We were saddened to learn of the death of Law Library titan, Roy M. Mersky. Law Librarian Blog reports:

Professor Roy M. Mersky died yesterday from complications of a recent fall. A member of the University of Texas-Austin School of Law faculty and the director of its law library since 1965, Mersky held the Harry M. Reasoner Regents Chair in Law. He was also a professor in the University's graduate School of Information.

Professor Mersky received his B.S. in 1948, J.D. in 1952, and Master's degree in Library Science in 1953 from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. He was a member of the Bars of New York, Texas and Wisconsin. He served in the US Army during World War II and was awarded a Bronze Star.

Mersky's first law library position was at the University of Wisconsin Law Library, working as U.S. Government Documents Cataloger from May 1951 to June 1952. He served as Director of the Washington State Law Library, 1959-1963, and Professor of Law and Law Librarian at University of Colorado, 1963-1965, before his Texas appointment....

2008 marks the 50th anniversary of his first professional publication: Bibliographic Organization in Law Libraries: A Panel, 51 Law Library Journal 338 (1958). Of course, everyone knows his Fundamentals of Legal Research, first published in 1975 (with J. Myron Jacobstein), Spirit of Librarianship (with Richard Leiter), and his many works on Supreme Court history. He was working on Unknown Justices with William Bader at the time of his death.

For more on Professor Mersky's many accomplishments, along with his Wisconsin connections, see his 40+ page CV.

Posted by Bonnie Shucha at 1:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

From SF List (via Tame the Web):

Starting sometime in April, library books will be available at Contra Costa County BART stations via "ATM style lending machines." A new program called Library-a-Go-Go, along with the Contra Costa County Library, will allow BART riders to simply swipe a card, select a book, wait for said book choice to drop, and then return the book after the rider is finished reading their literary gem. The machines will "hold around 400 popular and best-selling titles, both fiction and nonfiction, and will be accessible during Bart hours."

Sweden, Norway, and Finland already use these nifty little gadgets. The Pittsburg/Bay Point station is first up to receive the literary lenders, which "cost a little under $100,000 each."

It would seem that book vending machines aren't new overseas. A company called Novel Idea has created a Mini-Bookshop vending machine which vends 20-24 new and bestselling titles and can hold up to 290 books. The machine has an LCD screen on the front which enables any customer to read a synopsis of any of the books available in the machine. All books are pre-packed in a gift box specifically designed to protect both the machine and book from being damaged during the vending process. The box comes with a pull-out carry handle and currently includes a press out bookmark.

Posted by Bonnie Shucha at 3:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

As part of their National Library Week celebration, the Wisconsin State Law Library unveiled a new READ poster and READ bookmarks featuring Wisconsin Supreme Court Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson.

The poster, along with bookmarks also featuring the Chief Justice, is on display at the State Law Library.

Source: WSLL @ Your Service

Posted by Bonnie Shucha at 12:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Tune in to BlogTalkRadio at 3:00 PM (central) today for a live Internet radio call-in program featuring Ken Svengalis of Legal Information Buyer's Guide. Ken will be interviewed by Brian Striman and Richard Leiter.

From Richard Leiter:

We hope to discuss pricing practices of legal publishers and their effects on law libraries and legal researchers. Ken will also discuss the new edition of the Buyer's Guide and we'll speculate on implications of the Thomson-Reuters merger. We hope to hear from private, public and academic libraries - and publishers. We also expect to have time to take calls and comments on any topics of interest to listeners.

Listeners can call-in at 347-945-7183 or use the chat feature to ask questions.

Leiter reports that this is the first attempt at such a program. "At this point, we have no plans to carry it on beyond tomorrow, but, if it is a success, we may offer the show once a month, on the first Friday." Find out if there is more to come by subscribing to the RSS feed for the Law Librarian program.

Source: Lawlibdir listserv

Posted by Bonnie Shucha at 2:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Susan Allen, associate director and chief librarian of the Getty Research Institute in Los Angeles, has some insightful comments on Libraries in a Digital Age. Ms. Allen gave the 2008 Douglas Schewe Annual Lecture April 16 for the Friends of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Libraries.

Her talk is available online through WisconsinEye.

Source: Libraries@UW-Madison

Posted by Bonnie Shucha at 1:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Wisconsin public libraries return $4.06 for every dollar taxpayers invest in them, according to an economic impact research report produced by NorthStar Economics Inc. of Madison.

Read more from The Capital Times. The complete NorthStar report is available from the Campaign for Wisconsin Libraries.

Source: Nicole's Auxiliary Storage

Posted by Bonnie Shucha at 1:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Last Friday, Marquette Law Library hosted a very interesting presentation on "Amending the Copyright Act for Libraries" by Laura Gasaway (UNC Chapel Hill School of Law).

Ms. Gasaway shared her experiences as co-chair of The Section 108 Study Group,* the independent committee (comprised of both librarians and publishers) charged with updating the Copyright Act for the digital era. It's no surprise that balancing the rights of creators and copyright owners and the needs of libraries and archives proved to be particularly challenging.

Ultimately, the group recommended a series of legislative changes in the following areas:

• Eligibility
  
  • Museum Eligibility Under Section 108
    
  • Additional Eligibility Requirements
    
  • Outsourcing of Section 108 Activities

• Preservation and Replacement Exceptions
  • Replacement Copying
  • Preservation of Unpublished Works
  • Preservation of Publicly Disseminated Works
  • Preservation of Publicly Available Online Content
  • Television News Exception

• Miscellaneous Issues
  • Unsupervised Reproducing Equipment
  • Reorganization of the Section 108 Exceptions

For more information on these recommendations, see the Executive Summary and full report of the Section 108 Study Group.

