Library Services in October

Posted on by Jennifer Walker

For the period of October 3rd through October 14th, we’d like to give our clients advance notice of some small reduction in library services.  Our library will be open from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm (normally 5:00 pm), during which time all of our materials will still be available.  Reference assistance at the library will be limited to the following:

– Case retrieval (both print and online)
– Book requests, including borrowing books from other libraries
– Straightforward reference questions (e.g.: locating materials on a certain topic)

Should you require more in-depth assistance during this time, we’d like to refer you to our lovely colleagues – Gail Brown and Cynthia Simpson – at the Middlesex Law Library in London, Ontario.  While you can’t sit down with them in person (unless you’re up for an incredibly long drive), please feel free to give them a call at their toll-free number – 1-866-556-5570 – or write an email – library@middlaw.on.ca.  They can direct you to suitable materials available online, or here at the CCLA.

Also, as a reminder: the Courthouse (and thus, the CCLA) will be closed for the Thanksgiving holiday on Monday, October 10th.  As always, CCLA members can access the library 24/7, including holidays.

Resources for Paralegals and Law Clerks

Posted on by Jennifer Walker

While most of our collection is geared towards lawyers, the CCLA Library has a small but excellent collection of materials intended for paralegals and law clerks.  As part of our partnership with the Great Library and the Law Society, we receive all of the continuing professional development print materials from LSUC events geared to this audience.  Here are some of the titles we’ve added to our library collection in the past year:

9th Annual Real Estate for Law Clerks

9th Annual Family Law for Law Clerks

10th Annual Civil Litigation for Law Clerks

Best Practices for Paralegals Appearing Before the  Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario

Best Practices for Paralegals Appearing Before the Ontario Court of Justice 2011

Corporate Law for Law Clerks

Estate Administration for Law Clerks 2010

FSCO Update for Paralegals

Personal Injury for Law Clerks: Recent Changes That You Need to Know About

Small Claims Court Update 2011

These titles, along with many others, are shelved along with our regular Text collection, ordered by subject.  Next time you’re in the courthouse, or would like to read up on a new legal topic, consider stopping by to take a look at these great resources.

 

 

Renovations: In the Meantime

Posted on by Jennifer Walker

As the renovation process is a long one, we’ve made some changes here in our space to help fulfill some of our needs or wants for the library in the meantime.  Most of these we’ve been able to do for a very low cost, and usually by using materials or items that we already have in the library.  Re-using  and re-purposing existing materials for these measures has been quite important to us, from both an environmental and financial standpoint.

One of the biggest changes we’ve made – almost everyone comments on it, as you see it as soon as you enter the library – is the construction of a wall in the reference desk area.  Astute observers will know that what started out as three desks in a row became two desks and a wall of bookcases last fall.  Then, earlier this year, two desks became one desk, and the wall shifted forward.  What happened there?  The library staff had been discussing how to make it possible to be “off” the reference desk, even though we were completely out of office space.  We thought (very briefly) about modular walls, but they were a) expensive, and b) not nice to look it.  It would look a little too jerry-rigged for our liking, and if this was a temporary measure, we certainly didn’t want to spend very much money on it.  It came to us one day that a perfectly suitable “wall” could be made with bookcases, doubled up for stability and extra storage, and anchored down.  Not only would it create a partition behind which a private desk could be located, but it was a great visual reminder that we have books behind the desk (really good books, at that!).  It was an immediate success, and after a few months, the wall moved forward just a bit more.  The space behind now houses two desks, with the third, the official reference desk, in front.  While sitting “out front” of the wall, it’s all reference, all the time.  You’re never, ever bothering us when we’re sitting there, we promise!  The space behind the wall affords staff members a bit more quiet space, to do more involved legal research, update the CCLA website, and process new materials for the library.  The move (or rather, moves) were a lot of physical work, but cost almost nothing.*  To paraphrase those Mastercard commercials, having something approximating two new offices in an already maxed out space: priceless.

