Volunteer in South Africa!

Join the 2004 Inform the World Library Skills Exchange. The ITW Library Skills Exchange is a 4-week hands-on volunteer program primarily for Library Science students and professionals (some non-librarians also accepted). The goal of the program is to provide structured training and assistance to South African librarians, library committees and teachers with little or no formal librarian training. The program is called a "skills exchange" because African and international librarians bring their expertise together to create unique answers to the information needs of rural African communities.

Sometimes the solutions are based on international standards, like using a recognized method for classifying books. Other times, they are unique adaptations to local conditions, like delivering books by donkey cart or making paper from elephant dung. Most often, each volunteer and African librarian contributes to creating a library as special as the community it serves.

There are two groups who will visit different locations: Limpopo: July 12 - August 12 and KwaZulu Natal (KZN): July 16 - August 17.

For more information, please see http://worldlibraries.org/itw/itwoverview.shtml or contact Laura Wendell, Executive Director, The World Library Partnership, 3101 Guess Rd. Suite D, Durham, NC 27705, 919-479-0163 or Donna Nixon, World Libraries Volunteer 2001, and Executive Board Member, Reference/Access Services Librarian & Clinical Assistant Professor of Law, Kathrine R. Everett Law Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 100 Ridge Road, Chapel Hill, NC, (919) 843-7890, dnixon@email.unc.edu.

Joint Study Institute

The fourth Joint Study Institute (BIALL, CALL, AALL, ALLG) is being hosted in Sydney in February next year. Please visit the web site at: http://www.allg.asn.au/jsi where you will find an overview, general information, a draft program, the registration form and much more. We encourage you to register and make your travel plans to attend SOON!

Remember, you will be heading towards the end of winter, and have the opportunity to attend a stimulating (and very social) conference at the best time of year in Sydney's summer!! Please feel free to contact me or any of the other contacts about the JSI, or about any other information you might need about having a holiday in Australia.

Submitted by: Mary Greenfield
mailto:mary.greenfield@lexisnexis.com.au

AALL/Aspen Publishers Grants Program Seeks Applications for $5,000 in Research Grants

The Research Committee of the American Association of Law Libraries is accepting applications through Oct. 27 for research grants from the AALL/Aspen Publishers Grants Program, totaling up to $5,000.

The committee will award one or more grants to library professionals who want to conduct research that affects librarianship. The grants program funds small or large research projects that create, disseminate, or use legal and law-related information. Projects may range from the historical (indexes, legislative histories, bibliographies, biographies, directories) to the theoretical (trends in cataloging, publishing or new service models in libraries) to the practical (implementation models for collection, personnel or infrastructure management).

The Association's Research Agenda offers suggestions for research projects that cover the profession of law librarianship, law library patrons, law library services, legal research and bibliography, legal information resources, and law library facilities. However, projects are not limited to those described in the agenda; the committee will consider all applications and research projects. To review AALL's Research Agenda, please go to http://www.aallnet.org/committee/research/agenda.asp

The AALL/Aspen Publishers Grant Program was established in 1996 with a generous contribution of $50,000 from Aspen Publishers, a New York-based legal publisher. Aspen Publishers considers its contribution as an investment in research that will provide a prospective look at the role of librarians, researchers and legal information providers and will yield results to which publishers can respond. Aspen's goal is to sponsor research that will have a practical impact on the law library profession and inspire products and changes in the marketplace.

To apply for the grants, all applicants must provide resumes and statements of their qualifications for carrying out their projects. The applications must demonstrate experience with research projects and an understanding of the dissemination and use of legal and law-related information. Priority will be given to practicing law librarians and AALL members, working individually or in partnership with other information professionals. The grant application and complete guidelines are available at http://www.aallnet.org/about/aspen_grant_application.asp

The submission deadline for applications is Oct. 27, 2003. Grants will be awarded and announced in December. Allocation of the research grants will be at the sole discretion of the AALL Research Committee. For more information about the grants, please contact Ellen McGrath, chair of the AALL Research Committee, at emcgrath@buffalo.edu.

The members of the AALL Research Committee are: Ellen McGrath, chair, University at Buffalo; Scott Childs, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Edwin Greenlee, University of Pennsylvania; Michael Jeffrey Slinger, Cleveland State University; Trina Tinglum, University of St. Thomas; Susan Tulis, Southern Illinois University.

Job Opening: American Society of International Law

The American Society of International Law, a nonprofit membership association and scholarly publisher on Embassy Row seeks Manager of Information Services for a specialized library with web-based resources and 20,000 volume print collection. Responsibilities include maintaining library and electronic resources, providing reference services to users, and developing electronic information tools. Strong verbal, written, and interpersonal skills required with understanding of how information is generated, organized, and accessed. MLS or equivalent from ALA-accredited program and background in international law preferred. Send resume to Information Services Search, ASIL, 2223 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20008 or by e-mail to sliebel@asil.org. Salary dependent on experience.