CLARE ON WHY SHE’S AN AALL MEMBER & WHY HEINONLINE IS HER FAVORITE MEMBER BENEFIT
Clare Spelick is a student at the University of Alabama’s School of Library and Information Studies.
WHY DID YOU JOIN AALL?
As a student at the University of Alabama’s School of Library and Information Studies, I know I want to be a law librarian and that the only way that would be feasible would be to network. Furthermore, AALL has the best archives of articles a student could have access to. I renewed my membership almost purely for the amazing networking and archival access offered.
WHY DO YOU STAY A MEMBER?
I’ve stayed an AALL member for both the networking and the HeinOnline access, but also for special interest section’s Listservs. I’ve based my MLIS on law libraries as there are so few programs that offer any law library classes, so AALL is absolutely invaluable to me.
WHAT ONE MEMBER BENEFIT IS MOST VALUABLE TO YOU?
The most valuable benefit is the HeinOnline access. My university doesn’t have anywhere near that amount of academic work. Being able to use it for the bibliographical data alone is pretty fantastic.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MEMORY ASSOCIATED WITH AALL?
Last spring when COVID was shutting everything down, my Special Libraries class required an interview with a special librarian and no one on the professor’s list was answering their work phones. I posted a request for an interview on the AALL’s Member Open Forum, and within an hour, I had emails from roughly 100 librarians across the United States. No one in my class had any issue with finding someone to interview after that and I got to meet many interesting people. It took me two full days to ensure I’d responded to every email, but it was worth it in the end.
WHAT DO YOU ENJOY DOING OUTSIDE OF WORK?
Outside of work, I enjoy reading board books with my two-year old, cross-stitching, and cooking. I’m currently working on a cross-stitch of St. George slaying a dragon in an iconographic style.
WHAT BOOK(S) ARE YOU CURRENTLY READING?
I’m currently reading Don Chautard’s The Soul of the Apostolate and Fulton Sheen’s Your Life is Worth Living.
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE TRAVEL/VACATION DESTINATION?
My favourite vacation destination is the Hike Inn Lodge near Dahlonega, Georgia. There’s no cell-reception and it’s always a great place to unwind. There’s always great, home-cooked food and bunkbeds for adults. It takes a six-mile foot hike to reach the Inn so there’s no sound of cars or traffic. Plus, there’s optional educational lectures periodically throughout the day on local fauna and flora in the area, as well as stargazing.