ALLA (WA) News Blog

LexisNexis has invited ALLA(WA) members to a webinar on 3rd March 2016 at 1.00pm (AEDST) on Lexis Advance.   This session will include: New features. Administrator's portal. Support from LexisNexis to ensure a smooth transition for your organisation.  The presenters are Joanne Wade (Programme Manager) and Carolyn Norman (Upgrade Delivery Manager). For registration please click here .  

In December last year, the ALLA(WA) advertised an event to discuss whether the ALLA(WA) should renew a MOU with ALLA Ltd. Unfortunately this event was postponed due to low numbers in attendance. The ALLA(WA) is pleased to announced this event has been rescheduled to 16 March 2016 commencing at 5.15pm - 6.45pm . The venue is DLA Piper, Level 31, Central Park 152-158 St Georges Terrace. Please join us for a discussion and vote on whether ALLA(WA) should renew a MOU with ALLA Ltd (National). We will be hearing from members who have been involved with ALLA Ltd or who have had experience with the MOU. Further detailed information will be circulated before this date on the issues that are involved. The ALLA(WA) encourage you all to attend as this is an important issue. For those members who are unable to attend a proxy will be distributed. Light refreshments will be provided after this event. RSVP by 14 March 2016 to anne.young@dlapiper.com

Hugh McGinlay (Director, Legislation Services, Parliamentary Counsel’s Office WA) has shared with ALLA(WA) a proposal to modernise the publication of WA legislation. Please note that these are proposals only and that the Government has not yet approved them. The proposal to modernise the processes for publishing WA legislation involves 3 components: replacing the current requirement to publish subsidiary legislation in full in the Gazette with publication on the WA legislation website (www.legislation.wa.gov.au); giving WA legislation compilations prepared by the PCO in electronic form the same status that statutory reprints in printed form now have; extending the powers available under the Reprints Act 1984 to the preparation in the PCO of all electronic versions of WA legislation. Please see this PDF for more detailed information about the proposal.

Tottle Partners is a West Australian law firm, specialising in dispute resolution, corporate, commercial, construction, property and insurance law. We are seeking an enthusiastic library student (technician or librarian) to join our team in the role of Casual Library Assistant. The position will be responsible for the provision of Current Awareness Services, accessioning and maintenance of loose-leaf services. The position involves working 3-4 hours per week, with the flexible working arrangements that will allow the successful applicant to set their own hours of work and ensure time off during study and exam periods as required. The position will report to our Knowledge and Business Development Manager. The successful applicant will be able to work autonomously, possess a keen sense of attention to detail and should have an interest in pursuing a career in law libraries. No previous experience in a law firm is required, loose-leaf filing experience would be considered an advan...

The following position is available at Herbert Smith Freehills in Perth. Please submit your application by 26th February 2016. Position: Research Librarian – 12 month contract position (part-time) Organisation: Herbert Smith Freehills Location: Perth Knowledge & Research Centre Description: A fantastic opportunity exists in the Perth Office of Herbert Smith Freehills for a Research Librarian. We are looking for a qualified and experienced librarian with a demonstrated commitment to providing high quality legal and business research to join our busy Perth Knowledge & Research Centre. The role is a 12 month part-time contract position available immediately. Previous experience in a law library is desired. Primary responsibilities will include: Provision of high calibre legal and business research services Current Awareness and Knowledge Sharing Knowledge Centre promotion and research skills training Applications: Please submit your application by Friday 26t...

On behalf of ALLA (WA) I would like to congratulate Jim Pitts on his contribution to the legal profession in Western Australia over the past 25 years.   Jim was recently awarded a National Customer Service award in recognition of the outstanding customer service he has provided as Relationship Director, LexisNexis. Jim always goes the extra mile to ensure his clients’ problems are solved and he has the ability to put the customer first in his calm and professional manner.   He has built relationships with many clients in Western Australia and uses his extensive knowledge to provide the best outcomes. Well done Jim on receiving your award and thank you for continuing to ensure that the legal profession and in particular the library profession in Western Australia continues to be well served.  Alice Hewitt ALLA (WA) President 2015-2016

Bond University is advertising for a full time Manager - Law Library. This position was advertised on seek.com.au and closes 5.00pm, Wednesday 9 March 2016.

Lyonette Louis-Jacques, Foreign and International Law Librarian and Lecturer in Law D'Angelo Law Library at the University of Chicago Law School, recently posted a message on the Int-Law e-mail list to point out her list of Foreign, Comparative, and International Law and Justice on Film and TV : arranged  A to Z and by Country/General  [PDF files]. On the country list, Australian films include Black and White, Breaker Morant, The Castle, A Cry in the Dark, and Rabbit-Proof Fence.  In addition, Kristen Boon has posted a list of films that are useful for teaching international law on the Opinio Juris blog . More suggestions are in the comments. Can you think of others to add?

Due to Megan Fitzgibbons departure from the role of ALLA(WA) Secretary and in accordance with our Constitution (Rule 13.10(a)), Natalie McDonald will assume the Secretary’s role until the next Annual General Meeting. The Committee wishes Megan the best in her new endeavours.

