PLL Perspectives Volume 20 Issue 3 (Spring 2009)

Spring 2009 Volume 20 Issue 3

Download the entire issue in Adobe Acrobat format 

FEATURES

SAVING COSTS MAY SAVE JOBS � TAKE IT SERIOUSLY
by Julie D. Melvin, Sonnenschein, Nath & Rosenthal LLP, Chicago, IL

PLL WEBINAR: LAW LIBRARY BUDGETING DURING HARD ECONOMIC TIMES
reviewed by Sarah Mauldin, Chamberlain, Hrdlicka, White, Williams & Martin, Atlanta, GA

COST-EFFECTIVE RESEARCH IN U.S. BANKRUPTCY LAW
by Rob Richards, Philadelphia, PA

 

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LOCAL BOOKSTORE?
compiled by Donna Fisher, Senniger Powers, St. Louis, MO

 

LETTER TO THE EDITOR
by Andy Zimmerman, Gordon, Feinblatt, Rothman, Hoffberger & Hollander, LLC, Baltimore, MD

 

BOOK REVIEWS

THE PREDATOR STATE
reviewed by Sarah Dowson, D'Amato & Lynch, New York, NY

GETTING THINGS DONE
reviewed by Janice A. Collins, Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal, Chicago, IL

GOOGLING SECURITY
reviewed by Helen King-Desai, Schuyler Roche, Chicago, IL

THE SPEED OF TRUST
reviewed by John J. DiGilio, Reed Smith LLP, Chicago IL

OUTLIERS
reviewed by Patricia Orr, Dykema PLLC, Detroit, MI

PLL NEWS

FROM THE CHAIR
by Tina Dumas, Nixon Peabody LLP, San Francisco, CA

PLL ELECTION

CANDIDATE BIOS � VICE-CHAIR/CHAIR-ELECT

CANDIDATE BIOS � TREASURER

CANDIDATE BIOS � BOARD MEMBER

PLL PROGRAMS AT THE 2009 AALL ANNUAL MEETING

PLL ANNOUNCEMENTS

 

 

Tina Dumas,, Nixon Peabody LLP, San Francisco, CA

We have all been affected by the economy lately. Have you been laid off, had to cut your budget, or lost staff or colleagues? If you need some tools to rejuvenate your career, AALL has created a new wiki to help us all cope.

Tools for Success in Today's Economy

http://aallnet.pbwiki.com/

The wiki has items in four categories so far: Career Tools like combating burnout, job seeking, networking, etc; Financial Tools like budgeting and negotiating; Management Tools, including hiring and managing staff and conflict resolution; and finally Public Relations Tools to help promote your library. I encourage you all to take advantage of the wiki. You can request access to edit and add your own content, too.

AALL Annual Meeting - Why You Should Go This Year

One mechanism for coping with the latest headlines is to plan for the AALL Annual meeting. While the economy and budgets are tight, this is the seminal educational and networking event for law librarians. Lucy Curci-Gonzalez and Christine Graesser, both recent PLL Chairs, wrote an informative article in the February 2006 issue of AALL Spectrum about how to write a memo justifying attendance at the annual meeting. They even have a sample memo. Go to: http://www.aallnet.org/products/pub_sp0502/pub_sp0502_Why.pdf to see the article, "Why I Need to Go to the AALL Annual Meeting this Year."

In order to help you plan and justify your attendance, please see page 23 for a list of PLL events that will be happening at AALL this year.

You can see the entire AALL schedule at: http://www.aallnet.org/database/meeting_annual_events.asp.

Thinking outside of the lunchbox

The economy has hit PLL this year, too. Pricing for food at the Annual Meeting increased 35%-50% over last year's costs. This means that we will not get as much bang for our buck, and need to find creative ways to stretch our dollars. We have some money in reserve, and we have generous sponsorships that cover some of our costs. We were forced to raise our ticket price for the lunch, although it will still not cover the entire meal. We are hoping to come up with an interesting and fun activity/event to go with the lunch, and we welcome suggestions. In today's economic environment, it's important to have fun while we are learning and networking.

Coming soon: Elections

You thought the difficult decisions were in November 2008. They are actually coming up this Spring. Our hardworking Nominations Committee came up with a great slate of candidates. Biographies are listed in this issue of Perspectives. You get to decide who will lead PLL in the coming year. Be on the lookout for more information about the elections!

SAVING COSTS MAY SAVE JOBS � TAKE IT SERIOUSLY
by Julie D. Melvin, Sonnenschein, Nath & Rosenthal LLP, Chicago, IL

We are all reading the headlines on a daily basis and we know that the economy is suffering one of the greatest setbacks in decades. If we talk to our friends and colleagues and follow any blawgs (Law Blogs), we also know that law firm layoffs are escalating at an alarming rate. My own firm, like many firms across the country, recently found it necessary to implement layoffs. This experience got me thinking, �What can we librarians do to help enhance our job security in this grim economic environment?� Saving money for the firm is probably a priority for most of us at this time. To find out how other librarians are accomplishing this, I sent a request to the Private Law Libraries Listserv, the Chicago Association of Law Libraries Listserv, SLA Listserv, and Law-Lib. While many librarians responded, there was a significant amount of overlap in suggestions, so I have tried to include the representative highlights from the responses. Here are the results of my picking the collective law librarian brain. Once again, I have been most impressed by the generosity and ingenuity of our colleagues.

Several responses included some inherent concern that libraries will disappear or be essentially gutted. It is to identify some course of action, or effort we can exert, to prevent this eventuality that led to the writing of this article. One anonymous contributor summarized these concerns when stating in an e-mail: �The thought that crossed my mind--Aren't law firms (and hospitals, corporate entities, etc.) shooting themselves in the feet when they try to cut costs by either not having a librarian on staff at all (with or without a formal physical library), or having someone in the organization who doesn't have professional library & information service training? They make do with outsourcing or assign in-house people to learn by doing without guidance. Outsourcing everything - document delivery, reference services, etc. or having an expensive person in-house may in the end cost an organization (and the client) more time and money��

The American Association of Law Libraries has a useful online toolkit, �Commonly Asked Questions and Answers About the Work and Value of Law Librarians,� that includes a cost savings section worth reviewing: http://www.aallnet.org/sis/pllsis/Toolkit/ToolkitQA.pdf. A St. Louis Law Librarian sums up the practical application of the AALL toolkit ideology, and our responsibilities as librarians, nicely: �Many of us are used to watching publication costs [and] trends, and being cost effective in our collection management. I believe that is part of the job description for law firm librarians. Here, we are doing our best to avoid duplication of content in both print and online formats. If a publication is no longer in use, we check with the practice group and discontinue where necessary. We attempt to negotiate the best deals with online providers. I encourage best practices for Lexis & Westlaw use. We offer training and hands on tips to get the most use out of our resources. All of these things have been said and done before in our community. I do not have extra tips or new ideas, but a back to the basics approach works well. Most of us watch the bottom line; it is part of the job description for a firm librarian.�

Donna Fisher of Senniger Powers, LLP had several very useful suggestions: �Many states, including Missouri, offer free caselaw research for Missouri Bar members using Fastcase. It doesn't have all of the bells and whistles of Westlaw, but is a good resource, especially when cost is an issue. There are other free sources of caselaw too. When buying reference books for myself, I buy used books whenever possible. For example, I just bought a 2007 edition of Ulrich's Periodicals Directory for about 1/10 of the list price. It's a year old but certainly good enough for my purposes. I also buy used technical books. We are an intellectual property firm and often have to do heavy background scientific or tech research and new books can be really expensive.

I use public library databases for a lot of business & news research. These are completely free from our local library, and I also have a membership to New York Public Library that costs $100/yr. and saves me a bundle on journal articles.

I've canceled virtually every print subscription that's on Westlaw.

Instead of getting a lot of periodical subscriptions that we only use occasionally, I've set up a Westclip or other table of contents alert. That way I know what's in each issue but only have to pay for the articles we really need.�

Thomas B. Fleming, Director of Information Resources Management at Jeffer, Mangels, Butler & Marmaro LLP has been successful with this approach. �When renewing any subscription, we have always emailed the routees and people who checked the material out to see if they needed it. When there was no response or they said we could cancel, we did. Now we send the same email via Outlook voting and we put the dollar amount of the subscription. This has been very effective in reducing the costs because the users see how much it costs.�

Another librarian from a major large law firm had several great suggestions as well. His advice for researching Lexis or Westlaw, which basically holds true for all databases, is to construct a search string before logging onto the database, select the smallest database necessary (avoid mega files), and call the 1-800 number and let the vendor structure and run the search for you first to see if it yields good results before you log on and run the search yourself.

If your firm subscribes to Westlaw Find & Print and/or Lexis Case Pull, if after running a search in Lexis/Westlaw, you identify a list of citations, do not print off all of the citations in full from Lexis/Westlaw. Print only a cite list from Lexis/Westlaw and then pull the full text of the citation from Westlaw Find & Print and/or Lexis Case Pull.

This same librarian's strategy for statutory and court rules research is just as valuable. �When you are in the initial stages of statutory research and you are trying to identify the relevant statutory section, turn to the respective states general assembly website. I believe that almost every state, if not every state, has their statutes and codes online through their general assembly website. While these statutes and codes may not be annotated, starting with these sites can help you identify the relevant statutory section without incurring ANY database charges.

The same can be said for court rules. Check the court's website for court rules. Check the court's website for biographies of judges�.

Finally, this librarian recommends creating a Library Knowledge Management Database, saying: "While this is no small undertaking and will take time to create, over the long run it will save money. We have what we call a KnowledgeBase (KB) in which librarians are encouraged to enter research requests in a Q&A format. While the KB is only in Beta and is not available for the attorneys to view, it is available to all of the reference librarians. The research request as received is entered along with the successful strategy for answering and completing the project. I highly recommend the creation and use of a KB. Overall, projects are completed more quickly and cost-efficiently as you do not have to start from scratch with each complex research project".

This creative librarian goes on to note that it is important to be careful to respect copyright laws when creating these types of knowledge banks, so creation of article depositories is not advisable. I would add, however, that you can include any references to articles you have found useful without fear of violating copyright laws.

