LightsLawLibrary

LAW LIBRARIANS’ SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON, D.C., INC.

A CHAPTER OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF LAW LIBRARIES

volume 45, number 2 WINTER 2001

A Time for Reflection

For many of us who live and work in the Washington D.C. area, the eventsof September 11, 2001, have changed how we feel about our jobs, our

commute, and the safety of our workplaces. The terrorists, however, have notchanged how we feel about being librarians! If there is anything that canmake us feel “normal” again, it is the collegiality and concern of our librariancolleagues around the United States and abroad.

Thank you to all who expressed concern and offered prayers and words ofsupport during these last few months, including Barbara Bintliff, president ofthe AALL; John Eaton, president of the Canadian Association of LawLibraries/Association Canadienne des Bibliotheques de Droit(CALL/ACBD); Valerie Stevenson, chair of the British and Irish Associationof Law Libraries (BIALL); and to the many chapter presidents and individuallibrarians who also contacted me on behalf of the LLSDC.

Ann C. GreenLLSDC President

MANY OF US HAVE BEEN AFFECTED PERSON-ALLY BY THE LOSS OF LOVED ONES - a motheror father, a child or spouse, an extremely closerelative or friend. But the events of September11, 2001, made grief and the anticipation offurther tragedy (and grief) instantly real toevery one of us. Most of us suffered the symp-toms of grief even when we did not personallyknow anyone who died in the terrorist attacks.Most of us are still grieving today.

In our death-denying culture, grief is a per-sonal thing not shared with others. I believe thatthe events of September 11 have made us recog-nize that we cannot leave grief at the doorstep ofour workplaces. Many of us were at work whenthe stories broke that day. Whether our grief is

HOT TOPIC:Grief in theWorkplace1

Penny A. HazeltonGallagher Law Library

University of WashingtonSchool of Law

continued on page 3

caused by the acts of terrorism or has a more per-sonal context, we cannot deny that the symp-toms of grief create stresses that affect the peopleand, therefore, the work in our libraries.

In 1995, Margaret Leary had the courage tomoderate a program at the AALL annual meet-ing entitled, The Grieving Library.2 After thedeath of one of her staff, she recognized the signsof collective and individual grief among her staffand turned to professional help from a griefcounselor. The AALL program featured abereavement therapist, Marcia Gray, who dis-cussed the process of grief and gave concrete sug-gestions to handle a variety of situations. I havedrawn on Marcia Gray’s materials, my own expe-

HAVING JUST READ PENNY HAZELTON’SARTICLE, “GRIEF IN THE WORKPLACE,” I am ina reflective state of mind. So many things havehappened since the publication of the fall issue.The world at large continues to grapple with theaftermath of September 11, with reports ofanthrax, with homeland security and militaryaction abroad. In my own life, a relative is fight-ing cancer that attacked his liver, his spine, andnow his lungs (he is 38); a close friend, who islike a sister to me, moved away. Then again,happy things have happened, too: my sister gavebirth to Emily Grace, who looks just like a sixpound, gurgling boiled peanut; my eight-year-old nephew won his first chess tournament; andmost divine of all, Maggie Moo’s Ice Cream andTreatery opened across the street from my apart-ment building. When I think about the eventsof the past couple of months, I must constantlyremind myself to count my blessings.

I am writing this column on the eve ofThanksgiving, and in the spirit of the givingthanks, I would like to express heartfelt grati-tude to everyone who contributed to this issueof Lights, including the editorial team, BarbaraDes Rosiers and Leslie Campbell; the adsmanager, Ellen Feldman; our fearless leader,Ann Green; the columnists; the hot topic andfeature article authors; the candidates whosubmitted biographies on short notice; ourlayout designer, Carol Hardy; our printer,Support Systems; and our management com-pany, PSI. Production of this issue, “‘Free’Money: Scholarships, Grants, and Fundrais-ing,” could not have happened without thehard work of all these folks.

This issue includes a range of articles on“free” money: how to obtain it, where to findit, and how recipients benefited from it. Tanya

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table ofcontents

FEATUREs

Hot Topic: Grief in the WorkplacePenny A. Hazelton ........................................1

Surviving the Scholarship Application Process: A Personal Account and Strategy Guide Tanya Shelli Brown ........................................7

The AALL Research ProgramKevin L. Butterfield ........................................9

The AALL Annual Meeting/Workshop Grant Patricia Cervenka .........................................11

Who Are You Mentoring? Ruth Bridges ............12

The American Library Association’s Spectrum Initiative: A Full Spectrum of Opportunities Gwendolyn Prellwitz......................................15

Practising Law Institute’s Fifth Annual Internet Law Institute Nancy Crossed..............18

BIALL: Bad Acronym, Good ConferenceWilliam Ryan .............................................21

“Should We Buy It?” Collection Development for Law Librarians Stephanie Young..........................22

Fundraising: It’s Like Eating Green Eggs and Ham Robert J. Brink ...................................23

Facing a New Reality: The Librarian as Fundraiser Regina L. Smith .......................................28

Law Library Lights is published quarterly by the Law Librarians’ Society of Washington, DC Inc. 20009, ISSN 0546-2483.Subsciption Rates: Nonmembers (outside Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia): $35/volume, $15 single issue. Send subscription requests and

correspondence to: Law Librarians’ Society of Washington, D.C., Inc. 8727A Cooper Road, Alexandria, VA 22309. Attn. Lights Subscriptions. Subscriptions arealso available through F.W. Faxon Co. and EBSCO.

Membership dues include a subscription to Law Library Lights. For Membership information, contact the Membership Committee Chair, 8727A CooperRoad, Alexandria, VA 22309. The Law Librarians’ Society of Washington, D.C., Inc. does not assume any responsibility for the statements advanced by contrib-utors to, nor the advertisers in, Law Library Lights. The views expressed herein are those of the individual authors and do not constitute an endorsement by theLaw Librarians’ Society of Washington, D.C., Inc.

advertisersBNA 32

CAL INFO 33

Court Express 19

Global Securities 27

Printed on recycled paper

Editor’sColumn

Leslie A. LeeThe GeorgeWashington

University LawLibrary

Hein 8

InfoCurrent 10

Lexis 17

West 13

COLUMNS

Editor’s Column Leslie A. Lee .....................................2

President’s Column Ann C. Green ..........................33

Foreign and Int’l Law/SIS News Herb Somers.........34

Interlibrary Loan/SIS News Michelle Wollmann .34

Private Law Library/SIS News Scott Larson.............35

Academic/SIS News Nancy Crossed .....................35

Federal Law Libraries/SIS News Mary K. Grady..36

Legislative Research/SIS News Julia Taylor...........37

Eye on Serials Susan Ryan .....................................37

Tech Talk Christopher C. Reed.................................38

Board Meeting Summary Ann C. Green.............40

News of Members Hillary C. Rubin ......................42

Candidate Biographies ...............................................43

continued on page 14

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riences, and the experiences of those around me.I feel surrounded by grief some days, my

own and the grief of those around me. A won-derful colleague and friend at the Gallagher LawLibrary, Melissa Landers, died of breast cancer in1989 at the age of 35. Marian Gould Gallagher,law librarian at the University of WashingtonSchool of Law for 37 years, died suddenly in anautomobile accident later that same year. Overthe following years, Mary Starr and Ann Magee,law school employees who worked closely withlibrary staff, died of cancer; Mary Louderback,our wonderful circulation librarian, died of aheart attack complicated by diabetes; and in theshort span of the past six years no fewer thanthirteen current library staff members have suf-fered the death of one or more parents.

People who have lost loved ones experiencethat loss in many ways. Marcia Gray classifiedthese experiences as behavioral, cognitive, spiri-tual, emotional, and physical. Loss is part of life.Our efforts to understand the grief associatedwith loss are useful tools in coping with thepain. How many of these classic symptoms didyou experience on September 11 and thereafter?

BEHAVIORALCommon experiences of people who haveencountered a loss include how we act orbehave. Symptomatic of those experiencing aloss include:■ Low self-confidence■ Lack of energy■ Little social interest■ No interest in communicating■ Absence of friends or affection ■ Decreased ability to make plans or decisions

COGNITIVECognitive expressions of loss reflect use of ourmental and analytical abilities. Common expe-riences include:■ Decreased ability to concentrate■ Unimaginable future■ Forgotten past■ Triviality of everyday life■ Overwhelmed by finality of loss■ Inability to understand why or what

happened■ Consequences of loss

EMOTIONALWe experience loss through the way we feel.Feelings commonly associated with loss include:

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 ■ Sadness■ Feelings on the surface■ Longing/yearning■ Absence of positive feelings ■ Helplessness■ Emptiness/loneliness■ Feeling unconnected to anyone/thing■ Guilt or shame associated with feelings of

powerlessness

PHYSICALOur physical self is not immune from a loss.Normal, physical symptoms of grief include:■ Fatigue/exhaustion■ Restlessness■ Numbness■ Crying, sobbing, sighing■ Multiple symptoms of ailments■ Eating and sleeping disturbances■ Change in sexual desire, or in needing to be

shown affection or to be touched■ Crying uncontrollably

SPIRITUALOur soul or spirit is also affected by loss. Wemay find ourselves experiencing:■ Emptiness/meaninglessness■ Loss of faith or questioning beliefs■ Need to reassess life’s significance■ Sensing loss of part of self■ Loss of desire to live■ Inability to see positives■ Missing the love of person who passed away■ Awareness of life’s fragility■ Bottomless despair■ Profound feelings of aloneness

GRIEFGrief is a natural response to a loss. We cannotlove and lose those we love without grief.Grieving is a process that varies from person toperson. Some people try to deny the grievingexperience, but it will be experienced eventual-ly. Grieving means to face the reality of yourloss, feel the pain, and find a way to movebeyond the hurt and vulnerability.

Grieving moves back and forth along a spec-trum that begins with shock, disbelief, confusion,immobility, anger, guilt, and depression andends, we hope, with acceptance, adjustment, newrelationships and interests, greater compassion,and a realization of personal growth. The end ofthe process of grief does not mean we no longerlove the person or persons who died or that weno longer care, just that we have adjusted totheir absence and moved on in our lives.

Death may be anatural part oflife, but the deathof a co-workerwill make everyone feel anything butnormal.

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In the workplace loss can be experienced inmany ways: the death of a co-worker after a longillness; the sudden death of a co-worker or deathafter a very short illness; the death of a co-work-er’s loved one; sudden catastrophic death causedby the attacks on the federal building in Okla-homa City or by the terrorist attacks of Septem-ber 11. All of these losses have a consequence ina workplace and need the attention of everymember of the organization.

Without intention to trivialize death ofhuman beings, we would do well to rememberthat we suffer many other losses that can causethe response of grieving. The failure of a mar-riage or changes in other important relation-ships, the death of a beloved pet, even themove to a new building or creation of a newprocedure can create a loss that may have to beprocessed through grieving.

One of my favorite books on the subject ofloss is a small paperback by Peter McWilliams.3This book does not have to be read from thebeginning to the end. You can read parts of itand find comfort in the normalcy of your expe-riences. Even my 79-year-old father found thissmall tome helpful as he tried to deal with thepain when my mother died suddenly a few yearsago. Through this book, he realized not onlythat his feelings of resentment, anger, loss,regret, sadness, and shock were all normalresponses, but also that his physical symptomswere identified as part of the grieving process.The book helped me to remember to chide himinto taking good care of himself during the hardmonths following her death.

SERIOUS ILLNESS OF CO-WORKERFrom the various scenarios we have experi-enced or can imagine, the serious illness of a co-worker, particularly one that ends in death, canbe very traumatic for an organization and itsstaff. There are two sets of concerns that needattention during the illness phase. On the onehand, the person who is ill needs our sympathyand attention. Can the person continue fullemployment? What happens when the personexhausts his or her sick leave? Does the personneed someone to talk to about the situation?On the other hand, the co-workers also need toprocess how they feel and act when a co-workeris stricken with a terrible disease. Particularlywhere death seems a likely outcome, the pro-cess of dealing with a very serious illness by thefriends, family, and co-workers of the sick per-son is sometimes called anticipatory grief.

Put in a completely different context,

many Americans felt the effects of anticipatorygrief on September 11 and the following daysas we waited to learn who and how many haddied in the terrorist attacks. We began the pro-cess of grieving the loss of people we knew orperhaps did not know personally. We wereshocked; we were sad; we got angry, all naturalparts of the grieving process.

What helped most of us get through thosedays following September 11? Many of us need-ed to talk with others about those unbelievableevents in order to process the reality of thehorrible consequences: describing where youwere when you first learned about the attacks;speculating about the courage of the passengersin the airplanes and on the top floors of theTrade Center; talking about who had carriedout such a heinous crime; praising the remark-able outpouring of emergency and medical per-sonnel in New York City; sharing the stories ofthose who died and those who lived throughthe experience at Ground Zero or the Pen-tagon. We shared this experience, this pain,with others to help process the sense of lossand helplessness that we felt.

I believe that we need to help co-workersprocess the anger and pain we feel when a col-league becomes seriously ill. In reality, howev-er, something else often happens. We begin toprocess the fact that things will be very differ-ent. Sometimes as co-workers we begin towithdraw and avoid the sick person because weare afraid of what to say or how to express our-selves. Watching someone become more andmore ill can lower our ability to cope with thenormal situations of our own lives.

Knowing that someone is very ill, and per-haps dying, makes us feel vulnerable and frag-ile. We may be reminded of other loved oneswho have died and a grieving process that isnot yet finished with them. We may bereminded of our own mortality. The sick per-son reminds us every day of the unpleasantnessand fears we associate with dying, so we pullaway, trying to protect ourselves from the painof facing these difficulties. Worse yet, we pullaway from the person who is ill, at a time whenhe or she probably needs us the most.

When Melissa’s condition seemed to bespeeding out of control, her co-workers and I feltcompletely powerless to help her. We did notwant to interfere with her private life and yet itwas impossible to ignore her declining health.We knew she had to be worried about how longshe could continue to work, about provisions forher husband if she died, and tasks and projects

What can you doto help someonewith a terminal

disease? Offer to listen if the

person needs totalk or rant or

cry. … Pick up theperson’s medicine.

Take him or herto the doctor. Be

kind. Care. Makea freezer dinner

for a nightwhen he or shemight not feellike cooking. …Let the person

know you care.

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she might be unable to finish. Finally, we satdown for a long talk about her illness, her familyand husband, her feelings and mine.

I admit to feeling relieved to talk, finally,about what we were both thinking. This con-versation was very painful for both of us. Wecried, and we laughed hysterically. We madesome plans and talked about contingencies andpossibilities. We took some projects off the to-do list and reprioritized others. Both Melissaand I felt a great sense of calm after this con-versation. I was certainly not done grievingand she was not ready to give up to her disease.Facing some of the hard questions was thera-peutic for us both.

Caring about someone in the workplace inthis situation makes confronting hard andpainful ideas very difficult, but to pretend thateverything is normal is very stressful for every-one. If the sick person does not feel that he orshe can have such a conversation with his orher supervisor or the library director, find outwhat resources are available in your organiza-tion to help with such situations, or encouragethe person to talk to a close friend or relative.

What can you do to help someone with aterminal disease? Offer to listen if the personneeds to talk or rant or cry. Do not give falsehope to the person, but recognize the hardtimes he or she is handling. Ask how the per-son’s family members are coping. Pick up theperson’s medicine. Take him or her to the doc-tor. Be kind. Care. Make a freezer dinner for anight when he or she might not feel like cook-ing. Ask how the person feels, but be preparedif the reply is, on occasion, short or terse. Beavailable to listen further, but do not push ifthe person is not ready to talk at the time. Letthe person cry. It is okay for you to cry, too.Give the person a hug. Help the person rede-fine hope: hope may be to work right until theend; hope may be to die among family andfriends; hope may be to try every new treat-ment. Let the person know you care.

DEATH OF A CO-WORKERIn the case of death being preceded by a longillness, your anticipatory grief will not make theloss of the person any less painful. Anticipatorygrief, however, can give you time to adjust tothe idea of the person’s death. A sudden deathhas a shock value that often takes a long timeto process. In either case, the loss felt by youand your staff will seem bottomless. Each per-son in the organization will grieve in a differentway and be at different places along the griev-

ing process spectrum. Keep in mind that justbecause everyone grieves differently does notmean that you should ignore how people feeland pretend that nothing is different. Ignoringthe signs of grief will simply postpone the pro-cess; grief will not go away by itself.

Death may be a natural part of life, but thedeath of a co-worker will make everyone feelanything but normal. We may be angry, resent-ful that the person left so many projects undone.We may be listless and unable to do our ownwork. We may be prone to crying and sobbing.We may be sad or depressed. We may be unableto think about hiring a replacement or havingothers do parts of the person’s job. We may bein denial that anything bad really happened. Allof these reactions are coping mechanisms thathelp us get through the hard times.

A natural part of the grieving process is towonder why such terrible things have to happenat all. We want to make sense of these tragedies.A book called When Bad Things Happen to GoodPeople4 may help you as it has helped me. Writ-ten by a rabbi whose son died at the age of four-teen of rapid aging, or progeria, this book helpedme understand that people die because theyhave diseases and conditions that cause death;that there is a certain randomness as to whomdies when and under what circumstances; thatwe should ask, What do I do now? not Why didthis person die? This book has a universal appealthat gave me some comfort when I was trying tounderstand Melissa’s death.

So how should a library react when therehas been such a loss? Some find that small,informal groups meeting to talk about the per-son and how they feel about his or her deathcan be very useful. Other co-workers may notfeel comfortable with a group effort, but maybe helped if a professional grief counselor isbrought in for individual sessions. Since grief isa process, consider several sessions.

Talk about the person. Remember his orher strengths and quirks. Think how the per-son would react to certain policies or ideas.Laugh and cry. Perhaps you need to hold yourown memorial service to honor and rememberthe person. Such a service can help people pro-cess their grief and pain and give closure forothers. Think of a special way to honor yourformer colleague. With gifts from her familyand her many friends, we created a scholarshipin honor of Melissa. We have encouraged non-JD librarians into careers in law librarianshipwith annual scholarships. Over the past twelveyears, a dozen librarians have benefited from

Grieving movesback and forthalong a spectrumthat begins withshock, disbelief,confusion, immobility, anger, guilt, anddepression andends, we hope,with acceptance,adjustment, newrelationships andinterests, greatercompassion, and a realization of personalgrowth.

this fund, and the size of the award is now$750. Over $30,000 is now in this fund! Everyyear when colleagues write checks to con-tribute to the fund, and when we announce thewinners, we remember what our friend and col-league Melissa represented to us.

GRIEVING STAFF MEMBERSSometimes grief in the workplace has nothingto do with the death of a co-worker. Individualemployees may be grieving the death of a childor parent or other loved one. Even though youmay not know the person who died, the sur-vivor is your colleague and co-worker. Do werecognize these losses of our colleagues, orignore them because the losses are personal andthere is no place for such concerns on the job?

To fail to show sympathy and concern forthe grieving co-worker is not humane. Thegrieving staff member will likely need time off,perhaps at a time that is hard or bad for theinstitution. The person is likely not to be work-ing at full production for some time. Other staffmay need to cover or add responsibilities dur-ing the interim. Even in the best of circum-stances, the staff person’s loss is bound to havea librarywide impact. Be sensitive to the per-son’s needs. Provide safe places to talk and cry.Relieve the person of as much stress as possible.Support the person’s needs to travel and takecare of personal business that might be theresult of the death. Know your institution’spolicies for bereavement leave. Encouragegrieving staff members to take care of them-selves during this time. Perhaps most impor-tantly, be patient. Remember that grieving hasno time limit. Do not assume that others grieveaccording to your timetable.

Marcia Gray suggests that you center your-self before talking or visiting with ill or griev-ing persons. Remember that the process takestime. Ms. Gray outlines the following ways tohelp others help themselves:1. Help the person focus on the present rather

than the past or future.2. Encourage the person to set a time and place

where he or she can be alone to touch base withhis or her own emotions.

3. Encourage the individual to lean into the pain(that is, to think about the loss and what it willmean, to face the reality of the death) whenpossible. Although difficult and painful, thisact is extremely healing.

4. Empower the person to listen to, trust, and havefaith in him- or herself.

5. Look for new ways to connect. Reach out to

others, especially to friends of the same sex.6. Encourage the person to examine the rela-

tionships in his or her life: with spouse, parent,surviving child, and other family members;with the deceased (note that the relationshipdid not end but it did change); with friends; withhim- or herself; with his or her spirituality.

7. Suggest keeping a journal about the griefexperience. The writing process can be verytherapeutic.

8. Encourage the person to talk and cry withsomeone with whom he or she feels safe.

9. Remind the person to filter advice from oth-ers and to keep only those pearls that are help-ful. Also, remember that no one is a mindreader; ask if the person needs anything. Askif you can attend to a specific task; do not say,“Tell me what to do.”

10. Remind the individual that although theexperience may not feel normal, the pain,confusion, and distress are very normal.Remind the person to take extra good care ofthe whole self.

CONCLUSIONOur temptation when confronted with a termi-nal illness or a death in the workplace is toignore the symptoms of loss until they seem togo away. September 11 made it clear to all of usthat healing could begin to take place throughconfronting the painful images and their con-sequences. Working through our pain andanguish with discussion, education, crying,anger, and frustration can help us cope withthose tragic losses. Grief is in the workplace,but we can survive its impact and conse-quences by helping others recognize the symp-toms. Understanding the process of grief andthe experiences common to all kinds of lossescan make our workplaces more humane andhelp each of us process grief in a more normaland healthy manner.

