All posts by Emily Barney

Summer 2019, Nominations & Elections

CALL Nominations and Elections Committee 2018-2019 Annual Report

Chair: Todd Ito

Members: Scott Burgh, Stephanie Crawford, Konya Moss, Jamie Sommer, and Jamie Stewart

CALL Election

The Committee started seeking nominations for candidates to run for Director, Secretary, and Vice President/President Elect in August 2018 via the CALL listserv and recommendations from the Board and Committee members.

The Committee identified members who would be suitable for these Executive Board positions and asked them to be put on the slate. Continue reading CALL Nominations and Elections Committee 2018-2019 Annual Report →

Spring 2019, Meetings

February 2019 Business Meeting with Travis McDade

Our February business meeting for 2019 was held at Maggiano’s and was a joint meeting with the Special Libraries Association (SLA) Illinois chapter.

Our SLA guests included David Bender from the Radiological Society of North America (SLA Illinois VP/President-Elect), Daniel Bostrom from RAILS and Leslie LaPlante from Interpublic Group of Companies. Vani Ungapen, AALL Executive Director, was also in attendance and Bridgette Thoma attended as a new member of CALL.There were a total of 74 registered attendees. Continue reading February 2019 Business Meeting with Travis McDade →

Spring 2019

What is Legal Technological Competency?

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Several of the sessions I attended at the ABA TechShow worked to define what technological competency is in the legal field (including law schools) or how it’s approached in law firms, including “Tech Competencies: Past, Present & Future”  to “Can Technology Competency Help You Get a Job?”

Other sessions in the Academic Track, “Law School Tech Training on a Shoestring” (presented by Joe Mitzenmacher and Debbie Ginsberg) and the “Technology in Law Schools: A Single Course or Curriculum Integration?”  looked at the work librarians are doing to create “legaltech” training programs for law students within the law school curriculum.

Most of all, I was encouraged to see this topic brought enthusiastic speakers and audiences from a range of backgrounds, not just law school librarians but everyone from firm hiring managers to new law students. The presentations were excellent, but so was the ongoing context provided during the Q&A, so I’ve included my live tweets here that to illustrate this broader conversation at the TechShow.

Continue reading What is Legal Technological Competency? →

Spring 2019, Government Relations

ILA Legislative Meetup

On February 1, I attended the Illinois Library Association’s (ILA) Legislative Meet-up at the Harold Washington Library. Both state and federally elected leaders were invited to meet with librarians from across the city. I wanted to learn more about our state library’s legislative priorities and have an opportunity to speak to elected officials face-to-face alongside librarians from a variety of disciplines.

This event, and others around the state which happen every year, allows attendees to sit around a table with an elected representative. It’s a welcoming environment where librarians are invited to share stories and ask questions of the members at their table. Continue reading ILA Legislative Meetup →

Spring 2019

ABA TechShow Legal Trends

Every year the ABA TechShow provides a great way to hear about tech trends in the legal field from practitioners, entrepreneurs, trainers, and journalists.

Tech Trends can include everything from shiny new devices to evolving business models to updated regulations and laws. With these changes come many legal challenges and opportunities.

I’m always interested to hear the types of practical advice and ongoing concerns brought to the TechShow. I’ve highlighted what stood out to me at this year’s show – if you attended and want to share what you took away in the comments, that would be very welcome! Continue reading ABA TechShow Legal Trends →

Spring 2019, Community Service

Volunteer Day at Greater Chicago Food Depository

Packing Pears at Greater Chicago Food Depository
packing pears

On Saturday, March 9, 2019,  the Community Service Committee organized a trip to the Greater Chicago Food Depository with nine volunteers, to help repack bulk fruit for distribution to local shelters, soup kitchens and food pantries.

At the February 2019 Business Meeting, CALL’s Community Service Committee collected $249 in cash donations for the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless and 4 bags of non-perishable food for the Greater Chicago Food Depository. Continue reading Volunteer Day at Greater Chicago Food Depository →

Spring 2019

Microsoft Office Tips and Tools

Since one of my hats is tech trainer in our legal writing classes, sharing how to use Microsoft Word effectively as a lawyer, I look forward to what I learn at the ABA TechShow each year about new features of Microsoft Office.

Often I’m able to from the folks who are most familiar with the legal applications of this core software. Ben Schorr, a Senior Content Developer for Microsoft, spoke at one session I attended and was called on to answer questions as an audience member at others. He recommends the Office for Lawyers Facebook group as a great way to learn new tips, best practices, and more. 

If you attended this show – sessions and/or Expo Hall, please feel free to share your own favorites tips or tools in the comments! Continue reading Microsoft Office Tips and Tools →

Winter 2019, 2019 Issues

Visual Literacy & Fake News

We’ve all heard the saying “A picture is worth a thousand words.” Have you ever taken a moment to ask why?

If pictures affect us differently than text, how can we use the power of pictures to enhance our communication? On the other hand, how can we make sure we aren’t being manipulated?

Librarians are experts in managing information, but visual information is viewed, interpreted, accessed, and stored very differently than textual information. Still, though we may need other tools or resources to find and review images, I believe our analytical skills and frameworks are just as relevant to evaluating the value of images as information.

Continue reading Visual Literacy & Fake News →

Summer 2018

Conference Review: CALIcon 2018

From June 7-8, 2018, thanks to the generosity of the CALL Grants and Chapter Awards Committee, I attended CALIcon 18 at American University Washington College of Law, in Washington, D.C.

CALIcon18

In addition to attending several excellent sessions presented by librarians, IT professionals, and law professors, I also presented a session of my own, entitled “How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bot.” In this column, I will highlight a few observations and experiences from my time at the conference. Continue reading Conference Review: CALIcon 2018 →