Blog

The most recent episode on Legal Skies, a podcast produced by the Law Society of Saskatchewan, is about Law Librarians and their Role in Access to Justice.

It features three prominent CALL members, Alan Kilpatrick, Shaunna Mireau and Kim Nayyer:

"We discuss the important role information professionals (i.e. law librarians) play in the justice system and how they are helping expand public access to legal information. Our guests are Alan Kilpatrick, Co-Director of Legal Resources at the Law Society of Saskatchewan, Shaunna Mireau, Past-President of the Canadian Association of Law Libraries, and Kim Nayyer, Associate Dean of the Cornell Law School and President of the Canadian Association of Law Libraries."

We all have a few tricks up our sleeve when it comes to performing legal research. We sometimes share them with clients. And sometimes, we like to use those tricks to hunt down seemingly impossible to find material and wow them. Because nothing is “impossible” for law librarians.

The CALL blog has started a new regular series of research tips and tricks.

Please share your favourite or coolest strategies with Michel-Adrien Sheppard to have them published on the CALL blog.

Nous avons tous nos trucs favoris quand il s'agit de faire de la recherche juridique. Parfois, nous les partageons avec nos clients. Et parfois, nous aimons les épater en utilisant ces trucs et astuces pour mettre la main sur des informations apparemment impossibles à trouver. Car rien n’est « impossible » pour des bibliothécaires de droit.

Le blogue de l'ACBD a lancé une nouvelle série sur les trucs et astuces de recherche.

SVP partagez vos stratégies les plus intéressantes ou les plus « cool » avec Michel-Adrien Sheppard afin de les faire publier sur le blogue de CALL/ACBD.

Today: What is a Supplement?

By Susannah Tredwell, Manager of Library Services at DLA Piper (Canada) LLP in Vancouver (originally published June 23, 2021 as a SlawTip on the Slaw.ca website):

You will notice that some citations for acts contain the abbreviation “Supp.” (short for “supplement”). An example of this would be “Competition Tribunal Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. 19 (2nd Supp.)”. But what does this mean?

The main volumes of R.S.C. 1985 contain acts that came into being before or on December 31, 1984, but R.S.C. 1985 was not brought into force until December 12, 1988. So what happened to all the legislation made between January 1, 1985 and December 11, 1988? If you guessed that they became the supplements to R.S.C. 1985 you would be correct; for example R.S.C. 1985 (1st Supp.) contains the acts that received Royal Assent in 1985 and R.S.C. 1985 (2nd Supp.) contains the acts that received Royal Assent in 1986.

The supplements to R.S.C. 1985 have different in force dates depending on which supplement they are in; the BC Courthouse Libraries has produced a helpful guide to the various in force dates.

You will also find supplements in provincial legislation, e.g. R.S.B.C. 1996 included any acts that had received Royal Assent but had not come into force as of December 31, 1996 (the cut off date for the Revised Statutes) as supplements.

Le texte français suit.

We all have a few tricks up our sleeve when it comes to performing legal research. We sometimes share them with clients. And sometimes, we like to use those tricks to hunt down seemingly impossible to find material and wow them. Because nothing is “impossible” for law librarians.

The CALL blog has started a new regular series of research tips and tricks.

Please share your favourite or coolest strategies with Michel-Adrien Sheppard to have them published on the CALL blog.

Today: Finding Answers to Quebec Legal Questions

CAIJ is the Centre d’accès à l’information juridique. It is associated with the Barreau du Québec and it runs a network of some 40 libraries in the province’s courthouses.

It also operates the online suite of tools known as JuriBistro:

One of the tools is Questions de recherche - JuriBistro TOPO, a searchable/browsable knowledgebase of more than 5,000 legal research questions in 55 areas of law with the answers provided by CAIJ researchers – for each question, TOPO supplies relevant legislation and commentary.

The material is in French.

