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.

Renovations: Why Renovate? Part III

Posted on by Jennifer Walker

Last fall, the CCLA conducted a survey designed to elicit responses from the Ottawa legal community on how we’re doing.  There was a question relating to the renovation, and changes that people would like to see.  Hold back, you did not: the barristers lounge needs an update.  To that we say: Oh boy, do we know!  We hear you!  The lounge is one of the areas most obviously showing in terms of the age of some of the construction materials (wallpaper, I’m looking at you).  The furnishings are looking a bit drab, too, and why is it so dark in there?

There’s also a storage issue of which we’re keenly aware.  Any given weekday during the colder months (which is a considerable length of time here in Ottawa), there’s not a free hanger in sight.  Coats are everywhere: they’re on hangers, hanging over closet doors, on chairs – everywhere but the floor!  That needs to be addressed, and our designer is certainly working on ways to make more coat storage space, that also looks significantly cleaner and tidier than the current wardrobes.

We’re also really keen to shape the lounge to have more functional space.  This will be one of the most dramatic changes during the renovation.  I am unable to explain the technical details with enough clarity in this post, but creating space within the lounge that will allow for meetings or small training sessions is something we’re very much hoping can happen.  We’re also working on the configuration of furniture to allow for better conversation space, and finally, a much sought-after feature: the space and ability to hold a more private phone call.  Once we’re further along in the process, I’ll be very excited to share more details on all of these plans with you.

Overall, we’re hoping to create an inviting and professional space for our legal community to use while in the Courthouse.  We’ve heard of great lounges from other courthouses in the province, and we’re feeling a little bit of lounge envy.  We suspect some members of our community might be, too.  Perhaps you’ve been in them and can speak to the experience  – which courthouse lounges have you been in, and what did they do that you liked?


New: The CCLA Library Toolkit

Posted on by ktribe

The next time you stop by the CCLA Library, check out the new feature that is now available on all the computer desktops. We recently created a CCLA Library Toolkit, which consolidates all the library’s databases and online resources into one clean, organized, and user-friendly screen. The Toolkit ensures that all the resources you need are easy to find and in one place, and offers a description of each product so that you know what content and tools are available inside.

The Toolkit’s resources can only be accessed on the computers in the library, but we’d love for you to take a peek at the layout by clicking this link; we’re very happy with the way it turned out. Look for the CCLA Library Toolkit icon the next time you’re on the library computers. We hope you’ll stop by to check it out!


New Titles – April & May 2011

Posted on by Jennifer Walker

We’ve received an interesting mix of titles these past two months – some annual renewals for legislative titles alongside some new editions of old favourites.  One book of particular interest is the newest edition of Canadian Tort Law by Linden and Feldthusen.  Texts on the law of torts are quite popular in the library, and we hope you’ll find this new edition useful.  In the next month or so, we’ll also be receiving the newest edition of the ever-popular The Law of Torts in Canada by Fridman.  Both will be available in our Reserve collection, so certainly take a look at those.  For those of you practicing employment law, we have a few new titles for you that might be of interest.  Specifically, For Better or for Worse: A Practical Guide to Canadian Employment Law has been released as a new edition – the last edition of this book was in 2003.  Finally – as a sneak peak – we have some great new titles coming in the next month or two in both our criminal and family law areas.  These include some library user requests and brand new publications, so stay tuned for those titles.

We also received a lot of new Continuing Professional Development materials, from our friends at the Law Society of Upper Canada, the Hamilton Law Association, and the Middlesex Law Association.  Amanda, our Library Technician, has been incredibly hard at work getting these titles ready and out onto the shelves, so please give them a look!  We’d like to make a special mention to those in our community who do not use the library in-person (or at all!).  Don’t let having your own library collection or not having to come to the courthouse stop you from giving us a call or email – we’re here to help everyone!  Our CPD materials are a great resource with an astounding amount of variety in content, and are incredibly easy to search and from which to request materials.  Simply search for the title you’re interested in on the Law Society of Upper Canada’s AdvoCat catalogue, open the individual record, and select the “Table of Contents” tab atop the title.  We’d be happy to scan and send an article of interest.