Less labour-intensive changes have included a re-vamping of our current periodicals display.  By reassigning a wall-mounted display unit from next to the library washrooms to the reading room, we were able to attractively display our new periodicals.  We supplemented this with a new holder for newspapers – something our old periodicals display was ill-equipped to hold – and a new, smaller wall-mounted display unit near the reference desk, and suddenly our displays for new magazines, papers, newsletters, and brochures where clean, tidy, well-stocked, and accessible.  We’ve also tidied up our public computer area.  We’d love to purchase new computer desks, but in the interim, we’ve re-configured how the computers are set-up on the desks, allowing for more work space and less visual clutter.  We also unearthed some very spiffy chairs in storage that look a whole lot nicer than the old computer chairs.   These cost effective and environmentally friendly changes have made quite the difference for the library, and will see us into the renovations nicely.

Our only regrets in this whole process?  The CCLA staff members are the absolute worst for documenting anything with pictures.  Every time we make a change that is truly mindblowing, we realize we should have taken before and after photos.  Maybe some things – like those awful computer chairs – are best just forgotten.

*Total costs amounted to a new cable to run Internet access through, two bulletin boards, and one shawarma dinner for former Reference Librarian Katie’s husband, who has moved around more furniture in this library than he probably cares to remember.

Upcoming Free Quicklaw and Westlaw Training

Posted on by ktribe

A reminder that over the next two weeks the library will be hosting free Quicklaw and Westlaw training sessions. The first session, on Westlaw, will be held next Wednesday, August 31st from 1:00 to 2:00 PM. New Articling students are strongly encouraged to attend the upcoming sessions, which are a great overview of how to use specialized tools to find relevant cases quickly and efficiently. The training sessions are also a great opportunity for lawyers, as they now apply towards 9 of the 12 hours of annual CPD, with each hour of training equaling one hour of CPD. And they are free! The sessions will take place on the following dates:

Westlaw Tools, Wednesday, August 31st, 1:00 to 2:00 PM
Skip the keyword search. Learn how to use the Canadian Encyclopedic Digest, Canadian Abridgment, and KeyCite features to very quickly narrow and find the most relevant case law, legislation, and commentary that you need. Westlaw basics will also be reviewed.

Quicklaw Tools, Wednesday, September 7th, 1:00 to 2:00 PM
Let them narrow the search results for you. Learn how to use Quicklaw’s Canada Digest, Canada Quantums, and Quickcite features to search within the most relevant case law, legislation, and commentary, instead of starting from scratch. Quicklaw basics will also be reviewed.

As always, the sessions are held in the CCLA Library, located in Room 2004 on the main floor of the Ottawa Courthouse, at 161 Elgin Street. If you’d like to attend or have any questions, please send a quick email to the Jennifer Walker at jwalker@ccla-abcc.ca. Walk-ins are also always welcome. We hope to see you there!

Farewell from Katie Tribe, Reference Librarian

Posted on by ktribe

To those that have heard that there may be a changeover at the CCLA Library this fall, I can confirm that the rumours are true! In early August, my husband was offered an attractive job opportunity in Vancouver, and as a result I will be leaving my position at the CCLA as Reference Librarian and relocating to the west coast in early September. I am very excited for this new opportunity, but it is, of course, very bittersweet as I will miss the colleagues, clients, and friends that I have met at the CCLA a great deal. I wanted to take this opportunity to express how valuable my experience at the CCLA has been, and thank its staff, board, and community for the opportunity to work and grow at the library for the last few years.

Not all of you may know that I have had two incarnations at the CCLA. I began working in the library as a Library Assistant shortly after I completed my undergraduate degree in 2007. The CCLA provided me with my first professional, full-time job after graduating, with the added advantage of the chance to work in a library. At the time, I knew that I wanted to complete a Masters or post-graduate degree, but wasn’t yet sure what subject I wanted to pursue. Library and Information Science was on my short list, and the CCLA Library provided the perfect environment to learn about the degree from real, live, working, professional librarians. I learned a lot about the legal and library profession during my first stint. The librarians at the CCLA were very supportive and encouraging of my interest, and were happy to teach me how to perform legal research and give me opportunities to learn and practice. After a year or so, I left the CCLA to pursue my M.L.I.S. degree at the University of Western Ontario, returning briefly during my time off to assist with the library’s collection. Upon graduation, a job opportunity at the library conveniently became available, and I returned to the CCLA as Reference Librarian.