For example:

À qui appartient le fardeau de la preuve dans un recours en prescription acquisitive? (burden of proof in cases involving acquisitive prescription under the Quebec Civil Code):

If you are new to an area of research in Quebec civil law, try searching the collection of JuriBistro TOPO questions - it is possible that CAIJ experts have already identified the major sources (laws, cases, textbook sections and pages) on your issue.

Nous avons tous nos trucs favoris quand il s'agit de faire de la recherche juridique. Parfois, nous les partageons avec nos clients. Et parfois, nous aimons les épater en utilisant ces trucs et astuces pour mettre la main sur des informations apparemment impossibles à trouver. Car rien n’est « impossible » pour des bibliothécaires de droit.

Le blogue de l'ACBD a lancé une nouvelle série sur les trucs et astuces de recherche.

SVP partagez vos stratégies les plus intéressantes ou les plus « cool » avec Michel-Adrien Sheppard afin de les faire publier sur le blogue de CALL/ACBD.

Aujourd'hui: comment trouver des réponses à des questions sur le droit québécois

Le CAIJ est le Centre d’accès à l’information juridique qui est associé au Barreau du Québec et exploite un réseau de 40 bibliothèques et points de services dans les palais de justice. 

Sa plateforme numérique s'appelle Espace CAIJ avec sa banque d'outils de recherche JuriBistro:

Une des sous-collections est celle des Questions de recherche - JuriBistro TOPO, une banque de connaissances de plus de 5,000 questions de recherche indexées dans quelque 55 domaines de droit. Pour chacune, les chercheurs du CAIJ fournissent les sources législatives et doctrinales utiles.

Par exemple: À qui appartient le fardeau de la preuve dans un recours en prescription acquisitive?

Si vous ne connaissez pas un domaine en droit civil québécois, cherchez dans la collection de questions TOPO - il est possible que les experts du CAIJ aient déjà identifié les sources les plus pertinentes relatives à votre question (lois, jurisprudence et doctrine)

CALL's Diversity, Inclusion, & Decolonization Committee is shaken and troubled by the shocking attack on a three generation Muslim family in London, Ontario on June 6, 2021.

Our hearts go out to the 9-year-old survivor, the friends and relatives of the victims, and to the Muslim Community.

Hate has no place in a kind and just society.

Islamophobia and anti-Muslim sentiment run counter to the rights and freedoms Canada represents - the very reason for which many of us and our families came to this land. 

This terrorist attack is a reminder that we must do all we can to overcome racism in our community, workplace, and profession.

This senseless act shows that we all need to do our part in building a society that embraces the diversity in each of us and provides for inclusion so that we all have a sense of belonging in a world where equality is not lost. 

Alexandra Farolan, Library Assistant | Courthouse Libraries BC 

1.      Tell us a little about your educational background and how you entered the legal information industry.  

I am currently a Library Information and Technology Diploma student at Langara College. Prior to this, I worked on two certificate programs through the British Columbia Institute of Technology (Office Administrator with Technology and Medical Office Assisting). I worked as a registration and health records clerk for a few years in the hospitals. Managing patient records introduced me to the processes of information preservation and confidentiality which in turn piqued my interest in legislation pertaining to freedom of information. I've also had some personal experiences which have lead to my overall interest in examining opportunities in the legal industry. I generally find knowing more about my rights is empowering and being surrounded professionally in an industry that serves those who advocate and rally for rights is something I am excited to contribute to.

2.      How has being involved in CALL helped you professionally (e.g. scholarships & grants, continuing education, networking)?

I joined CALL in January 2020 so I am definitely still green, but I've found the professional development opportunities and connecting with other members to be incredibly supportive and educational. There are many opportunities here in the association to be a part of and to contribute to. I have really enjoyed being paired up as a mentee in the mentorship program as it has provided me in gaining more insight and perspective on the industry and provides opportunity for professional rapport. Being the Members and Projects Profiles Coordinator has been more challenging than I anticipated and meeting deadlines might be something to work on...In saying that, it has been great to learn and connect a bit more with our members where I otherwise may not have!  