A Washington Librarian recommends the following: �One big thing I do around here and have for years is intermittent purchases of titles. There are many things for which I get hardbounds automatically but not pocket parts (and get those every 5 years or so), things where I get the set updated but send back the index most years (those $500 indexes really add up, especially when using last year's works just fine). The way the publishers do the pricing rewards me for this. For example, I cancelled one sub, and a few years later bought a new set for 40% off. Keeping it updated would have cost as much as 100% of the new set price each year. Also, purchase new titles at the end of the quarter or end of the year. Bigger savings are to be had then.� This librarian goes on to state, �I get Am Jur Trials, and with every volume they send out a little index pamphlet covering that volume. I just save those with the main index for several years. Same thing with Proof of Facts, Am Jur Pleading and Practice, and Am Jur Forms. Those indexes are around $500 each per year, and I send back several indexes each year (or don't get them at all, depending on the sub) and that really adds up. I have not missed having fully updated indexes. Half the time I find what I'm looking for without using the index anyway, especially in those form sets.�

Carol Bannen, Director of Information Resources, Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren S.C. says, �One idea is to review all the periodical subscriptions and see if there are any that are not being routed to anyone and may be cancelled. We were surprised awhile back to find some that had been ordered for people who are long gone or subject areas that are no longer active. I also do a spreadsheet by department showing all the titles and the cost increases over the last three years for each. I then visit with every department about what is really needed and what can be cut. Having the firm management say something like �every budget has to be cut 10%� gets their attention even if things don't end up being cut by 10%. It forces them to take a hard look anyway.�

Another helpful law firm librarian had several suggestions: �This is a cost saving tip for libraries with flat rates for both Westlaw and Lexis. We saw enormous cost savings and almost no complaints when we canceled the flat rate on the service we used the least. We maintain one contract as a flat rate and direct everyone to use that service. The other service was kept on a pay-as-you-go basis and is used only rarely when the main subscription does not have the needed document.�

Another librarian�s potentially controversial tip, �Rethink whether the firm needs the digital CCC [Copyright Clearance Center] license add-on or if the annual print CCC license is enough. Since all the digital providers cover copyright issues in their contracts and we are paying in advance for permissions, is the extra CCC charge for digital really necessary? It would be interesting to hear the experience of any large firm that canceled the print annual license and is using transactional reporting as to whether the hassle is worth the cost savings.�

Some additional database specific suggestions include:

The USPTO and SEC sites have improved searching and formatting of documents enough so that users should not be paying private services just to download particular patents and SEC filings. Save the costly databases for the instances when advanced searching is necessary.

Justia.com has some very good alerting services and RSS feeds that can replace other costly alert services for court filings.

This may be too common sense to even include, but if a print item has disappeared and you have been collecting supplements while you wait for it to return, cancel the updates. You can always buy an updated version if anyone complains and you may save several years of update costs before anyone even notices.

10KWizard and the CCH Securities Research Network are two inexpensive ways to retrieve SEC No-action letters; the GSI method is an expensive way to retrieve these.

Nancy Henry, the Head Reference Librarian at Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal LLP, suggests the following strategies, including an important point about the possibility of contract renegotiation.

Review your Lexis and Westlaw contract in order to determine those titles that do not get much use and consider removing them. In addition, verify with your representative how many times the title was accessed. On Westlaw you can find out what files have been accessed. So if someone indicates they use a particular file or resource all the time on Westlaw, you can independently determine how often that information is actually used.

For titles you want to keep online, it is necessary to confirm that the online version is up-to-date before cancelling the print version. One major negative of this approach is that when you renew the contract, you cannot easily walk away from it because you now need that database to access the materials and have already gotten rid of the print.

When asked to purchase an item you do not think will get used that often, offer to borrow it and keep track of how many times you need to do so. If the item is borrowed more than 5 times a year, consider purchasing it after evaluating the price.

Meet with other Librarians near your office to discuss the possibility of sharing resources for those items that are hard to justify purchasing.

Explore paying a subscription fee to your local academic library, bar association, and or county library in order to have access to materials that are not used on a regular basis.

Given the rising cost of databases, carefully reconsider cancellation of frequently used print resources. This prevents incurring high costs from online access and printing charges.

Jayse A. Sessi, MLS, Reference Librarian at Alston & Bird, LLP uses several free websites for helpful information. She searches PubMed for free access to articles. PubMedCentral articles and free full text links are given in the abstract plus mode. This is very helpful since the office she is in specializes in biotech IP.

FreeMedicalJournals.com and DOAJ.org also offer free articles.

There are free databases available for other scientific specialties:
Energy Citation Database http://www.osti.gov/energycitations/
SAO/NASA Astrophysics Data System http://www.adsabs.harvard.edu/
Science.gov http://www.science.gov/
ERIC Education Resource Information Center http://www.eric.ed.gov.

Sometimes for books I use WorldCat, the free web access to OCLC http://www.worldcat.org/

For case law and other legal information I've been using Public Library of Law http://www.plol.org.

For English abstracts of international patents and also for family patent information I use http://ep.espacenet.com/ before going to other fee based services.�

Mindy Maddrey, Library Consultant and former National Library Manager at Sonnenschein Nath and Rosenthal LLP, implemented several cost saving policies here and shared a few other innovative ideas for this article, including: �Where possible, placing purchase decisions on attorneys, informing them of the actual costs of services and products. For the most part, attorneys have no idea what things cost. Sometimes, when they learn how expensive materials are, they modify their needs. Another cost-saver that I'd like to try to implement, but which would be politically challenging, would be to determine a dollar amount per attorney and to limit and/or cut distribution lists for attorneys who go above that dollar amount. This would work best within specific practice groups. Get the practice group head to set a dollar amount for each partner and for each associate in the group, but don't expect the amounts to be the same from practice group to practice group.�

Mindy also suggests �limiting conferences and seminars for staff members and requiring those who do attend to write up their experiences to share with staff who could not attend.� However, I think this suggestion needs to be implemented very carefully because poorly trained and uninformed librarians and staff do not save anyone money and can cause very costly mistakes.

Finally, Ken Svengalis, author of the Legal Information Buyer's Guide & Reference Manual, contacted me in response to the listserv inquiry and suggested that we review Appendix J and other cost savings measures provided in his book. In the interest of full disclosure, I did use Mr. Svengalis� book for a library school project many years ago, but have not used it recently. I did not use the book in the writing of this article because I wanted to take an �in the trenches� view of what is currently in use and working for us and our colleagues. I do, however, think that the Legal Information Buyer's Guide & Reference Manual is a very useful resource and is worth reviewing for a more in depth treatment of this topic.

Given the fact that we are all under significant financial constraints, further discussion and sharing of cost saving ideas will, hopefully, help us all make it through to rosier economic times. It remains of paramount importance that we continue to communicate our organizational value to decision makers. Sharing the costs we have saved is one way to accomplish this, but do not forget to emphasize the positive assets we bring to the table: resource knowledge, search experience, cost efficiency, and time savings, just to name a few!

Editor's note: AALL has a wiki of Tips For Success in Today's Economy. Please see the announcement on page 3 for more information.

PLL WEBINAR: LAW LIBRARY BUDGETING DURING HARD ECONOMIC TIMES
reviewed by Sarah Mauldin, Chamberlain, Hrdlicka, White, Williams & Martin, Atlanta, GA

The Private Law Libraries Special Interest Section Continuing Education Committee sponsored a webinar entitled "Law Library Budgeting During Hard Economic Times" on December 11, 2008. It included an overview of budgeting, cost saving tips, and a glimpse into the mind of law firm management.

Abigail F. Ellsworth Ross, Library Manager at Keller and Heckman LLP in Washington, DC, gave an overview of budgeting basics. She emphasized the importance of knowing what you are talking about when you provide budget information to law firm management. This includes having a complete picture of the library budget and how it fits within the larger firm budget and being able to explain and justify each budget item.

Ross provided participants a series of suggestions for improving the budget process in law firms. These included:

• cultivating relationships with accounting staff members
• coding library costs yourself and being as specific as possible when assigning ledger numbers to costs
• reviewing monthly reconciliation reports to determine if the library budget is still on track
• making attorneys accountable for costs by switching to practice group accounting
• keeping an up-to-date list of possible cancellations on hand and including some materials used by members of the budget committee on the list
• making the budget proposal attractive and easy to understand
• asking for final say on library account matters and veto/cancellation power for the library budget.

Michael Daniels, Law Librarian at K&L Gates LLP in Austin, TX, provided a selection of tips and tricks for cutting a budget when necessary. He focused on three areas: print acquisitions and collection development, electronic research, and return on investment (ROI). Many of Daniels' suggestions for budget cuts for print and electronic resources were common-sense. Among other tips, he suggested leveraging the resources of local law school and county law libraries and making attorneys responsible for office copies.

He reiterated the importance of training users to be more efficient in using electronic resources and reminded attendees of the many free and low-cost alternatives to Lexis and Westlaw. The suggestions for increasing ROI were mostly reminders to remain visible within the firm with marketing and branding and to maximize billable research opportunities. He also suggested taking an active and leading, if possible, role in library contract negotiations. While many of the tips were useful, they were mostly a reminder of what librarians are already doing.

Carol Arnold, Executive Director of Graves, Dougherty, Hearon & Moody in Austin, TX, spoke about the view of the library budget from the law firm executive suite. She explained what she is looking for in a library budget and her expectations of the librarian's knowledge of where the money goes. Arnold said that she expects the librarian to treat the library as a business and to consider the needs of all customers, including attorneys, staff, management, and clients. She also expects to hear from the library about the budget process throughout the year, not just at budget time. This includes explaining budget variances and keeping management informed of contract negotiations and issues on the horizon. She was clear that the librarian is expected to provide ideas for changes to the status quo and that the library and budget should not remain stagnant. Arnold reminded librarians to be visible and proactive, anticipating the questions management will ask.

Ms. Arnold provided specific suggestions for dealing with the economic downturn. She discussed the possibility of hiring a consultant to review the budget and contracts with vendors. She said it could be a good option, but needs to be done carefully. While the consultant may be able to provide help, it could be better to do the work yourself. She also reminded librarians that the downturn is not forever and that it will get better. She stressed looking at the details, finding efficiencies, and being thoughtful and precise when making budget cuts. Arnold also discussed the possibility of getting vendors to work with firms to renegotiate contracts when needs change. She was hopeful that vendors may be willing to work with firms that threaten to cancel or downgrade service. This portion of the presentation was the most helpful because it provided a different perspective from what is normally discussed by librarians.

The webinar was well put together and timely. I appreciated having discussion from firm management as well as from librarians. The online format worked well and it was simple to register and attend. A recording of the webinar will be available in the Members Only Section of AALLNet.org at http://www.aall.org/members/media_show.asp?mnum=70 until December 31, 2009. The $25 registration fee applies to the archived presentation.

COST-EFFECTIVE RESEARCH IN U.S. BANKRUPTCY LAW
by Rob Richards, Philadelphia, PA

Researching U.S. bankruptcy law and facts cost effectively can be challenging for those new to the field. Finding the law can be difficult because relevant statutory provisions are often scattered throughout the Bankruptcy Code, Title 11 of the United States Code (the �Code�) or the Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure (the �Rules�);2 the names of some key bankruptcy doctrines are not found in the text of statutes;3 and some important provisions of bankruptcy law are found in whole or in part only in case law.4 Moreover, vital factual information about a case�such as information about the debtor�s history, management, creditors, corporate structure, capital structure, and other financial issues�is contained in sources with which researchers new to bankruptcy law may be unfamiliar. Here are suggestions for quick and inexpensive ways to locate relevant U.S. bankruptcy law and facts.

