VOLUME 19
ISSUE 1
The Java Issue
Winter 1999

Inside this issue:

• Treasurer's Report

• F. C. Hicks Award

• ALL-SIS Nominations

• Membership Analysis

• Comparison Shopping

• Universal Citation

• Education Committee

• Hot Java

• Deadlines

• Leadership

• Perspectives Review

• Minutes

• Listserv

• Java Jive

By Tory Trotta, 1999-2000 ALL-SIS Chair
Director of Library Services
Ross-Blakley Law Library
Arizona State University - Tempe

Today's meditation on a Yogi Berratude is: "YOU'VE GOT TO BE CAREFUL IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHERE YOU'RE GOING, BECAUSE YOU MIGHT NOT GET THERE." This is apropos of professional volunteer work generally, but particularly applicable to leading or contributing to the work of a Special Interest Section. We attend the Annual Meeting and arrive home full of enthusiasm generated from our convention experiences and full of good intentions and plans. Once we return to the challenges in our work environments, finding time for our professional association projects becomes difficult. Suddenly it's Spring and time to prepare for another annual meeting is short. Raise your hand if you can relate to this scenario.

Your Academic Special Interest Section Executive Committee has been busily planning an ambitious agenda for the coming year. Part of the agenda was developed prior to the Washington DC meeting, but some projects were identified and adopted as a result of programming, networking, and great suggestions from our colleagues during the convention. To date, fifty-two energetic SIS colleagues have volunteered to play a part in the game plan and help us reach our goals for the section. You will be hearing about various projects as we progress during the year, but some of the new projects include:

CONELL for Academics - Under the leadership of Barbara Bintliff (University of Colorado) and her committee, plans are being drawn to hold a CONELL program in Philadelphia that will focus on new academic colleagues.

MENTORING - Jim Milles (Case Western Reserve) had a creative brainstorm during the ALL-SIS Business Meeting! and spontaneously volunteered to create an ongoing mentoring program for new academics. This proves that 7 a.m. meetings can have redeeming social value.

AWARDS - The Executive Committee is committed to instituting an awards program for our SIS. Sally Holterhoff (Valparaiso) and her committee have completed the details on the first of these awards, See details on p. 2 of this issue and on our website.

EDUCATION - Vice Chair Ruth Hill (Loyola - Los Angeles) has appointed an Education Committee, chaired by Dwight King (Notre Dame). Her team will be responsible for developing and proposing educational offerings for the 2001 annual meeting, building on the work of last year's Education Committee. It's never too soon to start thinking of program topics and ideas you would like to see presented.

ROUNDTABLES - Interest in various subject oriented ‘roundtables' was rekindled as a result of the thought provoking programs offered in Washington D.C. Roundtables or working groups on legal research, collection development, statistics, Lexis and Westlaw vendor relations, and continuing status and tenure have been formed. These groups will advise the ALL-SIS Executive Committee on agendas, programs, and projects that might present leadership opportunities for our Section.

MEMBERSHIP - Many of us would like to see the ALL-SIS become a home SIS for more of our academic colleagues. We know from research conducted by Ellen Platt (Santa Clara) and her staff who our existing members are. More questions still remain. Mary Ann Nelson (University of Iowa) and her committee will explore what services or programs would make section membership more attractive to other academics as well as ways we can entice more of our members to become involved in the Section.

STRATEGIC PLANNING - This important initiative continues. Three intrepid veterans of last year's work will continue to develop the specifics of an ALL-SIS strategic plan. You will be hearing this year from Mark Bernstein (Duke), David Cowan (South Texas) and Ellen Platt (Santa Clara) about this project.

These are some of the projects that the Section has begun this year. We have tried to avoid the fate that Yogi Berra describes by thinking ahead, by getting member ideas, and by finding section members who are excited about these projects. We are all appreciative of the commitment many of our members have made to the Section this year, working on the special projects listed above or contributing to the ongoing work of the Section. Rest assured, the members of the ALL-SIS Executive Committee and the various committees would welcome your ideas and opinions about the projects we have started, or about other projects you think are appropriate for this Section to explore. A list of officers and committee chairs is included in this Newsletter; a complete roster of all committee volunteers is posted on our website.