Looking back and knowing how difficult it can be to obtain experience in a law library setting, and how rare it is to get to try a career on for size before actively pursuing it, I am extremely grateful for the opportunity provided to me by the CCLA. The experience allowed me to pursue librarianship with the knowledge and confidence that it was the right career path for me, and helped me to successfully hit the ground running and launch my career upon graduating. If not for the CCLA, it is difficult to say whether or not I would be a librarian today.

Since my first day as an employee, I have seen the organization undergo dramatic change. These changes include an aggressive overhaul of the CCLA’s operations, technology, web presence, knowledge management, and library collection and services, just to name only a few initiatives. The results have been nothing short of impressive, and I am very proud of where the CCLA is today. Of course, there is still much to do, which is why the individual that takes over my position will be very fortunate. The planning of the upcoming library and barrister’s lounge renovations has been very interesting, and I can only imagine that the actual process will be even more exciting. Other new projects are also being planned, and the new Reference Librarian will have plenty of opportunities for creativity, growth, and leadership. These opportunities are the reasons why the CCLA is a great place to work.

In closing, I’d like to bid a fond farewell to the colleagues and clients that I have formed relationships with over the last few years. My thanks to all of you for your support and friendship and for helping me grow from a law library newbie to a confident and professional librarian. I greatly appreciate the time that I have spent with you, and know that it will aide me greatly as I embark on new professional challenges.

Katie Tribe’s last day at the CCLA Library is Friday, August 26th, 2011. To get in touch with her before then, please stop by the library or email her at ktribe@ccla-abcc.ca.

Join Our Library Team!

Posted on by Jennifer Walker

We’ll have plenty more to come here on the blog soon, but for now, the CCLA presents the following job posting:

Reference Librarian

The County of Carleton Law Association is a non-profit professional organization for the legal community in Ottawa, Ontario.  We operate a library for lawyers, students-at-law, and the judiciary in the Ottawa Courthouse.   We are currently seeking a Reference Librarian to join our team in a full-time and permanent capacity.

Reporting to the Head Librarian, this position offers a broad range of opportunities to further shape our reference services, create and lead training sessions, and work with a wide segment of the legal community.  The successful candidate will also be involved in the continuing development of our website and web presence.  As an independent body, we are always working on new and exciting projects, and we welcome someone who is innovative, enthusiastic, dynamic, and client-services oriented.

Key Responsibilities

o Providing legal research and reference assistance to our library clients

o Developing and promoting library activities and outreach or training sessions

o Updating the CCLA Website and CCLA Library Blog

Competencies and Strengths

o Excellent legal research skills

o A customer-service oriented approach to library services

o Experience or interest in the development of training programs, library programming outreach, and library marketing

o Experience in updating content management systems and website maintenance

o Very strong oral and written communication skills

o Excellent interpersonal skills, time management, and organizational skills

o Proficiency with Inmagic DB/Text and Microsoft SharePoint is an asset

Qualifications

o Masters in Library and Information Studies (MLS/MLIS) from an ALA accredited institution

o One to two years library experience, preferably in a law library

o One to two years of experience performing legal research

o Bilingual (French / English) is a strong asset

Please submit electronically a covering letter and resume to:

Jennifer Walker
Head Librarian
County of Carleton Law Association
2004 – 161 Elgin Street
Ottawa, ON
K2P 2K1
jwalker@ccla-abcc.ca

Application Deadline:  August 24, 2011 at 5:00 PM

We thank all applicants for their interest in this position.  Only applicants selected for an interview will be contacted.

Notes from the AALL Conference

Posted on by Jennifer Walker

Back in May, Katie (our Reference Librarian) reported on the trip she and our Library Technician Amanda made to the Canadian Association of Law Libraries annual conference in Calgary, Alberta.  She teased in the last paragraph that I’d be reporting in the summer time on my trip to the American Association of Law Libraries annual conference.  That conference was held last week, and I’m pleased to give a write-up on the experience.

