The Conference of Newer Law Librarians, more commonly known as CONELL, was once again held at the annual meeting, and for the new law librarian it proved a worthy event. The seating was near capacity and the make-up of the crowd was a generous balance of both genders and many ethnicities. A wide range of ages was likewise well represented, and I was glad to see that my chosen profession has such broad appeal.
The event was extremely well organized, and although I did not take a count, I would estimate that in excess of fifty (non-new) members of AALL took part in the day’s events. The bulk of that number were represented in the “Marketplace” section of the conference, which gave new librarians an opportunity to learn about Special Interest Sections (SISs), Local Chapters, and Caucuses. To further underscore the importance of these new faces in law librarianship, the President and Executive Board of AALL made time in their very busy schedules to meet with us face to face.
Two members whose participation punctuated the introductory session were Jennifer S. Murray and Cornell H. Winston. Jennifer gave a very candid and entertaining look at our new organization and the professional opportunities that awaited us. She made it very clear that this was our organization and that we would be welcomed with open arms. Jennifer’s enthusiasm radiated out toward the crowd but came with one cautionary note gained from personal experience: don’t overextend yourself too much! As Jennifer rattled off all of the committees and events which she had thrown herself into during her short tenure as a law librarian, I was amazed by her energy and dedication. Above all Jennifer showed how engaging and interesting law librarianship could be and the message was well-received by the audience.
While all eyes and ears had been intently directed towards Jennifer’s wise words, Cornell immediately grabbed the attention of the audience with his wit. Cornell’s humor and candor immediately put the audience at ease and gave credence to what he was about to say. His presentation focused on how to get the most out of the conference: meet five new people every day, “get stuff” (go talk to and learn from the vendors), do something non-law related (e.g., visit a museum), earn ribbons for your name tag (fun run, volunteer, committees, i.e., get involved!), and go to a presentation that is not in your strongest area.
While each a good piece of advice, I have to focus on the last point in particular. I believe that it is an essential attribute of all librarians to understand something about the total operation of the library and where the individual fits into the greater picture. Greater knowledge yields deeper understanding, increases the efficiency and quality of service, and improves camaraderie amongst librarians. Taking this sentiment to heart I chose to sit in on the session The Future of Cataloging, and while I will not go into detail about that program here, it was a very informative look at a crucial aspect of libraries that impacts technical and public services equally.
After the introductory speeches, networking went into high gear. We had break-out small groups led by an AALL board member and discussed current issues in law librarianship, as well as how and why we all came to the profession. My small group was led by AALL Secretary Darcy Kirk. I was most impressed at the professional and occupational diversity. Even in our small group of ten or so, we had people with all sorts of constellations of degrees, public and tech services librarians, firm and academic, and even a couple students just beginning the job hunt.
Next, I went to the activities fair and reconnected with Dennis Kim-Prieto, a new friend and a fellow University of Iowa College of Law Alum. I then learned about the Gen X-Gen Y caucus, spoke with the new editors of Spectrum and Law Library Journal, and was most interested to learn of the existence of the Recruitment to Law Librarianship Committee (http://www.aallnet.org/committee/rllc/). We all know that law librarianship is facing a recruiting crunch that will be as challenging as any profession, and I am glad to see the organization is taking aim at this problem. Finally, I made my way to the Government Relations Committee table where I had the pleasure to meet Camilla Tubbs for the first time. Although not all were represented, a significant number of the 43 committees, 13 SISs, 31 Chapters, and 9 Caucuses were represented, and provided a wide range of opportunities for the new law librarian to learn about professional involvement.
Then it was on to the “speed networking” event. I had been adequately briefed by a friend of mine that it was “weird, like a bunch of mini-blind dates.” I could not pass up such an opportunity. In reality what I found, again, was a very diverse and interesting group of individuals. My response to the event was that there had not been enough time to get to know each of these people, but that I would look forward to doing so in the future.
The next event on the schedule was lunch in the hotel. I had it on good authority that in years past an effort had been made to have lunch at a unique or signature restaurant in the host city, and being already somewhat familiar with New Orleans cuisine, I was disappointed that we were reduced to what I like to call “convention chicken.” (You know what I’m talking about, we’ve all had it!) Lunch was to be followed by a 3 hour bus tour of New Orleans, which I did not attend. When I moved to Baton Rouge in the fall of 2006, I made a specific effort to tour a wide range of areas in New Orleans. I was most upset to see the devastated condition of the old terminal at Lakefront Airport - a true Art Deco Masterpiece.
On reflection, CONELL was a wonderful opportunity to meet other new librarians and learn about the profession. CONELL would be a particularly useful activity for those coming to the profession from non-law libraries or those who did not have the opportunity to be mentored in a law library while a student. The high level of involvement by the Executive Board, the President, and the various groups represented at “the marketplace” made a strong and definitive statement to those new to law librarianship: Welcome, and we’re glad you’re here!