Keywords

Professional associations; networking; scholarships; professional ethics; publishing

Membership in professional associations and organizations

Professional development opportunities are available in most professions, especially legal, medical, nursing, accounting, and dental industries. These opportunities are designed to ensure that professionals participate in activities that will help them to improve their skills, expertise and knowledge. Predominantly, this is available at annual meetings and conferences which take place in different locations. With advancements in technology, professional development opportunities are available online through webinars, reducing the need to travel anywhere. Winterton (2011) noted that professionals form communities of practice to share knowledge and skills through personal contacts and through the formation of professional bodies. Attending these professional activities provides an opportunity for a librarian to network and meet other professionals from different institutions. These conferences provide an opportunity to see other people’s perspectives and ways of doing things. This could be either through library visits if they are scheduled in the conference program or even through discussions or conversations with colleagues. Winterton (2011) acknowledged the importance of professional development and networking, noting that ‘Networking and conference attendance in particular often give an insight into other approaches to law librarianship, perhaps the philosophical underpinnings of our profession, perhaps a good solution to a particular problem, a new way of expressing one’s aspirations or a simple new procedure. Beyond the specifics, you get the opportunity to look at your own library services with new eyes, a new sense of perspective that helps to clarify priorities and perhaps unsettles your sense of satisfaction with the status quo.’

However, professional development is not just about attending conferences but about building relationships. I have met colleagues at conferences with whom I have developed and maintained professional contacts and connections. Some have developed into collaborative initiatives where we have worked on different projects, and other relationships have extended from networking at conferences to helpful information-sharing through professional listservs.

Librarians working in academic law libraries are required to participate in professional development activities such as membership of professional bodies and attendance at conferences, among others. Job advertisements for academic law librarians often feature the following – “participating in professional activities at a regional and national level”. This implies that membership of professional associations is mandatory for librarians working in academic law libraries. In some institutions, librarians take advantage of the institutional membership which means that they don’t have to subscribe for personal memberships.

Membership in professional associations provides the librarian an opportunity to advance the collective goals of the association as well as becoming exposed to leadership opportunities that may not be available in their workplace (Farrell 2014). Librarians are elected to leadership positions where they make decisions on behalf of the members of that association or organization concerning finances, administration, planning and human resources. Farrell (2014), sharing her experience as a representative of her local library association, recalled that in addition to group dynamics and consensus building, library leaders must learn to work with legislators and stakeholders; this is a critical skill that prepared her for her current role as Dean of Libraries.

Professionalism is about being innovative, proactive and creative; peers and colleagues often showcase their work at conferences and seminars; this is an opportunity to identify someone you can collaborate with or whom you can look up to as a mentor. If you’re are newbie in the profession, it might be helpful to identify a mentor who can provide some guidance on how to thread the murky waters as there are surely challenges and interesting situations that will come your way, but the solution is not necessarily written down anywhere. Most of the professional associations have mentorship programs but if you’re one of those who would rather not participate in the formal groups, making your own arrangement is definitely a good idea.

As an incentive to promote participation in professional development some institutions provide financial support to ensure that librarians participate in these activities. They provide funding for registration, accommodation, travel and professional development leaves. The financial climate in academic institutions has impacted the amount of financial support, and some institutions are only able to provide minimal amounts to their librarians. However, there are means of improvising by applying for financial support available through professional bodies.

Professional associations for law librarians

The following is a list of professional associations for law librarians:

American Association of Law Libraries - http://www.aallnet.org/

The American Association of Law Libraries was established in 1906 and currently has a membership of 5,000 from all over the world. The mission statement of the association is to advance the profession of law librarianship and supports the professional growth of its members through leadership and advocacy in the field of legal information and information policy. The AALL is the largest and oldest law library association. Membership of the association provides members with the opportunity to participate in different chapters all over the United States; caucuses, special interest sections and committees. The chapters represent smaller groups within a state and this makes it convenient for members who are unable to travel to the annual conference. Special interest groups and caucuses focus on areas of interest of members of the association or specializations in law librarianship. Examples of caucuses, special interest sections and committees include Foreign, Comparative and International Special Interest Section (FCIL-SIS), Technical Services Special Interest Section, Student Caucus, Empirical Research Caucus, Committee on Relations with Information with Vendors, and the Diversity Committee, among others.

The annual meeting and conference usually takes place in different parts of the United States in July. Members of the association are eligible to member registration at the annual conference.

Chapters - http://www.aallnet.org/main-menu/Member-Communities/chapters/chapter-websites

The following are chapters of the American Association of Law Libraries and they all have grants for their members that will assist them towards funding of attendance at professional development activities such as conferences, workshops, seminars etc.:

Australian Law Librarians Association (ALLA) http://www.alla.asn.au/

The Australian Law Libraries Association was established in 1969 with over 500 members. One of its objectives is: “To benefit members and enhance the status of the profession by the further education and training of law librarians, legal information officers and others”. It has 6 divisions across Australia.

The annual meeting and conference takes place around mid-September each year.

British and Irish Association of Law Librarians (BIALL) http://www.biall.org.uk

The British and Irish Association of Law Librarians was established in 1969 to represent the interest of law librarians in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The annual conference and meeting usually takes place in June in cities across the United Kingdom. BIALL organizes professional development activities in the form of training for its members. Members of the association can volunteer on its Committees as well as hold positions on its Executive Council. The BIALL has the following affiliate groups:

Canadian Association of Law Libraries/Association Canadienne de Bibliothèques de Droit (CALL/ACBD) http://www.callacbd.ca/

CALL/ACBD was formally established in 1963. Its main objective is to promote networking, professional development and career growth among law librarians in Canada. The association has its origins from the networking initiative of Canadian law librarians who attended the annual meetings of the American Association of Law Libraries where they converged to have their own meetings. It became a chapter of AALL in 1963 and continued until 1972. The annual meeting and conference of CALL/ACBD takes place in May in different Canadian cities. CALL/ACBD organizes a webinar series on different law librarianship topics for its members.

