VOLUME 22
ISSUE 3
Summer 2003

Inside this issue:

• AALL Advocacy Training
• ALL-SIS Mentoring Program
• Workshop
• Member News
• Trials and Tribulations of a New Law Librarian
• Volunteer in Seattle
• Your SIS Wants You!!

MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR

Merle Slyhoff
Document Delivery and Auxiliary Services Librarian
University of Pennsylvania Law School
Biddle Law Library
3460 Chestnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104-3406
mslyhoff@law.upenn.edu

If you want to truly experience "time flies," become chair of the Academic SIS! I'm not sure where this year has gone, but as you read this, we'll be doing final preparations for the AALL 2003 Annual Meeting and Conference. That signals our ALL-SIS programs, committee meetings, business meeting, and reception/awards gala. And the end to my year as Chair of the SIS.

Looking back at what we've accomplished, I'm thrilled to report that the year has been a productive one. Fearful that I'll miss something important, here's a capsule view of the ALL-SIS year.

• The ALL-SIS kicked off the George A. Strait Minority Scholarship SIS campaign with a $1,000.00 contribution and a challenge to all the other SISs.
• The ALL-SIS Relations with Vendors Committee completed their QUALITIES OF AN IDEAL CALR VENDOR-LIBRARY RELATIONSHIP document; the report can be viewed on the ALL-SIS web page.
• Members of the BNA Task Force met with BNA representatives in Washington. The meeting was seen as successful from both sides; a written report will be available, and a summary of the discussion will be presented at the business meeting.
• The Membership Committee developed a brochure extolling the benefits of joining ALL-SIS; they also prepared a wonderful article that will appear in a future AALL Spectrum issue.
• The Awards Committee has been investigating new ways of recognizing members.
• ALL-SIS Committee on Continuing Status and Tenure compiled information on faculty status; the findings can be found on the ALL-SIS web page.
• The ALL-SIS Newsletter is now an electronic-only publication, resulting in a major cost-savings to the SIS and a faster way of disseminating the information.
• Through generous contributions from our friends at West and Lexis, the Local Arrangements, Middle Managers Breakfast, and Directors Breakfast chairs have planned wonderful events that allow us to network and meet with our colleagues. The Directors Breakfast and Program, as well as the Middle Managers Breakfast and Program, will be sponsored by West. Lexis will sponsor the Tuesday evening reception and awards ceremony to be held at Washington University.
• Plan to attend the SIS's breakfast business meeting set for Sunday morning, generously hosted by BNA. Remember to RSVP to your invitation when received.
• And last, but certainly not least, the Program Committee submitted an impressive selection of educational programs for the AALL Annual Meeting; 4 programs will be presented.

This list doesn't begin to cover the additional ongoing work being done by the SIS's committees, task forces, and special working groups. Web redesign, collection development, alternative educational formats, legal research, statistics, and nominations are just some of the many activities being investigated by our members.

To all ALL-SIS members, I thank you for having the opportunity to serve as chair. I encourage everyone to volunteer for the SIS; it's an extremely worthwhile and rewarding experience. Without the work of the members, a chair's visions and plans are doomed to failure. Sally Wise, incoming Chair and Carole Hinchcliff, incoming Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect of the SIS, will be inheriting a tremendous, hard-working group of members whose dedication to academic law librarianship constantly enhances the SIS and our stature as law librarians.