1. Finding The Law

a. Look for Ready-Made Research in Your Firm

Search your firm's database of memos, briefs, and pleadings (sometimes called a �knowledge management system�) for work product on your topic. If relevant work product exists, use it to gain an understanding of the law and identify the relevant statutes, rules, and cases. Then use the steps below to verify and flesh out the information in the work product.

b. Use a Treatise

A treatise gathers in one convenient source summaries and analysis of the law with citations to all relevant statutes, rules, and major cases. Use a treatise's index or table of statutes or cases to find the discussion of the issue you are researching. Excellent short bankruptcy treatises include:

• Douglas G. Baird, Elements of Bankruptcy (4th ed. 2006), available in print from Thomson West, http://west.thomson.com/ (N.B.: notwithstanding the vendor's term �casebook,� this is not a casebook, but a short treatise which can be used as a study aid.);
• David G. Epstein, Bankruptcy and Related Law in a Nutshell (7th ed. 2005), available in print from Thomson West, http://west.thomson.com/ , and on Westlaw, http://www.westlaw.com , database BKR-NS;
• Jeff Ferriell & Edward J. Janger, Understanding Bankruptcy (2d ed. 2007), available in print from LexisNexis, http://www.lexisnexis.com/store/us/ .
• The leading in-depth treatises include: Collier on Bankruptcy (Alan N. Resnick & Henry J. Sommer eds., 15th ed. rev. currently updated), available from LexisNexis, http://www.lexisnexis.com/store/us/ , in print, on CD-ROM, and on Lexis.com, http://www.lexis.com , filename COLBKR;
• William L. Norton, Jr. & William L. Norton, III , Norton Bankruptcy Law & Practice (3d ed. currently updated), available from Thomson West, http://west.thomson.com/ , in print, on CD-ROM, and on Westlaw, http://www.westlaw.com , database NRTN-BLP.

For consumer cases, useful treatises include:

• The Hon. Michael B. Kaplan et al., Consumer Bankruptcy Manual (2d ed. currently updated), available in print from Thomson West, http://west.thomson.com/ , and on Westlaw, http://www.westlaw.com , database CONSBKRML;
• Henry J. Sommer, Consumer Bankruptcy Law & Practice (8th ed. 2006 & current supplement), available in print from National Consumer Law Center , http://www.consumerlaw.org/publications/ ;
• Henry J. Sommer & Lawrence P. King, Collier Consumer Bankruptcy Law Practice Guide (currently updated), available from LexisNexis, http://www.lexisnexis.com/store/us/ , in print, on CD-ROM, and on Lexis.com, http://www.lexis.com , filename CCBKPG.

c. Read the Statutes or Rules in an Annotated Code

Annotated codes list citations to cases that have applied each statute or rule, and so ease case-finding. These codes also provide citations to legislative history, forms, treatises, and law review articles that may be of help. Annotated codes can be searched free of charge in print (your firm may own a code in print), or for a charge online. The leading U.S. federal annotated codes are:

• United States Code Annotated , available from Thomson West, http://west.thomson.com/ , in print, on CD-ROM, and on Westlaw, http://www.westlaw.com , database USCA;
• United States Code Service , available from LexisNexis, http://www.lexisnexis.com/store/us/ , in print on DVD-ROM, and on Lexis.com, http://www.lexis.com , filename USCS.

In addition, because state law often determines property rights in bankruptcy, 5 one should use the applicable annotated state code to research the state law at issue and to identify relevant cases. Annotated state codes are available on Westlaw, http://www.westlaw.com , and Lexis.com, http://www.lexis.com , and in print from a number of publishers, most of which are listed on AALL CRIV's Legal Publishers List , http://www.aallnet.org/committee/criv/resources/tools/list/

d. Use Key Numbers, Headnotes, Citators, and Keyword Searching to Find More Cases

• In Lexis.com, http://www.lexis.com , or Westlaw, http://www.westlaw.com , pull an initial set of cases using the case citations from the treatises, annotated codes, and work product you've already used;
• Then, with the citations and Key Numbers or Headnotes from the initial set of cases, use LexisNexis Headnotes and Shepard's Citations, or Westlaw Key Numbers and KeyCite, to find additional relevant cases;
• Next, use keyword searching on Lexis.com, http://www.lexis.com , or Westlaw, http://www.westlaw.com to find additional unreported cases;
• If it's appropriate to restrict your search to bankruptcy cases, limit your searches to a bankruptcy-specific case database, such as the Westlaw FBKR-CS database (containing bankruptcy cases from all U.S. federal courts) or a narrower bankruptcy case database listed in the Westlaw Database Directory, http://directory.westlaw.com/ (under �Browse Databases,� click on �Topical Materials by Area of Practice,� then click on �Bankruptcy�); or the Lexis.com files BANKR (containing cases from U.S. bankruptcy courts and Bankruptcy Appellate Panels) or COURTS (containing bankruptcy cases from the higher U.S. federal courts and the Court of Federal Claims).

2. Finding Facts

a. Read the Schedules and Statements

A great deal of valuable factual information about the debtor and creditors in a case is available in the schedules and the �statement of financials affairs� (�SOFA�) that the debtor is required to file with the bankruptcy petition, 6 including the following:

• Schedules of Assets and Liabilities:
• A �Global Notes� section, which sometimes contains useful references to key portions of the schedules;
• A �Summary of Schedules,� which provides a quick overview of the debtor's balance sheet;
• Lists of creditors (secured, unsecured priority, and unsecured nonpriority), including those with intercompany claims;
• Lists of executory contracts and leases;
• Names of co-debtors;
• And, for individual-debtor cases, the debtor's current income and expenditures.

• SOFA:
• A �Global Notes� section, identical to that in the schedules;
• Lists of the debtor's officers, directors, and 5% shareholders;
• Names of the debtor's outside accountants;
• Names of the debtor's pension funds;
• If the debtor is a subsidiary, the name of the parent company;
• Lists of the debtor's recent and pending litigation matters.

To access the schedules and SOFA:

• Review the list of required statements and schedules on Official Form B200, �Required Lists, Schedules, Statements and Fees,� http://www.uscourts.gov/bkforms/bankruptcy_forms.html ;
• Obtain digital (and preferably searchable) copies of the desired statements and schedules from the parties, other lawyers in your firm, the clerk of court, or free of charge from the claims agent's website ( see below under �Use the Claims Agent's Website�), or for a charge from PACER, http://pacer.uscourts.gov/ , or Westlaw, http://www.westlaw.com , database DOCK-INDEX-BKR .

b. Read the First-Day Motions

The motions filed by the debtor to commence the bankruptcy case (the �First-Day Motions�) contain crucial factual information about the case. Two particularly valuable information sources are the �Cash Management Motion� (often entitled in part the motion �Authorizing Use of Existing Cash Management System�) and the Debtor-in-Possession (�DIP�) Financing Motion (often entitled in part the motion �Authorizing Debtors to Obtain Postpetition Financing�). Here is a summary of the information contained in these motions:

• Cash Management Motion:
• Usually explains the debtor's cash management system and identifies cash flows and deposit accounts, and often contains attachments identifying the debtor's depositary banks and the particular debtor entities that use them;

• DIP Financing Motion:
• Identifies the agents for, and certain members of, the DIP financing syndicate; almost always includes the DIP financing credit agreement as an attachment; and usually includes a request for a �carve-out� provision granting priority for an amount designated for payment of the professionals in the case.

Here are suggestions for accessing the First-Day Motions:

• Get digital (and preferably searchable) copies of the motions, from the parties, other lawyers in your firm, the clerk of court, or free of charge from the claims agent's website ( see below under �Use the Claims Agent's Website�), or for a charge from PACER, http://pacer.uscourts.gov/ , or Westlaw, http://www.westlaw.com , database DOCK-INDEX-BKR .

c. Read the Plan and Its Preliminaries

In a case in which a business debtor will be reorganized or a consumer debtor will repay creditors over time, the �plan of reorganization,� as it is called in a business bankruptcy, or simply the �plan,� as it is called in a consumer case (in either case, hereinafter referred to as the �Plan�), is the central document in the case. The Plan contains critical information about the treatment of the stakeholders, and in a business bankruptcy, about the structure of the debtor, after the case.

• If the Plan was not finalized before the bankruptcy filing, try to obtain preliminary drafts or term sheets of the Plan (in digital format, preferably searchable), from the parties or other lawyers in your firm;
• If the Plan was filed with the First-Day Motions, get a digital (and preferably searchable) copy from the parties, other lawyers in your firm, the clerk of court, or free of charge from the claims agent's website ( see below under �Use the Claims Agent's Website�), or for a charge from PACER, http://pacer.uscourts.gov/ , or Westlaw, http://www.westlaw.com , database DOCK-INDEX-BKR .

d. Use the Claims Agent's Website

The claims agent engaged to receive and organize creditors' claims in the case commonly hosts a website providing direct access to claims and claim-related documents filed in a case. Moreover, some claims agents websites, such as those made by Kurtzman Carson Consultants LLP, http://www.kccllc.net/ , provide access free of charge not only to claims, but also to all court documents filed in the case ( i.e. , the entire docket), including First-Day Motions, schedules, and statements.

• Find out the name of the claims agent in the case from the First-Day Motion appointing the claims agent (often entitled in part an �Application . . . for . . . Appointing . . . as Claims, Noticing, and Balloting Agent�); 
• Locate the claims agent's website; major claims agents are listed at http://www.nysb.uscourts.gov/claimsagents.html , and http://www.deb.uscourts.gov/claims/sort_agents.htm .

e. Monitor the Docket

One can learn valuable factual information about the stakeholders in the case by regularly checking the docket of the case for new filings.

• If the claims agent has established a website (ordinarily accessible free of charge) listing all documents filed in the case, check that website regularly for updates ( see above under �Use the Claims Agent's Website�);
• In the absence of a claims agent's website, check the docket for a charge on PACER, http://pacer.uscourts.gov/ , or Westlaw, http://www.westlaw.com , database DOCK-INDEX-BKR.

f. Search in the Financial Consultants' Presentations & Documents

In many business bankruptcies, presentations and documents prepared by the parties' financial consultants contain valuable analysis and data about the stakeholders and the Plan, as well as important dates and deadlines. In addition, the consultants' deliverables frequently contain references to key information sources about the case.

• Learn which financial consultants' information about the case your firm has access to; the First-Day Motions or subsequent motions filed in the case identify the consultants retained by the parties;
• Obtain digital (preferably searchable) copies of those financial consultants' presentations and documents.

g. Use SEC Filings

If the debtor is a publicly held corporation, valuable information about the debtor's finances, history, management, creditors, and corporate structure, as well as vital full-text documents�including credit agreements, merger agreements, and employment-related documents such as change-in-control agreements and compensation policies�can be found in the documents the debtor has filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the �SEC�).