Texts

Stikeman Income Tax Act 2011, 49th edition (Carswell)
Legal Handbook for Educators, 6th edition (Carswell)
Martin’s Related Criminal Statutes 2011-2012 (Canada Law Book)
Ontario Planning Legislation 2011 (Canada Law Book)
Law for Canadian Health Care Administrators, 2nd edition (Lexis Nexis)
Ontario Municipal Legislation 2011 (Canada Law Book)
Federal Labour and Employment Legislation 2011 (Canada Law Book)
For Better or for Worse: A Practical Guide to Canadian Employment Law, 3rd edition (Canada Law Book)
Portable Tax Court Practice, Act and Rules 2011 (Carswell)
Real Estate Practice in Ontario, 7th edition (Lexis Nexis)
Ontario Employment Law Handbook, 10th edition (Lexis Nexis)
Canadian Tort Law, 9th edition (Lexis Nexis)
The Conduct of Public Inquiries: Law, Policy and Practice (Irwin Law)

Continuing Professional Development

8th Annual Real Estate Law Summit (LSUC)
15th Annual Intellectual Property Law: The Year in Review (LSUC)
25th Anniversary of the Family Law Act (LSUC)
The Annotated Alter Ego Trust and Discretionary Trust 2011 (LSUC)
The Annotated Employment Agreement 2011 (LSUC) 
The Annotated Power of Attorney for Personal Care 2011 (LSUC) 
Case Conferences and Motions in Family Law (LSUC)
Commercial Priorities for Real Estate and Business Lawyers 2011 (LSUC) 
The Complete Guide to Wiretaps (LSUC)
Emerging Issues in Directors’ and Officers’ Liability 2011 (LSUC)
Emerging Issues in Health Law (LSUC)
Entertainment & Media Law Symposium 2011: Convergence 3.0 : It’s Here and It’s Happening (LSUC)
How to Succeed in the New Era of Discoveries (LSUC)
Impaired and “Over 80” 2010 (LSUC)
Mastering the Art of Complex Civil Motions (LSUC)
New Lawyer Practice Series: Family Law 2011 (LSUC)
New Lawyer Practice Series: Real Estate Law 2011 (LSUC)
New Lawyer Practice Series: Wills and Estates Law 2011 (LSUC) 
Personal Injury for Law Clerks: Recent Changes that You Need to Know About (LSUC)
Practice Gems: Construction Lien Essentials 2011 (LSUC)
Practice Gems: The Essentials of Creditors’ Remedies (LSUC)
Securities Law Update 2010 (LSUC) 
The Six-Minute Administrative Lawyer 2011 (LSUC) 
The Six-Minute Commercial Leasing Lawyer 2011 (LSUC) 
The Six-Minute Criminal Defence Lawyer 2011 (LSUC) 
The Six-Minute Estates Lawyer 2011 (LSUC) 
The Six-Minute Family Law Lawyer 2010 (LSUC) 
The 6th Annual Straight From the Bench: Litigation Conference (Middlesex Law Association) 
The 5th Annual Wills, Estates & Trusts Conference (Middlesex Law Association / Ontario Bar Association) 
New Developments in Personal Injury Law 2010 (Middlesex Law Association) 
2nd Annual Real Estate Seminar (Middlesex Law Association)


New CPD Accreditation: Quicklaw and Westlaw

Posted on by ktribe

Great news for all you lawyers out there! The CCLA Library’s Quicklaw and Westlaw training sessions are now accredited by the Law Society of Upper Canada for Continuing Professional Development (CPD)! This means that you can attend the library’s free training sessions on these powerful legal databases and apply them towards 9 of your 12 hours of annual CPD. Training sessions usually take place on or around the lunch hour in the library and are about an hour long. Each hour of training will equal one hour of CPD!

Free Quicklaw and Westlaw training sessions are planned for the following dates and times this fall. If you are interested in registering, please send me a quick email at ktribe@ccla-abcc.ca. Provided there is enough space, walk-ins are also always welcome.

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.

The CCLA Library is happy to add more dates this summer if there is interest, and we suspect that there will be now that the sessions have CPD accreditation. If you are interested in seeing more sessions this summer, send me a quick email and let me know. If there is enough interest, we’ll certainly add more dates before the fall.

For more information on CPD requirements, where to acquire CPD, and how to report it, check out the CCLA Website’s CPD Information page. Please note that the above training sessions may only be applied to the 9 Substantive Hours, which may address substantive or procedural law topics or related skills. They cannot be applied to the 3 Professionalism Hours, which must be on topics related to professional responsibility, ethics or practice management, or to the New Member requirement.

Info Sheet: CPD Programming Providers

Posted on by Jennifer Walker

Here at the library, we’ve had a few requests for details on where one can find programming that’s accredited for CPD credit hours.  To consolidate the information and provide helpful contacts, we’ve put together a short info sheet on programming providers that are of interest to our Ottawa lawyers.  You can download the PDF through this link.  The link is also available from our CPD Information page in the Events section of the CCLA website.