This year, the AALL conference was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  I had never been to Philly before, nor to the AALL conference, but the birthplace of American independence seems just about as right a place as any to start.  My first thought of the conference was just how incredibly large it was.  At any given time there would be six sessions running (sometimes more!), plus pre-confrences, early morning coffee chats, and of course, a wonderful keynote address from Dahlia Lithwick.  Her keynote address on the relationship of Supreme Court Judges and social media was timely, entertaining, and engaging.  From that point on, however, existed the constant struggle to decide on which sessions to attend.

Throughout the conference, sessions were informally divided into different interest streams, such as “Collection Development and Cataloguing” and “Library Management and Administration.”  Sessions were also categorized by the special interest groups that proposed the program, such as the Private Law Libraries Special Interests Section (SIS) or the Publishing Initiatives Caucus.  In addition to the main conference sessions, there were other sessions being held by some of these groups.  Of the sessions I went to (all of which were excellent) there were some that were particularly useful, interesting, or inspiring.  I could go on about all of them, but I’ll just highlight a few here.

In “Best Practices for Evaluating a New Electronic Resource,” attendees were treated to an excellent new resource for their libraries – an electronic resource checklist to be used when considering the purchase of a new product.  More than just “Should we buy this – yes or no?” the best practice as described in this presentation includes testing the product with key stakeholders, performing a cost benefit analysis, and examining licensing options.  The checklist – provided to session attendees through the conference web platform for sharing papers – records these steps and can be used to document the selection and purchasing (or not purchasing) of a product.  Many of those in attendance did not have anything like this for use in their library (myself included), so this worksheet will be an incredible resource to use here at the CCLA in the future.

“The Value of a Public Law Library: How County Law Libraries in Pennsylvania Collaborate with Courts to Provide Service to the Self-Represented Litigant” was a presentation from the State, Court, and County Law Libraries SIS.  This SIS is made up of people doing the work closest to what we do here at the CCLA, so I jumped at the chance to attend this program.   Discussing the work of the Lancaster and Berks Counties law libraries, this was a very eye-opening look at what some county libraries in Pennsylvania have done to help self-represented litigants work their way through the legal system.  With few resources but plenty of community engagement in their projects, these libraries have created information packets to sell to pro se litigants.  In both cases, these initiatives have been a rousing success by helping self-reps conduct very simple court matters unassisted (such as filing for divorce when both parties consent and there is no property to divide), encouraging some self-reps to seek legal assistance, and providing court staff with a place to send members of the public for accurate and useful information.  I was especially impressed by this session, and look forward to joining AALL and this SIS so I can keep abreast of what else they are working on.

“Providing Excellent Customer Service in the Law Library: Hold the Pickles” was easily the best attended of all the sessions I went to, and was a truly interesting way of looking at customer service in a law library.  Using the customer service model developed by Zingerman’s Delicatessen in Ann Arbor, Michigan, two librarians spoke of how this was implemented successfully in their library.  It was an excellent cap on all of the conference’s programming, getting how at the heart of librarianship is the importance of helping others.

While many of the vendors in attendance were selling materials that we don’t routinely collect here in the Ottawa courthouse, I did take the opportunity to check out what our American friends are up to, particularly those at Lexis and Thomson Reuters.  Fans of amazing integration, watch for the Microsoft Office tie-in to Lexis to hit Canada (hopefully!).  If you like e-books, Thomson’s new line will be sure to impress (I loved it!).  The large number of vendors was something to behold, and next year I will definitely be carving out more time to visit with them and see what will be upcoming for legal research.

Overall, the conference was a fantastic experience, and I must express major congratulations to the AALL and their conference planning committee.  I am greatly looking forward to their conference next year in Boston.


New Titles – June & July 2011

Posted on by Jennifer Walker

I’ve split up our list new acquisitions for the last two months into major practice areas – we have so many great new books, looseleafs, and CPD programs that this might be a bit easier to spot the titles of interest to you.   Unfortunately, this left the “Miscellaneous” category at the end (the bane of every librarian everywhere), so I apologize for that, but take heart: a great book for you might be in there if none of the other subject headings apply.   These last two months, we’ve received a good number of annual renewals alongside some new editions and brand new titles.  A few titles that I’ll highlight are:

A Guide to Breathalyzer Certificates in Canada – This is a new looseleaf publication from Canada Law Book.  Part of my selection for this title involved approaching a lawyer in the library that I knew did a lot in this line of practice and asking if they’d heard of the title.  Their immediate response was “Buy it.”  We’re excited to finally have our copy in the library, and hope it will prove valuable to our clients.