3.      What was your first library-related job?

Not a job, but I was part of a volunteer program in 2004 to 2005 called Katimavik where people ages 18 to 23 would live with each other and volunteer in the community across three provinces. I had two library volunteer rotations: Bibliothèque Publique De Tracadie-Sheila in Tracadie-Shelia, New Brunswick and the Jasper Municipal Library in Jasper, Alberta. I enjoyed putting the books back on the shelves and seeing what people were reading. I also learned some basic library protocols such as processing materials to send to other branches, checking materials out to clients, and minor repairs. I also worked with a great team at Indigo Books in morning operations from 2018 to 2020. I've been in my role as a library assistant with CLBC for a little over a year which has provided much learning experience in processing and cataloging legal materials and professional development examining important topics including but not limited to, systemic racism, understanding trauma, Indigenous human rights, etc.      
  
4.  What’s one blog, website, or Twitter account that you can’t go one day without checking?  

As an information junkie, it is difficult to pick one. Here are a few links currently on rotation: 

rightsofchildren.ca https://vimeo.com/courthouselibrary

https://www.eddiemoorejr.com/21daychallenge - "For 21 days, do one action to further your understanding of power, privilege, supremacy, oppression, and equity" 

and 

Ruby Ibarra - She is a Filipina-American rapper that started a scholarship called Pinays Rising which was created to support fellow Filipina-Americans who demonstrate excellence in arts and/or social activism in pursuing higher education.

5.      What are three things on your bucket list? 

I'm currently focused on short-term goals so I'll share those: finish reading Oral History on Trial : Recognizing Aboriginal Narratives in the Courts by Bruce Granville Miller, give my car a professional detail job all by myself, and complete my diploma program.

We all have a few tricks up our sleeve when it comes to performing legal research. We sometimes share them with clients. And sometimes, we like to use those tricks to hunt down seemingly impossible to find material and wow them. Because nothing is “impossible” for law librarians.

The CALL blog has started a new regular series of research tips and tricks.

Please share your favourite or coolest strategies with Michel-Adrien Sheppard to have them published on the CALL blog.

Today: Sources for Finding Canadian Court Records

Members of the Canadian Association of Law Libraries from across the country chipped in recently to compile a list of sources for obtaining court documents from different jurisdictions.

The idea came from Sarah Richmond, Manager of Research Services with the Vancouver law firm Alexander Holburn Beaudin + Lang LLP.

Meris Bray, Reference Librarian at the University of Windsor Faculty of Law, converted the information into a webpage.

Nous avons tous nos trucs favoris quand il s'agit de faire de la recherche juridique. Parfois, nous les partageons avec nos clients. Et parfois, nous aimons les épater en utilisant ces trucs et astuces pour mettre la main sur des informations apparemment impossibles à trouver. Car rien n’est « impossible » pour des bibliothécaires de droit.

Le blogue de l'ACBD a lancé une nouvelle série sur les trucs et astuces de recherche.

SVP partagez vos stratégies les plus intéressantes ou les plus « cool » avec Michel-Adrien Sheppard afin de les faire publier sur le blogue de CALL/ACBD.

Aujourd'hui: où trouver des dossiers judiciaires des différents tribunaux au Canada

Des membres de l'Association canadienne des bibliothèques de droit de toutes les régions du pays ont mis la main à la pâte récemment pour dresser une liste des sources où il est possible d'obtenir des documents relatifs aux instances judiciaires.

L'idée vient de Sarah Richmond, Gestionnaire des services de la recherche au cabinet vancouvérois Alexander Holburn Beaudin + Lang LLP.

Meris Bray, bibliothécaire de référence à la Faculté de droit de l'Université de Windsor, a converti toute l'information recueillie en page web.

Le texte français suit.

The most recent issue of the Canadian Law Library Review (CLLR) is available online. The CLLR is the official journal of the Canadian Association of Law Libraries (CALL). It is an open access publication.

