Ariel Scotese is the Associate Director for User Services at the D’Angelo Law Library at the University of Chicago. She became a member of CALL in September. Ariel graciously answered the following questions from the CALL Bulletin.
Tell us a little about your position at the D’Angelo Law Library Continue reading New Member Profile: Ariel Scotese
In January, Susane (Sue) Yesnick retired from Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath (previously Drinker Biddle & Reath) after 24 years. Retiring as a Senior Research Librarian, Sue started her career at Honigman LLP in Detroit, then spending several years in corporate and business libraries, including the Marketing and Strategy Library at Kraft Foods. The CALL Bulletin interviewed Sue upon her retirement to ask her about her experiences and find out what CALL meant to her.
Why did you decide to choose a career in law librarianship?
Law librarianship was a lucky break – actually, a couple of times. I wanted to be a newspaper librarian. My internship during my MSLS was at the Detroit Free Press information center. But at graduation there were no newspaper or magazine library openings. I saw a placement opening on the job board of the MSLS program at Wayne State for a beginning law library reference position at Honigman LLP in Detroit. I had taken several social science and government documents reference classes, so I applied. I took a Legal Research class after I got the position.
After a few years, I moved cities and positions, and was in Marketing & Strategy business libraries for many years, including at Kraft Foods. Shortly after the Kraft Foods position ended, one of the Kraft Foods external competitive intelligence researchers knew of a library research position at the-then Gardner Carton & Douglas. (Gardner Carton & Douglas merged with Drinker Biddle & Reath in 2007).
As we know, law librarianship is not confined to purely “legal” sources and research. Law librarianship was a great experience to blend my business, government, and legal research skills. I have had great Directors and colleagues, and appreciate their support and friendship.
What about librarianship changed the most during your career? Conversely, what about librarianship stayed the same during your career?
The common responses for what changed the most in librarianship are the speed at which information is now available, the ever-growing choices of resources, and the sheer sizes of large firms.
What I think has stayed the same is the importance of the trust relationship between internal and external “clients”. Whether research took several days to receive in the mail, or within an hour from now-online resource, internal and external clients have to trust that the researcher is knowledgeable and acting faithfully to pursue the research, and the researcher always has to manage expectations.
What made you decide to join CALL and how has CALL helped you throughout your career?
I have consistently belonged to law library or special library organizations throughout my career. CALL has been a great avenue for education, and for sharing of the law firm changes many of us encountered. Years ago I also occasionally presented at CALL panels or wrote for the CALL Bulletin, and they were also good opportunities for shared experiences.
What will you miss most about being a librarian?
I most miss that now when I see an article on a topic I know one of my attorneys was deeply interested in, not being able to share the information. Even with the news gathering resources firms have now, sometimes the breaking or significant news gets buried. I miss being on the cutting-edge of new developments. I miss the “hunt” for the research, but I do not miss writing memos.
What is one piece of advice you want to share with your fellow CALL members?
Mostly because of events in my life over the past few years, I have been recently been part of a number of conversations about the importance of Gratitude. Even for small things. For my career, and for the relationships I have because of that career, I am very grateful.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/susane-sue-yesnick-99b326b
The CALL Member Spotlight is a new featured column. We will share when members get a new job, receive an award or recognition, speak at a conference or any other special news that members would like to share with CALL.
Congratulations to:
LC: You are currently a student at University of Illinois Graduate School of Library and Information Science (GSLIS) living on campus. How long have you been a Graduate Assistant in the Law Library?
ML: I started the assistantship last August. I can’t believe it has been eight months!
LC: What made you decide to become a law librarian?
ML: A few years ago, I debated between applying to law school and library and information science graduate school. Law school was something I had considered since college. On the other hand, I love helping people and finding information, so librarianship seemed like a natural combination of the two. I ended up deciding to apply to law school, but librarianship was still in the back of my mind. The timing was finally right to go to library school, so here I am! Continue reading Meet New CALL Member, Mandy Lee
CALL is thrilled to announce that Judith M. Wright, who directed the D’Angelo Law Library of the University of Chicago for over thirty years, will receive the 2016 Marian Gould Gallagher Distinguished Service Award by the American Association of Law Libraries. Ms. Wright will be recognized at the AALL Annual Meeting in Chicago this summer.
Continue reading AALL Honors CALL’s Judith Wright with 2016 Gallagher Award
New CALL member, Trez Drake, is the Foreign, Comparative & International Law Librarian at Northwestern Pritzker School of Law. Her Northwestern colleague, Tom Gaylord, recently interviewed her so we could get to know her. Continue reading Meet New CALL Member Trezlen Drake
As this is the international issue of the CALL Bulletin, it seemed appropriate to find out where our members have traveled. In September 2015, we sent out a three question survey to CALL members and plotted the answers on a map.
The responses to each of the questions are layered in different colors. “Where is the furthest you’ve traveled from home?” is in red. “What was your most memorable trip?” is plotted in blue. And, “What is your dream trip?” is green. In total, there were 38 responses, including 4 anonymous responses and one person who answered twice (whose answers were almost exactly the same and were combined). The respondents range from retired, to law school and law firm librarians, to public law librarians and vendors (although not everyone provided demographic information).
Take a look at the map to see the results: “Where in the World?” map
In an organization as large as CALL, members come and go and many of us sometimes wonder where our former colleagues have gone and what they are doing personally and professionally. This article is the revival of a past series featuring individuals who were Chicago law librarians at one time and who have moved on to other locations, jobs, or even careers. Suggestions for future profiles are welcome.
Laura Weidig, an active CALL member during the 1990s, recently attended the September 2015 CALL Business Meeting as a representative of Priory Solutions, the meeting sponsor. Many members enjoyed talking with Laura and wanted to know more about her professional journey. I had the pleasure of interviewing Laura and learning more about her experience as a law librarian and information professional and the factors that have influenced her career path. Continue reading Whatever Happened To . . . Laura Weidig?
JH: Tell us a little about yourself.
LT: I practiced ERISA law for 5 years. I just left Kirkland & Ellis at the end of June. I am the proud mother of a 2 ½ year old boy and a 10-month old girl.
New CALL member, Stacia Stein, is a graduate student in the Graduate School of Library and Information Science (GSLIS) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and a member of the CALL Bulletin Committee.
Fellow Bulletin Committee member, Juanita Harrell, recently interviewed her so we could all get to know her a little better.
JH: Tell us a little about yourself.
SS: I went to DePaul for undergrad. I received my law degree in 2006. I studied German/ international studies, human issues. I also studied abroad in England and Ireland. Continue reading Meet New CALL Member Stacia Stein
