With the approaching Thanksgiving holiday, I have been reflecting on what I am grateful for in our community and profession. With tight deadlines and rapid technological change, I often have to remind myself that, in spite of the stress, there is so much I appreciate about the world of law librarianship. Here are the top 5 things I’m grateful for this November.
🍁 Mentors. I feel fortunate to have experienced the guidance of so many people who answered my questions, showed me the ropes, or talked through an unfamiliar project with me. We are all lucky to be in such a collaborative profession.
🍁 Technology. Even with the frustrations and learning curves associated with new technology, my job is much easier than it was 10 or 15 years ago. I remember photocopying stacks of cases from the bound reporter volumes, watching a busy fax machine for documents, and printing off towers of SEC documents. While there are always growing pains, here’s hoping that the newest round of tech will continue to make our lives better overall.
🍁 CALL. I’m grateful that we have an active local association. I appreciate the hard work everyone puts in so we can have engaging meetings, continuing education, networking opportunities and community involvement. Making connections with all of you makes the tough parts of the job easier.
🍁 Repository Libraries. On more than one occasion, a government or law school library has saved the day with their expertise and wealth of archived materials. Sometimes you really do need the corporate shareholder statute from 1908! We are fortunate to have so many Chicago area university, public, and municipal libraries.
🍁 Random Acts of Kindness. From the harried docket clerk who looked up a case with partial information, to the colleague that pitched in for a tight deadline, to the attorney who patiently explained a complicated concept – your thoughtfulness continues to make my job rewarding.
Thank you to everyone for being part of our interesting and unique law librarian community!