RLLC Committee Meeting Minutes
July 17, 2005, San Antonio, Texas
Present: Ken Hirsh, Outgoing Chair; Susan Lewis-Somers, Incoming Chair; Ann Fessenden, AALL Executive Board Liaison; Diane Murley; Judith Gaskell; James Milles; Jan Oberla; Deidra Payne; Michael Saint-Onge; Maureen Well; Beth Paskoff, Dean of LSU Library School ; Barbara Traub; Shannon Malcolm.
Absent: Ann Clifford Green, Jennifer Meger, Phebe Poydras.
The meeting was called to order at 5:30 p.m.
Ken Hirsh went over annual report. Handed over gavel to Susan Lewis-Somers.
Susan discussed issue of committee charges for us and other committees involved with membership, recruitment, others with overlapping responsibilities.
She will be working more closely with the other membership-related committees. There was a meeting of that group earlier today.
Susan introduced Diane Murley, our new webmaster.
Issue: the contact information on the website. The members contact info is not available to outsiders. Diane made Ken and Susan's addresses visible, but Susan wants to know if we should have more members listed who might better be able to respond to the inquirer.
The members present expressed they felt comfortable with making that information publicly available. Will include email address and phone number.
Susan: How to reach library school and law school students who might be interested in law librarianship. We must coordinate with the other committees involved with this. Audiences include law school and library school placement offices. Jim suggested trying to penetrate NALP.
Beth Paskoff, dean of LSU Library school, suggested a local liaison would be useful. One enthusiastic practitioner in the same community. Would invite students to meetings, lunches, etc.
Barbara Traub mentioned library school at St. John's has weekly forums that outsiders can speak at. She also spoke at alternative careers program at law school.
Susan said she would also like to develop info for AALL members on how to develop potential members of profession. She wants to work with diversity committee on this as well.
Beth Paskoff brought up a program she is trying to develop in Baton Rouge on scholarship or internship for minority students who might want to work in law library.
Maureen Well: mentioned NELLCO is developing a minority recruitment program.
Jim Milles expressed some concern about over-selling the career - there might not be enough positions.
Shannon Malcolm said the issue is lack of entry level positions.
Some discussion of internships and conference of law library educators.
Susan brought up need to expand committee web site as an entry vehicle for interested persons to learn about the profession. She mentioned some of the existing links on the site, and one of the items to be added is Shannon Malcolm's recent Spectrum article on how to recruit law students. She asked for a volunteer to compile new links. Michael St. Onge volunteered to work with someone on this. Diane had mentioned she added a link to the placement committee's jobs site.
Informing membership through Spectrum committees column. Asked for volunteer in writing info for columns. Janet Oberla volunteered. Judith Gaskell also volunteered.
Susan said that this list would be the priorities this year, and Ann Fessenden said the list sounded on target. Susan said she would like everyone to be active and to have a task.
Meeting adjourned at 6:14 P.M.
Respectfully submitted,
Ken Hirsh
For More Information About Law Librarianship or the AALL Recruitment Committee, contact committee chair Sarah Mauldin.