For a summary of the Study Group's recommendations, see Library Journal and Information Week.

* Section 108 refers to the section of the Copyright Act of 1976 which provides libraries and archives with specific exceptions to the exclusive rights of copyright owners. The act was enacted in the pre-digital era when works were created and distributed primarily in analog format.

Posted by Bonnie Shucha at 1:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Stop by the UW Law Library this week and help us celebrate National Library Week!

For our celebration this year, we have put together a number of activities including, of course, our faculty READ posters. This year's posters feature, Anuj Desai and Keith Findley & John Pray.

Want to star in your very own READ poster? Then head over to the CIMC this week with your favorite book. They'll take your photo and create a poster for you.

Posted by Bonnie Shucha at 10:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

For the past few months, I've been involved with a project that I'm pleased to finally be able to officially announce: the Web 2.0 Challenge, an online course to introduce law librarians to social software and how to use it in their libraries. The course is sponsored by the AALL Computing Services Special Interest Section of which I serve on the board.

The Web 2.0 Challenge will provide a free, comprehensive, and social online learning opportunity designed for law librarians by directing them in hands-on use of these technologies. The course is intended for law librarians who have little experience with these technologies but are interested in learning more.

The online course will take place between July 21 and August 18, immediately following the AALL Annual Meeting. The five week course will cover these areas:

Week 1: Blogs & RSS
Week 2: Wikis
Week 3: Social Networking Software and Second Life
Week 4: Flickr & Social Bookmarking Software
Week 5: Selling Social Software @ Your Library

Participants will be required to complete a series of weekly activities, including viewing an instructional screencast; completing hands-on exercises based on the lesson; weekly blogging about their experience; and participating in a weekly small group chat session. The course will culminate with each participant developing a proposal for implementing a specific social software tool in their library.

Full enrollment will be limited to approximately ninety participants. However, course content will be freely viewable to anyone who wishes to follow along. Enrolled participants who complete all weekly activities are eligible for weekly and grand prize drawings (prizes provided by CS-SIS). Certificates will also be awarded to all participants who complete the course.

We anticipate opening enrollment at the end of June. There is no charge for this course and enrollment will be offered first come, first served. A limited number of spots will also be reserved for on site registration at the AALL Annual Meeting CS-SIS program, H-1: Cool Tools: Energizing Law Librarianship with Web 2.0 on Tuesday, July 15th.

If you would like to be notified when enrollment opens, please send us your contact information. If you have any questions or comments, you may also enter them on the form above, or you may contact me directly at bjshucha@wisc.edu.

Posted by Bonnie Shucha at 11:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Milwaukee Public Library has announced that they've recently acquired a collection of "Playaway" audio books.

Playaways are the digital content of an entire book pre-loaded into a pocket-size player. There is no need to load CD's or cassette tapes; you just press "play" and begin listening. Very simple to operate and light to carry, the library is excited to be able to offer this type of media to its patrons.

Many Madison area public libraries also carry Playaway titles.

To browse a list of available titles, do an author search for "Playaway" in the South Central Library System (Madison-area) catalog or the Milwaukee County library catalog.

---------
Update 3/11/08: It seems that College Library also has some Playaway titles. Thanks to my colleague, Gabby Bate, for the tip.

Posted by Bonnie Shucha at 2:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I mentioned earlier that Bo Ryan & crew are featured on this year's UW Madison Libraries READ poster. The photo for the poster was shot at College Library and includes, from left to right, players Joe Krabbenhoft, Jon Leuer, Marcus Landry, Brian Butch and Trevon Hughes. The project was paid for with private support.

Copies are now available - If you would like one, contact bucky@library.wisc.edu for copies.

Posted by Bonnie Shucha at 1:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It seems to be the day for AALL blogs. In addition to the afore mentioned Washington Affairs blog, the AALL Annual Meeting blog also makes its debut today. Actually, it's more than just a blog - it's a whole Web site.

Here are some of creator Jason Eiseman's favorite features:

• It's a single website: in previous years blogs & websites were separate, with different styles, url's, etc. This is often due to hosting issues, we were really lucky to have Lewis & Clark's option for WordPress.
• Fewer navigation links. We really wanted to cut down on how many links people had to deal with, so we simplified the home page and added more links on the inside pages. I think this worked out pretty well.
• Registration for the blog is easy. People can register themselves. Instead of people emailing me, which you're welcome to do, people can simply sign up on their own and start posting to the blog. We might have to do some monitoring and quality control, but I think it's worth it.
• Check out the collaborative Google map on the Explore page. I wish I could take credit for it, but I have to thank Diane Murley at ALL-SIS.
• Videos... I have added a video to the blog and I hope to add more in the future, introducing you to Portland sites, and Portland's awesome law librarians. The next video should be coming very soon.

  Posted by Bonnie Shucha at 9:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Washington Blawg is the new blog from the AALL Washington Affairs Office.

Here at the Washington Affairs Office (WAO) of the American Association of Law Libraries (AALL), we're always trying to find new ways to update our members and others about the latest policy news, resources, and activities in D.C. and around the country. After considering the different ways we currently communicate with our members (primarily through our Advocacy Listserv, our monthly E-Bulletin, and AALL's From the Desk of... E-Newsletter), we determined we needed a new, fast, and comprehensive way to update our members and friends about our work. Thus the Washington Blawg was born!

The Washington Blawg will keep you up-to-date about the policy issues that matter to AALL. We will cover legislative, judicial and regulatory activities on the state, national, and international levels and address important topics such as access to government information, digital authentication, copyright, and open government issues.

Posted by Bonnie Shucha at 9:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I'm pleased to announce that I've recently created a Facebook page for the UW Law Library. Stop by and check it out.