 

• A publicly held debtor's SEC filings can be obtained free of charge from the SEC's IDEA system, http://edgar.sec.gov/idea/searchidea/companysearch_idea.html (formerly called �EDGAR�);
• Analytical research on data contained in SEC filings may be available at no extra cost in the presentations and documents prepared by the financial consultants retained in the case ( see above under �Search in the Financial Consultants' Presentations & Documents�), and is available for a charge from a number of vendors, including WestlawBusiness, http://business.westlaw.com/ (formerly LIVEDGAR), and Standard & Poor's Compustat, https://www.compustatresources.com/ .

Taking these steps when researching U.S. bankruptcy law and facts can expedite the search process, lower search costs, and thereby lead to improved service.

1 For example, many key terms used in the substantive provisions of the Code are defined in a separate definitions provision, 11 U.S.C. § 101 (2006). Similarly, although debtor-in-possession (�DIP�) financing is a critical issue in a Chapter 11 corporate bankruptcy case, the DIP financing statute is located, not in Chapter 11 of the Code, but in Chapter 3. See id . § 364(d). Further, the term �adequate protection� as used in the DIP financing statute is defined neither in that statute, nor in Section 101, but rather in Section 361 of the Code. See id . § 361.

2 11 U.S.C. app., available at http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/usc.cgi?ACTION=BROWSE&title=11uscApp . .

3 Examples include the �absolute priority rule,� codified at 11 U.S.C. § 1129(b), which determines the payment hierarchy in a corporate bankruptcy, and the rule of Moore v. Bay , 284 U.S. 4 (1931), which allows the trustee to avoid in their entirety certain fraudulent transfers, is codified at 11 U.S.C. 544(b)(1). The statutory text omits to mention the name of either rule. Both rules are named in the �Historical and Revision Notes� appended to the official version of the statutes, however. See 11 U.S.C. § 1129 note; id . § 544 note.

4 Examples include the � Butner Principle� (holding that unless the Code expressly provides otherwise, property rights in bankruptcy are defined by non-bankruptcy law, usually state law; see Butner v. United States, 440 U.S. 48, 55 (1979)); the absence of an insolvency requirement for individual and corporate debtors filing under Chapter 7, a rule that is inferred from the silence of section 109 respecting the insolvency of individuals and corporations, see 11 U.S.C. § 109; Connell v. Coastal Cable T.V., Inc. (In re Coastal Cable T.V., Inc.), 709 F.2d 762, 764 (1st Cir. 1983); 2 Collier on Bankruptcy § 109.03[2] (Alan N. Resnick & Henry J. Sommer eds., 15th ed. rev. 2008); the � Ahlers Rule� (holding that the bankruptcy court may exercise its equitable powers under Section 105(a) of the Code only �within the confines of the Bankruptcy Code,� Norwest Bank Worthington v. Ahlers, 485 U.S. 197, 206 (1988)); and equitable subordination, which is generally provided for in Section 510(c) of the Code, but the precise principles of which are stated only in case law. See United States v. Nolan, 517 U.S. 535 (1996); 4 Collier on Bankruptcy § 510.05.

5 See Butner , 440 U.S. at 55 .

6 See Fed. R. Bankr. P. 1007(a), (b). The list of required statements and schedules is Official Form B200, �Required Lists, Schedules, Statements and Fees,� available at http://www.uscourts.gov/bkforms/bankruptcy_forms.html .

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LOCAL BOOKSTORE?
compiled by Donna Fisher, Senniger Powers, St. Louis, MO

When PLL members were asked to name their favorite local bookstore, they responded enthusiastically and passionately with close to forty great suggestions. Next time you're traveling, take the time to visit and support one or more of these.

Barnes and Noble
Bayou Walk, 6646 Youree Drive, Shreveport, LA
http://storelocator.barnesandnoble.com/storedetail.do?store=2856
submitted by Sharon Stinson, Cook, Yancey, King & Galloway, APLC, Shreveport, LA

I know some might cringe because it falls into the mega-store category but our local store retains a neighborhood ambience and a diversity that can hold me under its spell for hours! In addition to the regular eye-candy, there are always special sections I make it a point to browse. New Arrivals of course, and Employees Picks, which features books recently read by employees and accompanying reviews. The section set aside for children (and children-at-heart) is always particularly alluring, as is the area at the front of the store containing stationery and blank bound journals, etc. (as big a passion for me as books.) The large, overstuffed chairs all through the store, if not occupied by solitary readers, are pulled into groups by students coming to study for exams or to catch up on their class reading list. It makes me feel good to know people of all ages feel at home there. I especially love it when Barnes and Noble brings in featured authors for book signings and readings. They also host local poetry readings, Storytime for the kiddies, and fun special events like the Harry Potter dress-up pre-release party. And who can resist the comforting aroma of brownies and chai latte� coming from the caf� area in the front of the store?! I have two particular friends who meet me on a regular basis for what we call a �B&N night� to find new treasures and then carry them into the caf� to be purchased and discussed over a decadent dessert and hot or cold drink of choice. A local chess club has even taken to meeting over in a corner of the caf� for weekly matches. B&N makes for a wonderful mid-week quickie R&R!

Book Corner (Friends of the Free Library of Philadelphia)
311 North 20th St., Philadelphia, PA
http://www.libraryfriends.info/book-corner
submitted by Janet Moore, Drinker Biddle & Reath, LLP

Maybe not the latest best sellers, but you'll find all kinds of esoteric titles as well as classics, all at reduced prices. I love to just wander around different sections and find something I've either been meaning to read or a title I missed completely when it came out. Besides, it's a green way to buy books, and supports a great institution in Philadelphia

Book Culture
536 West 112th Street, New York, NY
http://www.bookculture.com
submitted by Joe Lanz, Dorsey & Whitney LLP

Book House
9719 Manchester Rd., St. Louis MO
http://www.bookhousestl.com
submitted by Donna Fisher, Senniger Powers, St. Louis, MO

This store contains new, used, rare, and unusual books and is located in an old house in a very charming part of the city. It has lots of rooms crammed with great books on every topic and plenty of places to browse.

Book Zoo
6395 Telegraph Ave, Oakland, CA
http://www.bookzoo.net
submitted by Jessica Corcoran, Morrison & Foerster LLP

Whenever I have spare cash, I walk over to Book Zoo. I never go in looking for anything particular and I am always happy with my arms full of dusty used books when I leave. I really love their tiny space, with shelves brimming. They have their books organized into topics which you wouldn't find at Barnes & Noble - transgender issues, experimental art, alternative American histories, conspiracy theories, etc. There are always people hanging out and chatting and I have spent whole afternoons browsing. I'm really glad to have them in my neighborhood and I hope people keep supporting them through these hard economic times.

BookPeople
603 N. Lamar Blvd., Austin, TX
http://www.bookpeople.com
submitted by Laurie Miraglia, Thompson & Knight LLP

Located in the downtown area near the flagship Whole Foods. I treasure BookPeople most for its book readings. Some of the more memorable book readings I have attended were those of Susan Orlean, Art Spiegelman, Sherman Alexie, Dave Isay and Lauren Bacall (book signing).

Eliot Bay
101 South Main Street, Seattle, WA
http://www.elliottbaybook.com
submitted by Christine Graesser, Brown Rudnick, Hartford CT

Fact and Fiction
220 North Higgins and University Center, Missoula, MT
http://www.factandfictionbooks.com
Submitted by Christine Graesser, Brown Rudnick, Hartford, CT

Montana is famous for its authors, and this store carries all of them, in addition to the kind of selection you expect from an independent. It's downtown, where there are all sorts of great shops and galleries.

John K. King Used & Rare Books
901 W. Lafayette Blvd., Detroit , MI
http://www.rarebooklink.com/cgi-bin/kingbooks/index.html
submitted by Mark Heinrich, Dickinson Wright PLLC, Detroit , MI

A unique bookstore that would be on anyone's list. They also have a smaller store north of Detroit in Ferndale, MI, but it is the six story building in Detroit that commands our attention.

Many years ago as a high school student, I found myself wandering the streets of downtown Detroit when I stumbled and landed in the entrance of this dumpy store front that revealed shelves of books, surpassing in quantity my high school�s collection, but lacking the organizational skills that Mrs. Butts (who would make that name up) brought to our school Library. That store front was the original location, about a half mile from where you will find the current store. I'm sure entering the store has a similar feeling to that experienced by Alice as she stepped through the looking glass. You don't have to wear "ruby slippers" or "click your heels three times" to enter a bibliophiles "dope" house. You might have to side step a few panhandlers or step over drunks sleeping off the previous night's party, but your efforts will be rewarded with a world like Alibris.com come to life. If you ever make it to Detroit your visit will be incomplete without taking that step to visit John K. King.

Joseph Fox Bookshop
1724 Sansom Street, Philadelphia, PA
http://www.foxbookshop.com
submitted by Robyn Beyer, Pepper Hamilton LLP

Family owned since 1951, knowledgeable staff, wonderful unusual books. Books are always in perfect condition for gift giving. People browse but there's no cafe so nothing is shopworn. The staff always knows what's new and can recommend books on any topic. I depend on them for gifts and for my own indulgences. Wonderful children's section too. Together with the Free Library of Philadelphia, the National Constitution Center, and a private school in the city, they participate in a variety of author events and book signings. We are fortunate to have such a wonderful independent bookshop still available in our city.

Kepler's
1010 El Camino Real, Menlo Park, CA
http://www.keplers.com
submitted by Jayse Sessi, Alston & Bird, LLP, Raleigh, NC

Kepler's closed for a few months several years ago but was able to reopen. They have many book author talks, at the store, some at the Menlo Park Public Library just across the street, and they partner with local schools for author visits. When Tamora Pierce came about two years ago, they moved the event to the Menlo Park Public Library where over 300 people attended her talk. I was told they had placed 300 chairs and there were people standing, no chairs left. Ms Pierce stayed until the last person had their book signed about midnight, the talk started at 7 pm.

They have a wonderful staff�extremely helpful.

Kramer Books and Afterwords Caf�
1517 Conn. Ave., Washington, DC
http://www.kramers.com
submitted by Dianne Chambers, LexisNexis, Washington DC

This bookstore has been around for over 30 years, and it is a great place to buy books that appeal to all interests. In addition, you can meet there for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or drinks. The weekends are a plus because they are open 24 hours on Friday and Saturday. This has been one of my favorite places to go in DC since I arrived in the mid-1980�s. Great atmosphere, great people, and great books!