Caribbean Association of Law Libraries (CARALL) http://carallonline.org/

The Caribbean Association of Law Libraries was established in 1984. It is a regional organization established to foster cooperation through conferences and discussions for its members who are librarians working in law libraries in the Caribbean. The annual meeting and conference usually takes place in early July in different parts of the Caribbean.

International Association of Law Libraries (IALL) http://www.iall.org

The International Association of Law Libraries was established in 1959 and its mission is to promote professional law librarianship and access to legal information. Members of this association come from over 50 countries in the world. The association’s annual course and meeting takes place in different parts of the world, usually in late September to early October, or in early December, depending on the weather in the hosting country.

International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA) – Law Section http://www.ifla.org/law-libraries

The Law Section of the International Federation of Library Associations was established in 2001. This group was established to provide an opportunity for foreign librarians who are able to attend the IFLA meeting but who are unable to attend other law library conferences. The group participates at the IFLA conference by organizing sessions focusing on legal information for participants.

New Zealand Law Librarians Association (NZLLA) http://www.nzlla.org

The New Zealand Law Librarians Association started as a special interest group (SIG) of the New Zealand Library Association in 1991 but has since become an independent association. One of its goals is to enhance law librarianship in New Zealand.

Nigerian Association of Law Libraries (NIALL)

The Nigerian Association of Law Libraries was established by a group of librarians working in academic law libraries in the 1960s. It is one of the special interest groups of the Nigerian Library Association. They hold their annual conference in different parts of Nigeria on dates that are agreed by members of the executive.

Organisation of South African Law Libraries - http://www.osall.org.za/

The Organisation of South African Law Libraries was established in 1976 and it is the national law library association in South Africa. They hold joint conferences, meetings and workshops with the Special Libraries and Information Services Group and the South African Online User Group.

Special Library Association (SLA) Legal Division - http://legal.sla.org/

The Legal Division of the Special Library Association was established in 1993 as a forum for librarians working in law firms, business and government libraries. The SLA holds an annual meeting in different parts of the United States and Canada.

Toronto Association of Law Libraries (TALL) - http://www.talltoronto.ca/

The Toronto Association of Law Libraries was established in 1979 and one of its objectives is to provide a network for legal information professionals to exchange ideas. The members of the group meet through lunch and learn professional development activities.

More information about law library-related associations is available on the Internet - http://www2.lib.uchicago.edu/~llou/iall.html in a research guide prepared by Lyonette Louis-Jacques of the D’Angelo Law Library, University of Chicago Law School. The website of the International Association of Law Libraries also has a calendar of international conferences and workshops.

Awards, Bursaries, Grants, Scholarships for Academic Law Librarians

Professional development activities such as conference registration or short courses can be very expensiveand many associations provide bursaries, grants, scholarships and awards for their members and, in some instances, non-members. The following are awards, bursaries, grants and scholarships available through different associations for academic law librarians to assist in the participation of professional development activities:

Short courses for academic law librarians

Legal Reference Course Materials - http://www.biall.org.uk/pages/legal-reference.html

This course is organized by the British and Irish Association of Law Librarians. It is a one-day course that introduces participants to the use of legal reference materials and its main targets are librarians who are new to law librarianship.

Legal Foundations Course - http://www.biall.org.uk/pages/legal-foundations.html

This course is organized by the British and Irish Association of Law Librarians and the Department of Professional Legal Studies, University of Westminster, London.

AALL Leadership Academy - http://www.aallnet.org/main-menu/Education/leadership-academy

This is an annual short seminar program specifically designed for law librarians aspiring to leadership positions in their career.

Management Institute – http://www.aallnet.org/main-menu/Education/management-institute

This is also a short seminar designed to provide leadership development opportunities. It takes place every two years.

New Law Librarians Institute – This program is organized by the CALL/ACBD to assist librarians to develop their competencies in law librarianship.

Conference of Newer Law Librarians – This programme is organized by the American Association of Law Libraries for librarians who are new to the association. It is available as part of the annual conference and takes place just before the opening of the annual conference.

Publishing

Writing and publishing enables librarians to make intellectual contributions to knowledge. Law librarians over the years have been very productive and creative considering the number of materials they have produced. Notable librarians such as Ms Elizabeth Moys developed and created the Moys Classification Scheme for Legal Materials that is used all over the world today. Law Librarians have contributed to electronic publishing; an example is the Hauser Global Law School Program at New York University School of Law through Globalex research guides and other electronic media on the Internet. Academic law librarians who are in tenure track positions are required to publish by their employers. Some of their publications include reviews of book and electronic resources. They also serve as editors of professional association publications.

Professional ethics

Professional ethics implies the librarian’s responsibilities to the institution, to the library patrons and their colleagues. Ethical issues usually come up in the course of performing one’s duties and they will have to be addressed. The American Association of Law Libraries has its Ethical Principles, and this can be found in Appendix II with those of the American Library Association and the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals.

The most common example in academic law libraries is the encounter with self-representing litigants who often require extended research and may sometimes need legal advice. The librarian in this kind of situation ought to know that it is outside the scope of their duties to interpret the law, but may assist them in finding the relevant materials. This is when the librarian will remember and put into play ethical principles such as those available from the American Association of Law Libraries.

Conclusion

This chapter has identified some of the professional development practices in law librarianship. It lists the professional associations for law libraries and their activities. It describes professional ethics and its practicality in academic law libraries.