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PRESIDENT'S LETTER - Fall 2009 by Gretchen Van Dam William J. Campbell Library, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit |
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It's difficult to believe that summer is almost
over -- and that we are at the beginning of what promises to
be another successful year for CALL. My deepest appreciation
to all of you who have volunteered to serve on CALL Committees
for 2009-2010. Our association's work is driven by its
members, and we couldn't accomplish what we do without the
generous efforts of so many of you. If you haven't yet
volunteered for a committee and would still like to do so,
the "Committee Volunteer Sign-Up" form is located on the main
page of CALL's website. CALL and its members were major presences at
this year's annual AALL meeting in Washington, D.C. During
the course of the meeting, CALL members served as moderators
and presenters at educational sessions, served on AALL
Committees, participated in SIS programs and events, and
attended leadership training events for chapters. Of
particular note was the brown bag program sponsored by CALL,
and organized and facilitated by CALL Treasurer Ruth Bridges,
"Rebalancing Your Collection: Print or Electronic or Both?"
Over 50 attendees discussed balancing print and electronic
titles in law library collections and shared best practices.
It was a great success! On September 10th, CALL Committee Chairs and
Board Members will meet at MLS to discuss the work of our
association in 2009-2010. This half-day meeting enables our
chapter leaders to work through committee duties and
responsibilities, committee initiatives for the upcoming year,
and ways to collaborate with one another. The meeting will
also provide an opportunity to discuss the continuation of CALL's
process of strategic planning. I have reappointed the members of the
Special Committee for Strategic Planning to continue the work that
began in 2008-2009 with the adoption of a mission statement for CALL.
You can find our new mission statement on the main page of the CALL
website: "The Chicago Association of Law Libraries (CALL) connects a
vibrant and diverse network of members by supporting the development
of professional expertise; encouraging leadership, collaboration, and
advocacy in the legal information community; and promoting and
enhancing the field of law librarianship." It is time for our
association to strategically plan for the future using our new mission
statement as the foundation. More on this in the months ahead. The last year has been a difficult one for many
of our colleagues as our organizations struggle to bear the burden of
these tough economic times. One of my favorite federal judges has a
story he likes to tell when he fondly recollects his first days as a
district court judge and his first law clerk. Their first group of
cases was up on appeal, and they were eagerly awaiting the court of
appeals' decisions. The judge tells of how the law clerk came running
into chambers with the first bit of news, "Judge, the Court of Appeals
decision in Walker v. Smith has just been released -- we
were affirmed!" After a great deal of back-patting, all returned to
work. The afternoon brought this news, "Judge, the Court of Appeals
decision in Jones v. Campbell has just been released --
you were reversed." As the judge then noted, good times or
bad, we are all in this together. I would say it's the same for law
librarians; academic, firm, court, county, or corporate, we are all in
this together, and our association serves as a great place for us to
learn from one another and support one another as we forge into the
future. Let's have a productive, educational, and fun association year! Gretchen Van Dam |
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