Metropolis Books
440 S. Main Street, Los Angeles, CA
http://www.metropolisbooksla.com
submitted by Michele Lucero, West, a Thomson Reuters business, Los Angeles, CA

Metropolis books is a very quaint small independent bookstore (one of the only in downtown LA). They are a husband-wife team that opened the store in 2006. They offer author readings and signings and poetry events. Most recently, they are now hosting a monthly classic book club event. During the downtown art walk, they extend their hours. Here is a great article on the store: http://www.downtownnews.com/articles/2007/10/01/news/news05.txt

Morris Book Shoppe
408 Southland Drive , Lexington , KY
http://www.morrisbookshop.com
submitted by D. Lynn Fogle, Greenebaum Doll & McDonald, Lexington KY

This is a small shop started last year by two friends who had spent their careers in book publishing and selling. From the outside, it is a small, unassuming shop and cozy inside with a knowledgeable, friendly staff. But it is the inventory (I refer to it as the "collection" to my family) that is really special. It is a nice balance of children's, local interest, non-fiction, and fiction but when you look closely at the books in any area, you can tell that each book was carefully, even lovingly elected. I picked up a copy of To Kill A Mockingbird for my son, there were several editions from which to choose and I selected the beautiful anniversary edition. There is no coffee, no magazines, no Vera Bradley bags. Just a marvelous selection of books. It's almost like walking into a spa for book lovers. I think its appeal is that you don't have to filter out the extraneous stuff to find the treasures. It's all treasure.

Murder by the Book
2342 Bissonet St. , Houston, TX
http://www.murderbooks.com
submitted by Michele Lucero, West, a Thomson Reuters business, Los Angeles , CA

Murder by the Book was my favorite bookstore while I lived in Houston .  They were voted as the best bookstore in Houston and I would have to agree.  I attended many of their author signings and always felt at home there.  They are one of the oldest mystery specialty bookstores in the Nation established in 1980.  The employees were always so very helpful and they hosted many famous mystery authors.

submitted by Genel F. Moranm Porter & Hedges LLP
A great locally owned specialty bookstore. They have book signings of well-known authors. A great place to visit with a welcoming atmosphere.

Oblong Bookstore
26 Main Street, Millerton, NY
http://www.oblongbooks.com
submitted by Christine Graesser, Brown Rudnick, Hartford , CT

Located in a funky town just over the border from CT, in a rambling building on many levels. They always have a great selection of the latest fiction.  I've found many memorable books there.  Also a great kid's annex.

Paperback Plus
3718 Riverdale Avenue , Bronx , NY
submitted by Rochelle C. Cheifetz, Dechert LLP

Unfortunately, now closed. Proprietor decided it was time to retire and there were no buyers.  If they didn't have a title, they'd order it.  Everything for all ages and would have great readings and signings.  You could browse (like in the mega stores) and they would leave you alone�as if they knew when you wanted help and when you just wanted to sniff the paper.

Paperbackswap.com
submitted by Ann Green, Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal LLP, Washington , DC

My favorite "bookstore" is Paperbackswap.com.  You post books you want to trade online and members of the "club" review the lists and request them. Once you mail a book and it is marked received, you earn credits to shop at the virtual bookstore.

Penn Books
New York , NY (Penn Station)
http://www.pennbooksny.com
submitted by Joe Lanz, Dorsey & Whitney LLP

Porter Square Books
Porter Square Shopping Center , 25 White Street, Cambridge , MA
http://www.portersquarebooks.com
submitted by Sara Zagorski, Day Pitney LLP, Hartford , CT

Has a great selection, great customer service, lots of interesting events and discussions, and also has a blog.

Posman's
9 Grand Central Terminal, New York , NY (Grand Central Station),
http://www.posmanbooks.com
submitted by Joe Lanz, Dorsey & Whitney LLP

Powell's City of Books
1005 W. Burnside, Portland,
OR http://www.powells.com
submitted by Angela Hodge, Perkins Coie LLP, Portland, OR

I'm lucky enough to be across the street from Powell's City of Books . If you're not in town, you still have access to Powell's inventory via the Web. Powell's has been around since 1971 and is thoroughly Portland in so many ways. For instance, Powell's was one man's folly, being placed on what was once a very sketchy corner in the former industrial district. When Henry Weinhard's brewery was operating next door one could smell the fermenting hops. Additionally, while books are arranged by subject, the books are placed in rooms designated by color . Why simply send folks to the "children's section" when one can visit the " Rose Room ?" I can see into the Red and Orange rooms from my office window on the 11th Avenue side.

Powell's covers an entire city block, and includes a technical book store. Some of us still mourn the loss of Fup. While there is now more than one location, the Burnside store remains the mother ship of all bookstores. Among other things, there are blogs, numerous photos , travel sites, and a Wikipedia entry dedicated to Powell's. Rumored to be one of the largest bookstores in the world, but having no accurate way to measure such things, I'll just say it's the most interesting book store I've ever been in.

Features: New and used books are shelved next to each other, allowing shoppers to find bargains. The Burnside store includes a coffee shop and a great selection of gift items (librarian action figure, home library kits, t-shirts). The staff is unionized . The books are housed on shelves of wood , giving the store a warm, cozy feel. After authors visit, and if any are left over, one can buy author-signed books off the Web, at no extra cost.

Rabelais
86 Middle Street, Portland , ME
http://www.rabelaisbooks.com
submitted by Sarah Bennett, Sullivan & Worcester LLP, Boston , MA

Specializes in culinary books, covering the full spectrum from food and wine to farming and gardening.  The owners, a husband & wife team, are welcoming & passionate about food.  It's also very close to Duck Fat�home of the famous poutine�French fries fried in duck fat served with duck fat gravy and cheese curd�yum. http://duckfat.com

Ram's Head Book Shop
2137 Colonial Ave, SW , Roanoke , VA (upper level of Towers Shopping Center )
submitted by Jane Baugh, Wood Rogers PLC, Roanoke , VA

A Roanoke institution. In fact, even though we have two Barnes & Noble stores and Books-A-Million, Ram's Head keeps expanding!  The original store is now the main room, with books for adults, and there's also a separate children's room, a card and calendar room, and even a puzzle room.  Local authors hold book signings on Saturdays, and everyone who works there knows what's what.

Ravenna Third Place
6504 20th Ave. NE , Seattle , WA
http://www.ravennathirdplace.com
submitted by Kate Stockert

Framed amongst a cozy tree lined street filled with a diversity of colorful craftsman homes and lush gardens, Seattle 's Ravenna Third Place Books offers a panoply of bookstore pleasures for readers ranging from dilettante to erudite. Once the helpful staff have assisted you in locating an item of interest, pull up a chair in the bookstore's new Vios Café and order a delicious scone, coffee, or Greek sandwich. If a beer is more suited to your liking, then head downstairs to the well lit, reader-friendly pub.

Third Place Books' offerings include both new and gently used books, including an impressive array of children's literature and fiction books, and a robust variety of periodicals. Knitting circles and book clubs frequent Third Place as the social and community-oriented venue to exchange ideas and pleasantries while sitting in on frequent author interviews and kid's storytime readings.

Real Eyes Bookstore
3306 N. Davidson Street Suite A, Charlotte , NC
http://www.realeyesbookstore.com
submitted by Stephanie Dooley, K&L Gates

Located in an area of town full of artists, musicians, and otherwise funky folks so it's got a bohemian and laid-back feel. Real Eyes has lots of used paperbacks and can track down rare or out of print editions. They also will buy your gently used books or let you trade them for anything in their collection. It's a hidden gem!

Recycled Books Records CDs
200 N. Locust St ., Denton , TX
http://www.recycledbooks.com
submitted by Jennifer Stephens, Haynes and Boone

The building has variously housed an opera house, a department store, an office supply store, and other businesses since the early 1900's. The store is full of nooks and crannies and carries a wide range of books, records, CDs, DVDs, and videos. I've found everything from a 1930's edition of The Greek Way by Edith Hamilton to North Texas One O'clock Lab Band albums that had belonged to Leon Breeden (director of Jazz Studies at North Texas from 1959 to 1981.) The store is not fancy, the shelves are raw wood, but I rarely walk away without a small pile to take home with me. Since the building had retail in it previously, there are still old stock room nooks and crannies in the back with almost hidden collections. From children's books to literature, from history to geography, from science fiction to mystery, from religion to space, from cookbooks to biographies, you can find more than enough to fill any available space in your house.

Reed's Gum Tree Book Store
Tupelo , MS
http://www.reeds.ms/books.asp
submitted by Teressa Neaves, Mitchell, McNutt & Sams, P.A., Tupelo , MS

An independent book shop attached to a family-owned department store which has been in business over 100 years.  Small, intimate, and special, its emphasis is on southern authors, but its staff is always eager to host signings for other writers making a trek through north Mississippi .  One of the store's most successful recent signings was that for Jamaica-born Margaret Cezair-Thompson and her novel  The Pirate's Daughter .  Reed's slogan, "where readers and writers meet," reflects the store's philosophy.  One of the few venues to extend any notice at all to John Grisham and his first novel, Reed's subsequently has brought writers like best-selling novelist Greg Iles, columnist William Raspberry, actress and autobiographer Sela Ward, Dr. Alveda King, Ellen Douglas, Willie Morris, and scores of others to its picture-windowed corner storefront where plush armchairs and dedicated staff provide equal comfort.  The best thing about Reed's is  its staff who are involved members of the community, intelligent readers, and personable and hospitable sales persons, making Reed's Gum Tree Book Store  an oasis of civility, sophistication, and caring charm in a world too often filled with crassness, illiteracy, indifference, and mass production.

RJ Julia
768 Boston Post Road, Madison, CT
http://www.rjjulia.com
submitted by Christine Graesser, Brown Rudnick, Hartford , CT

This store is legendary among independents; many author readings, etc.

submitted by Sara Zagorski, Day Pitney LLP, Hartford , CT
Has a great selection, great customer service, and lots of interesting events and discussions.

Shakespeare & Co. Booksellers
New York , NY
http://www.shakeandco.com
submitted by Greg Weyant, Obermayer Redmann Maxwell & Hippel LLP, Philadelphia , PA

Six locations.

Singing Wind BookShop
Benson, AZ
http://www.bensonvisitorcenter.com/images/Singing%20Wind%20Directions.pdf
submitted by Sharon Bundy, Lewis and Roca LLP, Tucson , AZ

Owned and run by my mother, Winn Bundy, on her ranch, southeast of Tucson . It's an unusual place for a bookshop, but she has loyal customers and the bookshop is a destination for book lovers from all over the world.

St. Marks Books
31 3rd Ave. (in the East Village), New York, NY
http://www.stmarksbookshop.com submitted by Joe Lanz, Dorsey & Whitney LLP

Strand
828 Broadway (at 12th St . ), New York , NY
http://www.strandbooks.com
submitted by Karen Provost, Proskauer Rose LLP, New York , NY
submitted by Greg Weyant, Obermayer Redmann Maxwell & Hippel LLP, Philadelphia , PA

Tattered Cover
2526 E. Colfax Ave. , Denver , CO
http://www.tatteredcover.com
submitted by Tom Duggan, West Librarian Relations Manager

Taylor Books
226 Capitol St., Charleston , WV
http://www.taylorbooks.com
submitted by Christine Willis, Paul, Hastings , Janofsky & Walker LLP, Atlanta , GA

It's right in the heart of downtown and they always have local authors featured.

