Annalee on why being an AALL member makes her feel whole plus why she loves london
Annalee Hickman is the Faculty Services Librarian at the Howard W. Hunter Law Library at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah.
WHY DID YOU JOIN AALL?
My law library director signed me up for AALL as soon as I began working as a full-time, non-student employee at the Howard W. Hunter Law Library. This was my first full-time job, just a week after taking the Bar. At the time, I did not know a ton about the law librarianship profession, so I had never heard of AALL, but I was grateful to have knowledgeable supervisors who knew of the importance that I be a member of AALL. They also signed me up for special interest sections that they felt would connect well to my job responsibilities, like ALL-SIS and RIPS-SIS.
WHY DO YOU STAY A MEMBER?
I stay a member of AALL because of the conferences, list-servs, and SIS groups. Being a member connects me to other colleagues who have similar job responsibilities to me at other law libraries. I can’t imagine being a law librarian and not being a part of AALL. It makes me feel whole in my career.
WHAT ONE MEMBERSHIP BENEFIT IS MOST VALUABLE TO YOU?
Being a part of SIS groups, especially by serving on SIS committees, is the benefit most valuable to me. I get to rub shoulders with involved members of our profession by serving on SIS committees with them. I am also able to participate in positive changes to meet the needs of the SIS members. I have found my strongest networking connections through these experiences. It is also a way to gain leadership opportunities, especially if you are not able to gain them in your workplace.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MEMORY ASSOCIATED WITH AALL?
My favorite memory associated with AALL is probably my first AALL Annual Meeting (in 2017). This was the end of my first year in the profession, it was my first work conference, and I attended both the Boulder Conference and CONELL in connection with the AALL Annual Meeting. These two events shaped my career based off the information and experience that I gained while there. Additionally, those two events were small enough that I was able to meet a lot of people in the profession and gain friendships and working relationships that continue to this day. Sometimes I feel overwhelmed at AALL Annual Meeting events because our profession is so large, but it is smaller events like these that make me feel like I have found my place in the profession.
WHAT DO YOU ENJOY DOING OUTSIDE OF WORK?
I enjoy seeing plays, musicals, and ballets, especially with my daughter. For a four-year-old, she sits through them surprisingly well. I also like to do puzzles, sing karaoke, and binge-watch Disney+ to relive my 90s childhood.
WHAT BOOK(S) ARE YOU CURRENTLY READING?
For work-related material, I am reading Dynamic Lecturing: Research-Based Strategies to Enhance Lecture Effectiveness to improve my lectures in my first-year legal research courses. For pleasure, I am reading The Princess Academy with my daughter.
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE TRAVEL/VACATION DESTINATION?
London! It’s my favorite city in the world. I love theatre, and in London I get the musicals like in New York City, but I also get to watch so many more plays, especially Shakespeare, while in London! When I go, I try to see two a day, and I feel like I never run out of options.