ENDNOTES:1 Many thanks to my wonderful colleagues at the Gallagher

Law Library who have helped me understand the reality ofgrief in the workplace. Special thanks to Peggy Roebuck Jar-rett who read this article and made many useful suggestions.

2 American Association of Law Libraries, Educational ProgramHandout Materials, “The Grieving Library,” Program G-3(AALL, 1995). See also, “The Grieving Library” ProgramG-3 in AALL 1995 Annual Meeting, Pittsburgh, July 15-20 [sound recording] (AALL, 1995).

3 Peter McWilliams, How to Survive the Loss of a Love (1993).4 Harold S. Kushner, When Bad Things Happen to Good Peo-

ple (Avon Books, 1981). ■

A natural part of the grieving

process is to wonder why such

terrible thingshave to happen

at all.

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WHY BOTHER APPLYINGFOR SCHOLARSHIPS?There are lots of reasons to apply for scholarshipsfor library school. Obtaining a scholarship maybe the only means by which you are financiallyable to earn a graduate degree. Unlike studentloans, scholarship money does not have to berepaid. Depending upon the size of your award,scholarships can save you hundreds or thousandsof dollars and enable you to leave school in amuch better financial position. Moreover, hav-ing earned a scholarship looks good on yourresume, particularly scholarships that are highlycoveted. Most of all it just feels wonderful know-ing that you have earned a scholarship!

EXPLORE ALL THE POSSIBILITIES, EARLY!!There are many sources of scholarship informa-tion and a great deal of work involved in theapplication process. It is important that youbegin looking into scholarship possibilities andbe ready to locate and complete applications atleast a year prior to your first semester of schoolor prior to the semester for which you need theassistance. Try not to become frustrated; thepay off at the end is well worth the time, ener-gy, and persistence.

Many library associations (e.g., AmericanLibrary Association, American Association ofLaw Libraries, Special Libraries Association) pro-vide scholarship information, and often, applica-tions on their Web sites. I applied for financialassistance through numerous library associations.I applied and won an AALL minority-basedscholarship, the George A. Strait Minority Schol-arship, and from the ALA, I won the SpectrumInitiative Scholarship and the Library and Infor-mation Technology/Library Systems and Services(LITA/LSSI) Minority Scholarship. Interest-spe-cific scholarships (e.g., children’s literature, refer-ence services, technology) and degree-seekingscholarships (e.g., JDs earning MLS and viceversa) are also available. In addition to scholar-ships, I also took advantage of tuition grants fromthe D.C. chapter of the AALL (LLSDC) and ano-interest loan provided by the District ofColumbia Library Association, a local ALAchapter. Although some associations requiremembership as an eligibility requirement, do notdespair; all of these associations also provide dis-counted student memberships and grants to covermembership costs.

Student services or financial aid offices arealso a valuable resource for scholarships andother financial aid information. Universitiesoften offer large scholarships; library schools,alumni associations, and individual donors mayalso offer smaller scholarships. I applied for andwon the Myra Wilson Scholarship through theUniversity of Maryland; this scholarship isadministered by the College of InformationStudies at the University of Maryland andadvertised on the library school’s listserv. Thisscholarship required an interview.

Friends, colleagues, employers, and men-tors are invaluable sources of scholarship infor-mation. Word of mouth may be old fashioned,but it is tried and true, so make sure everyoneyou know knows that you need financial assis-tance. Before I considered going back to libraryschool my mentors provided me with a list ofassociations I should join, suggested listserv sub-scriptions, and scholarship sources and dead-lines. I also received information from a formeremployer who contacted me one year after Iresigned from my position to notify me of anewly created local library association grant.

READ THE FINE PRINTAs soon as you receive the application, readthe instructions carefully. Pay attention to therequired information. If the applicationrequires a transcript from all schools you haveattended, request this information as soon aspossible. After a few weeks have passed, followup to be sure that the transcripts have beensent to the proper address. If you must handdeliver a transcript, do not tamper with theseal. If it appears that the seal has been tam-pered with, the transcript may not be accepted.If you find that some instructions on an appli-cation are unclear, seek advice from the schol-arship provider. Understand that many othersbefore you probably asked the same questions.

FIND OUT WHAT WORKED FOROTHER PEOPLEImprove your application techniques by talkingand listening to anyone and everyone youknow who has won a scholarship. People whohave won can give you new ways to look at theapplication process that will help you to win,and they can inspire you to make the attempt.You can find out about previous award recipi-

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Surviving theScholarshipApplicationProcess: APersonalAccount andStrategy Guide

Tanya Shelli BrownCovington & Burling

Depending upon thesize of your award,scholarships cansave you hundreds or thousands of dollars andenable you to leaveschool in a muchbetter financial position.

“FREE” MONEY: SCHOLARSHIPS, GRANTS, AND FUNDRAISING

ents through your school, local/national libraryassociations, networks of colleagues, the Inter-net, listservs, newsletters, etc.

LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATIONAsk for letters of recommendation well inadvance and discuss the kind of informationneeded in the letter. A concrete, detailed let-ter from someone, usually an employer or pro-fessor who knows you and your work well, isusually worth more than three or four lettersfrom people who do not know you. Talk to theperson who is writing your recommendationand give him or her time to write a strong let-ter. To assist the people writing the letters, itis helpful to provide a copy of your resumeand/or something written about yourself. Letthe writer know the types of things you wouldlike to appear in the letter. Information thatyou give them may mean a more substantialand persuasive letter. Be sure the writer knowsthe deadline. To ensure that the letter is senton time, send the writer friendly reminders,perhaps once or twice before it is due. If theletter is delayed, ask whether more informa-tion is needed.

ESSAY WRITING: PRACTICE MAKES PERFECTIf personal essays, statements of purpose, or para-graph-long answers to particular questions arerequired, rework them over a series of drafts untilthey are as well written as you can make them. Agood essay or answer is concise, well organized,smoothly written, interesting, distinctive, andwithout cliches or errors; this process may requiremany drafts to create. Show your application to amentor, professor, employer, or a friend withstrong writing and editing skills and no fear ofproviding positive criticism. Leave plenty of timefor rewriting and consultation.

THE FINISHED PRODUCTType all application forms, letters, essays, ques-tionnaires, or any other information that needsto be sent as part of the application process.Proofread all materials and make sure they arepicture perfect: no traces of correction fluid, nolast-minute corrections with a pen, no mis-spellings, no errors, and no crumpled pages. Justto be sure, after making all the corrections,have someone else proofread the application inits entirety. Just before sending your applicationto the scholarship review committee, makecopies of all parts of the application and recom-mendation letters. You will want to keep theseas a reference for yourself at a later date. ■

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HEIN AD

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THE AALL RESEARCH COMMITTEE REVIEWSAND PROPOSES CHANGES TO THE ASSOCIA-TION’S RESEARCH AGENDA, works within theassociation and with other library associationsto encourage research, and administers theassociation’s research grant program by review-ing applications, making awards, and monitor-ing research activities. The committee awardsgrants from the funds each year.

AALL RESEARCH AGENDAIn 1999, AALL President Margaret Axtmanncharged the AALL Research Committee withreviewing and updating the 1993 AALLResearch Agenda. The Research Committeefirst looked at the major headings. The commit-tee decided that the existing Research Agendawas organized into major headings that did notprovide enough flexibility, seemingly concen-trating only on several specific functions per-formed in law libraries. After significant discus-sion, the Research Committee concluded thatthe headings of the revised Research Agendashould be based on deeper facets or principles oflaw librarianship. The committee felt that thisapproach would result in a document thatremained focused on who we are and why we dowhat we do, while allowing for flexibility indescribing how we do it. The committee ishopeful that the major headings will serve as astable framework for future revisions.

The AALL Research Agenda is availableonline at: http://www.aallnet.org/committee/research/agenda.asp. The AALL ResearchCommittee encourages grant seekers to use theagenda as a source for research topics.

AALL RESEARCH COMMITTEE GRANTSAALL Research FundOn July 17, 2000, the AALL announced theformation of the AALL Research Fund, anendowment established with a $100,000 pledgefrom LexisNexis™. The fund provides a securefinancial base, which enables the AALLResearch Committee to carry out the associa-tion’s Research Agenda. The committee awards$10,000 from this fund annually. The applica-tion deadline is April 1. Application materialsand criteria are available at http://www.aall-net.org/about/grant_application.asp.

The AALL Research Committee awardedfunding to two projects for FY 2001-2002 fromthe AALL Research Fund, “Web-based DistanceLearning of Principles of American Legal Bibliog-raphy” and “How Lawyers Do Legal Research.”“Web-based Distance Learning of Principles of

American Legal Bibliography” aimed to use mod-ern technology to further the understanding ofAmerican legal bibliography and principles ofresearch in American law in a worldwide setting.The reach of the World Wide Web has alreadytransformed much thinking about knowledgetransfer, particularly under the rubric of “distancelearning.” This project aims to make informationand instruction in legal bibliography and researchin American law available to a domestic as wellas a worldwide population. The project proposesto develop models for self-instructional and mon-itored instructional use of Web-based materialand scenarios, and will simultaneously be devel-oped as a teaching module for Chinese-speakingstudents abroad. Continuing attention will bepaid to the goal of making this instructionalmodule available in other languages (e.g., Span-ish). Xia Chen, reference librarian, will lead theproject along with Frederick E. Smith, librarianemeritus and senior librarian for graduate and ref-erence services, Hugh & Hazel Darling LawLibrary, UCLA School of Law.

The other project, “How Lawyers Do LegalResearch,” continues the work of Morris Cohen,Penny A. Hazelton, and Patricia DeGeorges tocreate a core set of data on how lawyers, new orexperienced, think about all aspects of legalresearch with specific attention to approach/plan-ning, format preferences, secondary source useand preferences, evaluative criteria employed,amount of time spent, and general awareness andfamiliarity with currently available resources. KrisGilliland, director of the law library and assistantprofessor of law, University of Mississippi LawLibrary, will conduct the project.

AALL/Aspen Law & Business Grant ProgramThe AALL Research Committee also adminis-ters the AALL/Aspen Law & Business GrantProgram. The committee will award $13,000 ingrants each year in 2001 and 2002. Aspen Law& Business views its contribution as an invest-ment in research that will provide a prospectivelook at the role of librarians, researchers, andlegal information providers and will yieldresults to which publishers can respond. Thegoal is to sponsor research that will have apractical impact on our profession and inspireproducts and changes in the marketplace. Theapplication deadline is December 1. The appli-cation materials and criteria are available at:http://www.aallnet.org/about/aspen_grant_application.asp.

Both of the grant funds exist to support

The AALLResearchProgram

Kevin L. ButterfieldChair, AALL ResearchCommitteeUniversity of Illinois atUrbana-Champaign

If your proposal does notspecifically addressan AALL ResearchAgenda topic,describe how yourproposal wouldexplore preserva-tion, access, education, or management issues vital to lawlibrarianship.

WINTER 2001

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ing the FY 2001-2002, we will likely receivemore proposals than we can fund and musttherefore weigh the proposals relative merits.The selection process is part of a larger pur-pose, which involves supporting, improving,and building upon research in law librarianshipand the use of legal information.

TIPS ON MAKING YOUR PROPOSALONE OF THE BEST1. PREPARE. Read these tips, the request forproposals, the AALL Research Agenda, anddescriptions of previous winners to betterunderstand the grant programs purpose.2. ORGANIZE. In your application follow care-fully the organization set forth in the criteria.Proofread your application and proposal beforesubmitting it, and make sure that all requiredinformation is included and presented clearly.3. REMEMBER YOUR COLLEAGUES. Explain howyour proposed project will benefit the lawlibrary community and the clients it serves.4. CHOOSE A FOCUS. The AALL ResearchAgenda lists areas that the AALL has identi-fied for further research. Target your proposalto meet the criteria described in one or more ofthe areas listed. If your proposal does notspecifically address an AALL Research Agendatopic, describe how your proposal wouldexplore preservation, access, education, ormanagement issues vital to law librarianship.5. COST. Make the budget consistent with theproject description. The budget should coveronly those costs directly related to your project. 6. LONGEVITY. Past proposals that receivedgreat consideration described projects that hada life beyond the one-year grant period.7. CONTACT COMMITTEE MEMBERS. If you havequestions or if you would like to discuss aresearch idea or proposal, please contact anymember of the committee. The committeemembers for FY 2001-2002 include: Kevin L.Butterfield, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, chair; Celeste Feather, Universityof Connecticut; Kevin P. Gray, Gonzaga Uni-versity; Paul D. Healey, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Grace M. Mills; H. Kumar Percy, University of Texas; andDorene S. Smith, Ater Wynne, LLP. ■

projects of value to a large segment of thoseprofessions that create, disseminate or use legaland law-related information. Projects mayrange from the historical (e.g., indexes, legisla-tive histories, bibliographies, biographies,directories) to the theoretical (e.g., trends incataloging, publishing, or new service modelsin libraries) to the practical (e.g., implementa-tion models for collection, personnel or infras-tructure management). These grants may beused to assist in small or large research projects;all applications will be considered. Possible usesfor these grants include funding research assis-tants, photocopy projects, data entry, andresearch-related travel. The grants exist notonly to promote research within our profession,but also to remove obstacles to project comple-tion caused by tight operating budgets.

SOME BROAD CONSIDERATIONSThe grant process is competitive and, as such,is a comparative one. During the FY 2000-2001, the AALL Research Committee receivedfifteen proposals and awarded two grants. Dur-

INFOCURRENT AD

The grants exist not only

to promoteresearch within

our profession, butalso to remove

obstacles to project completion

caused by tightoperating budgets.

We appreciate our advertisers ...so when you use their services,

tell them you saw it in LawLibrary Lights!

Editor’s Note: The American Association of LawLibraries Grants Program makes funding availablefor various purposes to law librarians and libraryschool students. Funds for this program are provid-ed through a number of sources: commercial ven-dors, AALL, AALL Chapters and Special InterestSections, and AALL members. The following arti-cle provides information about the AALL GrantsCommittee and the grant awarded by the commit-tee, the AALL Annual Meeting/Workshop Grant.

AALL GRANTS COMMITTEEThe Grants Committee awards the AALLsponsored Annual Meeting/Workshop Grantwhich provides financial assistance towards thecost of attending either the AALL AnnualMeeting or workshops. Awarding travel fundsis a very pleasant way to participate in AALLcommittee membership. The only drawback isthat the committee cannot give every appli-cant the funds he or she needs.

The Grants Committee is composed of sixmembers and a chair. Almost every member ofthe current committee has received an AALLgrant or scholarship during his or her career.Some members have worked on chapter or spe-cial interest section grant committees as well.The members view volunteering for this com-mittee as a way to give back to the profession.The AALL Board appoints a liaison to serve asthe committee’s channel of communication tothe AALL Board throughout the year and thegrant process. The committee appointment isfor two years; terms are staggered such thateach year approximately half of the membersdepart (to be replaced by new members) andhalf continue on for another year.

After the annual meeting the committeereviews the procedures from the previous springto ensure that the application process workedwell and to make improvements where neces-sary. In the fall the committee works on theadvertising and grant application forms for thecoming year. Typically, the grant deadline fallsin early April; applicants have from January tothe end of March to submit their application.The grants process is advertised in AALL publi-cations and on AALLNET, chapter and SISnewsletters or Web pages, and at library schools.In addition, the Grants Committee hosts a tableat the Conference of Newer Law Librarians(CONELL) held at the AALL Annual Meetingto introduce newer members to available grants.The grant application and other information isavailable online at http://www.aallnet.org/ser-vices/grant_application.asp.

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AALL AnnualMeeting/Work-shop Grant

Patricia CervenkaChair, AALL Grants CommitteeSaint Louis University Law Library

AALL ANNUAL MEETING/WORKSHOP GRANT

In order to be awarded a grant, an applicantmust be a member of either the AALL or achapter of the AALL, must not have receiveda grant in the past, and must submit the appli-cation on time. The application requests infor-mation on employment history, educationalbackground, and membership to the AALL.Additionally, a personal statement and two let-ters of recommendation are required.

Application materials are to be submitteddirectly to the AALL where, within approxi-mately two weeks, the materials will be com-piled into a review packet and distributed toeach committee member. Thereafter, commit-tee members review the applications and applypoints to each application as outlined in thecommittee procedures manual. The points foreach applicant are forwarded to the committeechair who tallies the points from all the com-mittee members, ranks the applicants by thescore, and divides the awards among the high-est-ranking applicants. During FY 2000-2001,thirty individuals applied for grants; thirteen ofthem received travel funds to attend theAALL Annual Meeting.

After the awards are determined, lettersare sent to the applicants notifying them of theaward and giving them the opportunity toaccept or decline. If a recipient declines anaward, the money will be redistributed to thenext eligible applicant on the list. The namesof the recipients are published in the awardsbrochure distributed at the annual meeting.

Please contact the chair of the Grants Com-mittee if you have any questions about the appli-cation process; contact information for the cur-rent chair is available on AALLNET athttp://www.aallnet.org/services/grants.asp. Eligi-ble applicants are encouraged to apply. ■

Awarding travelfunds is a verypleasant way toparticipate in AALL committeemembership. Theonly drawback isthat the committee cannot give everyapplicant the fundshe or she needs.

lights deadline

Beginning with volume 45, number 1 (Fall2001) Law Library Lights will be published on aquarterly basis. If you would like to write forLights, please contact Leslie A. Lee, editor, atlights@llsdc.org or 202/994-2385. Submissiondeadlines for this year’s remaining issues are asfollows: February 1 (Spring 2002) and May 3(Summer 2002).

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GIVING BACK TO THE PROFESSION

You made it. You are a successful law librarian.You are a member of the AALL, LLSDC,VALL and/or SLA. Your knowledge and expe-rience are well known. You have publishedarticles on a variety of topics in your area ofexpertise. Now what?

If you fit this description, perhaps now isthe time for you to accept an additional respon-sibility that your success as a law librarian dic-tates: find at least one other, less experiencedlaw librarian to help along the way. In my careerpath, I once worked for a director of an academ-ic law library who, each year, requested memo-randa from the librarians describing how theycontributed either to the campus life of the lawschool community or to librarian associations.As a tangible show of his support, the directorbudgeted more conference funding for librarianswho volunteered to serve on a committee orprogram at the AALL annual meeting than forthose who simply attended. During this periodin my career, I began to feel that giving back tolaw librarianship was an obligation. Mentoringis one way to give something back to the profes-sion, which has given us so much.

Mentoring provides experienced librariansthe opportunity to continue sharpening theirpeople skills and to share what they know.Remember that power in our profession is notbased on how much we know, but how often wegive information, answers, and guidance to othersin need. Ultimately, the real power rests in beingthe person to whom your colleagues turn for help.

IDENTIFYING A MENTEE OR MENTOREstablishing a mentor/mentee relationship is acommon practice in many work environments.Articles from business journals frequently addressthe topic and serve as good resources for informa-tion and advice on mentoring. Individuals inter-ested in finding a mentor may need to do theirown research and take the initiative in activelyseeking out a mentor. Although the thought ofapproaching a more experienced librarian andasking him or her to serve as a mentor may seemintimidating at first, in the end, it may be themost effective way to find a mentor.

One type of successful mentor/menteerelationship is personally arranged by thepotential mentee or mentor, not under the aus-pices of a professional association or a formalprogram within the workplace. For instance, inmy own experience, I served as a mentor for astudent who came to my library as in internwhen she was in library school. Our personal

connection has successfully continued over thespan of several years and through several careerchanges for each of us. More experiencedlibrarians are encouraged to take time to noticesomeone newer in the profession and reach outto offer support and encouragement. Althoughsome newer librarians may be assertive enoughto seek out a mentor, in many instances, newerlibrarians focus on working hard on their day-to-day responsibilities. For those of you whohave “been there, done that,” share your expe-riences and knowledge to help someone elsedesign a blueprint for a successful career.

When looking for a mentee, do not limityourself to your own library. The AALL andLLSDC mentoring and membership commit-tees can help match mentors and mentees withsimilar professional interests. These committeesprovide guidance and advice for both the men-tor and mentee in making the relationship suc-cessful. Additionally, these committees some-times plan functions and other activities tokick start the relationship as well as to foster itscontinued development. More informationabout these committees can be found at theirrespective association Web sites.

Local chapter activities provide a goodopportunity to find a mentee with whom amentor has a better chance of meeting on aregular basis. Although geography is not insur-mountable (thanks to e-mail), proximity maybe a factor for those mentors and mentees whoprefer to have regular, personal contact witheach other. Attend LLSDC-sponsored pro-grams or volunteer for a committee.

STAYING CONNECTEDThe responsibilities of serving as a mentor canvary greatly depending on a number of factors,including your rapport, availability, accessibility,and geography. As mentioned above, sometimesthe only time a mentor and mentee can gettogether is at a local chapter program. The face-to-face connection and continued reassurancethat the mentor and mentee care about the rela-tionship helps nurture a good relationship.Remember to ask questions about each other’scareers, professional development activities andplans, and the quality of each other’s work lives.

Always remember that a mentor’s role is tohelp develop a colleague’s professional life. If yourmentee is experiencing problems, do not trivializethem; coach your mentee so that he or she devel-ops the skills to deal with challenges effectively.Remember to listen. If your mentee works in adifferent library and a visit is feasible, find time to

Who Are YouMentoring?

Ruth BridgesCooley Godward LLP

Mentoring is one way to give

something back tothe profession,

which has given usso much.