The Book Store
Christopher Street & Houston, New York , NY ( Greenwich Village )
submitted by Anthony Burgalassi, Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP, New York , NY

They have the most fantastic books and always to my enjoyment.

The Little Read Book
7603 West State Street, Wauwatosa , WI
http://www.littlereadbook.com
submitted by Maureen Burns. Godfrey & Kahn, Milwaukee , WI

Little Read has been around for over 20 years and is a great place to browse for a good book. Lesser known authors are not buried behind those authors with perhaps bigger names or more titles to their name.

Three Lives Booksellers
154 West 10th St. , New York , NY
http://www.threelives.com
submitted by Karen Provost, Proskauer Rose LLP, New York , NY

Very small, but they always seem to have something for me.

Tower Book Shop
4800 Line Ave #C, Shreveport , LA
submitted by Sharon Stinson, Cook, Yancey, King & Galloway, APLC, Shreveport , LA

�The Tower� as it is often referred to by locals, was formerly contained within a tiny space as part of a boutique shopping complex farther down Line.  There were books stacked on books and even more books, and a library cat�and very little room to move around!  There truly was a tower space in a corner of the store and children old enough to do so could climb happily in and out of the turret.  Having long outgrown their space, The Tower then moved to a larger self-contained shop on Azalea Drive (still just off Line Avenue .)  The shop owners continued their knack for finding new unique and interesting titles, including many local and regional works.  They began hosting a chapter of the Pulpwood Queens book club (see http://www.beautyandthebook.com/ for more information) as well as author events and soon outgrew their space again!  Now they are located back on Line Avenue in a beautiful new store within the Uptown Shopping Center that still manages to have that �home town� feel.  The people who work there seem to know everyone and if they don't have what you are looking for, they will definitely find it for you.  A life-long friend of mine and former Shreveport native now New York advertising executive, Marshall Taylor, has authored two children's books �The Adventures of Cow� and �The Adventures of Cow Too.�  Tower Book Shop invited him to come home so they could hold a wonderful author's reception and book-signing with the release of each one.  He thoroughly enjoyed sitting in front of The Tower's faux fireplace with �Cow�, meeting children and parents, signing their books and helping �Cow� to add his hoof-prints to the signature!  The Tower is always filled not only with wonderful books but with great Southern hospitality.

Village Bookstore
81 Main Street, Littleton , NH
http://www.booksmusictoys.com
submitted by Wynne Browne, Downs Rachlin Martin, St. Johnsbury , VT

Vroman's
695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA
http://www.vromansbookstore.com
submitted by Elizabeth Cobarrubias, Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal LLP

The Best in the West.

Women and Children First
5233 N. Clark St ., Chicago, IL
http://www.womenandchildrenfirst.com
Submitted by Virginia Brown, Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP, Chicago , IL

Still owned and run by the women who founded it more than 25 years ago, this store has found its niche in serving - well, yes, women and children. The staff is helpful, friendly and you can count on them to provide you with solid suggestions for what to read next - because you know that they've actually read the books they're recommending, and not just relying on Oprah or Publisher's Weekly to inform those choices. Yaay for independents - and independence!

LETTER TO THE EDITOR
by Andy Zimmerman, Gordon, Feinblatt, Rothman, Hoffberger & Hollander, LLC, Baltimore, MD

I always look forward to the next PLL Perspectives, and I enjoy each issue. I believe it is one of the best professional publications for our industry. Thank you for putting it together.

I wanted to suggest a clarification for the article, "Please State Your Intent: A Quick Guide to Doing Federal Regulatory Research" that appeared on page 6 of the Winter 2009 issue. The article reads: "The cost-efficient online searcher can locate a set of the CFR at www.gpoaccess.gov/ecfr . Lexis and Westlaw also offer fee-based access to the CFR. Zimmerman's Research Guide on Lexis notes that the electronic version of the CFR at http://www.gpoaccess.gov is updated on the same quarterly basis as the print CFR. The Lexis and Westlaw Versions are more current."

In fact, there are two CFRs posted free at www.gpoaccess.gov -an official CFR that is updated quarterly at http://www.gpoaccess.gov/cfr/index.html and an "e-CFR" that is updated with new regulations about two days after they are published at www.gpoaccess.gov/ecfr .

Key point: There is no need to use Lexis or Westlaw to find a current version of the CFR online.

I believe this distinction was reflected in the Code of Federal Regulations entry of Zimmerman's Research Guide, but I have edited the entry to make it even clearer (http://www.lexisnexis.com/infopro/zimmerman/disp.aspx?z=1298). In any event, you may want to publish a clarification in PLL Perspectives . I would hate to have anyone spend money to get a current section of the CFR from Lexis or Westlaw when the GPO provides an excellent current version for free.

If you do publish a clarification, I would appreciate if you could also mention that my Guide also distinguishes between the two GPO CFRs. I do everything I can to keep the Guide clear and accurate, and I would not want anyone to think the text was misleading.

Thank you very much.
Andy

[ BOOK REVIEWS ]

THE PREDATOR STATE: HOW CONSERVATIVES ABANDONED THE FREE MARKET AND WHY LIBERALS SHOULD TOO
John K. Galbraith, Free Press, 2008, ISBN 9781416566830
reviewed by Sarah Dowson, D'Amato & Lynch, New York, NY

Entertainingly written for the layman, �The Predator State� exhorts liberals to �arise from their protective crouch that has lasted for three decades� and devise plans that will effectively overcome uncontrolled health care costs, inequality in education, too few jobs and climate change � for starters.� The author is an economist at the University of Texas at Austin and is the son of economist John Kenneth Galbraith.

Galbraith's book is about the rise and fall of conservative ideas and the inadequacy of the free market. Markets, he says, is ... �a word one apparently cannot use in public in the United States without bending a knee and making the sign of the cross.� We never had a free market, he argues. We have always had price controls, regulations, and, increasingly, bigger and bigger government programs which siphon money into private coffers.

Galbraith continues that the predator state is a coalition of opponents of regulations that seek to control and make money off the state. An example is health care. If completely privatized, the medical sector and the economy would collapse. If nationalized, health care spending would be reduced and the medical sector and the economy would implode. So, we keep expanding health care and rewarding private industry players. A recent development is the Medicare drug benefit which helped ensure high prices on pharmaceuticals�paid for in part by the taxpayer.

He gives other examples. �No Child Left Behind� is a program that expanded federal spending on public schools in which private interests sold test preparation programs to public school systems, Galbraith says. Formerly low-cost, publicly-administered student college loans were transferred to the private sector and became more costly, he says. Campaigns to divert social security payroll taxes into private investment accounts have failed so far because the public recognizes the value of the government program.

I can't say enough about this book�I have read it twice and bought copies to give to friends this past holiday season. It's a riveting read.

GETTING THINGS DONE: THE ART OF STRESS-FREE PRODUCTIVITY
David Allen, Viking, 2001, ISBN 9780670899241
reviewed by Janice A. Collins, Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal, Chicago, IL

This book was very difficult to get into. Part One: The Art of Getting Things Done, offers little towards our goal of working productively. Instead of getting into the meat and potatoes of the topic, Allen wastes our time with repeating himself ad infinitum. He offers nothing new to the area, just repeats what is already known. He should have spent less time telling us of his many successes and more of what we need to do to be more successful ourselves. The distracting sidebars take away from the narrative flow and do little to give fresh information.

Part Two: Practicing Stress-Free Productivity was the most helpful section of the book. It gives solid hints to make you more productive. If you have any hesitation on setting up an office, then be sure to read this section. He lets you know what you need to have and how to set it up. Follow Allen's lists and your task will definitely be more stress-free.

Part Three: The Power of the Key Principal. These chapters focus on the commitments accepted, an action plan to carry them out, and focusing on a positive outcome. One important point Allen mentions is when accepting a commitment, it is okay to change the parameter of the commitment if that is what is necessary to complete the commitment. For example, changing the time or date a phone call is made because you know the person to whom you need to speak with is going to be out of the office, then by all means renegotiate the commitment.

Realistically, you can gather much helpful information from Part Two. Parts One and Three suffer from a dearth of conciseness in his writing style. He says little in a lot of space. There are many other books on this topic, which readers may want to try first.

GOOGLING SECURITY: HOW MUCH DOES GOOGLE KNOW ABOUT YOU?
Greg Conti, Addison Wesley, 2008, ISBN 978-0-321-51866-8
reviewed by Helen King-Desai, Schuyler Roche, Chicago, IL

Greg Conti opens his book with a question��Have you ever searched for something you wouldn't want your grandmother to know about?� While the internet may at times provide the illusion of anonymity, we are regularly disclosing personal information when we use the world wide web. While users might not be concerned with a single-event disclosure (for example, the content of one search request), Conti includes numerous examples of how, collected over time, the data can give a startlingly clear profile of an individual.

The first eight chapters, the majority of the text, provide dozens of examples of how we are disclosing or may disclose personal information via our computers. The examples range from common risks such as cookies, malware, Googlebot, and cross-site tracking, to concerns most users will not face, including analysis of power lines or EM radiation. In comparison, only one chapter, Countermeasures , offers practical advice as to how to prevent information disclosures.

While the title singles out Google and examples from the company are used extensively throughout the book, it is important to note the Conti is not attacking Google. The company is highlighted because of the number of and large-scale use of its services, but information disclosure is a concern every time we use the internet, regardless of the websites we visit or the web services we use.

This book is not for the faint of heart. Conti spends a lot of time outlining privacy risks, but leaves us with little guidance as to what we can do to prevent information disclosure. The knowledge offered in the book may help you make better decisions in order to protect your personal information, but it has the potential to leave some readers frightened to turn on their computers.

THE SPEED OF TRUST
Stephen M.R. Covey, Free Press, 2006, ISBN 074329730X
reviewed by John J. DiGilio, Reed Smith LLP, Chicago IL

Businessman and author Stephen M.R. Covey launches his book with two simple yet profound premises: that trust is the one thing that changes everything, and that it is the most underestimated possibility of our time. As cofounder and CEO of CoveyLink Worldwide, he writes from a history of interesting experiences and observations. Drawing on a host of personal anecdotes and insightful examples, Covey illustrates just how important trust is, not just in our personal relationships, but in our business dealings and society at large. Comparing the spread of trust to a common ripple effect, the author demonstrates how, by starting with trust in ourselves, we set into motion a series of waves that can carry on through our personal relationships to our organizations, the markets in which we work, and thus on to our society as a whole. These �five waves of trust,� as Covey calls them, are a force sorely needed in today's ethically-challenged business world. One of the most fascinating functions of The Speed of Trust is its deep, defining exploration of behavior as the key to building trust in our relationships with one another. Covey elucidates thirteen behaviors that he says are common to high-trust leaders around the world. Not only does he suggest that these behaviors are �actionable� and �universal�, but he makes them his prescription to anyone seeking to increase the level of trust within his or her own personal and business relationships. To that end, the author succinctly illustrates each behavior and shares the examples of those from whom he drew his own inspiration�philosophers, presidents, and captains of industry alike. As our nation and the world seeks to recover from a financial downturn that appears to have been greatly exacerbated by years of bad business deals and shoddy, at times criminal, corporate leadership, Covey's book is indeed timely. It is an even more integral read for those of us who want to be part of the solution and who are seeking to define our own roles as leaders in our industry. The author's style is conversational and seemingly genuine, as he tackles a topic that most of us would be quick to say we understand, but which many of us would also say our world is definitely lacking. Covey does not just believe in the power of trust. He also believes that even in cases where is has been damaged or diminished, trust can be rebuilt. The Speed of Trust is a clear blueprint for doing so at a time when business values in this world seem to have been shaken to their very foundations.

