ALLA (WA) News Blog

Cross-posted from multiple mailing lists The IFLA Law Libraries Section with Public Libraries Section & Government Information and Official Publications Section is seeking proposals for papers to be presented at a session to be held at the IFLA World Library and Information Congress in Columbus, Ohio (USA), August 13–19, 2016. Theme : “Bringing the Law to the Library: Connections, Collaboration, and Community in Support of Access to Justice and the Rule of Law". Session Theme People around the world need government and legal information, but often they are not located near a physical law library collection and they lack the means or knowledge to access to online legal resources. For most users, navigating the finer points of legal materials in any format requires some assistance. Public librarians have front-line access to people who want to use legal resources but they are often not trained in the use of those resources, in print or online. This session will focus on ...

Readers may have seen reports recently that the board of the American Association of Law Libraries has proposed renaming the organisation as the Association for Legal Information . The final decision yet to be made by members, but this blog post from an American law librarian offers thoughtful commentary on the issue. From her perspective, the name "librarian" is not necessarily neutral and may not be adequately inclusive. Moreover, in a profession so defined by constant change, it makes sense for the association to be open to new possibilities afforded by a new identity. The full post offers more insights on the landscape of law librarianship in general. What if the Australian Law Librarians' Association considered a similar change? Hat tip: ALLA(WA) Vice President - Natalie McDonald. Legal Information Manager, Lavan Legal.

Formats of content available under CC licences. Graphic from the  State of the Commons report 2015,  licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License .  Glyphicons by Jan Kovařík CC BY 3.0 It was reported this month that since 2002, creators have applied 1 billion Creative Commons licences to their works allowing others to access, share, and reuse them for free. According to the State of the Commons report : "If we want to live in a digital world that is fair, diverse, vibrant, serendipitous, and safe for everyone, we will have to choose to make it that way. If that world is going to be accessible, equitable, and full of innovation and opportunity, it will require our leadership to foster and defend these ideals. Founded in 2001, Creative Commons has created legal and technical infrastructure that is fundamental to the Web we know and love. Today, our work goes beyond the ubiquitous CC licenses to foster cooperation and sharing, support ...

Legal Information Management http://journals.cambridge.org/ LIM Volume 15   /   Issue 04   , December 2015, pp 207 - 286 Published Online on 14th December 2015 Editorial Editorial David Wills   Legal Information Management   ,   Volume 15   ,   Issue 04   , December 2015, pp 207 - 207   doi: 10.1017/S1472669615000535 ( About doi ) Published Online on 14th December 2015   [ abstract ]   Obituary Rikki Breem 1934–2015 Legal Information Management   ,   Volume 15   ,   Issue 04   , December 2015, pp 208 - 209   doi: 10.1017/S1472669615000547 ( About doi ) Published Online on 14th December 2015   [ abstract ]   Feature Article The Raven, the Writing-Desk and the Reports: a Sesquicentennial Tale of Nonsense and Law Report Reform Alison Million   Legal Information Management   ,   Volume 15   ,   Issue 04   , Decemb...

The 2016 IFLA World Library and Information Congress will be held in August in Columbus, Ohio, USA. The 2016 National Committee is offering a fellowship grant to librarians outside North America to attend the conference, covering travel, registration, and accommodation. Applications are due on 31 December 2015. For more information, visit the IFLA conference website .

Justis publishing have released a free version of their latest platform, JustisOne. You can register for a free account here  which will provide you with access to all case law featured on their platform from 2011 onwards.

Ever read the Australian Law Librarian and thought “I could do that”? Ever wanted to share your legal research skills with your professional colleagues? Ever felt the desire to give in to your inner editorial genius? (Are you deeply moved by the correct placement of the Oxford comma?) Well here is your chance. The Australian Law Librarian is seeking volunteers to assist with the Journal in the following roles: A guest editor for one issue of the journal Sourcing articles Writing articles Proof reading and preparing articles for publication  If you are interested in this great opportunity for service and professional development, please contact ALLA(WA) President Alice Hewitt as soon as possible. Joining the Australian Law Librarian team would be a great opportunity to develop connections and produce a great publication. What a better way to start the new year?