Evidence in Family Law – This is another new looseleaf title that we’re thrilled to bring into the library.  As looseleafs are among the most expensive parts of our collection, we like to look for special and interesting titles that aren’t duplicating what we already have and will bring specific scholarship to our clients.   We hope this title fits that bill.  If you have chance to use this, let us know how you like it.

Child Protection Law in Canada – This is a looseleaf set, but only somewhat new to our library.  We used to have a subscription to this title, but it was cancelled several years ago.  After requests for this title began to come in, we’ve decided to reinstate the subscription.

Employment & Labour
Consolidated Federal Employment and Labour Statutes and Regulations 2011 (Carswell)
Consolidated Ontario Employment and Labour Statutes and Regulations 2011 (Carswell)
Ontario Labour and Employment Legislation, 2011-2012 ed. (Canada Law Book) 
Corporate Counsel Guide to Employment Law, 3rd ed. (Canada Law Book)
The Six-Minute Employment Lawyer 2011 (LSUC CPD Program)
The Six-Minute Labour Lawyer 2011 (LSUC CPD Program)
8th Annual Emerging Issues in Employment Law (Hamilton Law Association CPD Program)

Wills & Estates
Oosterhoff on Wills and Succession, 7th ed. (Carswell)
Preparation of Wills and Power of Attorney, 4th ed. (Canada Law Book)
Blended Family Estate Planning (LSUC CPD Program) 
9th Annual Estates and Trusts Seminar (Hamilton Law Association CPD Program)

Family & Children
Child Protection Law in Canada (Carswell) 
Evidence in Family Law (Canada Law Book)
Consolidated Ontario Family Law Statutes and Regulations 2011 (Carswell)
The 5th Annual Family Law Summit (LSUC CPD Program)
Going for Broke: Pensions and Bankruptcy in Family Law (Hamilton Law Association CPD Program)

Taxation
Taxation at Death: A Practitioner’s Guide 2011 (Carswell)
Practitioner’s Ontario Taxes Annotated 2011 (Carswell)

Criminal, Provincial, & Driving Offences
Martin’s Ontario Criminal Practice, 2012 ed. (Canada Law Book)
Watt’s Manual of Criminal Evidence 2011 (Carswell) 
Charter Justice in Canadian Criminal Law, 5th ed. (Carswell) 
Cybercrime in Canadian Criminal Law (Carswell) 
A Guide to Breathalyzer Certificates in Canada (Canada Law Book) 
Handling Provincial Offence Cases in Ontario 2011 (Carswell)
A Guide to the Youth Criminal Justice Act, 2012 ed. (Lexis)
Defending Drinking and Driving Cases 2011 (Carswell) 
Annual Review of Criminal Law 2010 (Carswell)
New Lawyer Practice Series: Criminal Law 2011 (LSUC CPD Program)
The Complete Guide to Search Warrants (LSUC CPD Program)

Business & Commercial
Business Acquisitions Agreements: An Annotated Guide, 2nd ed. (Canada Law Book)
The Six-Minute Business Lawyer 2011 (LSUC CPD Program) 
Business Law Summit (LSUC CPD Program) 
6th Annual Current Issues in Commercial Litigation Seminar (Hamilton Law Association CPD Program)

All the Rest…
The 2011-2012 Annotated Contraventions Act (Carswell)
Ontario Annual Practice 2011-2012 (Canada Law Book)
Ontario Consent and Capacity Legislation 2011-2012 (Canada Law Book)
Ontario Assessment Legislation 2011 (Canada Law Book)
Dictionary of Canadian Law, 4th ed. (Carswell)
The Law of Torts in Canada, 3rd ed. (Carswell) 
11th Annual Advocacy Conference (Hamilton Law Association CPD Program)
Our Civil Justice System: Reflecting on the Recent Reforms (LSUC CPD Program)
6th Annual Solo and Small Firm Conference and Expo (LSUC CPD Program)
New Lawyer Practice Series: Administrative Law 2011 (LSUC CPD Program)
The Six-Minute Municipal Lawyer 2011 (LSUC CPD Program)



CCLA Info for Articling Students

Posted on by ktribe

Ottawa’s summer is in full swing, and we hope that you’ve had time to enjoy the weather and get away to some shade or the cottage for a break from the heat! Here at the CCLA Library, we are busy planning for the fall, and in particular for the new articling students that will be arriving at firms and the library in the coming weeks.

