Welcome to the Fall 2021 CALL Bulletin. As we enter what is often the busiest time of the year, we hope you have time to sit down this season and read the wonderful articles we have rounded up.
First, as always, the President’s message from current president, Jamie Sommer. Then follow the Community Service Committee and their Community Beach Cleanup organized to fight plastic pollution. Learn all about CALL Grant recipient Brittany Adams’ experience at Rare Books School (congratulate her, too.) Finally, to round it all out, we have our Board Meeting Minutes. Enjoy!
As I sit down to write this, I see snowflakes in the forecast for the upcoming week, which means that the brief but glorious period of fall in Chicago is quickly transitioning into the colder, darker days of winter. Fortunately, it also means that the holidays are approaching and for many people such as me, this will bring celebratory gatherings with family and friends after a year of scaled back or cancelled festivities. Aside from the pure joy of sharing hugs and pumpkin pie, I appreciate the seasonal opportunity to pause and reflect on all that I am thankful for, including being part of this community. Continue reading President’s Letter→
This summer, thanks to a CALL grant, I was able to take Law Books: History & Connoisseurship, a course held through the Rare Book School at the University of Virginia.
The course, which was held remotely, took place from August 1-6 and was team taught by Mike Widener, recently retired from the Lillian Goldman Law Library at Yale Law School, and Ryan Greenwood, of the University of Minnesota Law Library.
The curriculum covered the canon of historical law books, as well as the history of the trade in Europe, America, and Latin America. The course was framed with a view to collection development: assignments required me to think strategically about how I would like to curate a collection, and a rare bookseller was invited as a guest speaker to offer insight into the current market. Continue reading Grantee Report: Law Books: History &; Connoisseurship Rare Books School→
Thanks to a generous grant from CALL, I was able to attend the virtual AALL Management Institute in March 2021 The Management Institute is a two-day immersion which ambitiously aims to prepare “managers to thrive in uncertainty, confidently navigate conflict, and build commitment to strategic goals.” Continue reading Grantee Report: AALL Management Institute→
The CALL Grants and Awards Committee graciously provided me with a Grant to enroll in the AALL Introduction to Law Libraries virtual course. The course was self-paced which created flexibility in my scheduling; while I received the grant in March, I was able to take and complete the course in June after the semester and grading had ended. Additionally, the course itself was only one hour long allowing me to complete it gradually over the course of a full day, rather than being required to sit during a one hour slot. This flexibility was wonderful and allowed me to focus on work while also completing the course. Continue reading Grantee Report: AALL Introduction to Law Library Budgets Course→
Our friend and colleague John Klaus died unexpectedly this March. John was a kind, caring, thoroughly professional, and wonderful person who loved his family and his work. He came to the Library of the U.S. Courts of the Seventh Circuit in 1989 after beginning his law librarian career at the Chicago office of Jenner and Block.
He guided the research and reference librarians, judges, law clerks, and staff of the courts through the many evolving changes in legal research over the more than thirty years he served the federal judiciary. Continue reading Remembering John Klaus→
In 2020-2021, the CALL Public Relations Committee had the following members: Shari Berkowitz Duff, Debbie Ginsberg, Lyonette Louis-Jacques (Chair), Sharon Nelson, and Sarah Sherman. Megan Butman served as CALL Board Liaison. Continue reading CALL Public Relations Committee 2020-2021 Annual Report→
Newsletter of the Chicago Association of Law Libraries