OUTLIERS: THE STORY OF SUCCESS
Malcolm Gladwell, Little, Brown & Co., 2008, ISBN 9780316017923
reviewed by Patricia Orr, Dykema PLLC, Detroit, MI

Malcolm Gladwell has written a timely, thoughtful, and engaging narrative of extremely successful individuals, identifying the common attributes, regardless of occupation. In a society that until just a few months ago assumed success could be bought with a credit card and paid off over twenty years, this book may have the same effect as a whiff of smelling salts.

Rather than accept the common notion that ambition and intelligence are enough to achieve success, Gladwell argues that extreme success is more complex. Success is a gift, a series of extraordinary opportunities given to individuals. He writes, �It makes a difference where and when we grew up. The culture we belong to and the legacies passed down by our forebears shape the patterns of our achievement in ways we cannot begin to imagine. It's not enough to ask what successful people are like, in other words. It is only by asking where they are from that we can unravel the logic behind who succeeds and who doesn't.� (p.19)

Citing in-depth studies, historical data, and personal narrative, the author convinces the reader that both opportunity and legacy play equal roles in achieving extreme success.

Want to be a successful hockey player? When you were born is a crucial element of success.

Planning to be an airline pilot? Chapter 7, The Ethnic Theory of Plane Crashes should convince anyone that culture and language awareness are essential components of success.

Gladwell's observations do not apply strictly to unusual occupations. The 75 wealthiest men and women in history, from Cleopatra to Warren Buffett and Bill Gates, benefitted from the accident of birth date. Fourteen people on the list are Americans born within nine years of each other between the years 1831-1840. What happened to make billionaires of 20% of the list? The American economy began its Industrial Revolution. These fourteen men were the right age to take advantage of new opportunities and new rules in manufacturing. John D. Rockefeller, Andrew Carnegie, Jay Gould, Marshall Field, J.P. Morgan, and George Pullman, among others, were businessmen in the right place at the right time.

The lives of outliers-individuals whose success falls outside so-called �normal experiences�-follow an odd, surprising logic. As he explains such logic in convincing detail, the author suggests that it is possible to use the same opportunities and experiences with new generations to create a better world.

At less than 300 pages, Outliers: the Story of Success is a quick read. What I learned really surprised me. What you learn from it may well cause you to rethink your own commitment to your future.

PLL ELECTION

The current PLL Vice-Chair/Chair Elect has had to step down for personal reasons. Due to this unexpected vacancy, we have asked our two Vice-Chair/Chair Elect candidates to run concurrently in this election for subsequent terms, rather than against each other for the same term. Assuming the election has positive results, Kate Martin will step into the role of Vice Chair/Chair Elect immediately following the election, and will assume the Chair position in July. Jane Baugh would assume the Vice Chair position in July.

We try to avoid uncontested elections in PLL, but have made an exception in this unusual circumstance.

Don�t forget to vote!

Vice-Chair/Chair Elect 2008-2009*
Kate Martin, DC

Vice-Chair/Chair Elect 2009-2010
Jane Baugh, Roanoke

Treasurer
Margarita Bull, San Diego
Blythe McCoy, Houston

At Large Board Member
Joan Jarosek, Dallas
Ralph Monaco, New York

*to be effective immediately upon confirmation of election results.

CANDIDATE BIOS � VICE-CHAIR/CHAIR-ELECT

Name :  Kate Martin
Nomination for which PLL Office : Vice-Chair, Chair-Elect
Current Job Title and Firm/Corporation Name and Address :
Director of Library and Research Services, McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP, 1900 K Street, NW , Washington , DC 20006
Positions : 2000-present: Director of Library Services, McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP; 1994-2000: Head Librarian, Washington office of Morgan Lewis & Bockius; 1985-1994: Washington Librarian, Davis Polk & Wardwell; plus various other law firm library positions (1979-1985). 1979-1981: Librarian, Library of Congress, CRS; 1978-1979: Michael Thompson Rare Books, Los Angeles , CA.
Education :  MLS: UCLA Graduate School of Library Science; BA: San Diego State University. Graduate Internship: Smithsonian, National Portrait Gallery
strong>Activities :  President, Recording Secretary, Editor: Law Librarians Society of Washington, DC; Board of Directors, American Assn. of Law Libraries; AALL Committee memberships: Government Affairs, Membership, Publications, Continuing Professional Education (current). Legal group liaison/coordinator, SLA/DC (current). Chair: Washington Joint Spring Library Workshop; plus various other local and national committee and task force appointments. Active LLSDC, AALL, and PLL-SIS member since 1982.
Speaker: Legal Tech New York; SLA Career Day, Catholic University Library School, INEX, AALL Annual Meetings, LLSDC educational programs, NCAPA Annual Meeting, plus various other venues.
Publications : Articles in Special Libraries, LLSDC Law Library Lights, AALL Spectrum. Chapter co-author: Federal Government Contracts Research in Specialized Legal Research.
Statement:  As I write this statement, a Bloody Thursday has just occurred that has cut more law firm jobs than at any single time in the last fifty years�law firms and law firm libraries are going through an incredibly difficult time now. The pressure is on to cut budgets, staffs, resources and to make choices that will affect us for years to come. Our challenge is to use our experience and professionalism to create viable solutions that meld library and firm missions.

One source of inspiration has always been the collective assistance of my fellow law librarians and specifically the Private Law Library SIS. My colleagues have helped me with relating to upper management, seeing the library as a business-within-a-business, working more efficiently with vendors, catching up with the latest buzz words and understanding myriad other trends and issues in private law librarianship. This demanding time will be no different; we will come together and work through initiatives that will see us through this complex period. Together we can seize the advantage and control change to our best advantage.

As a part of this effort I will lead with practical, ingenious and innovative ideas, as I have done through my years of work with colleagues nationally and locally. I appreciate your support in this endeavor.

Name: Jane R. Baugh
Nomination for which PLL Office: Vice-Chair, Chair-Elect
Current Job Title and Firm/Corporation Name and Address:
Information Services Director, Woods Rogers PLC, 10 South Jefferson Street, Suite 1400, Roanoke, VA 24011
Former Positions: Reference, Serials and Interlibrary Loan Librarian, Hollins University ; Head of Reference, The Library of Virginia ; Reference Librarian, The Library of Virginia
Education: Mary Washington College, B.A. in English; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, M.S. in L.S.
Activities: Roanoke Valley Library Association, Board Member, 1997-1999; Virginia Association of Law Libraries, Grants Committee, 1997-1998; Secretary, 2005-2007; PLL-SIS Grants Committee, 2004 -present , current Chair.
Publications: Editor, Chapter 8, �Legal Periodicals, Indexes and Information Sources�, in A Guide to Legal Research in Virginia, 4 th edition, 2002 and 5 th edition, 2003, Virginia CLE Publications, Virginia Law Foundation; Union List of Newspaper Holdings in Virginia Private College Libraries , 1988; �Virginia Geographical Materials in the Virginia State Library�, VGS Today , Spring, 1981.
Statement: As a solo librarian from a mid-size firm in a fairly remote area, I value the relationships I have with my fellow librarians, and their willingness to share resources and ideas. As times get leaner and budgets grow tighter, we need to strengthen those relationships and pull together, not just with private law librarians but with academic, court, and public libraries; not just sharing resources, but ideas that work to help us serve our patrons, and to remind them of our value to our organizations.

CANDIDATE BIOS � TREASURER

Name: Margarita Bull
Nominated for which PLL Office: Treasurer
Current Job Title and Firm Name and Address: Librarian, Coughlin Stoia Geller Rudman & Robbins LLP, 655 West Broadway, Suite 1900, San Diego, CA 92101
Former Positions: Librarian, Holme Roberts & Owen, Salt Lake City, UT branch office; Librarian, Jones Waldo Holbrook & McDonough, Salt Lake City, UT; Librarian, Butler & Binion, Houston, TX; Librarian, Boothe Pritchard & Dudley, Fairfax, VA & Washington, DC; Brownstein Zeidman & Schomer, Washington, DC; Librarian, Association of Trial Lawyers of America, Washington, DC; Library Assistant, US Tax Court Library, Washington, DC; Library Assistant, Social Law Library, Boston, MA; Library Assistant, Hale & Dorr, Boston, MA.
Education: Regis College, Weston, MA, B.A. History/Political Science; University of Maryland, M.L.S.
Activities: Member AALL, served on several AALL committees; Member PLL-SIS, served on and chaired PLL-SIS Grants Committee and co chaired PLL-SIS Education for the Annual Meeting committee; Member SANDALL (AALL chapter); former member WestPac, HALL and Law Librarians Society of Washington DC (AALL chapters); served as Chapter Officer, Chapter Committee Chair and committee member
Statement: As a long time AALL member and PLL-SIS member, I have benefitted greatly from the networking and continuing education opportunities that PLL-SIS affords its members. PLL Perspectives ' timely and pertinent articles are great learning tools for the law firm library manager. PLL's education programs at the annual meeting are too great learning tools. As a member I have sought over the years to give back to PLL. Serving as PLL treasurer would afford me another opportunity to give back to PLL and to contribute to PLL's continued strength and service to its members. I value volunteerism. I would strive to safeguard PLL's financial security were I to be elected Treasurer. I have guided numerous law firm libraries through choppy financial waters over the years and would bring this experience to this position.

Name: Blythe McCoy
Nominated for: Treasurer
Current Position: Librarian Relations Manager for West, a ThomsonReuters business
Previous Positions: Marketing Manager, Marketing Program Manager, Account Executive, Account Manager, West Publishing Company (1988-2003); Johnson & Artiz LLP, Houston Texas (1987)
Education: M.L.I.S., University of North Texas ; Juris Doctorate, University of Mississippi , B.A. in English, University of Mississippi
Activities: American Association of Law Libraries, Chair of the Family Party 2005 & 2007, speaker for Chapter Leadership Program 2005-2007 and member; Houston Association of Law Libraries, Library School Liaison 2008 to present and member; Dallas Association of Law Libraries, member; Southwestern Association of Law Libraries, member; Southeastern Association of Law Libraries, member; Law Library Association of Alabama, member; New Orleans Association of Law Libraries, member and Texas Bar Association, member.
Seminars: Conducted many professional development programs for various national, regional, and local law library association 2003-present. These topics include Law Firm Economics, Marketing the Library, Time Management, and Needs Assessment & Marketing for Association Events & Programs for AALL's Chapter Leadership Program (2005-2007)
Statement: I enjoy serving and working with associations. It allows me an opportunity to get to know and learn from others in our vast librarian community. I look forward to having the chance to serve PLL.