WINTER 2001

13

stop by his or her library. Whether or not visitsare practicable, take advantage of technology andcommunicate through e-mail. These days, every-one is busy. E-mail allows mentors and menteesto stay connected despite barriers created bygeography and time. In short, maximize yourinvolvement in your mentee’s professional life.

On the flipside, the responsibility of thementee is just as challenging. Keeping in touchis a two-way street. A mentee who expects astrong, dynamic relationship with his or hermentor must remember to make time for thementor. Even if a mentee is not currently facinga problem for which he or she needs advice, aquick e-mail is a simple way to stay connected.

MENTORING IS A WIN-WIN RELATIONSHIPWhen thinking back to your early years in theprofession, think about how much it meant toyou when a more experienced, more estab-lished librarian, introduced him- or herself andsaid, “I think your presentation was great” or“Your work on the committee was fantastic.Let’s keep in touch.” Small gestures of kindnesscan go a long way, especially to someone whois new to the profession and who is workinghard to build his or her career.

What you gain as a mentor is an enormousfeeling of grace that comes from sharingknowledge with someone else. By virtue ofyour position in your library, you may alreadybe a manager of other people. By becoming amentor, you will have an opportunity to man-age an interpersonal relationship without thestructure of the employer-employee relation-ship, which can be very freeing for both indi-viduals. Being a part of someone else’s life inthis manner, even if the mentee shifts intoanother branch of librarianship, can be excit-ing. If you stay in touch, you, too, will grow bylearning about another type of librarian career.

If you have a particular interest that yourmentee shares, maybe you can work on an arti-cle together or write a program proposal thatyou will jointly produce. You can take a back-ground role giving the mentee the opportunityto take the lead.

Sometimes the mentor/mentee relation-ship can be very informal and unstructuredsuch that communication is centered aroundannual conferences. Do not undervalue thisapproach; perhaps the mentee is stable in hisor her career and needs only occasional adviceor seeks simply to share events of the past year.

Mentoring provides experienced librarians theopportunity to continue sharpening their people skills and to share what they know.

WEST AD

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14

AALL SCHOLARSHIPS

One very useful way for mentors to assist menteesis to point out resources that provide financialassistance for continuing education or other pro-fessional pursuits. The benefits of scholarships gowell beyond the money; scholarships allow recipi-ents opportunities to network, to engage in newexperiences, and to grow as librarians.

As a returning member of the AALLScholarships Committee, I was surprised tolearn that fewer than 25 people applied forfunds in FY 2000-2001. I encourage all eligibleapplicants to apply for any of the scholarshipsavailable from the AALL. There are five differ-ent types of scholarships available:T Y P E I: L I B R A R Y D E G R E E F O R L A W

SCHOOL GRAUATES Awarded to a law schoolgraduate working towards a degree in an accred-ited library school. Preference is given to AALLmembers, but scholarships are not restricted tomembers. Preference in selection is given topersons with meaningful law library experience.Evidence of financial need must be submitted. TYPE II: LIBRARY SCHOOL GRADUATES ATTEND-ING LAW SCHOOL Awarded to a library schoolgraduate working toward a degree in an accred-ited law school, who has meaningful law libraryexperience and has no more than 36 semester(54 quarter) credit hours remaining beforequalifying for the law degree. Preference is

given to AALL members, but scholarships arenot restricted to members. Evidence of finan-cial need must be submitted. TYPE III: LIBRARY DEGREE FOR NON-LAW

SCHOOL GRADUATES Awarded to a collegegraduate with meaningful law library experi-ence who is a degree candidate in an accredit-ed library school. Preference is given to AALLmembers, but scholarships are not restricted tomembers. Preference is given to applicantsworking for degrees with emphasis on coursesin law librarianship. Evidence of financial needmust be submitted. TYPE IV: LIBRARY SCHOOL GRADUATES SEEKING

A NON-LAW DEGREE Awarded to libraryschool graduates who are degree candidates inan area, other than law, which will be benefi-cial to the development of a professional careerin law librarianship. This scholarship isrestricted to AALL members. Evidence offinancial need must be submitted. TYPE V: LAW LIBRARIANS IN CONTINUING EDU-CATION COURSES Awarded to law librarianswith a degree from an accredited library or lawschool who are registrants in continuing educa-tion courses related to law librarianship.

For more information about these and otherAALL scholarships, please visit http://www.aallnet.org/services/scholarships.asp. ■

The benefits of scholarships go well beyond

the money; scholarships

allow recipientsopportunities to

network, to engagein new experiences,

and to grow aslibrarians.

Shelli Brown’s article, “Surviving the Scholar-ship Application Process: A Personal Accountand Strategy Guide,” provides readers with apractical guide through the scholarship appli-cation process. Kevin Butterfield and PatriciaCervenka, chairs of two AALL committees,have written pieces about their committeesand the types of grants awarded by them. RuthBridges, a member of the AALL ScholarshipsCommittee, has written an article, “Who AreYou Mentoring?” covering the AALL educa-tional scholarships and the broader topic ofgiving back to the profession as a mentor.Wendy Prellwitz’s article, “The AmericanLibrary Association’s Spectrum Initiative: AFull Spectrum of Opportunities,” providesinformation about the Spectrum Scholarships,which are designed to promote diversity in thelibrary profession. Three recipients of fundsfrom the LLSDC Scholarships and GrantsCommittee, Nancy Crossed, Bill Ryan, andStephanie Young, have written pieces about

their respective experiences in attending aninstitute, a conference, and a workshop. For atwist on the idea of “free” money, RobertBrink and Regina Smith have written insight-ful articles on the topic of library fundraising.

Also included in this issue are the regularslate of columns and the candidate biogra-phies for the 2002-2003 LLSDC Board elec-tions. Enjoy! ■

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2

see your name in lights!

Law Library Lights welcomessubmissions of feature and hot topic arti-cles for publication. Authors whose arti-cles are selected for publication willreceive a gift compliments of the LightsCommittee. Editorial inquiries or requestsfor additional information should beaddressed to Leslie A. Lee, editor, atlights@llsdc.org or 202/994-2385.

BLUEPRINT FOR SUCCESS

For the past four years, the American LibraryAssociation (ALA) has been committed to pro-viding $5,000 scholarships annually to 50 stu-dents of African American, Asian/PacificIslander, Latino/Hispanic, and/or Native Ameri-can/Alaskan Native descent pursuing their Mas-ter’s in Library and Information Studies. Thesescholarships, known as the Spectrum Scholar-ships, are part of the multimillion dollar Spec-trum Initiative dedicated to improving service atthe local level through the development of a rep-resentative workforce that reflects the communi-ties served by all libraries in the new millennium.

The Spectrum Initiative was established in1997, under Dr. Betty Turock’s presidency, asan effort by the ALA to act on its longstandingconcern and commitment to diversifying theprofession. Although the scholarship is themost immediate and publicized aspect of theInitiative, Spectrum Scholars are part of some-thing much larger and the benefits they reapextend far beyond the initial financial support.

LAYING A FOUNDATIONThe importance of the monetary scholarshipshould not be underplayed. The availability offinancial support has encouraged and assistedmany people who may not have otherwise consid-ered pursuing a degree in library and informationstudies. 1998 Spectrum Scholar Miriam Perezexpressed her personal gratitude when she said:

I believe that without the scholarshipI would not have been able to go tothe library science program and beable to give back to a community thatI really care about so abundantly. Ifeel that the scholarship opens a lotmore doors to individuals who may bereluctant to go into this field yet maybe able to contribute generously withtheir ideas to the profession.The $5,000 award significantly assists stu-

dents in need, and there is considerable additionalfinancial support in the form of matching scholar-ships, tuition wavers and grants from universities.Simmons College Graduate School of Library andInformation Science in Massachusetts, forinstance, is one of over fifteen universities thathave supported Spectrum through financial assis-tance. Since the Initiative’s inception, Simmonshas generously offered a full matching scholarshipof $5,000 to Spectrum Scholars enrolled in itsGSLIS Program. As noted by Claire Knowles,assistant dean and Spectrum Scholarship mentorfor Simmons GSLIS, “We take pride in promot-

ing and supporting the Spectrum Initiative Schol-arship Program not only at Simmons, but alsothroughout the Commonwealth of Massachusettsand the New England region as we continue toencourage and support more librarians of color toenter the profession.”

The initial award is given directly to thestudent to use to support his or her education inthe way that best meets the individual’s needs.Whether the scholarship recipients are purchas-ing textbooks or paying for daycare so that theycan attend classes, the money exists to ease thefinancial burden of a master’s program andensure that scholars from diverse backgroundsare free to pursue an advanced degree. Thefinancial offering is substantial enough thateven if it were the only support afforded toSpectrum Scholars, it would still be an attrac-tive opportunity. The Spectrum Initiative,however, is much more than a scholarship.

THE INSTITUTE: BUILDING A COMMUNITYAs part of their experience, the cohorts of Spec-trum Scholars are invited to attend an annual allexpenses paid, three-day leadership conferenceknown as the Spectrum Institute. The institutetraditionally takes place immediately prior to andin the same location as the ALA Annual Con-ference, thereby facilitating attendance at bothevents. According to scholars, speakers, and par-ticipants, the 1999 institute in New Orleans, the2000 institute in Chicago, and the 2001 institutein San Jose have all been incredible successes.

For each of the institutes, a planning com-mittee composed of leaders for diversity in thelibrary community has worked arduously to makethe experience both meaningful and memorablefor the scholars. The purpose of the SpectrumInstitute is to instill strength, courage, knowledge,awareness, and opportunity for Spectrum Schol-ars who will soon be embarking on their libraryservice careers. In order to realize this vision, theinstitute seeks to involve many individuals fromdiverse backgrounds and occupations, exposingthe Spectrum Scholars from all across the nationto various educators, authors, poets, library direc-tors, and individuals who are committed to thedelivery of information and library services formulticultural environments. Past speakers andtheir presentations include: Manager of HewlettPackard Corporate Libraries Eugenie Prime andher presentation “Paint What You Want to See”;Camila Alire, Dean of Libraries at Colorado StateUniversity-Fort Collins, presenting “Committingto the Challenge: The Task of Becoming a Lead-er of Color”; President of Sitting Bull College and

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The AmericanLibraryAssociation’sSpectrumInitiative: A Full Spectrum ofOpportunities

Gwendolyn PrellwitzOffice for Diversity & Spectrum InitiativeAmerican Library Association

“…I’m part of alarge network ofpeople who areinterested (no,thrilled) at seeingme succeed in life.”

– 1999 SPECTRUM

SCHOLAR, LEE MCQUEEN

WINTER 2001

16

great-great-great grandson of Sitting Bull RonMcNeil delivering his program “In Search of Sit-ting Bull”; and K.G. Ouye, Director of San MateoLibrary, speaking on the “Role of Technology in‘OUR’ Communities.”

The diversity and broad experiences of theindividuals involved in the institute exposes thescholars to skills and knowledge that scholars arenot necessarily exposed to during library school.Moreover, the institute provides a supportiveenvironment where people in similar yet diversecircumstances speak frankly about their experi-ences and acquire effective tools for dealing withthe challenges of leading for diversity. The insti-tute provides an intense environment of work,sharing, and creativity. Judging by their respons-es, the experience is well worth it. As describedby 2000 Spectrum Scholar Michele Dye:

The Spectrum Institute has expandedmy view of diversity. The myth thatlibrarians are serious little old ladies who,of course, wear glasses has been dispelled.When I looked around the room at theSpectrum Institute, I realized that diver-sity is very much alive. I saw that thereare other librarians who, to my surpriseand delight, look like me. I realize I amnot alone in this profession. My eyeswere also opened to the diverse world oflibrarianship. Wow, medical librarian-ship, school librarianship, defense librari-anship, corporate librarianship, and thelist goes on and on. I did not fully realizewhat I was getting myself into when Idecided to become a librarian, nor did Irealize the full spectrum of choices itwould afford me. This profession is anadventure as well as a diverse and excit-ing world of opportunity.

FINISHING TOUCHESThe benefits of a Spectrum Scholarship go wellbeyond the scholarship and the institute.While these components form the foundationand body of the Spectrum Initiative, there area number of additional opportunities that com-plete the picture.

The scholars receive a number of travelgrants, conference registrations and complimen-tary memberships to ALA divisions and affiliates.A number of the ethnic caucuses provide specialopportunities to all scholars, or in some cases, toscholars reflecting the ethnic focus of the affilia-tion. For instance, the National Association toPromote Library and Information Services toLatinos and the Spanish-Speaking (a.k.a.,

REFORMA) developed a mentoring program in1999 that connects interested Latino/HispanicSpectrum Scholars with a mentor from REFOR-MA. Other ALA affiliates such as the PublicLibrary Association (PLA) encourage the Spec-trum Scholars to apply for travel grants to theirnational conferences. For the 2002 PLA NationalConference in Phoenix, five Spectrum Scholarseach from the 2000 and 2001 classes can receivean award of $1,500; moreover, the PLA will alsoprovide complimentary conference registrationand an onsite conference mentor.

The availability of these chances for partic-ipation enables the Spectrum Scholars to form avast professional and personal support networkbefore they graduate from library school. Asstated by 1999 Spectrum Scholar Lee McQueen:

I’ve been invited to several libraryconferences (LAMA, WNYLRC,ALA) that I could not afford toattend otherwise. I’m part of a largenetwork of people who are interested(no, thrilled) at seeing me succeed inlife. I don’t feel so alone in the highereducation system. I don’t experiencethe ‘lost’ feeling of being the ‘onlyone’ in an academic institution.Once they have graduated, Spectrum Schol-

ars remain part of this large network, and the ben-efits continue. As members of an online discussionforum, Spectrum Scholars are informed about resi-dency, internship, and job opportunities. Manylibraries, universities, and organizations recruitingfor diversity see the Spectrum Scholars as a richmarket. As more scholars become leaders in theprofession and as publicity about the Spectrum Ini-tiative grows, the reciprocal opportunity availableto jobseekers and recruiters knows no bounds.

INSURING THE INVESTMENTThe ALA and its affiliates have made a hugeinvestment in the Spectrum Scholars. Buildingthis pool of effective leaders for diversity in theprofession strengthens the design and delivery oflibrary and information services to our diversepopulation of users. Spectrum Scholars havereturned their investment through activism,participation, words of encouragement, and theestablishment of a “Scholars for Scholars”matching Spectrum Scholarship. The success ofthe scholars as individuals and the realization ofthe mission of the Spectrum Initiative alsodepends on the involvement of as many organi-zations, institutions, and individuals as possible.For more information about the Spectrum Ini-tiative, please visit www.ala.org/spectrum. ■

“…I feel that thescholarship opensa lot more doors

to individualswho may be

reluctant to gointo this field yet

may be able tocontribute

generously withtheir ideas to the

profession.” – 1998 SPECTRUM

SCHOLAR, MIRIAM PEREZ

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17

LEXIS AD

WINTER 2001

18

PractisingLaw Institute’s

Fifth AnnualInternet Law

Institute

Nancy CrossedAmerican University

Washington College of LawLibrary

Author’s Note: Thanks to the generosity of theLLSDC Scholarships and Grants Committee, Iwas able to attend PLI’s Fifth Annual InternetLaw Institute, an informative and interesting con-ference in New York in July 2001. The informa-tion was current and sources were provided thatwill be helpful in locating materials needed for thisrapidly changing area of law. I have summarizedthree issues presented at the institute. The coursehandbooks cover these issues and others in depth.

Trespass on the InternetIan C. Ballon, of Manatt, Phelps & PhillipsLLP in Los Angeles, one of the program co-chairs and author of E-Commerce and the Law:A Treatise with Forms, began the first session byoffering some interesting statistics on the Inter-net market. Currently, the United States holds75% of the market while Europe holds 10%and the rest of the world holds 15%; the pro-jection for 2005 is United States 30%, Europe25% and the rest of the world 45%.1 Giventhese statistics and the burgeoning litigation inInternet law, Mr. Ballon focused on privacy,copyright, trademark, domain names, and therole of arbitration in settling disputes.

“Bots,” a term used for smart software, spi-ders, web crawlers, and robots are used toextract material from many different Internetlocations. In eBay vs. Bidder’s Edge, 100 F.Supp. 2d 1058 (N.D. Cal. 2000), the defendantused bots to extract auctions from eBay and putthem on the Bidder’s Edge Web site wherebythey received advertising revenue. eBay showedit was likely to suffer irreparable harm since thebots accessed eBay between 80,000-100,000times daily thereby reducing the bandwidth andserver capacity available. The court ruled thatthere was a trespass of chattels based on the“intermeddling with or use of another’s personalproperty”2 and issued a preliminary injunction.

In Register.com vs. Verio Inc., 126 F. Supp.2d 238 (S.D.N.Y. 2000), the defendant usedbots to retrieve information from Register.com’s“WHOIS” database which lists all the registra-tion information for its domain name regis-trants. Verio used the information to contactnew registrants to solicit business for its services;in so doing, Verio misled the registrants intothinking that it was affiliated with Register.com.Register.com argued that its terms of use policyexpressly prohibited Verio from using the regis-tration information for any mass marketing pur-pose. Verio claimed that Register.com’s terms ofuse were unenforceable since there was norequirement to assent to those terms. The court

rejected that argument because Register.com’spolicy on accessing and using information gath-ered from its WHOIS database was clearly post-ed on Register.com’s Web site, and ultimatelyformed a contract.3 The court found that usingthe bots to collect data from Register.com didnot violate the terms of use policy; the courtfound, however, that Verio’s use of the informa-tion for “marketing by e-mail, direct mail ortelephone” resulted in a trespass of chattels.4

The preliminary injunction was granted.Other cases which were discussed included

Ticketmaster Corp. v. Tickets.com, 2000 U.S.Dist. LEXIS 12987 (C.D. Cal. Aug. 10, 2000),an unreported opinion which held that Ticket-master’s information constituted facts that couldnot be copyrighted, and therefore, Tickets.com’suse of Ticketmaster’s information amounted tofair use. In Storm Impact v. Software of the MonthClub, 13 F. Supp. 2d 782 (N.D. Ill. 1998), andPlayboy Enterprises, Inc. v. Webbworld, Inc., 991F. Supp. 543 (N.D. Tex. 1997), bots were usedto extract information from the plaintiffs’ Websites; in both cases, the courts found evidence ofcopyright infringement.

DOMAIN NAME ARBITRATIONInternet Corporation for Assigned Names andNumbers (ICANN) has been providing onlinearbitration for bad faith cybersquatting cases inboth the generic top level domains (e.g., .com,.net, .org) and country-code top level domains(e.g., .au, .uk, .us).5 The rules of the proceedingsare governed by the Uniform Domain NameResolution Policy (UDRP) and are available onthe ICANN Web site at www.icann.org. Thereare four ICANN authorized dispute resolutionproviders: World Intellectual Property Organiza-tion (www.arbiter.wipo.int/domains/), CPRInstitute (www.cpradr.org/ICANN_Menu.htm),National Arbitration Forum (www.arbforum.com/domains/), and eResolutions (www.eresolu-tion.ca/services/dnd/arb.htm). All of theproviders follow ICANN’s rules of procedureand supplement them with their own rules.

Although the decisions are not precedential,both parties and arbitrators often cite ICANNdecisions to support their positions. Evaluatingprevious decisions also provides insight to thearbitrators’ views and the opposing parties’ argu-ments. Decisions from all the providers are avail-able at www.icann.org /udrp/udrpdec.htm.

Arbitration for this type of dispute has defi-nite benefits since a preliminary injunction isusually the relief requested. Arbitration is muchcheaper than filing in federal court (often under

“Bots,” a term used for smart

software, spiders,web crawlers, and

robots are used toextract material

from many differ-ent Internet

locations.

WINTER 2001

19

Mr. Auriemma also cited to legislative activityin Minnesota; specifically, he referred to astatement by the Attorney General of theState of Minnesota, which indicated thataccomplice liability may be applied to InternetService Providers and/or credit card companies“that continue to provide services to gamblingorganizations after notice that the activities ofthe organization are illegal[.]”11 Several statesare attempting to make gambling debts oncredit cards uncollectible.12

Mr. Auriemma also indicated that pro-hibiting Internet gambling raises unique juris-dictional issues.13 He illustrated this point bydescribing a case involving an Internet gam-bling operator which was dismissed becausethe defendant could not be served. In thatcase, a U.S. citizen claimed to have won$50,000 by Internet gambling but the opera-tion was located in Antigua and the defendantwas never found. Another problem with pro-hibiting Internet gambling is attaching assetsto satisfy a judgment issued in a U.S. court.

With gamblingon the Internet,there is no wayfor regulatorsto determine the financial stability of the gaming operators or the fairness ofthe games.

$1000), takes less time in attorney’s fees, andcan be filed online. Moreover, decisions are dis-seminated by e-mail and the case usually takessix weeks to finish. On the negative side, it isunclear if a federal court must enforce anICANN arbitration award. In the majority ofcases the trademark owner prevails.

CONSUMER PROTECTION AND GAMBLINGON THE INTERNETThomas N. Auriemma, the Deputy Director ofthe New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforce-ment and Secretary of the International Asso-ciation of Gaming Regulators, presented a viewof gambling in cyberspace.

