Sarah Sherman Walangitan

Fall 2020

The Illinois Supreme Court Library (Chicago Branch)

There was no precise reopening date for the Illinois Supreme Court Library because we never fully shut down. Our Springfield branch maintained daily operations, including serving the public by appointment, from the start of the pandemic. Here in Chicago, where we serve three Supreme Court justices and the judges of the First District Appellate Court, I have gone into the office at least once a week since mid-March. Each judge made their own decision about how to work, so I still communicate with some judges and clerks in person when they are in the building, others only via email. Continue reading The Illinois Supreme Court Library (Chicago Branch) →

Winter 2020, Grants & Chapter Awards, Mentorship & Leadership Development

Grantee Report from CONELL & AALL Annual Meeting 2019

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Attending the AALL Annual Meeting and Conference can be a worthwhile – and fun! – experience for law librarians at any career stage. The two of us, as newer law librarians, found this year’s meeting to be especially rewarding. It made us feel good about our profession and the people who have chosen it.

We are both relative newcomers to this career–Sarah at the Illinois Supreme Court Library and Leslie at DuPage County Law Library. We met at a CALL Mentorship and Leadership Development Committee lunch last year.

Six months later, with the help of generous grants from CALL, we headed off to Washington, D.C. for our first AALL Annual Meeting.  We both want to thank CALL for the grants and support which allowed us the opportunity to attend AALL. Continue reading Grantee Report from CONELL & AALL Annual Meeting 2019 →

Summer 2019, Government Relations

UELMA Update: An Interview with Jacob Jost, Illinois Supreme Court Reporter of Decisions

Five years ago, the Uniform Electronic Legal Material Act (UELMA) was signed into Illinois law. Our state was the 11th one to enact this uniform law; at this point it has been enacted in 21 states (Texas, most recently) plus the District of Columbia.

Starting in 2016, the official online versions of Illinois Supreme and Appellate Court opinions have been affixed with a digital signature. These signatures are administered by the Reporter of Decisions and certify that the opinion is a true copy of the official opinion.

Continue reading UELMA Update: An Interview with Jacob Jost, Illinois Supreme Court Reporter of Decisions →

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 →