By popular demand, the Legal Division of SLA is proud to present a reprise of the hit program, “‘Libraries & Knowledge Management: Taming the KM Monster” by Jaye Lapachet and Camille Reynolds!

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

1 – 2 PM CT / 11 AM – 12 PM PT / 2 – 3 PM ET

Session Description:

Learn how librarians are using their expertise to develop connections within their organizations that deliver value by meeting the needs of internal and external customers. Discover how you can implement KM initiatives in your organization using existing tools and creative problem solving. Internal knowledge sharing, information silos and developing products that integrate internal and external data which vendors can’t duplicate create added value for attorneys, managers, directors, and other professionals. This talk provides tips on how to start small, market your successes, and build on those successes for larger-scale initiatives, discusses how to define KM in a way that fits your organizational culture and mission, which, in turn, sets realistic expectations of what KM can and cannot achieve.

Attendance is free to SLA, AALL, & CALL/ACBD members, but space is limited! Register here today.

Learning Outcomes:

• Participants will learn how librarian expertise can be applied to KM projects within Law Firms & other organizations
• Participants will learn how to scale KM projects and utilize existing tools to add value to their organizations via KM projects

Speakers:

Camille Reynolds, MLS, Director of Risk Management & Information Services at Fenwick and West

Jaye Lapachet, MLIS, Manager of Library Services, Coblentz Patch Duffy & Bass LLP

Attendance is free to SLA, AALL, & CALL/ACBD members, but space is limited! Register here today.

The Law Library TNT Series is made possible through the generous support of our friends at Wolters Kluwer Law & Business!

The 2012 SLA Legal Division Nominations Committee is pleased to announce the slate of candidates running for election to serve as your Board officers. The polls will be open on Monday, November 5 and will close Thursday, November 15 at 5 PM PST. The elected officers will take office on January 1, 2013. You should receive a link to the ballot via email.

Further nominations, accompanied by the written acceptance of the nominee, may be entered by petition of twenty-five (25) Division members and shall be filed with the Nominating and Elections Committee.

Each of the candidates has a strong service orientation to our Division, you as its members and our profession. Their experience, both professional and within the Association, has allowed the Nominations Committee to provide you with a slate of strong leaders.

Chair-Elect-Elect:    

• Colleen Cable – Consultant, Profit Recovery Partners LLC, Kansas City, MO

Secretary:      

• Louis Abramovitz – Librarian, Wilkinson Barker Knauer LLP, Washington, DC
• Alicia Pappas – Librarian, KPMG, Washington, DC

Director-At-Large:

• Robert Guerrero – Library Manager, Richards Layton & Finger PA, Wilmington, DE
• Megan Scanlon – Web Services Librarian, Milbank Tweed Hadley & McCloy LLP, New York, NY

Please take time to review the information provided about the candidates in the attached document. We look forward to your participation in this important process.

Thank you to the Division members who joined me on this year’s Nominations Committee: Christine DeLuca and Laura Woods.

John J. DiGilio
Chair, SLA Legal Division Nominations Committee 2012

Here’s the next installment in a series of “funformational” (fun + informational) e-mails about the many chapters within the Special Libraries Association.  We first looked at the New England Chapter in August.  September brings us the Europe Chapter!

Over 25 Legal Division members are a part of SLA Europe.   At present, there are a few Chapter members who hold positions within the Legal Division.  Sara Batts is a Past Chair of SLA Europe and is currently our International Relations Committee Chair.  Laura Woods was our 2011 Non-U.S. Travel Grant Award Winner and currently serves on our Nominations Committee.  Sam Wiggins was our 2011 ECCA winner and currently serves our Division’s Ethics Ambassador.

Kate Arnold, SLA President-Elect Candidate for 2013 and SLA Europe Past Chair talked about the bond we share with this Chapter.  “It’s wonderful to have the Legal Division collaborating with SLA Europe on the Early Career Conference Award, which has been in existence since 2007 and is going from strength to strength as a means of building awareness of the networking opportunities that SLA offers in both Division and Chapter activities.”  Kate, along with SLA Europe member Sylvia James, championed the creation of the ECCA awards.  The Legal Division is proud to be a co-sponsor for the past two years.  Our 2011 winner was Sam Wiggins, Information Officer at Norton Rose LLP in London and our 2012 winner was Marie Cannon, Information Officer at Trowers & Hamlins in London.  We look forward to continuing this partnership into the future!