Posted by Bonnie Shucha at 2:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Here's another intriguing image from the Wisconsin Historical Society Image archive. This sketch of a revolving book stack circa 1900 is absolutely mind boggling. The caption reads: "Sketch of two huge round revolving book stacks with an elevator. This was apparently a 'library of the future' idea and was probably never actually built." Check out the full image on the WHS site for more detail.

The first thing that struck me was its sheer size. Good lord, this thing is a monster. How many books could this thing supposedly hold? Just look at the size of the guy in the elevator.

And what of the visionary sketch-artist? Just who was W.D. Lewis? Neither I nor the kind folks at the Wisconsin Historical Society could find anything about him/her.

Then I wondered, was this a common-place notion of the library of the future? A giant book storage facility where volumes would be pulled upon request? A quick search in Google Books turned up an 1888 Encyclopaedia Britannica entry for the subject "Libraries" which reads:

A speedy supply of books is ensured by the use of the automatic book delivery contrived for the Harvard book store... At the delivery-desk a keyboard shows the digits which combine the various shelf marks; and the number of the book wanted being struck upon it, is repeated at the floor on which the work is located where it is sought for by an attendant and place in a box attached to an endless belt, which carefully deposits it on a cushioned receptacle close by the delivery truck.

But it seems that this vision was not looked well upon by all. From a 1881 article Library Journal article:

If the library of the future is to be a Harvard "book-stack," six or eight stories high, with the book cases two feet four inches apart, not warmed in winter, and from whose prison-cells readers are to be excluded, the question arises whether such a minute classification of the books upon the shelves, as we have been making, is necessary... My preference , however, at present, is not running in the direction of "book-stacks." I still hold to a minute classification of the books upon the shelves, and to giving to scholarly persons, when it is necessary, the opportunity of access to the shelves under conditions of ordinary comfort.

Posted by Bonnie Shucha at 10:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

From Libraries@UW Madison newsletter:

UW basketball Head Coach Bo Ryan and several of the Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball players are the subjects in the latest READ poster by the UW-Madison Libraries, which will arrive in early February.

Posted by Bonnie Shucha at 12:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Last week the UW Madison Libraries sponsored a Reference Retreat for our campus reference librarians. There were some really great sessions that I thought might have a broader appeal and which some WisBlawg readers might enjoy viewing. By way of full disclosure, I was co-chair of the committee that organized the retreat.

One session though, pretty much stole the show: Making Your Catalog Data Work Harder: A Library R&D Project by Steve Meyer, Library Application Developer at UW Madison. This presentation is toward the end of part 1 in the Webcast.

In his presentation, Steve gave us a glimpse of the OPAC the future and, boy was it cool. Living up to his own mantra, "embrace the beta," Steve introduced us to, SaneCat, the "OPAC-like toy" that he developed last winter, during our campus intersession.

According to Steve, SaneCat was built to solve the following problems:

• To create an OPAC-like prototype that doesn't suck
  
• To showcase library collections not just provide the call number for an individual title
  
• To approximate the experience of browsing the stacks in 2-D

And solve them it did, as you can begin to see in the screen shot below. Note the Amazon-ish feel with the "more like this" links (of which there were much more than this screen shot shows) and the "browse virtual stacks" link.

Obviously, this was a very small project using a very small sample of our catalog data, so we won't be moving into production anytime soon here at the UW Madison Libraries... but it does give our imaginations something a bit more concrete to build upon. As Steve points out:

• we have proof that our data can do what we want
• we know that Amazon does not have a monopoly on 'more like this'
• we have a mockup that can stand as leverage with vendors
• we can lend our tech to vendors so our systems are better

Libraries have so much awesome data with which we could do so much more. It's so cool to see a system like SaneCat that can leverage that data into something much more powerful than our current OPAC. Let's do this thing.

Posted by Bonnie Shucha at 4:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

OnMilwaukee had a funny post today in which the author is reminded of some long overdue books from the Milwaukee Public Library.

"So, in the end," he writes, "I unwittingly gave myself up, ending my life on the lam." Too bad he didn't have the cash with him to make good on the hefty fine.

Oddly reminiscent, the author notes, of the classic Seinfeld episode, "The Library" in which Jerry gets a visit from Mr. Bookman, the Sergeant-Joe-Fridayesque library cop from NYPL, over the matter of an unreturned book from 1971. Check it out on YouTube.

BOOKMAN: You took this book out in 1971.

JERRY: Yes, and I returned it in 1971.

BOOKMAN: Yeah, '71. That was my first year on the job. Bad year for libraries. Bad year for America. Hippies burning library cards, Abby Hoffman telling everybody to steal books. I don't judge a man by the length of his hair or the kind of music he listens to. Rock was never my bag. But you put on a pair of shoes when you walk into the New York Public Library, fella.

Posted by Bonnie Shucha at 10:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

From UW Law School News:

A searchable bibliography for locating articles and books written by University of Wisconsin Law School faculty is now up on the Law School Web site. The search form is at

http://law.wisc.edu/research/bibliography/.

The directory is searchable by author, subject, title, and keywords. "We hope it showcases the varied scholarship of our faculty," says UW Law Library Faculty Services Librarian Cheryl O'Connor, a member of the committee that produced the new service.

The bibliography is still a work in progress, O'Connor says. "Our goal is to make it retrospective for each faculty member and to add more citations from emeritus professors as well as those faculty no longer affiliated with the UW."

O'Connor adds a thank-you to the many contributors to the project. "In addition to the fine work done by our IT staff," she says, "Virginia Meier, Steven Weber and Nate Dau-Schmidt of the Law Library staff did much of the data verification and entry. Associate Dean for Research Kathryn Hendley should be applauded for her efforts to keep this project on task as well as her vision for the format, and Sue Sawatske for her invaluable assistance."