Meet ALLA(WA) members through our "this is how I work" series. If you would like to be profiled, please contact us at allawablog@gmail.com. I'm Mawghan Elverd and this is how I work Current gig: Senior Librarian at Jackson McDonald One word that best describes how you work : collaboratively What’s your workplace setup like? The Library has the best view, we overlook the river, and Kings Park. Our open plan set up makes for easy communication and our talk about coffee and recipes often reel people in to discuss what they made over the weekend. What apps, software, or tools do you love for legal research or general productivity? Our Request Management System. It keeps track of requests and research completed and can save us a lot of time. What’s your best time-saving shortcut or life hack? Coffee! What are you currently reading for work or for fun? Seven Ancient Wonders by Matthew Reilly What’s the best professional advice you’ve ever received? Fin...

On 11th February, the American Association of Law Libraries  (AALL) reported that: "the proposal to change the name of American Association of Law Libraries to the Association for Legal Information has failed by a vote of 1998 (80.11 percent) opposed, to 496 (19.89 percent) in favor." As previously mentioned on this blog, there has been a lot of debate in the profession about whether the name "librarian" adequately captures or even limits librarians' / information professionals' skills and contributions to their organisations in the legal field. It is clear where AALL members' views currently lie, but the discussion is ongoing. Further thoughts can be found on 3 Geeks and a Law Blog from incoming vice-president / president-elect Greg Lambert.

Meet ALLA(WA) members through our "this is how I work" series. If you would like to be profiled, please contact us at   allawablog@gmail.com . I'm Alice Hewitt and this is how I work Current gig : Law Librarian, Murdoch University One word that best describes how you work : My work is so varied that one word won’t cover it! Some days it’s chaotic and you’re pulled a hundred different ways and other days it’s quieter and you can focus on one or two big tasks. I would say, I work in a way that is dynamic and adaptive to the needs of the day. What’s your workplace setup like? I am lucky enough to have two workspaces. The Law School Office that is set up for consults (and just general chats) with academics and students – the comfy arm chair is very popular. Also, it feels pretty good to have your name on a door between a professor and a doctor. My Library Office is in the main subject (liaison) librarians’ space. On my desk at the moment, apart from way too much pa...

Cross-posted from multiple e-mail lists Note: if you miss the deadline of 15th February, the programme runs several times per year, so you'll have another chance! The International Librarians Network: new round begins March 2016 Want to build your professional network and learn about librarianship around the world? Love the idea of professional travel but just don’t have the budget? The International Librarians Network (ILN) is for you. We are pleased to announce the next round of this popular program will commence in early March 2016. The ILN peer mentoring program is a facilitated program aimed at helping librarians develop international networks. Participating in the ILN brings wider professional awareness, an international perspective to your work, new ideas, and increased professional confidence. We know this because many of our participants tell us – and we’ve had over 3500 librarians from 120+ countries take part so far.  Applications for the next round of p...

Ned Potter, a library marketing guru, delivered a keynote at the LIANZA Conference, #SHOUT15, in New Zealand on 7th November 2015. It was titled 'How to shout so your users will listen (and listen so your users will shout)'. Ned outlined a Library Marketing Manifesto which in essence are five things we must do to be heard and listened to. These key points are essentially all about communication between us and our communities. Five things we must do: 1. We will be community orientated 2. We will do what people need, but market what they want 3. We will cater for library novices and for library experts 4. We will keep things simple 5. We will coordinate our marketing campaigns View the slides here View the recorded talk here View the tweets here

Meet ALLA(WA) members through our "this is how I work" series. If you would like to be profiled, please contact us at allawablog@gmail.com . I'm Lisa Webb, and this is how I work Current gig : Customer Service Librarian, Law Library, Supreme Court of WA One word that best describes how you work : Thorough What’s your workplace setup like? Great, I have a very large desk in an office I share with Belinda. There is plenty of room for my frog collection. Half my day is spent at the front reference desk, and the other half of the day I catch up on my own work. What apps, software, or tools do you love for legal research or general productivity? I really like the way Jade makes it so easy to pin point a citation or section of legislation in a case. I find this a great time saver. My favourite app for fun is ‘Cryptic crossword’, although I admit there are times when I have had enough and need to come back to it later with fresh eyes. What’s your best time-saving ...

ALIAWest is hosting a free evening event on 22 February 2016 , featuring Andy Mabbett, Wikipedian in Residence at ORCID . In addition, Gideon Digby, President of Wikimedia Australia, will give an outline of Toodyaypedia, a Shire of Toodyay project which placed QR codes around the town and through its museums to link to articles on Wikipedia More details and a registration form are available on the ALIAWest blog . In addition, Andy Mabbett will also be the keynote speaker at the free half-day ‘Wikidata – Perth Mini Conference’ on Friday, 19 February 9.30am – 2pm, at the State Library of Western Australia.  This mini conference will include speakers on: Noongarpedia project between UWA and Curtin which has created access to the Indigenous Australian language via Wikpedia. Toodyaypedia Newspaper project by State Library of Western Australia creating articles about every newspaper published in Western Australia. For more details about the ‘Wikidata – Perth Mini Conferen...