There are many justifications for the prohibi-tion of gambling on the Internet. Each state hascreated its own laws on gambling to reflect thepreferences and policies of the citizens and gov-ernment. Gambling from home on a computer isequivalent to bringing gambling to a jurisdictionthat may prohibit it.6 With gambling on the Inter-net, there is no way for regulators to determine thefinancial stability of the gaming operators or thefairness of the games.7 Minors gambling, criminalactivity, taxation issues, and the misuse of cus-tomers’ financial information all contributed tothe introduction of the Internet Gambling Prohi-bition Act of 19998, a federal bill, which is at thetime of this writing, pending in the House Com-mittee on the Judiciary. Introduced by SenatorJon Kyl, this bill makes it illegal to run a gamblingbusiness on the Internet and establishes penaltiesand fines equal to the amount received in bets or$20,000 and/or four years in prison.

A number of states have either enactedlegislation or have bills pending which prohibitInternet gambling.9 For example, Louisianaincluded in its legislation:

Whoever designs, develops, manages,supervises, maintains, provides, or pro-duces any computer services, computersystem, computer network, computersoftware, or any server providing aHome Page, Web Site, or any otherproduct accessing the Internet, WorldWide Web, or any part thereof offeringto any client for the primary purpose ofthe conducting as a business of anygame, contest, lottery, of contrivancewhereby a person risks the loss of any-thing of value in order to realize a prof-it shall be fined not more than twentythousand dollars, or imprisoned withor without hard labor, for not morethan five years, or both.10

COURT EXPRESS AD

WINTER 2001

20

The National Gambling Impact Study Com-mission Report recommends that the federalgovernment encourage foreign governments toprevent Internet gambling operators from mar-keting to U.S. citizens but acknowledges thereis little incentive for them to do so.14

CONCLUSIONThere is a great deal of information on manydifferent issues in Internet law contained in thetwo volumes prepared for the institute as wellas the accompanying material on gambling andconsumer protection. Although this institutewas specifically for practicing attorneys I foundthe information extremely valuable as a refer-ence librarian because it provided sources withwhich I was unfamiliar and an understandingof the many issues involved in Internet law.

ENDNOTES1. Ian C. Ballon, Bots, Screen Scraping, Content Aggregation

and the Evolving Doctrine of Database Trespass, PLI 5thAnn. Internet L. Inst. 9 (2001).

2. 100 F. Supp. 2d 1058, 1070 (N.D. Cal. 2000).3.126 F. Supp. 2d 238, 242 (S.D.N.Y. 2000). Specifically, the

terms governing Register.com’s WHOIS database state: “Bysubmitting a WHOIS query, you agree that you will use this

data only for lawful purposes and that, under no circum-stances will you use this data to: (1) allow, enable, or other-wise support the transmission of mass unsolicited, commer-cial advertising or solicitations via direct mail, electronicmail, or by telephone; or (2) enable high volume, automat-ed, electronic processes that apply to Register.com (or itssystems). The compilation, repackaging, dissemination orother use of this data is expressly prohibited without theprior written consent of Register.com. Register.com reservesthe right to modify these terms at any time. By submittingthis query, you agree to abide by these terms.”

4. Id. at 250.5.Ian C. Ballon, April 2001 Update Chapter 11 Domain

Names, PLI 5th Ann. Internet L. Inst. 39 (2001).6.Auriemma, Thomas N., Gambling on the Internet: The

Legal Perspective, GAMBLING ON THE INTERNET, REP. TO

THE INT’L ASS’N OF GAMBLING REGULATORS 3 (2001), athttp://www. iagr.org/iagrwebgpaper.PDF.

7. See id.8. S.692, 106th Cong. (1st Sess. 1999).9. Auriemma, supra note 6, at 6.10. LA. REV. STAT. ANN. § 90.3 (2000).11. Auriemma, supra note 6, at 7-8.12. Id. at 10-11.13. Id. at 11-12.14. The Final Report and Final Report Recommendations

are available at http://www.ngisc.gov/. ■

The NationalGambling Impact

Study CommissionReport recommends

that the federalgovernment

encourage foreign governments to

prevent Internet gambling

operators frommarketing to U.S.

citizens butacknowledgesthere is littleincentive for

them to do so.

ALAN HOLOCH MEMORIAL TRAVEL GRANT

AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF LAW LIBRARIES

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITIES SPECIAL INTEREST SECTION

STANDING COMMITTEE ON LESBIAN AND GAY ISSUES

The Alan Holoch Memorial Travel Grant provides $500 for travel to the American Associa-tion of Law Libraries Annual Meeting. This grant, sponsored by the Standing Committee onLesbian and Gay Issues of the Social Responsibilities Special Interest Section of the AALL,is awarded in late May or early June of each year.

The grant is funded by a generous bequest to the Lesbian and Gay Standing Committeefrom former Ohio State University Law Library Director and AALL Treasurer Alan Holoch,who died in 1991. Those whose lives he touched will long remember and cherish Alan.These grants, given in Alan’s memory, are a tribute to his spirit and to his vision of makingthe AALL better through member involvement. Individuals chosen to receive a grant havethe potential to make a significant contribution to law librarianship through their involve-ment with the AALL and the Social Responsibilities Special Interest Section’s StandingCommittee on Lesbian and Gay Issues.

The grant application will be made available on AALLNET in the spring and will bedue in late April or early May of 2002. Applicants must be members of the Social Responsi-bilities Special Interest Section at the time of application. In addition to a personal state-ment, applicants will be required to include two letters of recommendation, one from anemployer and one from a peer. Recommendations should be sought from those who arefamiliar with you and your library related activities.

Interested members should feel free to contact Carol Alpert, chair of the SIS’s Holoch Memo-rial Travel Grant Committee, at 212/998-6316 or alpertc@juris.law.nyu.edu.

WINTER 2001

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Editor’s Note: The author of this article receivedfunds from the LLSDC Scholarships and GrantsCommittee to attend the BIALL’s 32nd AnnualStudy Conference in Cork, Ireland. The following isa summary of his conference experience.

SIZE AND FOOD MATTERPerhaps because the acronym for the association issomewhat unusual, the British and Irish Associa-tion of Law Librarians (BIALL) works hard tomake its annual meeting an event not to bemissed. Held in Cork, Republic of Ireland fromJune 8-11, the theme of 32nd Annual Study Con-ference was “Keeping the Customer Satisfied: TheDelivery of Legal information.” I can state withoutreservation that I was thoroughly satisfied.

Unlike the AALL Annual Meeting andConference, the BIALL meeting usually offersonly one program rather then several runningconcurrently. This structure allows delegates tointeract more easily and to have the time to getto know one another. Another major differencebetween the two annual meetings is size. Whilethe AALL meeting attracts a couple thousandattendees, the BIALL meeting is much smaller,attracting a few hundred folks at the most.Fewer attendees makes for a more manageableconference and increases the opportunity tomeet people. One other area of departurebetween the two meetings is composition of theattendees. That is, at the AALL meeting, alltypes of law librarians are relatively well repre-sented, whereas at the BIALL meeting, firmlibrarians predominate. While firm librarians arethe largest group of delegates, there is no short-age of information and discussion of issues rele-vant to law librarians from other types of libraryenvironments, or for that matter, from overseas.

Another difference between the two meet-ings is that at the BIALL meeting, much of thesocial activity revolves around meals. Whilegastronomy is a priority for attendees of theAALL meeting, the BIALL meeting takesmeals to a higher level. The highlight of theopening night was an informal dinner and quizon British news and pop culture. While over-seas delegates are typically not much help totheir table mates, the evening was a great dealof fun to experience regardless of whether youare participating or simply observing. Theannual association dinner followed on the sec-ond evening of the conference, and the finalevening included traditional Irish music, songand dance (known as “ceili”). Each event waspunctuated by traditional Irish hospitality. Inaddition to the meals, delegates had a choice to

visit the Blarney Castle and kiss the famousstone, to tour the University College Cork (thehome of George Boole), or to visit the Jamesondistillery in Middleton.

PRESENTATIONSIrish Republic Attorney General Michael Mac-Dowell delivered the keynote address, “TheDelivery of Law,” which concentrated on theRepublic’s efforts to make legal informationavailable to its citizens and ultimately the rest ofthe world. Mr. MacDowell discussed the govern-ment’s efforts to codify Irish law by bringingtogether the statutes as well as the statutoryinstruments. Statutory instruments are analo-gous to the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR),but unlike the CFR, the Irish statutory instru-ments have not been collected together in anysystematic way. Ireland has a unique problem inthat the law of the United Kingdom – as it stoodin 1922 – may still be good law in the Republicif it has not been changed by the Irish Parlia-ment. Like the Irish statutory instruments, thesepreexisting U.K. laws are also unpublished. Mr.MacDowell discussed the Irish government’ssuccesses and challenges in placing legal materi-als on the Web. Many of my Irish colleaguespraised their government’s efforts in these areasand hoped for continued progress towards theultimate goal of having all current legal materi-als available on the Internet for free.

Robert Oakley, former AALL president,presented “Lobbying on Information PolicyIssues: A Case Study of an American LibraryAssociation,” a paper on the development ofthe AALL’s Washington Affairs office and theassociation’s role in lobbying the federal gov-ernment on information issues. The latter topicwas of particular interest to many attendees ofthe BIALL meeting, since that association iscontemplating developing a lobbying strategy.

Other programs included a presentation onthe copyright issues facing librarians in theUnited Kingdom and Ireland as well as in theEU and a presentation on materials from theScottish Parliament. The conference alsoincludes a small exhibits and vendor area.

The annual conference of the British andIrish Association of Law Librarians proved to beboth educational and fun. If you are interested inhaving a more manageable, less harried confer-ence experience in a faraway, exotic location,you may want to consider the BIALL meeting.For more information about the organization anddetails regarding upcoming conferences, visit theBIALL Web site at http://www.biall.org/. ■

BIALL: BadAcronym,GoodConference

William RyanAmerican UniversityWashington College ofLaw Library

If you are interested in having a moremanageable, lessharried conferenceexperience in a faraway, exoticlocation, you maywant to considerthe BIALL meeting.

WINTER 2001

22

As more resourcesare made available

online and moreoutsourcing

services appear inthe market, law

librarians in private settingsfind themselvesdefending their

existence.

Editor’s Note: The author of this article receivedfunds from the LLSDC Scholarships and GrantsCommittee to attend her first AALL workshop, theAALL Professional Development Workshop: NewPerspectives on Law Library Acquisitions and Col-lection Development. The workshop was held onNovember 2-3, 2001, at American University’sWashington College of Law in Washington, D.C.

THE AGENDARecently, I joined the library staff of BryanCave LLP. One important issue for meinvolved gaining more practical knowledge onlaw library collection development. I was fortu-nate to have the opportunity to attend anAALL workshop that covered a variety ofissues relating to acquisitions and collectiondevelopment. Discussions included designingand implementing a collection developmentpolicy; outsourcing; budgeting; acquiring andusing electronic resources; ordering practicesand ethics; decision making for selecting andde-selecting materials; and forecasting thefuture role of law librarians and libraries.

THE PLL PERSPECTIVEGuest speakers from diverse library environ-ments participated in the workshop. Scott Lar-son, librarian at Beveridge & Diamond, P.C.,hosted presentations of particular interest to pri-vate law librarians (PLL). Although keepingcosts down is a concern for any library, in mak-ing collection development decisions, PLLs con-stantly face the question, “Can it be billed backto the client?” As more resources are made avail-able online and more outsourcing services appearin the market, law librarians in private settingsfind themselves defending their existence. PLLsconstantly compete with the other needs of thefirm. For instance, space is always an issue; someattorneys believe that trimming parts of thelibrary collection might create offices for addi-tional attorneys who, in turn, will bill hours forthe firm. Luckily, many attorneys realize thevalue in maintaining a print collection.

In some cases, outsourcing services andselecting electronic resources (instead of printversions) may be cost effective and minimizeroutine tasks for the library staff. For example,cost savings can be realized not only by freeingup time for the reference staff to focus on morereference requests, but also by providing accessto information for many attorneys without hav-ing to purchase multiple office copies of a printpublication. Clear guidance in the collectiondevelopment policy about selecting electronic

resources can ensure that funding will be proper-ly distributed to meet the library’s many needs.

WHAT ABOUT OUR FUTURE ROLE?Several breakout sessions were scheduled toprovide workshop attendees from each type oflibrary (i.e., academic, private, and govern-ment) an opportunity to analyze how acquisi-tions and collection development policiesaffect their libraries. The workshop concludedwith an interesting final session on forecastingthe future roles of libraries and law librarians.

In my breakout session, we discussed thebenefits of establishing various consortia.Because of competition for limited resources,private law librarians from the D.C. area deter-mined that a more elaborate consortium couldeventually exist among their firms. Thisarrangement would be similar to the existenceof branch libraries in public and academiclibrary systems. With the increasing cost ofoffice rental space and little or no increases inlibrary budgets, PLLs regularly face the decisionto de-select larger portions of their collections tocreate space for other firm uses. For these rea-sons, establishing a consortium for private lawlibraries might prove to be extremely beneficial.

Likewise, we discussed a consortium fordealing with vendors, similar to the AALL’sCommittee on Relations with Library Vendors(CRIV). The two dominant publishers, Lexis-NexisTM and West Group, have acquired nearlyall of the smaller legal publishing companies –a situation that leaves little room for competi-tion. During the breakout session, some librari-ans expressed that they felt trapped with veryfew alternatives or bargaining power. Partici-pants in the session suggested that contractnegotiations and subscription terms mightbecome less lopsided if PLLs present a unitedfront when working with vendors.

MY GRATITUDEI found this workshop to be an enlighteningexperience. I am very grateful to both themembers of the LLSDC and the LLSDCScholarship and Grants Committee for provid-ing me with the opportunity to attend thisevent. I look forward to participating in moreevents as my law librarian career progresses. ■

“Should WeBuy it?”

CollectionDevelopment

for LawLibrarians

Stephanie YoungBryan Cave LLP - Washington, D.C.

We appreciate our advertisers ...so when you use their services,

tell them you saw it in LawLibrary Lights!

WINTER 2001

23

Editor’s Note: Robert J. Brink, Esq., is the executivedirector of the Social Law Library in Boston, Mas-sachusetts. During his career, he has raised over$9,000,000 from foundations, law firms, and gov-ernment grants for endowments, annual drives, anddiverse special projects. He recently raised over$500,000 to underwrite the purchase and installationof a new integrated library computer system for theSocial Law Library. The following article summarizesa presentation by the author who participated in aprogram entitled, “Facing a New Reality: The LawLibrarian as Fundraiser,” at the 94th Annual Meet-ing and Conference of the American Association ofLaw Libraries in Minneapolis, MN in July 2001.

I feel a little like the Dr. Seuss character, Sam-I-Am. Convincing people to try fundraising isa bit like getting them to eat green eggs andham. Unfortunately, fiscal realities are nowforcing many librarians to try something thatseems similarly unappetizing.

There are plenty of “how to” guides thatexplain the best way to design and implementvarious fundraising methods, everything fromsimple bake sales to sophisticated strategies toincrease deferred giving. There are alsoresources to help identify the vast array ofpotential funding sources, especially founda-tions and government grants. A list of fundrais-ing resources is appended to this article.

Even with so much readily available infor-mation, most people still resist fundraising.Perhaps they feel that they do not have theexpertise, but cannot afford professional con-sultants. Their fears of asking for support, andtheir fears of rejection, also hold them back.

Like Sam-I-Am, my task is to get you toovercome your reservations. I have eaten thedreaded green eggs and ham, and I like them.

IF YOU ARE COMMITTED, YOU CAN DO IT YOURSELF!I am not a professional fundraiser. My expertisehas been developed by a seat-of-the-pants expe-rience. I recommend that you consider doingfundraising yourself. Do not delegate the respon-sibility entirely to your development staff (if youhave one) and most especially not to profession-al fundraising consultants. My experience hasbeen that consultants spend an ordinate amountof time to learn about your institution or project– it is a great learning experience for them – butthey very rarely master the subject well enoughto be convincing spokespersons.

I engage in fundraising because I am com-mitted to my library’s mission. You, too, are

likely to be the most informed and convincingspokesperson for your library. Is your library’smission personally important to you? If theanswer is “yes,” then remember the old saying:“Where there is a will, there is a way!”

OVERCOMING THE FEAR OF FUNDRAISINGI am not certain if people ever overcome fear;the trick is not to be immobilized by it. You willnot be successful in fundraising unless you canmuster the courage to ask. You must also acceptthat “no” is sometimes the answer. Rejection ispart of the business. To minimize rejection, youmust first develop enough of a relationshipbefore you ask so that you can get a sense ofwhether your request will be well received, thenyou must make the request as appealing andcompelling as possible. You must get to know thepotential funding source (whether it is a founda-tion, government agency, or individual) to deter-mine if your project is a good match with thefunding source’s priorities and giving history. Tokeep fear at bay, keep in mind the following:1. It is not begging; it is business. Foundations

and government agencies are in the businessof giving money. Most corporations andlarge law firms budget for philanthropy;fundraising requests are a regular part oftheir businesses, too.

2. Cultivate and convey the conviction thatyour project will be done, whether or not aparticular prospect funds the project. A wordof warning: confining the success of a projectto a single source of funding introduces an ele-ment of desperation that sends the wrong mes-sage. It also tells the potential funding sourcethat the project has no larger constituency.Convey that you are committed to its success-ful completion. Funding sources do not wantto save other organizations; they want to sup-port (and be affiliated with) success.

3. Be idealistic. In every fundraising project,search for – and sell – the true meaning of yourorganization’s mission. Fundraising requires abit of imagination and hope; if you can inspirepotential funding sources, you may improveyour chances of securing their business.

LET’S GET PRACTICALHow do you identify and locate potential fund-ing sources? For librarians, the answer is simple:you do research. In addition to formal research,remember that foundations are everywhere indaily life. Local philanthropies with ties to thecommunity are customarily listed in newslet-ters and annual reports of nonprofit organiza-

Like Sam-I-Am, mytask is to get youto overcome yourreservations. Ihave eaten thedreaded greeneggs and ham, and I like them.

Fundraising:It’s LikeEating GreenEggs and Ham

Robert J. Brink,Social Law Library, Boston

tions, as well as the playbills for the symphonyand community theater. Keep your eyes openand gather foundation names; research thetrustees and become familiar with the personal-ities of various foundations.

WHAT DO YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUTFOUNDATIONS?To familiarize yourself with particular founda-tions, gather Internal Revenue Service 990 formsor some other kind of document that identifiesthe trustees and the grant guidelines and priori-ties. Find the list of trustees and cross-reference itwith your bar or alumni directory to see if anytrustees are lawyers or alumni. Make connectionsby inviting them to your functions, putting themon your newsletter mailing list, and finding outwhich members of your library’s board, or otherkey supporters, knows them.

Lawyer-trustees are advantageous becausethey have a better chance of understandingand appreciating the importance of a lawlibrary. When comparing social services causeswith law-related causes, many foundationshave a bias against anything affiliated with thelaw. “Let the lawyers pay for it” is a commonrefrain. Under these circumstances, lawyer-trustees can help.

In sum, IRS 990 forms identify a founda-tion’s decision-makers, provide insight as tohow much you can credibly ask for, andreveal the kinds of projects the foundationactually supports.

MATCHING GRANTSMatching grants are valuable for a number ofreasons. For one, a matching grant is advanta-geous because such a proposal compels you tothink through the long-term funding require-ments of your project. Another reason is that amatching grant provides an independentendorsement of your project, which is especial-ly important when your institution is not wellknown. A matching grant request also indi-cates to foundations that you are willing towork harder for your project and that you arelooking for a broad base of support. In short,few foundations want to do it all. Nearly allfoundations want their money to leverageother supporters. As such, matching grant pro-posals are usually viewed more favorably thanother types of proposals.

LOBBYING THE GRANT PROPOSALIt is critical to show that there is a constituen-cy for your institution and fundraising project.

Although the grant request is for your organiza-tion, the ultimate beneficiaries are frequentlyothers. Recruit members of your constituencyto make calls and send letters on behalf of thelibrary and the fundraising project. Even if youhave to draft the scripts yourself, do it becauseyou know the key points that must be madeand how to present them.

CASE STUDY & CONCLUSIONIn December 1998, I received a letter from thevendor of our library computer system, VirginiaTech Library Systems (VTLS), stating that itwould no longer provide a service contract,and because of the current system’s “agingcomponents,” warned of the pressing need for a“total system replacement.” With such an omi-nous forecast, finding the funding for a replace-ment system was of some urgency. If our librarycatalog crashed, for instance, we would notknow what books were on the shelves or whichitems were out on loan. Failure could paralyzeour most basic library operations.

The first step was to appoint a committeewith a six-month mandate to recommend anew system and provide a full budget coveringnot only the purchase price, but also the imple-mentation costs. The committee proposed atotal budget of $534,000 to purchase, installand implement the Millennium integratedlibrary computer system produced by the Cali-fornia-based company, Innovative InterfacesIncorporated. In all honesty, much of whathappened was luck, rather than skill; it is inter-esting how serendipity is the story behindmuch fundraising success.

In our ongoing efforts to collect and reviewlists of funding sources from annual reports fromcolleges and large cultural institutions servingthe Boston area, we found four or five founda-tions substantial enough to make large grants.One, in particular, struck us. We noticed thatone of the city’s most venerable cultural institu-tions, the Boston Athenaeum, listed a grant forcomputers from Foundation X (which hasrequested to remain anonymous). This discov-ery was significant because many foundationsdo not give for capital projects and fewer stillfor computers. The IRS 990 forms revealed thatFoundation X was relatively large and gave anumber of $250,000 grants. Under the circum-stances, we knew how much we could reason-ably request in a matching grant; the amountwould fund about half of the project.

