again, thank you to VALL for the generous grant that made my attendance this year possible. 



Beyond Boundaries in San Antonio

by Charlie Nelson

 

The San Antonio conference was my second at AALL -- I also attended the Seattle event in 2013. Last year I was a wide-eyed newbie who thought I had to attend every possible program, fill my days, and justifying the expense of my trip.

 

I learned a few things for sure, rubbed shoulders with major vendors that I'd only conversed with over the phone and via email, sat through some interesting and some not so interesting programs, and managed to come back  with a few ideas to apply to my position.  As the librarian at a private firm which manages itself in practice groups, the biggest tip I learned in Seattle was to look for assistance in understanding the value of resources that we purchase. At my suggestion, we assigned an attorney in each group to fully consider the resource expenses assigned to each group, and have them review for redundancy and waste. The. Plan. Worked. Well. 

 

We circulated lists (resources and prices), identified those that we supplemented because we "always had" -- resources that we realized no one used anymore, and most importantly (and not surprisingly) those that no one could justify based on the expense. No one had a clue about individual expenses until then, and this was quite an eye-opener for most. A fresh and thorough examination allowed us to eliminate more than expected, to get better resources into the hands of the attorneys, and still lower the overall budget by 30%. Its an exercise we plan to repeat every so often, and one that I highly recommend.

 

 

Needless to say, getting approval for the San Antonio conference was a cakewalk. 

 

So in traveling to San Antonio, I was looking for that nugget of knowledge that could match last years. Turns out things ended up a bit differently than I expected. Besides the weather (MAJOR difference), this time I was more relaxed. I didn't feel the need to cram my schedule with programs that couldn't possibly benefit me or the firm. I saw familiar, welcoming faces. I was invited to attend private functions, dinners, lunches and focus groups. I spent even more time with vendors and the knowledge I gained wasn't found in a meeting room.  It was found in coffee breaks, and impromptu conversations where the folks I met were as interested in my experiences with products and resources, and how I did my job, as I was in theirs.

  

 

This second time around, I wasn't the shy guy in Seattle. I transitioned beyond my personal boundaries, and I felt part of the larger whole, a union of professionals who are sometimes taken for granted, often undervalued, and it was our time to laugh about it, refresh, and pump one another up as only similarly-situated individuals can do. 

 

I shared some good food and drink while sharing experiences, I put names to faces for those people I see on list serves, and I further solidified relationships with people I'd met before. I might even remember a name or two when our paths cross again, but don’t hold me to that – I will never be good with names. I met people that I think can be called "friends" and not mere acquaintances. And while I didn't come away with a nugget as golden as last years (at least in monetary measure), I valued these experiences just as highly. This time I focused on the conference as a whole, and not as a series of smaller, inter-woven programs, and the experience was just as satisfying, albeit, no less exhausting.

 

Now, what will Philadelphia and Chicago bring? I can't wait to find out. But please, let there be less humidity.