Mary Greenfield, the editor of the Australian Law Librarian (official journal of the Australian Law Librarians’ Association) recently sent a message to the ALLA-ANZ  email list calling for contributions and feedback on the journal. Members, check your email for more details! Mary wrote: The Australian Law Librarian is the Association’s journal – its remit should reflect the issues of relevance to the present and future of our members. Who better to contribute to it, then, than our members? Other questions that come to mind are: is the present format the appropriate one? Would subscribers like to see it in other formats, such as online, as well as the printed version? These are questions to which the Board would like members’/subscribers’ input, and are designed to ascertain what members want for the publication. Once that has occurred, the Board and the Editorial Committee will be better placed to provide what is needed/desired, but also to ascertain costs and viability of an...

Meet ALLA(WA) members through our "this is how I work" series. If you would like to be profiled, please contact us at  allawablog@gmail.com . I'm Justin Booker, and this is how I work. Current gig : Knowledge Professional at Corrs Chambers Westgarth One word that best describes how you work: Errant What’s your workplace setup like? A gallimaufry as Corrs is moving this month to a new office. I am surrounded by packing crates at the moment. What apps, software, or tools do you love for legal research or general productivity? Anything that remembers my log in or is IP fixed gets my tick of approval. I hate stopping mid flow to recall a password. What’s your best time-saving shortcut or life hack? I cut through Raine Square to get to and from the Perth train station. What are you currently reading for work or for fun? Scaramouche by Rafael Sabatini What’s the best professional advice you’ve ever received? My Mother said, to get things done, you’d ...

Cross-posted from ALLA-ANZ email list The ALLA Board invites expressions of interest from members for the role of Membership Co-ordinator. The role is offered on a three year term, with the possibility of renewal. The incumbent will manage all aspects of the membership process, and will work with the ALLA board during the course of each year. An honorarium of $3,000.00 per annum is offered. The purpose of the creation of this role is to assist the board to reduce the costs involved in managing this aspect of a professional association, as currently this function is outsourced. For more information, and to apply click here . The due date for applications is 29th February, 2016.

What kind of librarian should you be: teen librarian, cataloguer, local history, humanities, government? Take this oh-so-scientific Play Buzz personality quiz to find out! (For fun only, of course.) Hat tip: ALLA(WA) President - Alice Hewitt. Librarian, Reference and Information Services, Murdoch University.

Queensland University of Technology (Library, Division of Technology, Information and Learning Support) is seeking a Copyright Officer for a fixed term position. Details are here . Deadline 17 February 2016.

Meet ALLA(WA) members through our "this is how I work" series. If you would like to be profiled, please contact us at allawablog@gmail.com . I'm Anne Young, and this is how I work. Current gig: Knowledge Management Librarian (Litigation and Regulatory) at DLA Piper. I am the only librarian in the Perth office, but have colleagues nationally and we work closely as a team. One word that best describes how you work : Distractedly. I like the fact that library work, by virtue of interruptions to do research and answer queries, breaks up the more routine tasks - which in turn can act as a soothing job when your brain has been working hard. What’s your workplace setup like? I have a very small office that tapers behind the best at my back to a triangular point. It is the first time in my life I've had an office with a door, but I keep it open except when on phone calls/meetings What apps, software, or tools do you love for legal research or general productivit...

Reposted from an email from  Graham Greenleaf The Free Access to Law Movement (FALM) is alive and well, with 59 members from around the world. It has a new website - http://www.falm.info/ - which includes its list of members, membership criteria and procedures, and it encourages new applications for membership. It also has a brand new twitter account - @falminfo - intended as a means for distribution of information about free access to law developments from around the world. 

Thinking of going to Vancouver? The program for the Canadian Association of Law Libraries (CALL/ACBD) in May 2016 is now available . Have a look to see what's happening in the North American law library world.

Applications now open for the 2016 Annual Fellowship Scholarship! The Australian Law Librarians’ Association (ALLA) Annual Fellowship Program aims to provide current members of ALLA with an opportunity to attend an international professional development program. The successful applicant will receive $3000 to cover registration, travel, insurance and accommodation expenses. See the ALLA website for the Fellowship guidelines and application . Applications close 5pm (AEST) 29 February 2016. Late or incomplete applications are not accepted.

There has been a lot of debate in recent years about changing trends in learning behaviours and expectations amongst students. One key question for law schools is: should students adapt when entering their legal training, or should law schools adapt to the students? The answer is probably somewhere between the two extremes, but the following offer food for thought: Benfer, Emily A., and Colleen F. Shanahan. Educating the Invincibles: Strategies for Teaching the Millennial Generation in Law School . (2013) 20  Clinical Law Review 301 Madison, Benjamin V. The Elephant in Law School Classrooms: Overuse of the Socratic Method as an Obstacle to Teaching Modern Law Students . (2008) 85(3) University of Detroit Mercy Law Review Patrice, Joe.  Making Law School Millennial-Friendly  ( Above the Law  blog) Uelmen, Amelia J.  Millennial Momentum for Revising the Rhetoric of Lawyers' Relationships and Roles . (2011) 9 U. St. Thomas L.J. 446 ALLA(WA) Se...