Posted by Bonnie Shucha at 3:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Earlier this month, the Wisconsin State Law Library introduced a new interface for their library catalog. It offers several new customized features, including the ability to save a re-run searches, renew your materials online, as well as customized email and RSS alerts for new materials.

The the latest WSLL @ Your Service for information on how to use these new features.

Posted by Bonnie Shucha at 2:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

From a recent survey on library use conducted by Pew Internet & American Life:

The survey results challenge the assumption that libraries are losing relevance in the internet age. Libraries drew visits by more than half of Americans (53%) in the past year for all kinds of purposes.... And it was the young adults in tech-loving Generation Y (age 18-30) who led the pack. Compared to their elders, Gen Y members were the most likely to use libraries for problem-solving information and in general patronage for any purpose.

Posted by Bonnie Shucha at 3:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A big manila envelope from the New York Times was in my mailbox today. Hmm, I didn't request anything from them lately. It was from none other than Robert Pear, NYT Washington Bureau reporter, whom I "met" a while back via his response to something I posted on WisBlawg. He was thoughtful enough to send me an article entitled "Law Librarians" which appeared recently in The Green Bag. What a good guy.

The article offers a historical perspective on the role of the law librarian, particularly in academia. It was written by University of Virginia School of Law Professor G. Edward White. Here is the citation:
G. Edward White. Law Librarians. 11 Green Bag 81 (Autumn 2007)

The article is quite thought-provoking, although I don't know if it was in the way that the author intended. In the last few pages, White offers an assessment of today's academic law librarians.

As the scholarly dimensions of occupying a law faculty position have proliferated, as law students themselves engage in more ambitious scholarship, and as digital research has dramatically expanded, the need for a cadre of sophisticated persons providing research services to members of a law school community has increased. Increasingly such persons enter the market as staff members of law libraries. It may not be much of an overstatement to suggest that such persons as the ganglia in a law school's scholarly networks.

But is was the next paragraph that struck me the most:

Interestingly, the law librarians who provide that help tend to labor under, and perhaps even relish, a posture of anonymity.... The position of research librarian seems to attract people who enjoy its anonymity. Marian the Librarian's selflessness has not wholly been lost in an area of relentless self-promotion.

Is that true? And if so, is it necessarily a good thing? It would seem that in the context of this article, it was a complement. It certainly helps to foster the sentiment that libraries, and by extension librarians, are one of the few "unambiguously good" institutions in society, as mentioned by the author.

But what of this selflessness? Sure it's good for our image - and for our hearts - but is it good for our survival? I don't know. While it's clear that Professor White values and appreciates the law library staff, can we safely assume that others will do the same? Can we afford to labor in relative anonymity waiting to be discovered like Lana Turner in a drug store? What about when library funding is on the line?

What do you think? I'd love to hear your comments.
--------------
Update: 1/3/08

Julie Jones over at Law Librarian Blog has posted her thoughts on the Green Bag article. She was also taken aback by the anonymity bit. She writes:

While White is clearly supportive of the work and value of law librarians, I wasn't aware that we relished anonymity. In fact, I thought the profession has been trying for many years to raise our visibility and perceived value.

Posted by Bonnie Shucha at 2:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

From the Appleton Post-Crescent:

A new law that gives police quick access to public library surveillance video showing suspected criminal activity was put to use two days after the legislation took effect.

See the full article for details. See my earlier post for information about the new legislation.

Posted by Bonnie Shucha at 2:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Following up on my post last week about Milwaukee Public Library's decision to discontinue holds on media items, see the JS Online article about the decision.

From the article:

Milwaukee Public Library Director Paula Kiely said the change will save about $100,000 in staffing under the 2008 budget...

[But] critics say the policy will disproportionately hurt the poor, disabled and elderly...

"A lot of folks in Milwaukee don't have the transportation to jump from library to library," Whitefish Bay Library Director Cathy Peterson said. "And there are branch libraries, but they have nothing compared to the big library downtown."

The situation is more complex than I had realized. Because the suburban Milwaukee libraries have no such hold limitations in place, patrons can still place holds on their materials. Critics say that this could cost suburban libraries more as Milwaukee residents turn to them for items they can't get delivered from their neighborhood branches.

And, according to JS Online, because libraries cannot distinguish between patron types, city vs suburban, this causes a "conundrum for suburban librarians, who say they could block holds for Milwaukee residents, but not without limiting access to their own residents. And, so far, none is ready to do that."

So if money is the issue, why can't MPL just impose fees for making holds requests?
Because according to the FAQ prepared by MPL, "imposing fees for this service would violate Wisconsin state statutes which maintain that public libraries cannot charge for this service." Presumably, this refers to Wisconsin Statute 43.52. More illustrative, however, is Wisconsin Attorney General Opinion 26-84 (73 Wis. Op. Atty. Gen. 87).

Coincidentally, see LibrarianInBlack for a treatise on the problem of charging for holds.

According to the FAQ, MPL welcomes all comments and suggestions to determine how best to serve customers given today's limited resources. Please complete a comment form online and/or in person at any MPL location. Customers may contact Library Director Paula Kiely at 414.286.3000.

Posted by Bonnie Shucha at 9:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

From Check It Out @ Madison Public Library:

If you read books, you probably buy them as gifts for the holidays, too. Shoppers who frequent the west side Barnes & Noble (7433 Mineral Point Road) this season between December 19 and December 22 can also benefit the library.

On these days, any purchase made with the presentation of a special voucher results in a gift to the Sequoya Capital Campaign. You can even have your purchases wrapped by Foundation members and supporters on December 19 or December 22!

