What's Happening in Member Libraries

Connecticut State Law Library Completes Move

The Connecticut State Library recently completed a move of library and archival collections to a newly renovated offsite storage facility. The William B. Meyer Company cleaned and moved more than 31,000 archival items, 33,000 books and periodicals, 3500 volumes of original Connecticut newspapers, and 3500 linear feet of state and federal Supreme Court records and briefs to the new site. The transfer has temporarily alleviated a severe space shortage at the main library on Capitol Avenue in Hartford, and consolidated archival collections housed at several other locations. Additional in-house shifting will be accomplished over the summer to take advantage of the space regained by the move. The new location also includes conference and computer training facilities. According to Denise Jernigan, the Library will provide daily retrieval of offsite items requested by patrons.

The University of Connecticut School of Law Library has had a few staffing changes and additions. Christine Aschenbrenner joined the staff in the role of network manager in March. Barry Hannah, formerly of the Trinity College library staff, joined University of Connecticut Law School Library’s Access Services team in January. Celeste Feather took on additional responsibilities as the new Associate Law Librarian for Library Services, combining what were formerly the Public Services Department and the Bibliographic Services Department into a unified department under her management. Celeste Feather and Peter Murray became the proud parents of Erin Murray this past November, becoming the first new parents on the University of Connecticut Law Library staff in more than 10 years.

Vermont Law School Receives Award

Christine Ryan and Chuck Papirmeister report they “are absolutely thrilled” that the Vermont Law School Library has been chosen as the recipient of the 2002 AALL/Findlaw Excellence in Marketing Award for Best Use of Technology.

Chris and Chuck produced and edited “The Legal Research Project,” a digital video parody of The Blair Witch Project. The purpose of the project was to make an engaging video that promoted the value of legal research and law libraries.

Creating the video was a collaborative affair. Chris and Chuck engaged a student director (who now serves as the Editor and Chief of Vermont Law Review) and involved Vermont Law School deans, students, and librarians.
The premiere of the video - starring students, faculty and the Dean of the law school - occurred during the first VLS faculty meeting last fall and won rave reviews. Later, legal research instructors showed the video in their first-year legal research classes; then, on Halloween, the video played for the entire VLS community.
The video was publicized by a student-designed movie poster, the VLS Film Society, an article in the library newsletter, and a posting on the VLS Intranet. The IT department burned the video onto CD-ROMs which were inserted into custom-made jewel cases. The video is available online at http://www.vermontlaw.edu/Life/VirtualTour/LRPStream.mov

See the ending to discover the Kelly Browne connection!