CANDIDATE BIOS � BOARD MEMBER

Name: Joan E. Jarosek
Nominated for which PLL Office: Board Member
strong>Current Job Title and Firm/Corporation Name and Address:
Firm Director of Library Services since August 2006
Jones Day, 2727 North Harwood Street , Dallas , TX 75201
Former Positions: Manager of Library Services, Jones Day, Dallas, TX 1988-2006; Assistant Librarian, Debevoise & Plimpton, New York, NY 1985-1988; Librarian, Attorney General of Texas, Austin, TX 1983-1985; Reference Librarian, Davis Polk & Wardwell, New York, NY 1982; Reference Librarian-International and Foreign Law and Anglo-American Law, Columbia University Law Library, New York, NY 1978-1981.
Education: Columbia University , New York , NY, M.S. in Library Service; The University of Houston , B.S.
Activities: Treasurer, Private Law Libraries Special Interest Section of AALL, 1995-97; President, Dallas Association of Law Libraries, 1999-2000; Membership and leadership on numerous AALL, PLL, and DALL committees; Program Coordinator for �Designing and Building a Law Library�, 2005 AALL Annual Meeting; Council Member, LexisNexis AMPLL Conference, 2005; Guest lecturer at the Columbia University School of Library Service and the School of Library and Information Sciences at the University of North Texas; Current memberships in the American Bar Association, Law Practice Management Section; Special Libraries Association Legal and Business and Finance Divisions, Dallas Association of Law Libraries; Member, Board of Advisors for the University of North Texas School of Library and Information Services, 2008�present; Member, West Executive Librarian Board, 2008�present.
Publications: Index to the Opinions of the Attorney General of Texas 1982, 1983, 1984; Index to the Open Records Decisions of the Attorney General of Texas 1973-84; "The Struggle for the Falkland Islands by Julius Goeble" 21 Columbia Journal of Transnational Law 421 (1983); Special Libraries and Information Centers: An Introductory Text, 3rd and 4th editions, Contributor.
Statement : The PLL is uniquely situated to represent the interests of Private Law Librarians. As libraries continue to evolve, we are faced with the unprecedented challenges of the current economic climate. The PLL is the forum in which Private Law Librarians find professional development opportunities, share knowledge, and enhance leadership skills. I welcome the opportunity to serve the PLL as we meet these challenges and continue to demonstrate our value to our organizations.

Name: Ralph A. Monaco
Nominated for : Board Member
Current Position: New York Law Institute, Inc. New York , NY . J anuary 2004 � Current , Librarian and Executive Director
Former Position: New York County Lawyers' Association New York, NY - January 2001 � December 2003, Director of Library Services ; Rivkin Radler, LLP - Uniondale, NY - June 1986 to December 2000, Head Librarian; St. John's University School of Law - Jamaica, NY - 1978- 1986, Assistant Law Librarian. ; Webster & Sheffield - 1977-1978 - Head Librarian ; Brooklyn Law School Brooklyn, NY - 1973-1977 - Assistant Law Librarian.
Education: St. John's University , MLS � 1973, St. John's University , BA Political Science � 1971
Activities: LLAGNY's Bridge the Gap Program - 2006 -2008, Board of Directors, LLAGNY, July 2005 to 2007 , Member AALL Ethics Committee, 1998 � 2000, Member Westlaw Scholarship Committee 2000 � 2001, PLL Grants and Scholarship Research 1998, Member Westlaw Advisory Board 1993 � 1995, Chair, LLAGNY Mandatory Continuing Legal Education Program 1992 � 1996, Charter Member West Group's Information Innovator's Institute 1995, PLI Program on Managing the Private Law Library; Delivering Information Services , 1989
Publications/Seminars : Law Librarians: Secret Agents for Reaching Potential Clients, New York Law Journal , Tuesday, June 18 th , 2002,
Teaching Experience : St. John's University School of Library and Information Science
Law Library Administration 2004, Introduction to Legal Bibliography 1978 � 1990
Statement: The New York Law Institute provides auxiliary support to major law firms as well as small and solo firms within the New York metropolitan area. Consequentially as its Executive Director, I interact on a continual basis with these firms and their staffs to ensure that the needs of our �constituents� are continually met and that services are enhanced to meet the changing needs and the increasingly interdisciplinary nature of legal practice. This instinctive partnering with my colleagues to improve services would be extended to the broader law library arena represented by PLL.

PLL PROGRAMS AT THE 2009 AALL ANNUAL MEETING

EVENT	DATE/TIME
PLL-SIS Business Meeting and Breakfast (sponsored by Wolters Kluwer Law & Business)	Sunday, July 26, 2009 7:00 AM - 8:45 AM
PLL-SIS Luncheon (sponsored by LexisNexis) Speaker: Ross Guberman "How to Help Lawyers Who Don't Even Know They Need You"	Sunday, July 26, 2009 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM
A4: The Changing World of Information Access at the USPTO	Sunday, July 26, 2009 1:30 PM - 2:45 PM
PLL-SIS Program: Nuts & Bolts of Competitive Intelligence: CI in the Small Firm Environment	Sunday, July 26, 2009 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM
C6: Running a Business: Practical MBA Solutions for Your Library	Sunday, July 26, 2009 4:15 PM - 5:15 PM
PLL-SIS Executive Board Meeting	Sunday, July 26, 2009 5:30 PM - 6:30 PM
PLL-SIS Intellectual Property Group Program: Patent Information Vendors Panel Discussion	Sunday, July 26, 2009 5:30 PM - 6:30 PM
PLL-SIS Intellectual Property Group Program: Patent Information Vendors Panel Discussion	Sunday, July 26, 2009 5:30 PM - 6:30 PM
PLL-SIS Intellectual Property Group Reception	Sunday, July 26, 2009 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM
PLL-SIS Education Committee Annual Business Meeting	Monday, July 27, 2009 7:00 AM - 8:30 AM
PLL-SIS One Person Library (Solo) Group Business Meeting	Monday, July 27, 2009 7:00 AM - 8:30 AM
D2: Charting a New Course Mid-Career	Monday, July 27, 2009 8:45 AM - 9:45 AM
E3: "Eenie, Meenie, Minie , Mo . . . County, Court, Academic, Private--Should I Stay or Should I Go?"	Monday, July 27, 2009 10:00 AM - 10:30 AM
E5: Working Smart: Innovative Ways to Do More with Your Day	Monday, July 27, 2009 10:00 AM - 10:30 AM
ALL-SIS Program: Beyond the Ivory Tower: Reaching Out to Practicing Attorneys and Law Firm Librarians to Improve Legal Research Instruction	Monday, July 27, 2009 10:45 AM - 11:45 AM
F5: Taming Information Overload: Addressing Law Firm Current Awareness Needs	Monday, July 27, 2009 10:45 AM - 11:45 AM
PLL-SIS Independent Group Business Meeting	Monday, July 27, 2009 12:00 PM - 1:15 PM
PLL-SIS Intellectual Property Group Business Meeting and Lunch (by Invitation)	Monday, July 27, 2009 12:00 PM - 1:15 PM
G5: What's in a Name? Trademark Searching, Services, and Domain Names	Monday, July 27, 2009 4:00 PM - 5:15 PM
PLL-SIS Committee Fair	Monday, July 27, 2009 5:30 PM - 6:30 PM
PLL-SIS Records/Conflicts Management Group Business Meeting	Tuesday, July 28, 2009 7:00 AM - 8:45 AM
PLL-SIS Technical Services Group Program Meeting	Tuesday, July 28, 2009 7:00 AM - 8:45 AM
H2: Web 2.0: Driving Innovation in the Law Firm Library	Tuesday, July 28, 2009 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM
I3: Next-Gen Integrated Library System Features Relevant to the Private Law Firm Library	Tuesday, July 28, 2009 10:45 AM - 11:45 AM
PLL-SIS Competitive Intelligence Business Meeting	Tuesday, July 28, 2009 12:00 PM - 1:15 PM
K5: Law Librarian: The New Private Investigator	Tuesday, July 28, 2009 3:30 PM � 4:00 PM

PLL ANNOUNCEMENTS

TOOLS FOR SUCCESS IN TODAY�S ECONOMY

In response to the U.S. recession and its impact on law libraries, AALL has created a wiki of Tools for Success in Today�s Economy at http://aallnet.pbwiki.com. On the wiki you will find:

• Tips for operating your law library with a tight budget
• Advice on negotiating contracts with vendors
• How to interview effectively for your next job
• Resources for professional development
• And much more

Any AALL member can add material to the wiki, so we encourage you to use the tools and share more resources that will help our friends and colleagues in AALL.

$50 AALL MEMBER APPRECIATION DISCOUNT FOR 2009 ANNUAL MEETING & CONFERENCE

AALL wants to help during these tough economic times. Members who register by March 31 will receive an additional $50 Member Appreciation Discount off the already reduced early registration rate (deadline: June 1). Registration opens February 26. Register by March 31 and save up to $150! You can register at www.aallnet.org/events/09_registration.asp

MARCH AALL WEBINAR: GUIDED TOUR OF YOUR AALL MEMBERSHIP

So you've joined AALL (or are thinking about joining)�now what? Your Association has many membership benefits, services, and opportunities for you to explore. This free Webinar will help you navigate the landscape, learn how to make the most out of your membership, and introduce you to new members like yourself. Get a jump start and join us on a guided tour of your membership.

Date: March 17, 12-1 p.m. EST
Cost: Free!
Register at www.regonline.com/membershiptour .

SUPER SIZE YOUR AALL ANNUAL MEETING & CONFERENCE REGISTRATION

This year when you register for the AALL Conference, you can pre-order the complete set of all 66 educational program recordings and the keynote speaker address in downloadable MP3 format for just $99 (members) or $149 (non-members). MP3 CDs will also be available for $199 (members) or $299 (non-members). This collection of educational content is valued at nearly $800! The special discounted price will not be available after the Annual Meeting , so be sure to pre-order with your registration at www.aallnet.org/events/09_registration.asp .

TAKE THE LEAD: APPLY FOR THE 2009 AALL LEADERSHIP ACADEMY

Law librarians in the early stages of their careers can get ahead in the profession by attending the 2009 AALL Leadership Academy , October 16-17 , at the Hyatt Lodge in Oak Brook , Illinois .

Train for leadership roles by acquiring both the self-awareness and strategies you need to emerge as a leader within your organization and the profession. Academy participants will use self assessment tools, group exercises, case studies, and skill practice to develop key signatures of leadership. Selected fellows will participate in pre-engagement exercises, be matched with a mentor, and receive ongoing leadership development opportunities.

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