SLA Europe is celebrating their 40^th anniversary this year!  Most of their approximately 300 members reside in the United Kingdom, however the Chapter serve the needs of information professionals in all of Europe.  Many of the SLA Europe members are quite prolific bloggers and Tweeters of important thoughts and information related to the library profession.  Check out their blogroll list, scroll down and it’s on the right-hand side.

Will you be in London at the end of September?  Join the Chapter for their event, Engaging Social Media for Fun and Career Success.  (See? I told you they are ahead of the curve for blogging and Tweeting!)  The event will be held on September 25^th in Canary Wharf.  (If you’ve ever watched “EastEnders,” it’s at one of the curves of the Thames, from the opening credits!)

Fun Facts About Europe!

The Legal Division enjoys a great relationship with SLA Europe.  We look forward to maintaining this for years to come.  Get to know our colleagues from across the pond!

Cheers,

Tracy Z. Maleeff
SLA Legal Division Chair

Welcome to the first in a series of “funformational” (fun + informational) reports about the many chapters within the Special Libraries Association.  First up, the New England Chapter!

The Legal Division has almost 70 members whose home chapter is SLA New England.  When our members aren’t working hard at their jobs, they are enjoying the beautiful scenery of this region and eating Quahogs or lobster rolls while washing it down with a tonic or frappe.  Check out SLA New England – they’re wicked awesome!  (http://www.quora.com/What-is-some-New-England-slang)

SLA New England (previously known as SLA Boston) Chapter was established in 1910 and happens to be the first local chapter of SLA.  This chapter of almost 500 members includes the states of Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Connecticut (except Fairfield County).  SLA New England Chapter is also affiliated with two library and information science programs: Simmons College and Southern Connecticut State University .

[Much like cheese, SLA Rhode Island stands alone!  “Rhode Island is neither a road, nor an island.  Discuss.” – ‘Linda Richman’]

Upcoming SLA New England Chapter events of note:

• SLA Conference Recap Twitter Chat on August 28^th from 8 pm to 10 pm Eastern Time. Folks will be able to ask attendees questions about the event. Twitter handle: #slanechat @SLANewEngland
• SLA New England will be having a one-day conference in Southbridge, Massachusetts on Saturday, October 13^th.  Learn more about that here – http://newengland.sla.org/archives/2629

Fun Facts about New England states from Boston.com – http://www.boston.com/travel/explorene/galleries/funfacts

Tracy Z. Maleeff
SLA Legal Division Chair

September is “DNA, Genomics and Stem Cell Education and Awareness Month.” This type of research is proceeding as quickly as ever, but few federal laws and a patchwork of state laws protect the privacy of research subjects.  Also, the controversy over stem cells has not abated, leaving many who might be helped by them at a loss for possible treatment.  There are additional controversies: how DNA data banks are used in police departments; the various implications of genetic testing, and the patentability of a person’s DNA, just to name a few.  For all groups of people affected in different ways by genetic research, the following is a short list of resources on the subject:

Westlaw

• Johnson’s Bioethics in a Nutshell (Database Identifier: BIOETHIC-NS)

This Nutshell book delivers a concise take on multiple areas of bioethics, and has sections on genetics, research subjects, and the ethical obligations of researchers.

• Nanotechnology Law (Database Identifier: NANOTECH)

This database is billed as a “comprehensive single legal source for all issues related to nanotechnology” and focuses on IP and environmental issues.

• BNA Chemical Regulation Reporter – Current Reports (Database Identifier: BNA-CHEM)

This publication analyzes judicial, legislative and executive actions in terms of their effect on chemical manufacturers, including biotechnology manufacturers.

Lexis

• Legal Medicine (File LEGMED)

Legal Medicine publishes original articles that address the intersection of law and medicine. Special emphasis is given to articles covering DNA analysis, and articles on medical ethics are also featured.

• New Atlantis (File NEWATL)

This periodical is a bold undertaking that strives to deepen an understanding of the issues surrounding technology and society, not only among the public and policymakers, but also among scientists and researchers.