Although there was no history of giving tolaw-related organizations, the IRS 990 forms

WINTER 2001

24

Is your library’s mission

personallyimportant to

you? If theanswer is “yes,”

then rememberthe old saying:

“Where there is a will, there is

a way!”

revealed a strong emphasis on cultural organi-zations on one end of the spectrum and socialservice organizations on the other. We, there-fore, spent the first half of the proposal on theSocial Law Library’s history and its social ser-vice mission, so that we could convince thefoundation’s trustees that ours was the type oforganization they typically supported. Weemphasized our venerable history, how theSocial Law Library was established in 1803,and how it was older than most of Boston’smore well known cultural organizations(including a number of prominent nonprofitorganizations which Foundation X had a histo-ry of supporting). Noting the involvement ofDaniel Webster, Oliver Wendell Holmes, andother famous Boston personages in our history,we did some cultural name dropping as well.

To establish the social service aspect of theSocial Law Library, we emphasized how we pro-vided free access not only to every legal servicesorganization in Massachusetts, but also to othercivic organizations well known throughout thecity. We listed those organizations benefitingfrom these free memberships, many of whichthe foundation had previously supported. Theoverarching message was that the Social LawLibrary supported the very same organizationsthat the foundation had historically supported.As an added bonus, the IRS 990 forms alsorevealed that one of Foundation X’s trusteeswas a lawyer. As it turned out, a former trusteeof the Social Law Library worked at the samefirm as the Foundation X lawyer-trustee; a con-nection was made and the former agreed to putin a “good word” to the latter for the project.

We also secured a letter from the Chief Jus-tice of the Supreme Judicial Court to vouch forthe Library. (Note: Do not be entirely fooled bythe general prohibition against judicial involve-ment in fundraising. In most states, judges areallowed to make recommendations to publicand private fund granting agencies on behalf ofprojects that improve the administration of jus-tice.) We secured a second letter from the exec-utive director of the New England Law LibraryConsortium (NELLCO) who commented as anoutside authority on the importance of an inte-grated law library system and how it couldgreatly expand the Social Law Library’s ser-vices. The letter also vouched that the SocialLaw Library is a respected member of the lawlibrary community throughout New England.

The second half of the proposal focused onthe need for a new system and the thoroughresearch the library committee conducted in

selecting the Innovative Interfaces system.The foundation ultimately awarded a

$250,000 matching grant to the Social LawLibrary. We were then able to leverage theremaining $284,800 in the proposed budgetfrom the legislature. The foundation’s match-ing support provided persuasive credibility thatthe library’s project was needed and necessary.Moreover, the vice chair of the Senate Waysand Means Committee wrote a letter creditingthe foundation’s leading support as the key tosecuring the special appropriation.

The catalog and the circulation modules ofour new integrated library computer systemhave been on the Web since February 2001.Since then, the number of books circulatingfrom the library to our patrons (i.e., judges,lawyers in both big and small firms, as well aslegal service lawyers) has seen a 33% jump!

Admittedly, when I first received notifica-tion that the Social Law Library needed toreplace its automated library system, theprospect of raising so much money had “stom-ach ulcer” written all over it. Once the libraryreceived the grant, and especially now that thenew system is successfully running, however, Isound like the once reluctant, but now enthu-siastic, character in Dr. Seuss’s famous chil-dren’s book: “Say! I like green eggs and ham! Ido! I like them, Sam-I-Am!”

APPENDIX: FUNDRAISING RESOURCESORGANIZATIONSAssociation of Fundraising Professionals (AFP)Formerly the National Association of Fundrais-ing Executives, Inc., AFP is a membership-based organization that provides educationalprograms in fundraising throughout the coun-try for AFP members and the public. TheAFP’s Resource Center maintains a collectionof over 3,200 reference works plus past and pre-sent issues of periodicals relating to fundraisingand the development process.Web Address: www.afpnet.orgMailing Address: 1101 King Street, Suite 700,Alexandria, VA 22314-2967Telephone: 800/666-3863

Forum of Regional Associations of GrantmakersA national service association for philan-thropy, the Forum consists of 28 regional asso-ciations of grantmakers (RAGs) across thecountry. Many RAGs offer library services andeducational programs to assist both grantmak-

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ers and grantseekers. Contact the Forum to seeif there is a RAG in your area.Web Address: www.rag.orgMailing Address: 1828 L Street, NW, Suite300, Washington, DC 20036-5168 Telephone: 202/467-0383

Foundation CenterThe Foundation Center is an independent non-profit information clearinghouse established in1956. The Center’s mission is to foster publicunderstanding of the philanthropy field by col-lecting, organizing, analyzing, and disseminat-ing information on foundations, corporate giv-ing, and related subjects. The Center not onlypublishes The Foundation Directory and 50 otherdirectories, guides, and reports, but also main-tains a comprehensive database on foundationsand corporate giving which is available via sub-scription and is also searchable for free at itsfive Foundation Center libraries and 200 coop-erating collections throughout the country. TheCenter provides free educational programs aswell as fee-based training and other services.Web Address: www.fdncenter.orgMailing Address: 79 Fifth Avenue, New York,NY 10003Telephone: 212/620-4230

Philanthropic Research, Inc.’sGuideStar.comProduced by Philanthropic Research, Inc., a501(c)(3) public charity founded in 1994, thisWeb site provides descriptive information andIRS 990 forms for over 40,000 grantmaking andgrantseeking organizations. A look at an organi-zation’s 990 filing is especially important, as itprovides a snapshot of its financial health andexpenditures for the calendar year. (Note:There is generally at least a year’s lag time fromthe original filing of a 990 to its ultimate publi-cation online or in hard copy. For the mostrecent 990 forms of all nonprofit organizationswithin your state, visit your state office build-ing. In Massachusetts, 990 forms are on file inthe Public Charities Division of the AttorneyGeneral’s Office). GuideStar.com also providesa number of links to other Web sites of interestto nonprofit organizations, including fundrais-ing vendors for online giving, individual donorand institutional funding resources, and volun-teering/volunteer management, etc.Web Address: www.guidestar.orgMailing Address: Philanthropic Research, Inc.,Attn: GuideStar Customer Service, 427 Scot-land Street, Williamsburg, VA 23185

Telephone: 757/229-4631

Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS)The IMLS supports all types of museums,libraries, and archives, from public and academ-ic to research and school. Of particular interestto libraries are grants for the Preservation orDigitization of Library Materials, and ModelPrograms of Library-Museum Collaboration.Web Address: www.imls.govMailing Address: 1100 Pennsylvania Avenue,NW, Washington, DC 20506Telephone: 202/606-8536

National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH)This independent grantmaking agency of theU.S. government supports research, education,and public programs in the humanities. TheNEH is especially useful for providing noticeson upcoming grant deadlines as well as formsand guidelines for grant applications.Web Address: www.neh.govMailing Address: 1100 Pennsylvania Avenue,NW, Washington, DC 20506Telephone: 202/606-8400

National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC)The NHPRC is a statutory body affiliated withthe National Archives and Records Adminis-tration (NARA). The NHPRC supports a widerange of activities to preserve, publish andencourage the use of documentary resourcesrelating to the history of the United States.Web Address: www.nara.gov/nhprcMailing Address: NHPRC, National Archivesand Records Administration, 700 PennsylvaniaAvenue, NW, Room 111, Washington, DC20408-0001Telephone: 202/501-5610

KEY REFERENCE WORKSThe Foundation Directory provides informationon the finances, governance, and giving inter-ests of the nation’s 10,000 largest grantmakingfoundations that were among the top 10,000 interms of awards made in the latest fiscal year ofrecord. The Foundation Directory is arrangedalphabetically by state (within states, by foun-dation name), and contains seven indexes: (1)Index to Donors, Officers, Trustees, (2) Geo-graphic Index; (3) International Giving Index,(4) Types of Support Index, (5) Subject Index,(6) Index of Foundations New to the Edition,

You will not besuccessful in

fundraising unlessyou can musterthe courage to

ask. You must alsoaccept that “no” is

sometimes theanswer.

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and (7) Foundation Name Index. The Founda-tion Directory is compiled by the FoundationCenter, David G. Jacobs, associate editor.

The Foundation Grants Index identifies a foun-dation’s giving interests by subject and geo-graphic focus, types of organizations funded,types of support awarded, and populationgroups served. This resource is most useful tograntseekers in developing an initial list ofpotential funding sources based on a founda-tion’s giving program, its application proce-dures, and other relevant information. TheFoundation Grants Index is compiled by theFoundation Center, Rebecca MacLeod, editor.

National Directory of Corporate Giving providesbasic descriptions of large and small companieswith foundations and direct corporate giving pro-grams. Arranged alphabetically by companyname, this resource contains seven indexes: (1)Index of Officers, Donors, Trustees; (2) Geo-graphic Index; (3) International Giving Index;(4) Types of Support Index; (5) Subject Index;(6) Types of Business Index; and (7) Corporationand Corporate Grantmaker Index. The NationalDirectory of Corporate Giving is compiled by theFoundation Center, David L. Clark, editor.

OTHER USEFUL NETWORKING TOOLS■ Alumni directories provide networking and

contact information.■ Directories of directors provide information

on who sits with whom on which boardsand list corporate, institutional, foundationleadership by constituent groupings (e.g.,Banks and Trust Companies; Corporationsand Institutions; Architects and Engineers;Stock Exchange Members).

■ Directories of corporate counsel identify in-house counsel of those corporations you aretargeting. In-house counsel can introduceyou and your program to the decision makers.

■ Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory identifiespossible contacts within a firm who mightbe able to help your fundraising cause.

■ The Who’s Who series provide useful back-ground information on fundraising prospects(e.g., information on family members, mem-berships in clubs, honors received from vari-ous institutions).

■ Annual reports of law schools, bar associa-tions, etc., provide information on the typesof fundraising projects that foundations, cor-porations, and other major donors are con-tributing to in your community. ■

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GLOBAL SECURITIESAD

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Editor’s Note: The following article summarizes apresentation by the author who participated in a pro-gram entitled, “Facing a New Reality: The LawLibrarian as Fundraiser,” at the 94th Annual Meet-ing and Conference of the American Association ofLaw Libraries in Minneapolis, MN in July 2001.

INTRODUCTIONOne of the most challenging aspects of mycareer as a law librarian has been fundraising.This topic is given little if any coverage inlibrary school programs, yet in today’s world inwhich few libraries have an unlimited supply ofrevenue for their initiatives, librarians shouldhave some background knowledge of the sub-ject. Readers should be advised that this articleis an introduction to the nuts and bolts offundraising and is by no means a comprehen-sive treatment of the subject.

As a preliminary matter, know why youneed to raise funds for your library. The firstquestion you will be asked is, “Why do you needto raise funds for your organization?” Few fund-ing sources want to underwrite your operatingcosts; if this is your goal, be prepared to have adifficult journey ahead. Funding sources areinterested in special projects, such as an onlinecatalog that will make your resources availableto more users or a project with the local publiclibrary that will provide legal reference servicesto the public. Funding institutions want to backa winner, so they are interested in funding anongoing operation with the resources to supportits mission. Likewise, your library will need amission statement. Your library’s mission state-ment will reveal to funding organizations whatyour library is all about and why it should beconsidered a worthy recipient of their money.

Libraries are in a unique, and sometimesawkward, position with respect to fundraising.Libraries are usually part of an organizationthat has a fundraising entity, which will attimes be in competition with the library. Forexample, an academic law library will be com-peting with the law school’s developmentoffice for the same dollars from alumni. Like-wise, a bar association law library will be com-peting with the bar’s charitable arm, usually afoundation, for dollars. To make things a bitmore difficult, many patrons of court and barlibraries are also alumni of law schools; eachorganization must compete for funds from thesame pool of constituents. In short, know yourcompetition, keep abreast of their fundraisingactivities, and develop a strategy for sellingyour campaign successfully.

FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGNS

Endowments. Endowed funds are named afteran individual; donations are made in his or hername. The funds or the interest earned fromthe invested funds will be used for a specificpurpose. The premise of an endowment is thatfriends or family of the individual will providea list of potential donors. The family andfriends will commit funds and then contact theindividuals on their lists to join the group bymaking a contribution. Establish levels of con-tributions (by amount) for this type of cam-paign; many organizations name the levels ofgiving, such as “contributor,” “sponsor,”“donor.” Know your audience and set realisticlimits. This type of campaign is usually verysuccessful if you have a prominent individualfor whom the endowed fund is named.

“Piece of the Rock.” Another campaignfavorite involves a new building or renovatedspace in which donors are invited to have theirname commemorating a room, reading alcove,staff area, or furnishings. I like to refer to thiskind of fundraising as the “piece of the rock”campaign. On the downside, this type of dona-tion is a one-time contribution, and if yourfacility does not have a permanent home, itmay be difficult in fifteen years to go back to asponsoring company for additional dollars. Onthe upside, allowing a donor to buy a piece ofthe rock can be for a large sum and providesthe opportunity for naming a library after amajor donor or a computer learning centerafter a vendor or law firm.

Special Projects. Libraries can raise funds forspecial projects, such as having a $500,000fundraising campaign to install an online cata-log. For these types of projects, the library staffcontacts its users to inform them of the benefitsof undertaking this special project and asks forcontributions. This approach is sometimes easiersaid than done, but if the cause is worthy, andthe campaign well organized, many organizationscan achieve their goal through this approach.

Annual Giving. At the end of each year,libraries can solicit funds by sending letters topatrons. The letters can detail how fundinghelped the library achieve some of its goals aswell as lay out projects for which funding isneeded. Although some donors will loyallydonate funds annually, this campaign canbecome stale after a few years. Keep your annu-al fund mailings fresh by using a new letter

Facing a NewReality: The

Librarian asFundraiser

Regina L. SmithJenkins Law Library

In short, knowyour competition,

keep abreast oftheir fundraising

activities, anddevelop a strategy

for selling your campaign

successfully.

each year. Try to use different letterhead or anew format; find a creative way to present whyyour library needs the donor’s support. A freshface on the annual campaign may be just theincentive a potential donor needs to open theenvelope (rather than toss it out as a junk mailsolicitation). For some fundraisers, annual cam-paigns involve a tremendous amount of workand result in a small return; for others, thegains may well exceed expenses and prove tobe the appropriate vehicle for the institution.

On a related note, the same analysisapplies to other smaller scale fundraising drivessuch as bake sales, dinners, silent auctions, andraffles. Think about your library’s image inlight of these kinds of fundraising activities.Will you raise that much money? In the end,will the effort invested be worth the fundsraised? These types of activities and events arenot bad ideas, but make sure that you are leftwith something meaningful after you have cov-ered your expenses.

Matching Grants. Matching grants are anattractive fundraising technique, particularly inthe face of comments such as, “Well, you are alaw library and all the rich lawyers use you.Why don’t you let them fund you first?” Withmatching grants, you must secure funds orpledges before approaching a foundation orsimilar entity for matching funds. Matchinggrants show that you have made an effort toobtain funding from your constituents and thatthe project is meaningful. Moreover, matchinggrants also demonstrate that you do not expecta handout from any single donor.

Friends of the Library. Friends groups havebeen successful in raising funds and establishinga dedicated funding stream from loyal libraryusers. When you build a friends group, you haveready-made cheerleaders to promote your orga-nization. Draw on the group’s resources and tal-ents and make a point of showing them yourappreciation on a regular basis.

Fee-based Library Services. Another way toraise funds is to be an entrepreneur. Promoteyour organization and its services. Review theservices that your library could offer with itsexisting resources. Determine if your librarycould add value to those services and charge afee. Could you make arrangements to deliveritems to users’ offices by negotiating a specialrate with a courier service and then putting asmall markup fee on that service? Could you

offer extended or expanded reference servicesto library users for a fee? Surf Web sites to seethe types of services that other libraries offerand take note of the fee-based ones. Althoughthis approach may seem to “nickel and dime”patrons, libraries with limited resources mayneed to pursue creative ways of generating asteady stream of funding.

Other Sources. There are a number of othereffective fundraising mechanisms available tolibraries. Funding from the Libraries Servicesand Technologies Act (LSTA)1 has providedthe start-up money for many projects and hasenabled libraries to acquire equipment andinstitute programs that benefit not only indi-vidual libraries but also many libraries in a con-sortium. LSTA funds are available at the statelevel through state library systems. Anotherpossible funding source is federal agency grantsfor preservation through the National Endow-ment for the Humanities. Likewise, foundationgrants, such as the Gates Foundation, mightfund your reference desk computers. Findingfunding sources takes detective work. A list ofresources is appended to this article.

TIPS FOR FUNDRAISINGHow do you get started raising funds? At theoutset, define the purpose of the campaign. Pro-vide justifications to support your campaign;you cannot just say, “We are short on moneythis year and need more to cover our expenses.”Research and develop a list of prospectivedonors. Get the best people on your team forthe campaign; they should be well-connected inthe communities in which you plan to seekfunding and they should be people who you canrely on to get the job done.

Research your target audience. How are arealaw firms doing? Are they contributing to othercauses? To which causes are they donating? Is itelection time? Review how much local law firmsdonate to political campaigns. Know your audi-ence and its contribution patterns. Most impor-tantly, know that you are not alone in thefundraising game. Recognizing this fact and posi-tioning your library so that you have a soundcampaign will help you achieve your goals.

Plan to work closely with the team todevelop marketing materials that informpotential donors about your organization andits capabilities. Make sure that those who areasking for funds are well-informed about yourorganization and its programs. If your librarydoes not have a development or marketing per-

Before spendingmoney on events…keep in mind thatyour goal is to raise fundsand to spend minimally andwisely along the way.

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son or department, find other ways to meet thisobjective. For example, you may be able towork with students from a local university mar-keting program or an art institute to assist youwith this aspect of the campaign; you may beable to get a quality product for very littlemoney. Once you have prepared the marketingtools, set your fundraising team loose into thecommunity to solicit funds.

Acknowledge gifts as they are received. Ifyour organization has a print publication such as anewsletter, add donors to your mailing list to keepthem informed about your organization. Remem-ber to invite donors to the library for a lunch andto attend a program. At the end of the campaign,consider sponsoring a reception to acknowledgeand honor donors. Some campaigns, especiallythose that solicit matching funds, often host a din-ner or reception to honor those who are alreadyon board. Before spending money on events, how-ever, keep in mind that your goal is to raise fundsand to spend minimally and wisely along the way.Some organizations arrange to have full sponsoreddinners or receptions. This option is always worthexploring, as it preserves your capital.

There are also some traps to avoid. Be waryof an outside fundraiser who promises to raisefunds for your organization for a percentage ofthe overall funds raised. Avoid special eventswhere the effort and costs are high and theoverall dollars realized are low. Frequent massmailings produce a low rate of return becauseeventually people will see your library’s nameon an envelope or flyer, associate it with junkmail, and toss it in the trash, never to be read.

CURRENT FUNDRAISING CLIMATEWhat is the reality in today’s market withrespect to fundraising? Since I initially wrotethis article, events have occurred which havedramatically affected the fundraising world.Every fundraiser must take into account theevents of September 11, 2001. Can your librarycompete for funds at this time with the RedCross or the United Way? You may have to waituntil the economy and world at large recoversfrom the catastrophic events. Perhaps the springof 2002 will be a better time for your library toforge ahead with a fundraising campaign.

CONCLUSIONI cannot stress enough the importance of beingan ambassador for your institution. Whether youare at a bar association, faculty meeting, or nextto a commuter who asks you what you do, takeadvantage of every opportunity to educate others

about your library. Have materials about yourlibrary and fundraising activities with you, andshould an appropriate opportunity present itself,share the materials with others. Make sure thatmembers of your governing body and those onfundraising committees also have materials aboutyour library that they can share with others. Inshort, get the word out whenever you can.

Make excellence in customer service a pri-ority for your staff. You never know who is ask-ing a question at the front desk; potentialdonors rarely wear neon signs that blink “Askme for money.” If your staff provides good ser-vice and treats all patrons with respect, youmight be the recipient of an unsolicited dona-tion. My library once received an unsolicited$100 donation from a member of the generalpublic who wanted to express appreciation forour kind and helpful service.

If you are serious about fundraising in yourlibrary, join a local fundraising association andattend its meetings. Subscribe to fundraisingpublications; not only will you learn tips andtechniques, but also you will make useful con-tacts. In the end, remember that asking for fundsis a gamble; the worst someone can do is say no.

APPENDIXSuggested Resources:The Foundation Center (FC) 79 Fifth AvenueNew York, NY 10003www.fdncenter.org

The Grantsmanship Center (TGCI)P.O. Box 17220Los Angeles, CA 90017www.tgci.com

PhilanthropySearch.comPhilanthropic search enginewww.philanthropysearch.com

Suggested AssociationsNational Society of Fund Raising Executives

(NSFRE)1101 King Street, Suite 700Alexandria, VA 22314www.nsfre.org

National Network of Grantmakers (NNG)1717 Kettner Blvd., Suite 110San Diego, CA 92101

Suggested Publications:Boss, Richard W. Grant Money and How To

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Whether you are ata bar association,

faculty meeting, or next to a

commuter whoasks you what

you do, takeadvantage of every

opportunity toeducate others

about yourlibrary.

Get It: A Handbook for Librarians. New York:Bowker, 1980.

Chronicle of Philanthropy. Washington, D.C.:Chronicle of Philanthropy, 1988-. Also avail-able online, at philanthropy.com.

Clow, Faye, Forming and Funding Public LibraryFoundations. Chicago: Public Library Associa-tion, 1993.