You can browse the regular sections of books reviews, bibliographic notes, local and regional updates, as well as news from the UK, the US and Australia.

And be sure to check out the feature articles: 

• "The Law Librarian’s Role in Reconciliation", Alexi Fox, p. 11:
  
  “Reconciliation is an effort that must be taken by all professions if the harm that colonization did to the Indigenous Peoples who reside in what is now Canada is to be truly rectified. For the legal profession, an aspect of reconciliation is recognizing Indigenous law as a legitimate source of law alongside common and civil law. Law librarians have their place in this, as they now have the duty to become familiar with the sources of Indigenous law, and how to find them, if they are to support the legal community in taking this step. To do this requires turning current thinking on its head: customs and traditions need to be embraced as valid sources of law, just as statutes and acts are. While finding these sources will require creativity and ingenuity on the part of the law librarian, it is necessary to do so if they are to take an active role in reconciliation.”
  
  
• "Artificial Intelligence and Access to Justice: A New Frontier for Law Librarians", Laura Viselli, p. 17:
  
  “Artificial Intelligence (AI) has created new tools for legal research and changed the law librarian’s role. In addition, it has been suggested that AI will have a positive effect on Access to Justice (A2J), the lack of which is a significant issue in Canada. Despite this positive viewpoint, biases in systems using AI—be they related to access to resources, user ability, or the inherent biases in data—are likely to perpetuate the digital divide rather than ameliorate it. These biases undermine the ability of the most vulnerable members of society to benefit from A2J tools, despite the fact they are the ones who need them most. Bringing these discussions together demonstrates how law librarians can take their evolving responsibilities and blend their passions for technology and A2J initiatives to ensure these technologies get into the hands of those who are in dire need. Law librarians are among the best suited to stand guard against proponents of AI interventions who will rush to bring products to the market that Canada’s most vulnerable cannot access, afford, or understand. Law librarians can facilitate equitable A2J in Canada using AI by being reliable educators, experienced researchers, meticulous consultants, and relentless advocates for those in most need.”
  

Le numéro le plus récent de la Revue canadienne des bibliothèques de droit (RCBD) est maintenant disponible en ligne. La RCBD est la revue officielle de l'Association canadienne des bibliothèques de droit. C'est une publication en libre accès.

Vous pouvez consulter les recensions de livres, la chronique bibliographique, les mises à jour locales et régionales de même que les nouvelles des États-Unis, du Royaume-Uni et de l'Australie.

Et ne manquez pas les nouveaux articles de fond:

• "The Law Librarian’s Role in Reconciliation", Alexi Fox, p. 11:
  
  “La réconciliation est un effort qui doit être entrepris par toutes les professions si l’on veut, que le tort causé par la colonisation aux peuples autochtones qui résident dans ce qui est aujourd’hui le Canada, soit vraiment réparé. Pour la profession juridique, il s’agit notamment de reconnaître le droit autochtone comme une source légitime de droit, au même titre que la common law et le droit civil. Les bibliothécaires juridiques ont leur place dans ce processus, car ils ont maintenant le devoir de se familiariser avec les sources du droit autochtone et la façon de les trouver, s’ils veulent aider la communauté juridique à franchir cette étape. Pour ce faire, il faut renverser la pensée actuelle : les coutumes et les traditions doivent être considérées comme des sources de droit valables, au même titre que les lois. Trouver ces sources exigera de la créativité et de l’ingéniosité de la part des bibliothécaires juridiques, mais il est nécessaire de le faire s’ils veulent jouer un rôle actif dans la réconciliation.” [sommaire]
  
  
• "Artificial Intelligence and Access to Justice: A New Frontier for Law Librarians", Laura Viselli, p. 17:
  
