2003 ALL-SIS Election Information
Candidate Biographical Statements
Candidates for Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect
Carole Hincliff
Carole Hinchcliff has been the Associate Director of The Ohio State
University Moritz Law Library since 1996. Carole began her career in law
librarianship at Ohio State as Reference, Computer Services & Microforms
Librarian in 1987 and from 1990-1996 held the position of Acquisitions
& Collection Development Librarian. She received a Bachelor of Laws
and a Bachelor of Arts from University of Melbourne, Australia and an M.A.
in Library and Information Studies from University of Wisconsin.
Carole's current professional activities include serving as a member
of the AALL Membership Committee, Co-Chair of the ALL-SIS Education Committee,
member of the ALL-SIS Visiting Librarian Project, member of the Foreign
& Comparative SIS Clearinghouse for Internships & Personnel Exchanges
Program Committee and serving as a mentor in AALL's Mentoring Project.
Carole's previous professional activities include serving as a member
of AALL's Indexing Periodical Literature Committee and the Awards Committee,
a member of ALL SIS Education Committee for 2000-2001 and 2001-2002, Secretary
of the Technical Services SIS for 1996-1998, Chair of the Innovative Law
Users Group for 1995-1996. and member of the Acquisitions Standing Committee.
Since 1995, she has served on OhioLINK's Cooperative Information Resources
Management Committee as an associate member representing the nine OhioLINK
law libraries.
Statement: The ALL-SIS is an active and vigorous SIS which caters
to all academic law librarians whatever their job title may be. As articulated
in the current strategic plan and mission statement, the focus of our SIS
is to identify and address concerns and needs unique to academic law librarians
and to be proactive in representing academic law librarianship within our
law schools, larger institutions and to other groups. It is exciting to
work in the spirit of cooperation with each other in academic law libraries
and collaboratively with other AALL special interest sections as we explore
issues such as using new technologies to best provide access to legal information,
preserving legal information and teaching legal research.
The focus of the ALL-SIS is on the future, building on the work of the
members who developed the strategic plan and ensuring that the SIS remains
relevant to all academic law librarians. The ALL-SIS provides an array
of opportunities to involve its members in activities such as educational
programs, committees, roundtables, CONALL, the ALL-SIS Newsletter, the
ALL-SIS web page, special projects, listserv discussions and other information
providing and networking opportunities. My goal is to facilitate the participation
of a diverse range of our members in these activities with an emphasis
on involving newer members of the SIS as well as taking advantage of the
expertise of experienced members.
As a member of the ALL-SIS, it is a privilege to belong to such a dedicated
community of law library professionals who are committed to doing their
jobs well. I am honored to be asked to be a candidate for Vice Chair/Chair
Elect of the ALL-SIS and am enthusiastic about continuing and expanding
on the great work of our SIS.
Faye E. Jones
Faye Jones is the Director of the Law Library at the University of the
Pacific, McGeorge School of Law, Sacramento, California. Faye began her
career at the Florida State University Law Library while she was a graduate
student. Her first professional position was at Duke University Law Library.
She returned to Florida to work at Nova Southeastern University Law Library,
and received her J.D. at Nova in 1982. Afterward, Faye served four years
on active duty as a JAG officer in the Navy. She returned to law librarianship
working at the University of Puget Sound Law Library and the Hastings College
of the Law Library before coming to McGeorge.
Faye has been an active member of AALL, ALL-SIS and NOCALL. She has
served on AALL's Placement and Membership committees and has been a speaker
at annual meeting programs. She has served ALL-SIS as its Secretary/Treasurer
(1990/91, 1991/92, 1992/93), Newsletter Editor (1993/94, 1994/95, 1995/96),
and Chair of the Roundtable on Legal Research (2000/01). She also actively
participates in the Northern California chapter and has been a member of
the NOCALL Executive Board.
Statement: The mission of the Academic Law Libraries SIS is to
provide an effective forum for members to work on issues of interest to
all academic law librarians. A glance at the list of All-SIS Committees,
Special Projects, Task Forces, and programs shows the diversity of our
interests. And, these interests are not static. New projects, task forces
and programs arise when an ALL-SIS member sees a need that is not being
addressed.