Greenfield, James M., ed. The Nonprofit Hand-book: Fundraising. New York: John Wiley,2001.

Hall-Ellis, Sylvia D. et al. Grantsmanship ForSmall Libraries and School Library Media Centers.Englewood, Colo.: Libraries Unlimited, 1999.

Klein, Kim. Fundraising For the Long Haul.Oakland, Ca.: Chardon Press, c2000.

Publications by the Foundation Center*:The Foundation Center. Foundation Directory.New York: The Foundation Center, 2001.

The Foundation Center. The Foundation GrantsIndex. New York: The Foundation Center, 2001.

The Foundation Center. Grant Guide series.New York: The Foundation Center, 2001.

The Foundation Center. Guides to U.S. Foun-dations, Their Trustees, Officers, and Donors.New York: The Foundation Center, 2001.

*NOTE: Additional information about theFoundation Center’s publications is availablein the Marketplace section of its Web site, athttp://fdncenter.org/marketplace/.

Schaff, Terry. The Fundraising Planner A Work-ing Model for Raising the Dollars You Need. SanFrancisco: Jossey-Bass, Incorporated Publishers,April 1999.

Stallings, Betty and Donna McMillion. How toProduce Fabulous Fundraising Events: ReapRemarkable Returns With Minimal Effort:Includes Step-By-Step Guide to the PerfectFundraising Event. Pleasanton, Calif.: BuildingBetter Skills, c1999.

Steele, Victoria, and Stephen D. Elder. Becom-ing a Fundraiser: The Principles and Practice ofLibrary Development. Chicago: American

Library Association, 1992.

Swan, James. Fundraising For the Small PublicLibrary: A How-To-Do-It Manual ForLibrarians. New York: Neal-Schuman Publish-ers, 1990.

Smith, Amy Sherman and Matthew D. Lehrer.Legacies for Libraries: A Practical Guide toPlanned Giving. Chicago: American LibraryAssociation, 2000.

Workshop on Grant Writing and Fundraising[sound recording.] American Association ofLaw Libraries. Meeting (82th: 1989: Reno,Nevada) Valencia, Ca.: Duplicated by Mobil-tape Company, Inc., 1989.

ENDNOTES:1 20 U.S.C. §§ 9121-9163. (Supp. IV 1998). ■

Make excellence incustomer service apriority for yourstaff. You neverknow who is asking a questionat the front desk;potential donorsrarely wear neonsigns that blink“Ask me for money.”

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Susan Lewis-SomersChair, LLSDC Publications CommitteeAmerican University Law Library

LLSDC members will have a choicebetween electronic or paper when theupcoming 16th Edition of COUNSEL isready for publication in 2002.

The Publications Committee and theboard are now working to create a search-able Web-based COUNSEL, in additionto the traditional paper edition. We arenow seeking to hire a programmer to cre-ate a field-searchable COUNSEL database.We will not forget the paper; we will alsoretain a new publisher to produce thepaper version.

We will keep you informed about theprocess of publishing the 16th Edition ofCOUNSEL. In the meantime, if you havequestions, please contact Ann C. Green atagreen@sonnenschein.com or 202/408-6452, or me at slewis@wcl.american.edu or202/274-4330.

counsel update

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BNA AD

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LLSDC OPENING RECEPTION/BREAKFAST:Over 70 LLSDC members met at the MetroMarriott over breakfast on October 2, 2001, forour first society-wide meeting of the year. I wasdelighted to welcome our special guests, BobOakley, past president of the AALL and ElmoDattalo, board member of the AALL. BothAALL and LLSDC tabletop exhibits were dis-played. (Note: New photos of our members andevents are always welcome for the LLSDCexhibit; please share them with us!) Thank youto all the LLSDC board members and SIS andcommittee chairs who were able to attend andto tell members about their positions. I extenda heartfelt thank you to Leanne Battle andLinda Hutchinson and the LexisNexisTM

Librarian-Relations Group, who generouslysponsored the breakfast. They held a “WinLunch with Your LexisNexisTM Librarian Rela-tions Representative” raffle and will escort sev-eral lucky LLSDC members to lunch.

LLSDC NEW MEMBER BREAKFAST: HillaryRubin, Membership Committee chair wel-comed the new LLSDC members with a break-fast on October 17, 2001, at the Old EbbittGrille. Coffee and good cheer flowed freely.Pens with the new LLSDC logo were distribut-ed. Another new member event will beplanned for spring. If you would like to helpwith the event, please contact Hillary.

LLSDC SOCIETY-WIDE EVENTS: The tworemaining society-wide events of the LLSDCyear are the Town Meeting/Luncheon onMarch 27, 2002, and the Closing Banquet/Din-ner on May 14, 2002. Please keep these datesopen on your calendars. Watch for details onthe LLSDC Web site and in Dates to Remember.Volunteers are needed to plan and staff both ofthese events. We need help with menus, invita-tions, nametags, and programs. We will alsoneed greeters at the door. Please contact me atpresident@llsdc.org or 202/408-6452.

LLSDC EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES: TheLLSDC offers a full menu of choices for every-one in our chapter. Choose from traditionalprograms or more informal brown bag lunchessponsored by our special interest sections, com-mittees, and focus groups. Again this year, theLLSDC is cosponsoring a joint meeting withthe Virginia Association of Law Libraries(VALL) on Friday, January 11, 2002. In themorning segment, Roger Skalbeck will present“Legal Technology: How Far Have We Come?

How Far Do We Have To Go?” Later in theday, Leanne Battle will showcase “60 Sites in60 Minutes: 60 Useful Web Sites for the LawLibrarian.” On February 21, 2002, the AALL isbringing its copyright workshop to Washington,D.C. The Legal Research Institute will be heldon March 21, 2002, at Howard’s new lawlibrary. The LLSDC is also participating in theJoint Spring Workshop on April 16, 2002,which will include a presentation by GaryPrice, “Round the Web in 80 Sites.” Please joinyour colleagues for these upcoming events. ■

PRESIDENT’SCOLUMN

Ann C. GreenSonnenschein, Nath &Rosenthal

The holidays are rightaround the corner. Send the perfect gift toyour loved ones: a subscription to Lights!Order forms for Lights and other LLSDCpublications are available at http://www.llsdc.org/committees/publications/publica-tions_list.htm or by contacting the LLSDCmanagement company at 703/619-5033.

LLSDC publications

CAL INFO AD

TH E FO R E I G N & IN T E R N A T I O N A L SISLAUNCHED ITS 2001-2002 CALENDAR OFEVENTS AT THE GEORGE WASHINGTON UNI-VERSITY LAW SCHOOL on November 9, 2001,with the fourth installment in its series, Funda-mentals of Foreign Legal Research. Guest speak-er, Dr. Christa McClure, assistant general coun-sel of the Library of Congress, lectured on themajor features of the German legal system andprovided research strategies for handling legalissues involving this important jurisdiction.

A future event of interest to SIS membersis a workshop entitled “Creating CommercialConnections — Trade Laws of Latin America(Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica and Mexico),”scheduled for Wednesday, March 13, 2002, atthe Law Library of Congress. The workshopwill be cosponsored by the Law Library ofCongress, the LLSDC, the American Societyof International Law, and the AALL Foreign,Comparative and International Law SpecialInterest Section (FCIL SIS). This one-dayworkshop will focus on trade in Latin Americawith associated topics such as taxation, labor,and investment. With the Free Trade of theAmericas Agreement (FTAA) gainingmomentum, faculty, lawyers, students, andlibrarians in the United States should be wellequipped to find relevant information and lawsrelated to many of the major jurisdictions inLatin America: Argentina, Brazil, Costa Ricaand Mexico. This workshop will highlight themajor issues surrounding this topic and focus

on the best resources for obtaining legal infor-mation. Relevant sources will include print andelectronic in both English and the vernacular.

The speakers at the workshop will includeDr. Rubens Medina, Law Librarian of Congress;Patricio Grane, Associate, Powell, Goldstein,Frazer & Murphy; Norma C. Gutiérrez, Libraryof Congress Senior Legal Specialist for Mexicoand Costa Rica; and Graciela Rodriguez-Fer-rand, Library of Congress Senior Legal Special-ist for Argentina and Brazil.

Advanced registration will begin in Jan-uary 2002. Registration includes a continentalbreakfast and lunch. Beginning at 8:30 A.M.on the day of the program, registrants cancheck in; the program will run 9:00 A.M. -4:00 P.M. For more information, please contactMarci Hoffman at 202/662-9159 or hoff-mamb@law.georgetown.edu. See alsohttp://www.ll.georgetown.edu/intl/presenta-tions/latamworkshop.html.

For future Foreign & International SISevents, visit the SIS’s page on the LLSDC Website at http://www.llsdc.org/sis/forint/. Also, besure to check the master calendar athttp://www.llsdc.org/calendar.htm or themonthly Dates to Remember.

The Foreign & International SIS is alwayslooking for volunteers with great ideas forfuture programs and events that meet the edu-cational and professional needs of its members.Please contact Herb Somers at 202/994-5177or hsomers@burns.nlc.gwu.edu. ■

FOREIGN &INTERNATIONAL

LAW SIS NEWS

Herb SomersThe George Washington University Law Library

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OUR OCTOBER MEETING WAS A SUCCESS, ANDI WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE LIBRARY STAFFFROM THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE FOR LET-TING OUR GROUP TOUR ITS INCREDIBLE FACILI-TY. I would like to give a special thanks to EloiseMcDowell for inviting us and arranging every-thing and to Maggie Hansen for her presentationon legislative histories. Maggie spent part of thetime discussing the types of documents includedin a legislative history. She also provided us withmaterials, including Web sites where we couldfind additional information. Finally, she wentthrough the references that she, as a legislativelibrarian, uses in her daily activities. For thosewho were not able to attend, the staff was gra-cious enough to invite us back.

For our November 12, 2001, meeting(rescheduled from September), we touredHoward University’s new law library. I extendmy thanks to Felicia Ayanbiola for organizingthe tour. The December meeting features our

annual holiday party at Shaw Pittman. At thismeeting, I would like to brainstorm ideas forfuture meetings

In the upcoming year, I hope to tacklesome new issues in our monthly meetings,including online courier services, grants andscholarships for MLS degrees, and changes tothe union (GLP) and serials (COUNSEL) lists.If anyone has suggestions for future meetings,please contact me at mwollmann@sonnen-schein.com. ■

INTERLIBRARYLOAN SIS NEWS

Michelle WollmannSonnenschein, Nath &

Rosenthal

Applying Copyright in Libraries: 2/21/02

Legal Research Institute: 3/21/02

Mark your calendars

THE PLL SIS COMMITTEES HAVE BEEN BUSYSCHEDULING A SERIES OF EVENTS FOR THEFALL AND WINTER. A summary of recent andforthcoming activities appears below. Pleasecheck issues of Dates to Remember, the LLSDCWeb site, and the LLSDC listserv for moreinformation about the dates and times forupcoming PLL programs.

The Education Committee has planned aseries of events that began in November andwill continue into 2002. The first event, a one-hour session entitled “What’s New with DIA-LOG: Now and Into the Future,” was held onNovember 15, 2001, at Kirkland & Ellis. PeteVay, the chair of the PLL Education Commit-tee, reported that DIALOG Corporation repre-sentatives Yared Berhane and Elizabeth Sim-mons demonstrated a variety of new products,databases, and search features to a packedhouse at this brown bag lunch. Other Educa-tion Committee events covering disaster plan-ning, law firm mergers, and other topics havebeen tentatively scheduled.

The Social Committee’s first event of thefall season was a happy hour held in the café ofthe Borders located on the corner of 14th andF streets, NW, on September 26, 2001. Asomewhat loud and perhaps overcaffeinatedgroup met for a couple of hours during thehappy hour, and by all accounts everyone had

an excellent time. The Social Committee hassimilar events planned for the future, includingan ice skating outing.

The PLL Holiday Party, one of theLLSDC’s most attended events each year, willbe held on Thursday, December 6, 2001, 6:00P.M.-8:00 P.M. at McKenna & Cuneo. TheHoliday Party, organized by the PLL SocialCommittee, is supported by a generous grantfrom Bernan Associates. The PLL wishes tothank Kate Martin and her staff for hostingthis year’s party. An invitation is extended toall members of the LLSDC to attend. Food andbeverages will be served, and admission is just$15.00. A copy of the registration form for theparty is on the LLSDC Web site at http://www.llsdc.org/sis/private/meeting3.htm. Iwould like to extend thanks on behalf of thePLL SIS and all who attend this event to KeithGabel, the party’s chief planner, and SteveMellin, chair of the Social Committee, and therest of the committee for their hard work.

The PLL Education and Social Commit-tees are eager to have additional volunteersjoin the ranks. If you are interested, pleasecontact Pete Vay at 202/454-7475 or peter.vay@shawpittman.com about the EducationCommittee and/or Steve Mellin at 202/639-6012 or smellin@jenner.com about the SocialCommittee. ■

PRIVATE LAWLIBRARIES SISNEWS

Scott LarsonBeveridge & Diamond,P.C.

WINTER 2001

35

OCTOBER 6, 2001, WAS A BEAUTIFULDAY FOR OUR 30TH ANNUAL PICNIC. Thesun shone brightly and the sky was a richblue, all of which made for a beautiful viewfrom the balcony of Howard University’s newlaw library. Capital Q served a delicious,catered meal to approximately 60 attendees. Iwas very pleased that a number of firm andcourt librarians attended. I hope that is a con-tinuing trend. Many people took advantage ofthe tours given by Howard’s librarians. Iwould like to thank Rhea Ballard and her ter-rific staff for their hospitality.

Herb Somers and I are preparing a sessionon international legal research. Details will beannounced at a later date.

We are always interested in your ideas forprograms; please feel free to offer suggestionson topics that interest you, tours that youwould like to take, or social events that wouldbe fun for the group. Contact Nancy Crossed at202/274-4344 or crossed@wcl.american.edu.

I would also like to extend warm wishes toall for a joyous holiday season. ■

ACADEMIC LAWLIBRARIES SISNEWS

Nancy CrossedAmerican UniversityWashington College of LawLibrary

The LLSDC’s listserv isoffered to provide effective communicationand resource sharing among members of theLaw Librarians’ Society of Washington D.C.

To subscribe, send a message tolistproc@gmu.edu. Leave the subject lineblank, and enter into the text of the mes-sage: sub llsdc [First Name] [Last Name].

To post a message, send a message tollsdc@gmu.edu.

To unsubscribe, send a message to listproc@gmu.edu. Leave the subject lineblank, and enter into the text of the mes-sage: unsubscribe llsdc [OR: signoff llsdc].

For questions regarding a subscriptionor potential problems with receiving list-serv messages, please send a message to listadmin@llsdc.org.

LLSDC Internet LISTSERV

THE FEDERAL LAW LIBRARIANS SIS MET ONOC T O B E R 10, 2001, A T T H E EQ U A LEMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION.Thank you to Holly Wilson, EEOC’s researchlibrarian, for hosting this meeting. Librariansattending the meeting reported that securityprocedures have been tightened or strength-ened at their agencies in the aftermath of theevents of September 11, 2001. Members of thepublic are advised to call federal agencylibraries in advance of their visit to inquireabout security arrangements.

Three agencies had offices in the WorldTrade Center complex: Commodity FuturesTrading Commission, Internal Revenue Ser-vice, and the Equal Employment OpportunityCommission. All employees in those officeswere evacuated safely. Legal publishers such asWest, Matthew Bender, and CCH have offeredto replace free of charge any law books thatwere damaged or destroyed in the attacks.

The SIS has volunteered to compile adirectory of federal law libraries in the Wash-ington, D.C., metropolitan area as a service tothe LLSDC members. The directory will bepublished as a supplement to a future issue ofLaw Library Lights, and the information will alsobe posted on the LLSDC Web site. The projectwill take about two months to complete.

The main topic of the meeting was sharingmarketing tips and techniques. Federal lawlibraries are becoming increasingly innovativein their efforts to market library services. Mostof the attendees manage their library’s Intranetor Internet Web sites. Several librarians gaveexamples of other promotional programs heldat their institutions.

Using interactive video teleconference,the law library staff of the Internal RevenueService has provided training on citationchecking to IRS legal support staff in locationsoutside of Washington, D.C. The librarianswrote and presented the scripted training, andtrainees phoned in additional questions duringthe session. The librarians used this opportuni-ty to provide a civics refresher on the threebranches of government.

The Law Library of the Pension BenefitGuaranty Corporation publishes an electronicnewspaper, which includes Westlaw Intracliparticles and articles from various BNA publica-tions. The law librarian also tries to visit eachattorney personally to promote library services.

In trying to be as proactive as possible,the law library staff at the Federal DepositInsurance Corporation vigorously advertises

and markets library services. The staff has pre-sented training via video teleconference,which, although it takes a lot of staff prepara-tion time, is a wonderful way to showcase thelibrary’s expertise. Each librarian’s e-mail sig-nature includes a catchy tidbit called “WeHave the Answer” to draw attention to thelibrary’s capabilities and willingness to pro-vide research assistance. Additionally, thestaff produces “HotDocs From the Library,” abimonthly e-mail service that provides infor-mation on new reports, presidential docu-ments, or other information useful to itslibrary customers. The bimonthly publication“On Top Of It” highlights new Internetresources, library acquisitions, articles, andother materials targeted to specific divisionswithin the agency.

The law library staff of the State Depart-ment publishes an electronic newsletter calledThe Legal Eagle. Each issue contains an “InternetChallenge,” a contest in which participantsmust answer a research question using the Inter-net. A prize is given to the winner and competi-tion is keen! For example, can you guess howmany square kilometers make up the District ofColumbia? Which actor and actress received thefirst Academy Awards in 1928? Who said, “Thebrain is a wonderful organ. It starts working themoment you get up in the morning and does notstop until you get into the office”?

Justice Libraries’ Review, the newsletter ofthe library of the Justice Department, CivilDivision, has won an AALL marketing award.The library staff held an open house after thelibrary underwent renovations and used theopportunity to undertake a major promotion oflibrary services. The library has both marketingand training committees to develop services foragency staff.

At the Equal Employment OpportunityCommission the library staff provides trainingin a variety of ways: hands-on Internet train-ing, LEXIS and WESTLAW sessions, and par-ticipation in national agency training sessionsdesigned to teach specialized research skills.

The United States Senate Library pub-lishes a list of “hot” bills on its intranet Webpage. The library’s brochure includes both apull-out rolodex card and laminated book-mark showing the library’s phone numbers,hours, and e-mail address.

The SIS will meet next for a holidayparty on Tuesday, December 4, 2001, at thelibrary of State Department’s Office of theLegal Advisor. ■

FEDERAL LAWLIBRARIANS

SIS NEWS

Mary GradyU.S. Environmental

Protection Agency Law Library

WINTER 2001

36

PRINT PUBLICATIONS

Texas Review of Entertainment & SportsLaw, 2000-Published annually by the University of Texasat Austin School of Law Publications, P.O.Box 149084, Austin, TX 74714-9084; Phone:512/232-1149; E-mail: publications@mail.law.utexas.edu; Web site: www.utexas.edu/law/journals/tresl/tresl.html.Price: $25.00 per year.

This journal addresses issues in the areas ofentertainment and sports law, both in Texasand in the United States generally. Recogniz-ing that this area of law does not have well-defined boundaries, the articles cover a widerange of topics in these fields.

Code of Nebraska Rules, 2001-Updated monthly by Weil Publishing, P.O.Box 1990, August, ME 04332-1990; Phone:800/877-WEIL; Fax: 207/621-0069; Web site:www.weilpublishing.com.Price: $1,895.00 for the set, which includeseleven months of update service.

This publication is an exact copy of allNebraska administrative rules. Included with aset of the Rules is a copy of Weil’s Guide toNebraska Laws and Rules, which provides sever-al detailed indices to the administrative rules.

ONLINE SUBSCRIPTIONLibrary Technology Reports Online, 2001-Updated bimonthly by the American LibraryAssociation, 50 East Huron Street, Chicago, IL60611-2795; Phone: 800/545-2433 ext. 4272;Fax: 312/440-9374; E-mail: jfoley@ala.org;Web site: www.techsource.ala.orgPrice: $350.00 per year.

This publication, available online and inprint, provides comprehensive overviews of

current technology and comparative evalua-tions of available products. The online versionof this publication includes three issues notavailable in print.

TITLE CHANGEU.S. Master Estate And Gift Tax Guide,2001-Published annually by CCH Incorporated, P.O.Box 5490, Chicago, IL 60680-9882; Phone:800/449-6435; Fax: 847/267-2400; Web site:onlinestore.cch.comPrice: $52.00 per year.

Formerly Federal Estate And Gift TaxesExplained, this new publication began withthe 2001 volume. The last volume of the previ-ous title was dated 2000. ■

EYE ON SERIALS

Susan RyanGeorgetown University Law Library

WINTER 2001

37

THE LEGISLATIVE RESEARCH SIS HELD ABROWN BAG MEETING ON SEPTEMBER 19,2001, TO DISCUSS THE AGENDA FOR THEUPCOMING YEAR. For a description of theseactivities, see our column in the fall 2001 issueof Law Library Lights.

For our first SIS event of the year, we helda brown bag luncheon on October 30, 2001, todemonstrate the Internet Webcast service, Fed-Net. FedNet President Keith Carney put theservice through its paces and received severalquestions and comments from attendees. Theoverall feedback was very positive, and Carneyindicated FedNet would like to work with us to

improve some of the features of the service.Thank you to Dickstein Shapiro Morin &Oshinsky for hosting the event.