Posted by Bonnie Shucha at 4:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Due to budget shortfalls, the Milwaukee Public Library has reluctantly changed their policy regarding holds:

Effective January 2, 2008, most media items can no longer be reserved and held for pick-up.

This includes feature films and TV programs as well as music CDs. Educational and children's CDs, however, can still be placed on hold. Other items such as books, audio books, and CD-ROMs will continue to be holdable as well.

In addition, the maximum number of all items that may be requested at any one time is now 20 per library card holder, down from 40.

See the FAQ on Policy Change Affecting Media Holds Requests for more information.

Source: Now at MPL

Posted by Bonnie Shucha at 10:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Lots of cool Library 2.0 applications have come my way recently.

• LibX is a browser plugin for Firefox and Internet Explorer by which libraries can create a customized toolbar to directly access their library's resources. It also installs a direct catalog search link into search results from Amazon, Google, and more.

• The University of Ohio Libraries are using Skype for reference. See Library Success for other library online reference projects.

• The Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library has added a Meebo widget to unsuccessful keyword searches in our library catalog. Blogger David Lee King writes:
  

  This way, when a customer searches our catalog and doesn't find anything, they can contact us via IM and ask for help (we also display our phone number if they want to call).

• Jason the Content Librarian reports that the University of Oregon Libraries have a new feature that allows you to send a text message from a library catalog record.
  

  This is great. Instead of students walking around with scraps of papers with call numbers written on them, they can simply text themselves and use that texted information to locate items in the library.

Posted by Bonnie Shucha at 10:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It's Black Friday and I seem to have gift buying on the brain. Thanks to Bev Butula for sharing with me the Holiday Gift Guide for Lawyers. Lots of fun stuff -- I agree with Bev that the Personalized Lawyer Figurines are particularly cool.

But why should lawyers get all the cool gifts? So - I present to you my Holiday Gift Guide for Librarians!

• Action Figures
  What librarian wouldn't love a librarian action figure? Modeled after real-life librarian, Nancy Pearl, the librarian action figure is complete with shushing action. I recommend getting the deluxe model which comes computer and book cart.

  And did you know that Batgirl was a librarian? Of course, she has her own action figure, too. "Barbara Gordon transforms from librarian to crime-fighter Batgirl with a flip of her cowl!" Check out the book under her arm. ALA also has a Batgirl poster.

• Books (books for a librarian - how novel!)
  There are a bunch of fun books that feature librarians - too many to list. Here are a couple of fun ones: The Librarian from the Black Lagoon, Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians, & How I Fell in Love with a Librarian and Lived to Tell About It.

  SecretStorageBooks.com sells hollowed-out, recycled books in which to hide your treasures. I've always thought these were so cool. There is even a selection of law books featuring various state codes and treatises.

  For other book related gifts, Levenger sells a section of "Tools for Serious Readers"

• Kitschy Stuff

  Looks like the library enthusiasts have been busy over at CafePress.com, a site which allows anyone to create and sell custom products. They have a ton of kitschy librarian stuff.

  Wouldn't the librarian-in-your-life look great with a tattoo? Well, maybe these temporary librarian tattoos anyway.

• Classy Stuff

  ForCounsel.com, a site featuring gifts for lawyers, has a beautiful framed Librarian Stamp Collection. All stamps are guaranteed authentic and date from 1940 to the present.

Anyone else have any fun librarian gifts to recommend? If so, please share in the comments.

Posted by Bonnie Shucha at 1:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Wisconsin Senate Bill 214, which clarifies to whom library records may be released, was signed into law by the Governor last week as Wisconsin Act 34.

The law states that library records "indicating the identity of any individual who borrows or uses the library's documents or other materials, resources, or services may not be disclosed except by court order or to persons acting within the scope of their duties in the administration of the library or library system, to persons authorized by the individual to inspect such records, to custodial parents or guardians of children under the age of 16..."

However, the law also states that the library may release surveillance recordings to law enforcement officials. This can be done at the request of law enforcement or voluntarily by the library seeking assistance from law enforcement. The law does not indicate that a court order is necessary.

See my earlier post for background on the bill. The complete bill history is also available.

Posted by Bonnie Shucha at 9:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Wisconsin Court System's workshop for public librarians received some recognition in the Library Journal last month. The workshops acquaint public librarians with the latest law resources available for pro se litigants.

From the article:

Local and state court officials, lawyers, and the state law librarian made presentations on the range of resources now available, including how to research statutes and laws, find information in court offices and at the state law library web site, or download and fill out forms, many of which were developed specifically for self-representing litigants.

Posted by Bonnie Shucha at 3:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

"Alcatraz Smedry doesn't seem destined for anything but disaster. On his 13th birthday he receives a bag of sand, which is quickly stolen by the cult of evil Librarians plotting to take over the world. The sand will give the Librarians the edge they need to achieve world domination. Alcatraz must stop them...by infiltrating the local library, armed with nothing but eyeglasses and a talent for klutziness." (Amazon.com)

That's the plot of a new book called Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians, which was reviewed by Nancy Pearl on NPR this week. Her review and an abstract of the book are available at NPR.

Hmm - an orphan boy hero taking on evil forces--and he's got dark, messy hair and circular glasses. Sounds vaguely familiar. And you can bet it will be on reading list. Some of my favorite books lately have been YA novels (young adult) - the Twilight series, The Goose Girl, and of course Harry Potter.

Posted by Bonnie Shucha at 2:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The 2007 American Association of Law Libraries 2007 Salary Survey is now available online to AALL members.

In addition to statistical tables summarizing salary data by position for each type of library (academic, private firm/corporate, and state, court and county), the report also provides other information, such as member demographics, library budgets and staffing.