In order to make the best use of the energy that is ALL-SIS, it is important
to set goals. In July 2002, that is just what ALL-SIS did as it adopted
its Strategic Plan July 2002-June 2005. The Plan sets out four Strategic
Directions with 34 specific Initiatives designed to demonstrate the leadership
role of academic law librarians within academic institutions and in our
profession. This is an exciting opportunity for ALL-SIS and for each of
us to pursue goals of the highest professional priority. It would be an
honor and a pleasure to work with you as Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect to fulfill
the goals that ALL-SIS has set.
Candidates for Executive Committee Member:
Nancy L. Strohmeyer
I received my B.A. and M.L.S. degrees from the University of Illinois
at Urbana-Champaign. My J.D. comes from Southern Illinois University. After
graduating, I began working at the Loyola University School of Law Library
in New Orleans as a Reference Librarian. I became Senior Reference Librarian
in my second year. Three and one half years later, the position of Associate
Law Librarian for Public Services was created, and I was promoted into
it. In early 2002, after more than sixteen total years at Loyola, I moved
to Fayetteville, Arkansas and became the Head of Public Services at the
University of Arkansas' Young Law Library.
I served as chair of the ALL-SIS Membership Committee, and was a member
of that committee for two additional years. I am currently Chair of the
AALL Bylaws Committee. I have also served as an officer or as a member
of various committees in AALL, NOALL, SEAALL, MAALL, COSELL and Special
Interest Sections.
Statement: I must admit from the beginning that I have seldom
really read candidates' statements. Very likely most candidates search
their souls for their truest feelings, hopes and desires for whichever
group has honored them with nominations. I would like to apologize to those
people. I should have studied your statements with great care, especially
since I now have to write one.
The truest thing I can say about my professional life is that I cannot
imagine working anywhere but in an academic law library. Sure, there have
been a few dark moments when flipping burgers sounds better, but I can
honestly say I have found my niche. Academe is in my blood; it is the foundation
of my being. Law librarianship came later, but it felt right from the moment
I began working at the University of Illinois Law Library as an undergraduate.
With such dedication, it is no surprise that I have always been a member
of the Academic Law Libraries SIS. Although I have not always been as involved
as I should have been, I think I have only missed the annual business meeting
once. I've even been there at 7:00 a.m. when required, ready to listen.
If I am elected, I promise to work very hard and to be accessible to
anyone needing help. I will support the goals of the new Chair, and assist
her and the other officers in completing projects. I will read and work
toward meeting the initiatives of the new Strategic Plan. I will do whatever
is required of me willingly and without complaint. I am grateful for this
nomination, and I would be honored to serve as the Executive Committee
Member for the Academic Law Libraries SIS.
Suzanne Thorpe
Suzanne Thorpe is the Associate Director for Faculty, Research, and
Instructional Services at the University of Minnesota Law Library. She
oversees all public and faculty services offered by the library, provides
legal research instruction, and is also responsible for collecting Scandinavian
legal materials for the Law Library. Suzanne earned B.A. and M.A. degrees
from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and received her J.D. degree from
the University of Minnesota. Before joining the staff at the University
of Minnesota Law Library, Suzanne was a librarian at Hamline University
Law Library and the Hennepin County Law Library.
Among her professional contributions, Suzanne has served as Secretary/Treasurer
and President of the Minnesota Association of Law Libraries. For the American
Association of Law Libraries, she has chaired the Mentoring Committee,
Awards Committee, Membership Committee, and the OBS-SIS. She served on
the FCIL SIS Clearinghouse for Internships and International Placements
and was a presenter at several FCIL programs. For ALL SIS, Suzanne has
served and is serving various committees; she is currently chairing the
BNA Task Force, has chaired the Vision Statement Committee and co-chaired
the Membership Committee, and has been a member of CONALL Committee.
Statement: Academic law librarians in 2003 face difficult challenges.
Despite static or shrinking budgets, we struggle to build enduring hard
copy collections while trying to meet student and faculty demands for expensive
electronic resources. We continue to maintain traditional services in house,
while trying to retool ourselves to deliver new services remotely. Similarly,
we wrestle with effectively instructing students to know when and how to
use the increasing array of hard copy and electronic tools at their disposal.
Through educational programming, publications, committee projects, and
opportunities for informal networking, the ALL SIS provides us with the
support we need to meet these challenges. I would welcome an opportunity
to serve on the Executive Committee of the ALL SIS and play a small role
in shaping its educational agenda.