In the coming months, we are looking for-ward to having our annual holiday party atFried Frank Harris Shriver & Jacobson orga-nized by Margot Gee. For early next year, weare hoping to have a program on compilinglegislative histories for Washington, D.C. Wealso plan to continue our program on usingAdobe Acrobat to create legislative histories,courtesy of Mike Welsh from Shaw Pittman.

Please check future editions of Dates toRemember for more details on all of these events! ■

LEGISLATIVERESEARCH SISNEWS

Julia TaylorDickstein Shapiro Morin& Oshinsky, L.L.P.

ALL MEETINGS, EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS

and other LLSDC events must be coordinat-ed on the society’s master calendar. Each per-son who is planning a meeting must check withSusan Ryan, corresponding secretary, at202/662-9142 or ryan@law.georgetown.edu,to ensure that the date is available, and thatthe function does not conflict with any othergathering. A current list of scheduled LLSDCactivities is available at http://www.llsdc.org/calendar.htm.

A reminder for allplanners of society events

IT IS AN ALL-TO-FAMILIAR SCENARIO IN THELIFE OF A LAW LIBRARIAN: YOUR ATTEMPT TOREACH A CRUCIAL WEB SITE FAILS OR SEEMS TOTAKE FOREVER TO CONNECT AND LOAD WITH-IN THE BROWSER. Why does this always seem tohappen at the worst time, when it jeopardizes aresearch deadline or compounds your problemson a high blood pressure day? Unfortunately, Icannot give you a single, solid answer. Dozens offailure points, human and technological, existbetween that distant Web server and your desk-top computer, so many, in fact, that it is ofteneasier just to chalk it up to Murphy’s Law.

I can give you guidance, however, on deal-ing with this connection or transmission prob-lem, including a few workaround steps and util-ities to determine where to start looking forhelp (or where to start laying blame, if that willmake you feel better).

Perhaps the simplest and most obviousstep when facing a problem with loading aWeb page is to tell the browser to try again. InNetscape, this is as simple as clicking the“Reload” button on the toolbar or the“Refresh” button in Internet Explorer. You mayfirst need to tell the browser to stop its attemptto load the current page; in either browser,click the “Stop” button.

This stop-and-reload routine often solvesyour problem. Sometimes, though, it only addsto your frustration. If your commands to thebrowser to reload the Web page are met withmaddening inactivity, try closing the browserprogram then reopening it and trying to reachthe Web site again. Taking this step may fixunseen process errors within the browser soft-ware that were preventing it from working prop-erly. In my experience, these unseen softwareerrors sometimes can be so insidious that closingand reopening the browser are not sufficient. Forexample, a 4.7x version of Netscape used in mylibrary has been known to fail to close complete-ly so that reopening the browser really justrenews the same faulty instance of the program.The solution to this problem is to ensure thatthe browser really is closed. In WindowsNT/2000, hit control-alt-delete and use theTask Manager to “End Task” from the “Applica-tions” tab or “End Process” from the “Processes”tab (look for iexplore.exe or netscape.exe). InWindows 9x/ME, control-alt-delete will allowyou to choose a program to close by selectingthe application and clicking “End Task.”

Another simple step to take when facedwith an unresponsive Web page is to try toload the page using a different browser. If you

are using Netscape, try Internet Explorer, orvice versa. This step serves as an alternative toclosing and reopening the initial browser, andmay work in situations were the culprit is asoftware error in that browser. Loading thepage using a different browser may also work insituations where the Web page employs con-trols or scripts that work better in one browserprogram than the other.

If you suspect that recurring problemswith loading Web pages are the fault of a spe-cific browser, check the version number of thesoftware and investigate the availability of anupgrade or a “patch” on the software compa-ny’s Web site. The version number may befound by selecting “About ...” on the “Help”menu of the browser.

The suggestions I have provided up to thispoint are based on the premise that your con-nection points to the Internet (i.e., your com-puter, your network, the distant Web serverhosting the pages you wish to view) are all inworking order. As this may not necessarily bethe case, you may want to use the “ping” and“traceroute” utilities to gather information aboutyour connection points and transmission paths.

Ping is a very basic program that has avariety of Internet-related diagnostic uses. Itsmost basic use is to tell whether a particularcomputer on the Internet is connected andresponding to requests for information, such asyour attempt to view a crucial Web page on adistant server. Ping simply sends small packetsof information to the destination address anddocuments the response. Not receiving a replyis an indication that something is wrong withthat distant Web server; in that case, you willhave to wait until service resumes. Getting an“unknown host” reply is an indication thatsomething is wrong with your Internet connec-tion, which should be addressed with yourlibrary’s technical support.

How do you use ping? Assuming that yourcomputer operating system is Windows, go tothe MS-DOS command prompt, which usuallyis available under Start > Programs or Start >Programs > Accessories. Type “ping” (withoutthe quotes) followed by a space and the hostcomputer name (e.g., ping www.yahoo.com),and hit Enter. The results of your “ping” willappear on the screen.

One thing the ping utility tells you is theIP address of the host computer. Typing the IPaddress of a Web site into your browser insteadof the host computer name can be a usefulstep. Using the IP address may help you cir-

WINTER 2001

38

TECH TALK:GET CONNECTED

Christopher C. ReedThe George WashingtonUniversity Law Library

Perhaps the simplest and

most obviousstep when facing

a problem withloading a Webpage is to tell

the browser totry again.

cumvent unknown problems in the domainname system (DNS), a system that helps Inter-net transmissions by translating host computernames into IP addresses.

Traceroute is another Internet utility thatis useful to diagnose Internet connection prob-lems. Traceroute indicates the path that apacket of information takes between your com-puter and another, documenting the “hops”between gateway computers and the timetaken for each hop. The first few hops showthe route of the packet as it leaves your com-puter and traverses the network topology usedby your Internet service provider. The last fewhops show the packet’s route as it arrives at thedestination computer. If you encounter abnor-mally slow connections to a distant Web serv-er, traceroute will help you identify the slowspots along the route. Consistently slow spotsthat are closer to a crucial destination Web sitethan to your computer should be brought to

the attention of the Web site’s technical sup-port group. Nearby slow spots should beaddressed with your library’s technical support.

How do you use traceroute? Go to the MS-DOS command prompt and type “tracert”(without the quotes) followed by a space andthe host computer name (e.g., tracertwww.yahoo.com), and hit Enter. The results ofyour route tracing will appear on the screen.

I have one final suggestion for those exas-perating situations where a browser, server, orconnection problem prevents you from reach-ing that crucial Web page: try to find its entryin Google. At the Google search page(http://www.google.com) type the URL of theproblematic Web page. There is a chance thatGoogle found that page and stored a cachedversion. If so, the URL will be indicated alongwith Google’s results of your search. Thecached page may be out of date, but it just mayprovide the information that you are seeking. ■

WINTER 2001

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WHAT:Society’s Annual Business Meeting

WHEN:March 27, 2002

TIME:12:30 P.M.

PLACE:The Charles Sumner School

17th and M Streets, NW Metro Stop: Farragut North

COST:Free for LLSDC members

RSVP to: Keith Gabel, 202/585-6954 or kgabel@thompsoncoburn.com.

TOPICS include:The future of LLSDC publications, including COUNSEL

(Consolidated Union Serials List)

LLSDC Membership categories, including Honorary Memberships

…and other LLSDC business!

LLSDC town meeting/luncheon

PRESENT: Ann Green, Lisa Harrington, SusanRyan, Steve Mellin, Barbara Fisher, SusanLewis-Somers, Mary Alice Durphy, MichaelPetit, Scott Pagel, Keith GabelABSENT: Emily Carr

CALL TO ORDER: A. Green called the Octo-ber 11, 2001, board meeting to order at 12:35P.M. Due to the absence of the recording sec-retary, S. Mellin recorded the minutes of themeeting. A motion to approve the June 21,2001, minutes carried.

PRESIDENT’S REPORTA. Green informed the board of the manynotes of support the chapter received fromlibrarians in response to the September 11,2001, terrorist attacks. She has contacted thePentagon Law Library and asked the staff howthe chapter might be of assistance.

TREASURER’S REPORTB. Fisher presented the board with a statementof the LLSDC accounts as of October 10,2001. A. Green interjected that B. Fisher hadbeen operating under the assumption that theboard would approve the proposed FY 2001-2002 budget. A. Green informed the boardthat the only changes from her initial proposalwere to add $4,000 in grants awarded by theScholarships and Grants Committee and toarrange for better tracking of expenses forchapterwide meetings. A. Green asked theboard if any other changes needed to be madeto the 2001-2002 budget. The 2001-2002 bud-get was approved.

ASSISTANT TREASURER’S REPORTS. Mellin reported the monthly deposit totals.He noted that one major deposit was actuallya fund transfer. This transaction was the dis-pensation of the board’s holdings in a Van-guard mutual fund closed by the company. Healso reported that Joan Sherer had assembleda Nominations Committee that was due tomeet soon.

CORRESPONDING SECRETARY’S REPORTS. Ryan reminded the board to consult with herwhenever someone is planning an event as shemaintains the chapter’s master calendar. Shereported the deadline for submission to the win-ter issue of Law Library Lights was November 2,2001. She encouraged the board to spread theword that the Scholarships and Grants Com-mittee has plenty of money for grants.

BOARD MEMBERS’ REPORTSS. Pagel announced that the next Foreign &International SIS program would be on Ger-man legal research. M. Petit reported that theAcademic SIS held an opening reception atHoward University’s Law Library, and it waswell attended.

MANAGEMENT COMPANY REPORTD. Trocchi announced that membershiptotaled 708 as of October 10, 2001, and Lightshas 74 outside subscribers. The fall issue was tobe mailed the following day. A motion toapprove new members carried. A. Greenencouraged all board members to attend theNew Member Breakfast on October 17, 2001,at the Old Ebbitt Grill.

NEW BUSINESSPUBLICATIONS. The chair of the PublicationsCommittee, Susan Lewis-Somers, and commit-tee member, Keith Gabel, informed the boardabout their activities involving COUNSELand the General Legal Publications Union List.

The contract with CAPCON to publishCOUNSEL has not been renewed and thecommittee is investigating the possibility ofpublishing an electronic version of this unionlist. A paper copy would still be produced forthose chapter members desiring this format.

Publishing COUNSEL in an electronicdatabase format would allow for new applica-tions of the material, such as the ability to pro-vide Web links to directory entries. The com-mittee has the union list data on tape and isseeking a programmer to manipulate the dataaccording to the committee’s needs. ChrisReed and Roger Skalbeck will assist with thetechnical details. S. Lewis-Somers had contact-ed other chapters that provide electronic unionlists; she received recommendations to provideconstant oversight of the programmer’sprogress on the project. The committee has nosense of cost yet, but K. Gabel said that costsare expected to run at least as much as the pre-vious edition produced by CAPCON.

L. Harrington asked if a paper copy of theunion list would always be available. S. Lewis-Somers said that a hard copy would be avail-able for at least one more year. The committeeis aware that most of the ILL SIS members pre-fer the hardcopy format, but that their prefer-ence may be tempered by the usability of theelectronic version. A. Green asked the boardto forward any programmer referrals to thecommittee. S. Lewis-Somers added that the

BOARDMEETING

SUMMARY

Ann C. GreenSonnenschein, Nath

& Rosenthal

WINTER 2001

40

LLSDC Webmasters are also making inquirieson behalf of the committee and discussed somepossible candidates. She will continue to pub-lish updates on this endeavor in future issues ofLaw Library Lights.

K. Gabel announced that the committeewas canceling the production of the electronicversion of the General Legal Publications UnionList since this format had only three sub-scribers. Other cost saving measures to be insti-tuted include a change in the publishing sched-ule from annual to biennial and automatingsome of the mailings.

MANAGEMENT COMPANY CONTRACT. Thechapter’s current contract with PSI to managethe LLSDC affairs is set to expire at the end ofMay 2002. A. Green informed the board thatthe American Association of Law Libraries(AALL) is lobbying to manage the chapter’smembership data. The AALL currently managesmembership data for the New York (LLAGNY)and Chicago (CALL) chapters. A. Green dis-tributed a copy of the LLAGNY directory forthe board to view. She emphasized that even ifthe chapter were to agree to the AALL’s propos-al, the chapter would still require outside assis-tance with the other chapter managementactivities. She circulated a detailed job descrip-tion of the current management company thatwas produced by D. Trocchi at A. Green’srequest. S. Mellon asked why the AALL waspushing so hard to manage the local chapters’membership data. A. Green responded that theAALL considers its involvement as a greatopportunity to get exposure to potential newmembers since some local chapter members arenot AALL members. The board will continue todiscuss this matter in future meetings.

PENS AND MUGS. The LLSDC now has penswith the new logo and Web address. Beginningthis year, a white coffee mug with the blueLLSDC logo and the phrase “Your Name inLights” will be issued to anyone who publishesan article for Lights.

MEMBERSHIP ISSUES. A. Green informed theboard that the instructor of a law librarianshipcourse had asked if the LLSDC has a gratisteaching membership. A. Green said that noother local chapter provides this benefit. Someboard members pointed out that much of thechapter information and content is availableon the LLSDC Web site for free. The boardwas reluctant to set a precedent, but did refer

this matter to the Membership Committee forfurther evaluation.

The management company informed A.Green that Sandra Day O’Connor and JamesBillington are the only two honorary chaptermembers. Neither has been added to the direc-tory or mailing lists. A. Green asked the boardto consider the utility of this membership cate-gory. She will ask the Membership Committeeto review the history and status of honorarymembership in the LLSDC.

A vendor who is an associate member ofthe LLSDC wanted to write an article about herproduct for Lights. The Board agreed that therewere numerous other venues more appropriatefor providing such information and that articlesubmission to the chapter newsletter was not abenefit normally offered to associate members.

ADJOURNMENT: A motion to adjourn themeeting carried and the meeting was adjournedat 1:41 P.M.ITEMS DISTRIBUTED: Agenda Monthly BoardMeeting, October 11, 2001; Minutes of June 21,2001, Board Meeting; Statement of the LLSDCAccounts as of October 10, 2001; MonthlyUpdate Memorandum from Management Com-pany dated October 11, 2001; announcement ofthe LLSDC Town Meeting and Closing Recep-tion; the LLSDC Management Company JobDescription; the AALL Proposal to ManageChapter Membership Data; Law Library Lights,fall 2001 issue.NEXT MEETING: Thursday, November 8,2001, at 12:30 P.M. at Holland & Knight,2099 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington,D.C. 20006. ■

WINTER 2001

41

DATES TO REMEMBER

Dates to Remember (DTR) is amonthly (September-May) newsletterdesigned to keep the membership informedof current society events. If you would like toplan an event, please contact Susan Ryan, cor-responding secretary at 202/662-9142 orryan@law.georgetown.edu, to make sure thatyour event does not conflict with any othersociety events. Once your date has beencleared, to publicize your event, please sub-mit information to Jan Oberla, DTR editor,at dates@llsdc.org.

ON OCTOBER 17, 2001, WE WELCOMEDTHE NEW MEMBERS OF LLSDC BY HOLDINGA BREAKFAST IN THEIR HONOR AT OLDEBBITT GRILL. It was great that so many peo-ple attended. LLSDC President Ann Greenand many other officers and board memberscame to meet the newer members and encour-age them to get involved. We look forward toan equally successful event in the spring. Moreinformation will follow!

Pamela Gregory recently celebrated her30-year anniversary as the circuit court librari-an for Prince George’s County. An articleabout Pamela appeared in the Prince George’sCounty newsletter listing the many achieve-ments and innovations in her library.

Julia Mychalus, assistant librarian atLeBoeuf, Lamb, Greene & MacRae is pleasedto report that she received her MLS in August2001 from the University of Maryland.

Michael Petit, head of cataloging at theAmerican University, Washington Collegeof Law Library, recently published a book,International Conciliation: Author - Title -Subject Indexes (Buffalo: William S. Hein &Co., 2001).

John H. Harbison of Collier ShannonScott has retooled after over 20 years of lawlibrarianship. He now focuses on marketing,business development, and competitive intelli-gence, in keeping with the firm’s heavy invest-ment in the client relationship managementarena. His new title is manager of client infor-mation & competitive intelligence. He alsocontinues to manage the InformationResources Department (i.e., the library).Always up for a challenge, John is really enjoy-ing these new responsibilities.

Christopher C. Reed, formerly head ofelectronic services at the George WashingtonUniversity Law Library, is now the assistantdirector for information services.

Susan M. Ryan at Georgetown UniversityLaw Library has written an analysis of West’spricing strategies for case law reporters: “CostInflation By Page Reductions: A DiscreteExample of New Price Increases in Legal Seri-als,” 14 THE BOTTOM LINE: MANAGING LIBR.FIN. 6, 6-11 (2001).

After more than three years as a seniorlibrary assistant at Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen &Hamilton, Stephanie Young has joined BryanCave LLP as a reference assistant. She ishalfway to completing her MLS degree atCatholic University of America. Stephaniealso recently received a grant from the LLSDC

to attend the AALL workshop, “New Perspec-tives on Law Library Acquisitions and Collec-tion Development” at American University.

Pete Vay completed graduate school thispast summer at Catholic University of Ameri-ca. In addition to obtaining his MSLS degree,he attained new responsibilities at ShawPittman as its electronic services librarianwhere he handles library systems training andtroubleshooting.

WELCOME TO:Eileen P. Chandhoke–law librarian at Odin,Feldman & PittlemanMargaret M. Coons–student at the Universityof MarylandRobert P. DeFabrizio–librarian at Goulston &StorrsLinda B. Dorsey–student at Catholic Univer-sity of AmericaKevin Dryden–library assistant at KilpatrickStocktonHoyt Galloway–director of the InformationResources Center at the United States Cus-toms ServiceBarrett Graham–electronic services librarianat the University of the District of Columbia,David A. Clarke School of Law LibraryTara Harmdierks–librarian at Kellogg, Huber,Hansen, Todd & EvansLaurel E. Hein–reference assistant at Hogan& HartsonStephanie Jones–adminstrative associate/library at Crowell & MoringBeth Fowler Lodsun–administrator at Rob-bins, Russell, Englert, Orseck & UntereinerCindy Mitchell–librarian at Sullivan &WorcesterShannon E. Mohan–library assistant atHunton & WilliamsMari-Jana O. Phelps–graduate student atCatholic University of AmericaMary Kay Quirk–reference librarian at EpsteinBecker & GreenMichelle Seo–assistant librarian for technicalservice at the United States Court of Appealsfor the District of Columbia CircuitJill Stockman–account manager at GlobalSecurities InformationMartha Terry–acquisition/collections develop-ment librarian at the United States CustomsServiceDelia Ullberg–technical services specialist atPiper, Marbury, Rudnick & WolfeLarry Zoglin–librarian/attorney at Gottesdi-ener Law Office ■

NEWS OFMEMBERS

Hillary C. RubinHogan & Hartson

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VICE-PRESIDENT/PRESIDENT-ELECT

SCOTT LARSONEMPLOYMENT: Beveridge & Diamond, P.C.(Washington, D.C.), librarian, 1996-present.Arter & Hadden L.L.P. (Cleveland, OH):librarian, 1994-1996; assistant librarian, 1989-1994; library assistant, 1987-1989.EDUCATION: MLS, Kent State University.BA, Case Western Reserve UniversityPROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES: AALL: member(including PLL SIS), 1994-present. SLA: mem-ber (including Legal Division), 1999-present.LLSDC: member (including PLL SIS), 1996-present; PLL SIS president, 2001-2002; PLL SISvice-president/president-elect, 2000-2001; PLLSIS treasurer, 1998-1999; PLL SIS Social Com-mittee, 2000-present (chair, 2000-2001); PLLSIS Program and Education Committee, 1997-2000 (chair, 1998-1999); Directory Committee,1998-2000 (chair, 1998-1999); Franklin SquareLaw Librarians Focus Group member, 1996-pre-sent. Ohio Regional Association of LawLibraries: member, 1994-1996. Program speaker,“Trends in Private Law Library Acquisitions,” in“New Perspectives on Law Library Acquisitionsand Collection Development,” a professionaldevelopment workshop presented by the AALLin Washington, D.C., 2001. Program speaker,“Negotiating Online Contracts,” at the VirginiaAssociation of Law Libraries’ Annual Meetingin Norfolk, VA, 2000.PUBLICATIONS: “Federal EnvironmentalAdministrative Law Pathfinder,” LEGAL REFER-ENCE SERVICES Q. (forthcoming 2002). “GoForth and Do Good: Law Librarians Are Vol-unteering Their Time and Services to theCommunity - Often Independently of Attor-neys,” LEGAL TIMES, July 9, 2001 at 29. “Divideand Conquer: An Account of Two Librarians’Experiences Attending the 92nd AALL Meet-ing,” with Darlene Kaskie, 42 LAW LIBR.LIGHTS (LLSDC, Alexandria, VA), Sept./Oct.1999, at 1, 3-4. “Celebrating National LibraryWeek, the National Legal Research Teach-In,and International Special Librarians Day in aLaw Library,” 42 LAW LIBR. LIGHTS (LLSDC,Alexandria, VA), Mar./Apr. 1999, at 1, 3.STATEMENT: As LLSDC approaches its 60th

anniversary, its long history of providing support,publications, educational programs, and socialevents for its membership deserves recognitionand applause. I have been a member of LLSDCfor the past five years and have been fortunate tomeet many people from the Washington area andelsewhere as a result. My experience serving as

president of the PLL SIS and working on a vari-ety of committees has made it clear to me thatthe huge collection of talent, knowledge, andideas represented by LLSDC’s membership is itsgreatest asset. I feel that the president of thechapter should honor its history be continuing itstraditions and sustaining the diverse ways it sup-ports its membership. We should also turn ourattention outward and create opportunities forthe members to assist schools and organizationsin the area that might need occasional volunteersupport from the law library community. Yourinvolvement as a volunteer is the key to the suc-cess of all of these activities and I will concen-trate on making them informative, rewarding,and fun for all participants. It would be a greathonor to be elected vice-president/president-electand to have the opportunity to serve LLSDC tothe best of my abilities.