Here are some of the more interesting results:

This table shows the average information budget by type of library in 2007. Information budget means the amount spent on library materials (as opposed to staffing and other costs)

Notice the difference in expenditures on print v electronic information by type of library. Also, notice the percentage increases of total budget for 2007. It's likely that this increase is not because new materials are being purchased, but because libraries are paying more to keep what they've got.

Another interesting table shows the various responsibilities of firm librarians, increasingly outside of the library.

Posted by Bonnie Shucha at 11:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Senate Bill 214, which allows law enforcement officials to have access to library surveillance video tapes without having to first obtain a court order, passed both houses of the Legislature yesterday with no opposition. The bill was supported by the Wisconsin Library Association.

According to a press release by State Senator Michael Ellis:

The legislation follows an incident earlier this year at the Neenah Public Library when a patron was observed committing a lewd act. Although the library has a video surveillance system, police were unable to review the tapes before getting a court order because of a legal opinion that the tapes are library records and are covered under privacy laws that pertain to libraries.

"This legislation removes an unnecessary impediment to law enforcement while still preserving privacy interests of library patrons," [Representative Dean] Kaufert said. "The bill was narrowly drafted to limit unrestricted access only to the tapes that directly pertain to the suspected criminal activity."

For the complete bill text, amendments, and history, see the Wisconsin Legislature web site.

Source: The Wheeler Report

Posted by Bonnie Shucha at 9:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

There is a very troubling post over at Out of the Jungle about public libraries which were forced to close due to budget cuts and are now being reopened under the management of an outsourced, for-profit company at reduced hours.

From the post:

But I am concerned about the trend of moving a publicly funded and managed service into privately managed hands. The story is not clear about how LSSI makes its profits. It does not say that library services will be offered at a price to patrons, but it also does not say that the county is paying LSSI the full cost of running the library. How would the county save money by outsourcing if some of the cost did not fall on the library users?

Like OTJ, I have mixed feeling about this. For a community to close its public library, one of its most vital public services, is nothing short of tragic. So, I suppose that it's good that these libraries are being reopened, but what will be the cost and who will have to pay it?

Posted by Bonnie Shucha at 10:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In doing some research for my upcoming presentation at the WI Solo and Small Firm Conference, I came across and interesting set of statistics. According to the Wisconsin Lawyers Mutual Insurance Company, fourteen percent of their legal malpractice claims arose from failure to know or properly apply law.

Statistics like these underscore the importance of legal research skills to the practice of law and illustrate just how valuable law librarians, as experts in legal research, truly are.

Here's the full breakdown of WILMIC claims:

• Calendaring - 23%
  
• Failure to know or properly apply law - 14%
  
• Planning error in choice of procedures - 13%
  
• Inadequate discovery & investigation - 12%
  
• Failure to obtain consent/inform client - 6%

Posted by Bonnie Shucha at 9:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

There is a wonderful story in today's Capital Times about UW Hospital resident, Dipesh Navsaria, who measures his young patients' development by putting a book in their hands and watching their reaction.

From the article:

Navsaria... says the child's response speaks volumes. If the patient shows interest and curiosity, he can tell if books are a natural part of their life. At a certain age, if the child holds the book right-side up, opens it and turns the pages, the doctor gets a quick read on motor skills.

And if children begin talking about what they see in the book, Navsaria can see if they are building social skills...

Navsaria isn't just talking as a doctor, but as a librarian. He took a break during his medical studies to earn a master's degree in library and information science, with a focus on children's literature...

Navsaria is working with Reach Out and Read, a national nonprofit organization founded by pediatricians and educators in Boston that promotes the importance of early literacy, with a focus on reaching low-income populations.

He has started a Reach Out and Read (ROR) program at UW's student-run free clinic, MEDiC. A ROR program at the Access Community Health Center on South Park Street will open in the next two months, if not sooner, Navsaria said. He is also looking for funding to expand the program to two of the outpatient UW Health pediatric clinics.

Thanks to my colleague, Cheryl O'Connor for the tip.

Posted by Bonnie Shucha at 9:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Last Thursday I had the pleasure of seeing the new documentary, The Hollywood Librarian. I truly enjoyed it and highly recommend it to both librarians and non librarians alike.

Although, as the title implies, it did focus much on the image of librarians in film and popular culture, but it also delved into the role of librarians and their importance to society. The film explores "real-life fights against censorship, implications of the USA Patriot Act, and the painful budget cuts that libraries are experiencing around the country," explains the Wisconsin State Journal.

The Douglas County Libraries blog summarizes well one of the most moving parts of the film:

But there was one story that brought tears to my eyes. It began with the Salinas Public Library in California, the home town of John Steinbeck. After several failed attempts to win voter approval, the library ran out of money, and closed.

But that wasn't what got to me. It was the efforts of inmates in nearby San Quentin prison to raise money to get it open again.

One young man, involved in a transformative literacy program in jail, put it like this "How can you bolster spending in prisons and take away a library? It was a shameful act, heightened by the fact that an inmate saw it, and those in free society didn't."

In speaking with the Wisconsin State Journal, filmmaker Ann Seidl shared that

I grew more and more determined that the American public didn't understand what it is librarians do. What I found in my research is that people see libraries as sort of as a natural resource -- like the Grand Canyon, a kind of natural phenomenon that will always be there.

What they don 't understand is that libraries are created by librarians.

Posted by Bonnie Shucha at 11:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

This never aired Batman and Robin 1966 Batgirl pilot episode introduces Batgirl, the librarian. It takes place in Gotham Public Library. What a hoot!

Thanks to Law Librarian Blog for the laugh.