The CCLA and its library have a lot to offer students, from social and educational events to reference and support services. If new students are joining your firm, we encourage you to pass this newsletter onto them so that they can stay informed, and if you are a new student we’d love for you to stop by the library for a tour and learn about library resources, services, and training opportunities that may assist you during your articles.

I’ve consolidated a short list of things that articling students may want to check out at the CCLA this year below. As always, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us if you have any questions!

1. The CCLA e-Newsletter

Perhaps the most valuable tool for new members of our legal community is the CCLA’s e-Newsletter, which is sent out once per week and shares news and notices, educational and social events, and job opportunities relevant to the East Region legal community. Students can sign up for the newsletter by clicking here, or they can follow us on Twitter or Facebook, where it is also posted each week.

2. Social Events and Pub Nights

The CCLA holds a number of social events and pub nights throughout the year that offer a chance for articling students, new lawyers, and not-so-new lawyers to meet one another. There is no registration necessary, and we provide the snacks. Our first pub night of the year is scheduled for Thursday, September 22nd from 5:30 to 8:00 PM at MacLaren’s Pub. These events are always advertised on our Calendar of Events and via our e-Newsletter.

3. Learning and Professional Development Opportunities

The CCLA also offers a number of educational opportunities geared specifically toward articling students, which can be a great help during articles and provide opportunities to network with other legal professionals.  Check out our joint program with the OBA on August 19th: Excelling at Articles: Surviving and Thriving in Your First Year, or our workshop on Small Claims in September. Mentoring events and dinners are also held throughout the year, providing opportunities to ask established mentors your toughest questions. The CCLA Library also offers a number of free Quicklaw and Westlaw training sessions throughout the year, for when you want to brush up on your skills and learn how to research faster and more effectively.

All of the CCLA’s other annual conferences and seminars, including our four Cornerstone Conferences, Criminal Law, Civil Litigation, Family Law, and Solicitors, also offer excellent opportunities for students to learn about law practice and meet established legal professionals. Many of these conferences are must-attend networking and learning events in the East Region, and students are strongly encouraged to attend.

All of our events and registration information can be found on the Calendar of Events on our website.

4. Library Resources, Services, and Tours

The CCLA Library can be an enormous help to students during their articles, especially when they need reference or research assistance. Call us if you need help finding cases, researching legislation, or finding the materials you need to answer a tough research question. We can also walk you through online sources and legal databases and help you use them to your full advantage. The library also offers an extensive print collection, computer, printing, photocopying, and wireless access in the Courthouse, free access to legal databases, and quiet study space. This is not to mention the friendly staff, who are always happy to help out in any way they can.

We hope you’ll come in for a tour of the library, as they’re a great opportunity to meet the library staff and learn about the resources and services that we have to offer. Drop us a line if you’d like to schedule a tour; you can check out the pre-scheduled tour times here, or contact your Reference Librarian, Kaitlyn Tribe (that’s me), at ktribe@ccla-abcc.ca to schedule one at an alternate time. We look forward to meeting you!

These are just a few of the opportunities the CCLA is offering articling students this year. Information about other educational and community events, CCLA membership opportunities for students, and other tools and services can all be found on our website. Please don’t hesitate to contact me or any of the other CCLA staff if you have any questions.

DIVORCEmate at the Library

Posted on by Jennifer Walker

We’re pleased to let our library users know that our subscription to DIVORCEmate has been re-installed on one of our public computers, and that it is now featuring access to the Forms One component of the program.  After many requests for the Forms application,we’ve added it for the next year.  As per our user license, DIVORCEmate is only available on one of our computers.  Currently, it is on the computer nearest to the Reference desk, directly next to the printer.