RICK MCKINNEYEMPLOYMENT: Law Library, Board of Gover-nors of the Federal Reserve System, assistantlaw librarian, 1999-present. Law Library, Boardof Governors of the Federal Reserve System,legislative librarian, 1984-1999. AmericanPublic Welfare Association, librarian/legisla-tive assistant, 1981-1984.EDUCATION: MLS, University of Maryland.BA, University of Maryland.PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES: AALL: member,2001-present. LLSDC: member, 1984-present;Federal Law Librarians SIS president, 2000-2001;VALL/LLSDC program speaker on legislative his-tory research, October 6, 2000; LLSDC’s LegislativeSource Book, principal compiler/editor, 1993-pre-sent; Web site Committee member, 2000-present;Federal Law Librarians SIS secretary/treasurer,1999-2000; LLSDC board member, 1997-1999;Publication Committee member for the 7th Edi-tion of the Union List of Legislative Histories, 1998-2000; Legislative Research SIS president, 1995-1996; Committee chair for the 3rd Edition of theUnion List of Legislative Documents, 1994; Legisla-tive Research SIS vice-president, 1994-1995; pro-gram speaker on “An Overview of CongressionalPublications: 1789 to Present,” April 20, 1995;Committee chair for the supplement to the 6th

edition of the Union List of Legislative Histories,1993; Legislative Research SIS secretary/treasurer,1993-1994; Publications Guidelines Committeemember, 1992-1993; Federal Law Librarians SISsecretary/treasurer, 1990-1991; Committee chairfor Federal Law Library Information Directory,1989; Committee member for the 5th Edition ofthe Union List of Legislative Histories, 1985.

LLSDC CANDIDATEBIOGRAPHIES

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PUBLICATIONS: “The Federal Reserve System:Information Sources at the Nation’s CentralBank,” 19 LEGAL REFERENCE SERVICES Q. (2001)(forthcoming). “Compiling a Federal LegislativeHistory from Older Records,” 6 AALL SPECTRUM

(AALL, Chicago, Ill), Fall 2001, at 20-22. “Feder-al Agency Libraries as Federal Depositories,” 45LAW LIBR. LIGHTS (LLSDC, Alexandria, VA),Fall 2001, at 8-10. “Federal Legislative HistoryResearch: Compiling the Documents and Siftingfor Legislative Intent,” LLSDC’s LEGISLATIVE

SOURCE BOOK (2001) (web publication). FederalSIS News Column, 44 LAW LIBR. LIGHTS

(LLSDC, Alexandria, VA), 2000-2001. “Legisla-tive Inquiries and Conundrums,” 41 LAW LIBR.LIGHTS (LLSDC, Alexandria, VA), March/April1998, at 9-18 (contributor). “Sources of OnlineLegislative and Regulatory Information,” 24 J.GOV’T INFO. 383-395 (Sept./Oct. 1997). Legisla-tive Research SIS News Column, 39 LAW LIBR.LIGHTS (LLSDC, Alexandria, VA),1995-1996.“Special Supplement: Sources of Online Legisla-tive and Regulatory Information,” 35 LAW LIBR.LIGHTS (LLSDC, Alexandria, VA), Nov./Dec.1991, at 18-21. Textual Changes in the FederalReserve Act and Related Laws (updated looseleafservice) Federal Reserve Board, 1991-present.Current Legislative and Regulatory Activity (newslet-ter compiled weekly when Congress is in session)Federal Reserve Board, 1984-present.STATEMENT: After serving on the board andworking with various LLSDC presidents in thepast, my first reaction when I was asked to con-sider placing my name in nomination for thisthree-year position was “How could you wishthat job on anyone you cared about?” However,upon refection I knew that what that Nomina-tions Committee member cared about and whatI cared about was for the success of the society asa whole and for its individual members. As a fed-eral government employee I also knew that pub-lic service was a trust that had its own rewards.Since my boss had no objections for me takingon the job I decided to get more information. Ispoke with someone who has had the job of pres-ident to get a better idea about what she thoughtwere some of the hassles, skills, pleasures andtime involved. I then thought, “Hey, that’s notso bad. I think I can do this.” What is more Ibelieve I can serve and learn a great deal whiledoing so. I am somewhat of a lone ranger in mywork, but I would love to develop more peopleskills like delegating, public speaking, presiding,schmoozing, alleviating concerns, giving credit,consulting, building consensus, and the like. Ithink it is important to hit the ground running

and get people involved and get the committeechairs filled at the start of the society year. Ifelected, I know I will need a lot of help and Iexpect to receive that help from our generousmembership. I do not have a broad vision for thefuture of the society. I know there are questionslike whether we should stay with our currentmanagement company; how should COUNSELbe published in the future; how do we make our“free” Web site more attractive yet still retainour membership; whether our bylaws should bechanged regarding town meeting requirements orin other ways; and how do we help our membersmanage their careers and their “collections” inan increasingly electronic world? I do not knowthe answers to these and other questions, but Ilook forward to the possibility of working with allof you as we try to figure it all out.

ASSISTANT TREASURER/TREASURER-ELECT

FRANCES BRILLANTINEEMPLOYMENT: Catholic University Law Library:head of access services, 4/2000-present; circula-tion librarian, 9/1993-3/2000; circulation manag-er, 8/1990-8/1993. Fairfax Law Library, refer-ence/administrative assistant, 6/1989-8/1990.EDUCATION: MSLS, Catholic University ofAmerica. BA, George Mason University.PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES: AALL: member,1990-present. LLSDC: member, 1991-present;Elections Committee chair, 1999-2001; Nomi-nations Committee member, 1998. Mid-Atlantic Innovative Users’ Group: ProgramCommittee member, 2000.STATEMENT: LLSDC has consistently offered avariety of programs, events and workshops thathave greatly contributed to my professionaldevelopment over the past ten years. I wouldwelcome the opportunity to give somethingback to the Society by serving as assistant trea-surer/treasurer-elect.

LARRY ROSSEMPLOYMENT: The George Washington Uni-versity, Jacob Burns Law Library, instructionalservices librarian, 11/2000-present. Environ-mental Law Institute, librarian, 5/1996-10/2000.EDUCATION: MSLIS, University of Illinois atUrbana-Champaign. JD, American Universi-ty, Washington College of Law. BA, BrownUniversity.PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES: AALL: member,1999-present. LLSDC: member, 1996-present.PUBLICATIONS: “Urbana-Champaign on thePotomac: The University of Illinois’ LEEP Pro-

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gram,” 44 LAW LIBR. LIGHTS (LLSDC, Alexan-dria, VA), May/June 2001 at 9-10. “InternetSelection Software and the Acquisition/Removal Distinction,” 9 J. INFO. ETHICS, No. 2.STATEMENT: As law librarians, we form a net-work that sustains the greater D.C. legal commu-nity, and LLSDC is instrumental in providingresources to support us in our work. By offeringworkshops, brown bag lunches, and by producingindispensable products such as COUNSEL andthe membership directory, LLSDC providesgreat value to its members. I want to help ensurethat we continue such beneficial activities. I seethe assistant treasurer/treasurer-elect position asan opportunity for me to actively support theorganization that supported me when I was a sololaw librarian learning the ropes and continues tohelp me in my role as an academic librarian.

RECORDING SECRETARYCRAIG LELANSKYEMPLOYMENT: Georgetown University LawLibrary, acquisitions/government documentslibrarian, 2000-present. Gibson, Dunn &Crutcher, assistant librarian, 1994-1999.EDUCATION: MLS, Catholic University. BA,American University.PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES: AALL: member,1994-present. LLSDC: member, 1994-present.Research participant in the AALL EconomicStudy of Law Book Pricing for which I receiveda Presidential Certificate of Merit in July 2001.ALA: member, 1991-present.STATEMENT: After participating in the AALLEconomic Study during this past year I was proudto have contributed to the profession. I wouldlike to become more involved at the local level. Ihave benefited greatly from the knowledge andprofessionalism in the Washington area andwould like to give some thing back to LLSDC.

BARBARA FOLENSBEE-MOOREEMPLOYMENT: Morgan Lewis & Bockius(Washington, D.C.), head librarian. PepperHamilton LLP. McGuire Woods.EDUCATION: JD, University of Georgia. MLS,Emory University. Bsc, Florida State University.PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES: DCSLA: Hospi-tality Committee chair, 2001-2002. SLA, LegalDivision: treasurer. VASLA president. VALLtreasurer. Various committee memberships forDCSLA and LLSDC.STATEMENT: I have always been a big propo-nent of participating in the professional organi-zations to which I belong. A willingness to vol-unteer is as important as attending meetings.

Being a member of the board of LLSDC wouldbe a great way for me to give something back toa group that has provided me with great net-working and professional development resourcesover the past several years.

BOARD MEMBERSUSAN CHINORANSKYEMPLOYMENT: The George Washington Univer-sity, Jacob Burns Law Library: head of cataloging,9/1998-present; cataloging librarian, 1/1994-8/1998. National Agricultural Library, CatalogingSection, graduate assistant, 10/1991-12/1993.EDUCATION: MLS, University of Maryland.BA, State University of New York at Oswego.PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES: AALL: member,1994-present; OBS-SIS at-large board member,2000-2002; OBS-SIS OCLC/WLN Subcommit-tee chair, 1998-2000; TS-SIS Cataloging andClassification Committee board member, 1996-1997. LLSDC: member, 1994-present; COUN-SEL chair, 1995-1996. CAPCON instructor forSerials Tagging course, 2000-present. YaleReclassification Project participant, 1996-1997.PUBLICATIONS: TSLL columnist for OCLC,1998-2000.STATEMENT: The environment of the law librarycontinues to change in response to the ever-increasing influence of the World Wide Web. Aslibraries adapt to these changes, librarians mustdevelop new skills to maximize the effectivenessof the utilization of the Web within the context oflegal research. In addition, we must employ strate-gies to create new and innovative methods to har-ness the Web, while at the same time retainingthe skills required for more traditional library ser-vice. Organizations such as LLSDC assist lawlibrarians in accomplishing these goals by offeringcontinuing education opportunities, scholarshipand grant monies, and advocacy programs in theprofession. I would be honored to have the oppor-tunity to play a larger role in shaping the directionof the society through a position on the board.

ELLEN FELDMANEMPLOYMENT: Williams & Connolly LLP,library director, 1995-present. Howrey &Simon, head of reference services, 1993-1995.Andrews & Kurth, associate, 1991-1993.Haynes & Boone (San Antonio, TX) andAndrews & Kurth (Washington, D.C.), sum-mer associate, summer 1990. Howrey & Simon,deputy library director, 1985-1988. ANSER,reference librarian, 1982-1985.E D U C A T I O N : JD, St. Mary’s UniversitySchool of Law. MLS, University of Hawaii.

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BA, Mills College.PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES: AALL: member1985-1988, 1993-present. ABA: member 1991-present. D.C. and TX bar associations: member.LLSDC: member, 1985-1988, 1993-present; LawLibrary Lights advertising manager, 2001-present;Vendor Support Committee chair, 2000-2001;Public Outreach Committee chair, 1998-1999;PLL-SIS Program Committee member.PUBLICATIONS: St. Mary’s Law Journal, edito-rial board and articles editor, 1990-1991.STATEMENT: One of the best parts of being alibrarian has always been working with and gettingto know others in our profession. LLSDC providesso many valuable opportunities to work with otherlibrarians for the benefit of the profession, to learnand grow together to meet new challenges, and togive back to the community in which we live. Itwould be a privilege and an honor to serve on theboard and to have the opportunity to give back tothe organization that I have enjoyed and benefitedfrom over the years of being a member.

SUSAN K. GLAIZEEMPLOYMENT: U.S. Department of Com-merce, Law Library, reference librarian,11/1998-present. U.S. Securities and ExchangeCommission, law librarian, 5/1996-11/1998.U.S. Department of Justice, Criminal Library,law librarian, 4/1989-5/1996. U.S. Departmentof Commerce, law librarian, 10/1987-4/1989.EDUCATION: MLS, University of Maryland.BS, Sociology, Florida Southern College.PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES: LLSDC: member,1988-present.STATEMENT: I would be honored to be a boardmember for the LLSDC.

JUDITH M. LEONEMPLOYMENT: Shea & Gardner, director oflibrary services, 6/1997-present. Squire Sanders& Dempsey LLC (Cleveland, OH): practicesupport manager, 5/1993-5/1997; head lawlibrarian, 6/1987-4/1993. Arter & Hadden(Cleveland, OH), head law librarian, 1/1987-5/1987. Greenebaum Doll & McDonald(Louisville, KY), head law librarian, 1/1983–11/1986. Reed Smith Shaw & McClay (Pitts-burgh, PA), librarian,11/1979-12/1982.EDUCATION: JD, University of Louisville.MLS, University of Pittsburgh. BA, Universityof Pittsburgh.PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES: AALL: member,1978-present; Placement Committee member andspeaker at CONELL. LLSDC: member, 1997-pre-sent; Local Arrangements Committee chair, 1998.

PUBLICATIONS: “Teaching Legal Research inPrivate Law Libraries,” with Kathryn Kerchof, 2PLL PERSPECTIVES 1, 6-9 (Sept./Oct. 1990).STATEMENT: To me one of the benefits in beinga member of the LLSDC community is the coop-eration, which exists among law library staffs.When I arrived in Washington, the tool I thoughtI would miss the most would be access to a lend-ing law library serving the practicing bar. LLSDCthrough its support of our local interlibrary loansystem has proven that gap can be bridged suc-cessfully. As members of the largest AALL chap-ter, LLSDC libraries, through a cooperative inter-library loan program, enable each of us to provideservice to the organizations that employ us. Ibelieve that this cooperation should continue. Iam concerned about maintaining access to infor-mation. Electronic resources are wonderful butexpensive. User licenses provide access to infor-mation but not ownership. Pricing is such thatmany smaller organizations are unable to purchaseaccess. Licenses limit access to subscribers’ organi-zations only. A technology infrastructure is neces-sary to support that access. Factors like these com-bine to make serving our institutions difficult. Iwould like to identify opportunities to insure con-tinued access for all legal researchers. LLSDC is avehicle to provide leadership in this area.

RICHARD PALMEREMPLOYMENT: Shearman & Sterling (Wash-ington, D.C.), research librarian, 5/2001-present.Arnold & Porter (Washington, D.C.): referencelibrarian, 1998-2001; interlibrary loan specialist,1990-1998. Baker & Hostetler (Washington,D.C.), library assistant, 1987-1990.PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES: LLSDC: member,1987-present; Nominations Committee mem-ber, 1995-1996; Interlibrary Loan SIS presi-dent, 1992-1993; Interlibrary Loan SIS, vice-president, 1991-1992. Panel speaker, LLSDC“Seminar on the Use of CD-ROMs in the LawLibrary.” Speaker, LLSDC “Seminar on Inter-net Searching for the Law Librarians.”STATEMENT: Founded in 1939, the LLSDCbecame the second chapter of the AALL in 1942.During the 60 years of its existence, the societyhas been very active in promoting the professionas well as providing opportunities for professionaldevelopment of its members. Were I elected to aboard position, my primary focus would be bothto continue and expand upon the educationaland promotional activities of the LLSDC and towork towards improving communications andincreasing comity between the disparate groupsthat make up society’s membership. ■

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George Mason University Law LibraryFriday, January 11, 2002

LEGAL TECHNOLOGY: HOW FAR HAVE WE COME; HOW FAR DO WE HAVE TO GO?Coordinator: Roger Skalbeck, Technology Services Librarian, George Mason University Law Library

Panelists: Sabrina I. Pacifici, Editor and Publisher of LLRX.com, Director of Library & Research Services, Sidley Austin Brown and Wood, Washington D.C.

Wendy R. Leibowitz, Technology Columnist and Consultant, Washington, D.C. Chris Reed, Assistant Director for Information Services, The George Washington University Law Library

60 SITES IN 60 MINUTES: 60 USEFUL WEB SITES FOR THE LAW LIBRARIANSpeaker: Leanne Battle, Librarian Relations Consultant, LexisNexisTM

Breakfast & Registration 9:00 A.M.-10:00 A.M.Session 1 – Legal Technology 10:00 A.M.-11:30 A.M.Break 11:30 A.M.-11:45 A.M.Session II – 60 sites in 60 minutes 11:45 A.M.-12:45 P.M.Lunch 12:45 P.M.-1: 30 P.M.VALL Business Meeting 1:30 P.M.-2:30 P.M.

NAME _______________________________________________________________________________________________________

ORGANIZATION _____________________________________________________________________________________________

ADDRESS____________________________________________________________________________________________________

CITY __________________________________________________ STATE__________________ ZIP __________________________

PHONE __________________________________________________ FAX __________________________________________________

E-MAIL ________________________________________________

Please enclose check payable to VALL in the amount of $20.00 for VALL & LLSDC members and $25.00 for non-mem-bers. Pre-registration required to ensure catering order. Registration includes continental breakfast and box lunch. NOTE:Deadline for registration and payment: December 21, 2001.

■■ Grilled Cilantro lime chicken breast on crusty baguette with Monterey jack cheese, roasted peppers, garnished with leafylettuce and tomato.

■■ Slow-roasted beef with Muenster cheese, onion spread on a kaiser roll, garnished with leafy lettuce and tomato slice.■■ Vegetarian Pita - grilled vegetables, feta cheese, creamy herbed harvati cheese, spring salad mix in a whole wheat pita.

Send this completed form and check to: Femi Cadmus, George Mason University Law Library, 3401 North Fairfax Dr. Arlington, VA 22201Questions? Call Femi at 703/993-8107.

Directions to GMU School of Law: http://www.gmu.edu/departments/law/geninfo/directions.htm

VALL/LLSDC winter joint meeting

LAW LIBRARIANS’

SOCIETY OFWASHINGTON,

D.C., INC.

703/619-50338727-A Cooper Rd.

Alexandria, Virginia 22309

law library lightsLaw Librarians’ Society of Washington, D.C., Inc.8727-A Cooper Rd.Alexandria, Virginia 22309

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EXECUTIVE BOARDPresident: Ann C. Green . . . . . . .408-6452Vice President: Lisa Harrington . . . . . .457-5911Recording Secretary: Emily Carr . . . . . . . . . .707-3790Corresp. Secretary: Susan M. Ryan . . . . . .662-9142Treasurer: Barbara J. Fisher . . . . .263-3314Assistant Treasurer: Stephen Mellin . . . . . .639-6012Board Members: Mary Alice Durphy . . .861-1512

Susan Lewis-Somers . .274-4330Scott B. Pagel . . . . . . .994-7337Michael J. Petit . . . . . .274-4345

SPECIAL INTEREST SECTIONSAcademic: Nancy Crossed . . . . . .274-4344Federal: Mary Grady . . . . . . . . . .564-3972Foreign & Int’l: Herb Somers . . . . . . . . .994-5177Interlibrary Loan: Michelle Wollman . . .408-6453Legislative Research: Julia Taylor . . . . . . . . .775-4773Private Law Libraries: Scott Larson . . . . . . . .789-6166

COMMITTEE CHAIRPERSONSArrangements: Keith Gabel . . . . . . . . .585-6954Bylaws Revision: William Grady . . . . . . .508-9858Dates to Remember: Jan Oberla . . . . . . . . . .514-7767Education: Alea Henle . . . . . . . . . .663-6132Elections: Frances Brillantine . . . .319-4331GLP: Keith Gabel . . . . . . . . .585-6954History and Archives: Laura Anne Bedard . . .662-9172Joint Spring Workshop: Charlotte C. White . .662-6177LIGHTS: Leslie A. Lee . . . . . . . .994-2385Membership: Hillary Rubin . . . . . . .637-3631Nominations: Joan Sherer . . . . . . . . .647-1146Placement: Ann C. Green . . . . . . .408-6452Publications: Susan Lewis-Somers . .274-4330COUNSEL: Laurie Green . . . . . . . .457-7136

Public Relations: Rhea Ballard . . . . . . . .806-8047Scholarships & Grants: William T. Ryan . . . .274-4331Vendor Support: Carolyn P. Ahearn . . .719-3103Volunteer Committee: Joan Marshman . . . . .383-7089Web Committee: Christopher C. Reed . .994-1383

FOCUS GROUPSFranklin Square Focus Group

Scott Larson .............................................789-6166Laurie Johnson Malone............................737-4582

Legal Research Instruction Focus GroupCindy Curling ..........................................639-7293

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Editor: Leslie Lee . . . . . . . . . .994-2385Assistant Editor: Barbara DesRosiers . . .662-9133Advertising Manager: Ellen S. Feldman . . . . .434-5301Eye on Serials: Susan M. Ryan . . . . . .662-9142News of Members: Hillary C. Rubin . . . . .637-3631Tech Talk Christopher C. Reed . .994-1383

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