Posted by Bonnie Shucha at 11:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Today on Wisconsin Public Radio, host Kathleen Dunn talks with Ann Seidl, maker of the new documentary, "The Hollywood Librarian." You can catch it on The Ideas Network at 10:00 pm tonight, or listen online. The program is one hour long.

The Hollywood Librarian is showing next week (Banned Books Week) at three Wisconsin locations.

Thanks to my UW-Madison Libraries colleague, Steve Frye, for the tip.

Posted by Bonnie Shucha at 4:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

From the Wisconsin Court System:

On September 27 in Neillsville, the Wisconsin Court System and the Wisconsin Valley Library Service will co-sponsor a special training session for librarians who provide assistance to people who represent themselves in court.

The project's goal is to foster communication between local courts and public libraries in an effort to better meet the legal service needs of self-represented litigants.

Leading the initiative is the Ninth Judicial District, which consists of 12 north central Wisconsin counties, and the Wisconsin State Law Library, located in Madison.

Posted by Bonnie Shucha at 3:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Since January, we've had a chat box on our home page. Law School and other UW-Madison students, faculty & staff can use it to ask legal research questions of our reference librarians.

The chat box is courtesy of a service called Plugoo. The questions asked through the chat box are routed to our regular IM accounts which we monitor through Trillian. [To learn how to establish a virtual reference service with IM and chat, see my article IM a Librarian: Establishing a Virtual Reference Service with Little Cost or Technical Skill.]

For some reason, today our chat call volume has gone through the roof. Several times we had multiple simultaneous Plugoo chats. Wait a minute--Plugoo can handle multiple simultaneous chats??? That's awesome!

I checked out the Plugoo FAQ and it still indicates that "At the moment, Plugoo offers you to chat with one single visitor." But, thankfully, blogger Terrance Chang gives the run-down on how Plugoo multichat works - complete with screen shots.

Posted by Bonnie Shucha at 3:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

From the New York Times article, Prisons Purging Books on Faith From Libraries:

Behind the walls of federal prisons nationwide, chaplains have been quietly carrying out a systematic purge of religious books and materials that were once available to prisoners in chapel libraries....

Traci Billingsley, a spokeswoman for the Bureau of Prisons, said the agency was acting in response to a 2004 report by the Office of the Inspector General in the Justice Department. The report recommended steps that prisons should take, in light of the Sept. 11 attacks, to avoid becoming recruiting grounds for militant Islamic and other religious groups. The bureau, an agency of the Justice Department, defended its effort, which it calls the Standardized Chapel Library Project, as a way of barring access to materials that could, in its words, "discriminate, disparage, advocate violence or radicalize."

Posted by Bonnie Shucha at 11:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Indie Pop Band SNMNMNM pays homage to librarians in it's new song, "Addy Will Know." It's about a real librarian who helps a patron find four books for which he is looking. The names of the books are never mentioned, but as a kind of puzzle, the song itself includes call numbers that correspond to the books hinted at in the verses. The first ten librarians to correctly identify them will win a copy of the CD.

And since the song is about real librarians, the band wants to feature them in the video. Librarians should send in a video of yourself singing the song.

This is really cool. The song is great, as is the message.

Source: Tame the Web

Posted by Bonnie Shucha at 4:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

My colleague, Jenny Zook, has written a funny and thought-provoking article for this month's LLRX entitled, Technology and the Generation Gap.

Abstract: Genevieve Zook's forthright, insightful and timely commentary addresses the challenges of balancing the push for gadgets and applications with the concepts of direct customer contact and value added services.

Posted by Bonnie Shucha at 2:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I'm pleased that my article, IM a Librarian: Establishing a Virtual Reference Service with Little Cost or Technical Skill appears in the August edition of LLRX.

The article is basically a how to on using IM and chat in a library. It's based on my own experience with both at the UW Law Library. We started our IM service last fall and added chat (Plugoo) in January and have been very pleased with both. Granted, the vast majority of our reference traffic is still in person, but with IM and chat we're able to reach out to more people. And it was so easy to set up and use.

Posted by Bonnie Shucha at 1:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

If you missed The Hollywood Librarian at ALA, there's good news. It is being screened in libraries this fall during Banned Books Week. A map of screening locations is available.

Looks like it is showing in a handful of libraries throughout Wisconsin (times updated 9/27/07):

• UW-Madison SLIS - Sep 30 at 4 pm, Oct 4 at 7pm, Oct 5 at 7 pm
  
• UW-Milwaukee Libraries - Sept. 29 at 3 pm, Oct. 3 at 3 pm and 7 pm
  
• Racine Public Library - Oct 6 at 6:30 pm

Posted by Bonnie Shucha at 9:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Two recent surveys on librarian job satisfaction offer conflicting views.

According to Law.com,

LawFirmInc.'s sixth annual survey of law firm librarians at Am Law 200 firms reveals that they are continuing to move beyond "traditional" library work, like legal research, and into marketing and competitive intelligence, computer training and even knowledge management projects... Yet the burgeoning responsibilities... aren't causing librarians to lose sleep. To the contrary, satisfaction rates remain extraordinarily high, with 87 percent of respondents happy in their jobs and just 1 percent saying that they prefer traditional librarian's work.

BBC News, however, reports that in a survey of 300 people drawn from five occupations (firefighters, police officers, train operators, teachers and librarians), "librarians are the most unhappy with their workplace, often finding their job repetitive and unchallenging."

Librarians complained about their physical environment, saying they were sick of being stuck between book shelves all day, as well as claiming their skills were not used and how little control they felt they had over their career.

Stuck between book shelves all day? Not once in my career as a professional librarian have I ever felt that way. I spend so little time in the book stacks that this notion is simply ridiculous. Like the Am Law 200 librarians surveyed, much of what I do is beyond "traditional" library work and most of it is conducted via my laptop. And I can truthfully say that I love my job.