• Northwestern Journal of Technology and Intellectual Property (File NJTAIP)

This journal is devoted to the study of IP law in relation to technology, and as such it has a good deal to offer on biotechnology, ethics, and the law.

Books and Periodicals

• Journal of STEM Education: Innovations and Research (ISSN: 1557-5284)

This periodical features case studies in science and technology research, including biotechnology.  Special emphasis is given to studies that cover the non-technical side of research, such as management, risk, finance, and so on.

• Bioethics (Online ISSN: 1467-8519)

Bioethics offers a platform to debate ethical, legal and policy issues in relation to biotechnology research.

• Genetic Justice: DNA Data Banks, Criminal Investigations, and Civil Liberties by Sheldon Krimsky and Tania Simoncelli (ISBN 9780231145206)

Krimsky and Simoncelli address the recent use of law enforcement DNA data banks to store data for people other than violent criminals. In organizations that use these banks to store the DNA of all arrestees (even juveniles), civil right issues have arisen.  The authors study this trend from an American perspective, but also compare the United States to Australia, Japan, and some European countries.

Websites of Interest

• Genetic Information: Legal Issues Relating to Discrimination and Privacy (http://assets.opencrs.com/rpts/RL30006_20080310.pdf)

This CRS report addresses the ways in which legislatures might approach genetic research.

• Genetic Discrimination (http://www.genome.gov/10002077)

This website delves further into genetic nondiscrimination legislation, and provides links to state-level and federal laws.

• Hastings Center (http://www.thehastingscenter.org/Default.aspx)

The Hastings Institute is a nonpartisan organization that studies bioethics.  Their website compiles special reports, articles, and briefs on genetic screening, stem cells, and many other related subjects.

Join me in celebrating DNA, Genomics and Stem Cell Education and Awareness Month.

Jennifer Dismukes Vail
Diversity Committee Chair, SLA Legal Division

Because our membership is so spread out geographically, I thought one way to reach some of our newer members would be to post some helpful tips and tricks about various topics affecting legal information professionals everywhere. My intention is to post something each month.

This month, I’m offering some tips and tricks about BUDGETING that I have picked up over the years…

DISCLAIMER:I have no MBA, no formal budget training, and no clue as to various budget models.  However, I come from a long line of accountants, if that counts for anything. I also currently manage budgets for three of my firm’s office libraries.

YOUR GOAL:  To maximize your budget, not to save your organization money.

BUDGET PREPARATION - You may not get all you ask for, so always ask for more than you really want or need.

• Use the current year’s actual expenses to estimate expenses for next year’s budget.
• The 10% rule – increase actual expenses by 10% – this makes estimating increases a lot easier.
• Round up to whole dollar amounts ending in 0 or 5.[EXAMPLE:  $262 actual expense this year, $285 budgeted for next year]
• If you anticipatea new big expense, estimate what month (or months) the expense will hit your budget.
• If you can’t tell exactly when an expensemay hit the budget, you might want to spread out the cost evenly throughout the year.

THROUGHOUT THE FISCAL YEAR - Keep good records – document, document, document.

• Become very familiar with using your organization’s spreadsheet application.
• Keep tabs on current budget figures throughout the year.
• If you can get monthly reports from your Accounting Department, reconcile those reports against your own figures.
• Be sure you can justify any large expenses or variances from your budget figures.
• Keep a list of possible cancellations that you may be able to use to offset any expensive requests for new purchases.
• If you know you don’t have enough money in your budget to cover a new purchase request this year, offer to build it into next year’s budget.

END OF THE FISCAL YEAR - Once it’s gone, it’s gone.

• The ”nothing left” rule — If it looks like you will have money left in your budget at the end of the year, try to use it up.
• Keep a list of non-urgent purchase requests and missing materials you would like to replace.
• Pay attention to when an expense will hit your budget - if you purchase something at the end of your current fiscal year, you may end up paying for it out of next year’s budget.
• No one will give you an award for being underbudget at the end of the fiscal year.
• If you are overbudget at the end of this year, there’s always next year

REMEMBER: Budgeting is both an art and a science.

Joan Ogden
SLA Legal Division Mentoring Committee Chair