One can only assume that the difference in attitudes comes from the difference in the in the population surveyed. The Law.com group were law firm librarians from the US. Although it doesn't say what kind of libraries the librarians in the BBC group were from, we at least know that they are British. Is there that big of a difference between libraries in the US and Britain?

Or does it stem from the type of library? Or the specific position? Before I went to library school, I worked as a page in a public library where my only duty was to shelve books all day. My satisfaction - or lack thereof - with that job much more closely matched those of the librarians in the BBC study. Definitely repetitive and unchallenging - I literally was stuck between book shelves all day. As a professional librarian my duties are much more varied and challenging. Makes me wonder if the "librarians" in the British study were actually professional librarians at all.

Sources: Law.com Newswire and Law Librarian Blog

Posted by Bonnie Shucha at 11:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I stayed up late last night reading The Book Thief: The True Crimes of Daniel Spiegelman which was written by fellow law librarian, Travis McDade.

Here's a good description that I found on Amazon:

The Book Thief tells the real life story of Daniel Spiegelman, who took a turn stealing rare books and manuscripts from Columbia University. McDade's book demonstrates an incredible amount of research into the crime itself, the capture of Spiegelman, nuances of the legal system that affected his sentence, and the court proceedings leading up to Spiegelman's incarceration. Despite the academic nature of the book, it's a great read that can be polished off in a few sittings.

As a law librarian, I found this book absolutely fascinating. In the beginning, we learn how Spiegelman broke into the Columbia's Rare Book and Manuscript Library (RBML) by climbing up a tiny book lift (dumbwaiter). We learn of Spiegelman's attempts to sell the documents overseas, followed by his eventual arrest in the Netherlands and eventual extradition back to the U.S. The bulk of the book comprises the tospy-turvey courtroom drama that followed.

My favorite chapter was called, "The Wrath of Columbia," which could have been aptly subtitled "The Librarian Kicks Butt." We learn of the amazing efforts of Columbia's RBML Director, Jean Ashton, to convince Judge Lewis Kaplan of the immense scholarly importance of the rare materials Spiegelman had stolen.

And as one reads from Kaplan's opinion, its obvious that her work paid off: "You, Mr. Spiegelman, deprived generations of scholars and students of the irreplaceable raw materials by which they seek to discern the lessons of the past and help us to avoid repeating it. That's what differentiates your offense from a simple theft of money or other easily replaceable property."

Rather than sticking to the sentencing guidelines (or downwardly departing, as was done with most previous thefts of library materials), Kaplan elects to upwardly depart and sentences Spiegelman to 60 months in prison, 3 years of supervised release, and 300 hours of community service.

I highly recommend this book, especially to librarians and legal scholars. It's a fascinating story which has been thoroughly researched and well written.

Posted by Bonnie Shucha at 11:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

From Things You Never Knew Existed: Possessed Books

Antique looking books seem perfectly harmless until someone walks by, then the middle book slides out toward the victim as if it will fall from the shelf. Books also emit spooky sounds for a totally haunted effect. 8" x 8" x 6.5".

And they can be yours for a mere $24.98. This would be a cool library Halloween prank - said the geeky librarian.

Source: BoingBoing

Posted by Bonnie Shucha at 4:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

There is a very good article on CNet about all the wonderful resources and services you can get for free at or from public libraries. It includes databases, e-books, audio books, and "your own personal librarian" (i.e. reference assistance).

Source: Oregon Legal Research

Posted by Bonnie Shucha at 12:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Memorial Library on the UW-Madison campus has recently installed an outside book drop at the top of their loading dock area. Now patrons can temporarily park in the loading dock (on the corner of Langdon and Lake Street), walk up a small flight of stairs, and return their items without having to worry about finding a parking place or having change for the meter.

The UW-Madison campus libraries have an Open Return policy. That means that books on regular loan from the Law Library can be returned to any campus library with an Open Return sticker on its book return. All other items must be returned to the library they were borrowed from, including:

• Reserve materials
• Materials on Short-Term Loans (7 days or less)
• Journals/Periodicals
• Fragile Items

Posted by Bonnie Shucha at 2:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I'll be heading to New Orleans later this week for the American Association of Law Libraries Annual Meeting. One of the things on my calendar is presenting at a TS-SIS program entitled, Blogging and Beyond: New Communication Streams for Technical Services Librarians.

I'll be talking about blogs and RSS - specifically how they can be used for technical services applications, such as cataloging, acquisitions, and collection development. I'll also be demonstrating how to use a RSS reader like Bloglines, as well as, how to subscribe to RSS feeds through email programs like Outlook. I posted my PowerPoint slides over at Scribd.

As a reference librarian, I found that it was very interesting to look at this technology from a different perspective. Of course blogs and RSS are great for research, but librarians can also use them to stay current with new cataloging standards, find out about new books and track prices, monitor journal publication schedules, and much more. Some tech services librarians are also discovering how to output feeds from their library catalogs.

Posted by Bonnie Shucha at 1:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

There were two interesting articles about librarians in my in-box today. Both are about how technology has changed the profession. One focuses on how technology has attracted a new generation of hip librarians and other other about how it has changed library staffing models.

• A Hipper Crowd of Shushers (New York Times, July 8, 2007)

  With so much of the job involving technology and with a focus now on finding and sharing information beyond just what is available in books, a new type of librarian is emerging -- the kind that, according to the Web site Librarian Avengers, is "looking to put the 'hep cat' in cataloguing."...

  And though many librarians say that they, like nurses or priests, are called to the profession, they also say the job is stable, intellectually stimulating and can have re