  “L’intelligence artificielle (IA) a créé de nouveaux outils pour la recherche juridique et a modifié le rôle du bibliothécaire juridique. De plus, il a été suggéré que l’IA aura un effet positif sur l’accès à la justice (A2J), dont le manque est un problème important au Canada. Malgré ce point de vue positif, les biais des systèmes utilisant l’IA, qu’ils soient liés à l’accès aux ressources, à la capacité de l’utilisateur ou aux biais inhérents aux données, sont susceptibles de perpétuer le fossé numérique plutôt que de l’améliorer. Ces biais sapent la capacité des membres les plus vulnérables de la société à bénéficier des outils de l’A2J, alors qu’ils sont ceux qui en ont le plus besoin. La réunion de ces discussions montre comment les bibliothécaires juridiques peuvent assumer leurs responsabilités en constante évolution et combiner leurs passions pour la technologie et les initiatives d’accès au droit pour s’assurer que ces technologies se retrouvent entre les mains de ceux qui en ont le plus besoin. Les bibliothécaires juridiques sont parmi les mieux placés pour se tenir à l’écart des partisans des interventions de l’IA qui se précipiteront pour mettre sur le marché des produits auxquels les plus vulnérables du Canada ne peuvent avoir accès, qu’ils ne peuvent se permettre ou qu’ils ne peuvent comprendre. Les bibliothécaires de droit peuvent faciliter l’accès équitable à la justice au Canada (aux outils utilisant l’IA) en étant des éducateurs fiables, des chercheurs expérimentés, des consultants méticuleux et des défenseurs acharnés de ceux qui en ont le plus besoin.” [sommaire]

By Andrea Black, Research Specialist, Dentons Canada LLP, Montreal / Co-chair, Diversity, Inclusion, and Decolonization Committee

The Diversity, Inclusion, and Decolonization Committee (DIDC) is pleased to let you know about the many sessions at this year’s virtual CALL/ACBD Conference that relate to issues of diversity, inclusion, and equity.

A pre-conference presentation in French on inclusive language will start off the proceedings: join us for "Formation sur la langue inclusive: le masculin ne l’emporte plus!" by Michaël Lessard and Suzanne Zaccour.

On June 1^st, Val Napoleon will give the keynote on Indigenous legal research. "There Are Lots of Boxes: Engaging with Indigenous Laws Today" will explore legal pluralism and Indigenous intellectual property law.

Later that afternoon, learn how law librarians have been monitoring COVID-19 legal responses in Latin America and the Caribbean with Abby Dos Santos, Jeanette Bulkan, Marcelo Rodriguez, and Yemisi Dina.

On June 3^rd, Avnish Nanda’s keynote, "Law as a Public Space," will explain how democratizing the law can serve the most marginalized in our society.

Next, a panel discussion with Grace Lo, Kathy Fletcher, Ronald E. Wheeler, and Yasmin Sokkar Harker will teach us about bias in legal information through the lenses of Critical Legal Theory and Critical Race Theory.

Rounding off Thursday’s program, Professor Colleen Sheppard will tell us how the pandemic has created systemic discrimination, and what legal remedies are needed to respond to these harms.

DIDC thanks all these speakers for sharing their work on issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion in law and legal research.

Register for the conference now!

We all have a few tricks up our sleeve when it comes to performing legal research. We sometimes share them with clients. And sometimes, we like to use those tricks to hunt down seemingly impossible to find material and wow them. Because nothing is “impossible” for law librarians.

The CALL blog has started a new regular series of research tips and tricks.

Please share your favourite or coolest strategies with Michel-Adrien Sheppard to have them published on the CALL blog.

Nous avons tous nos trucs favoris quand il s'agit de faire de la recherche juridique. Parfois, nous les partageons avec nos clients. Et parfois, nous aimons les épater en utilisant ces trucs et astuces pour mettre la main sur des informations apparemment impossibles à trouver. Car rien n’est « impossible » pour des bibliothécaires de droit.

Le blogue de l'ACBD a lancé une nouvelle série sur les trucs et astuces de recherche.

SVP partagez vos stratégies les plus intéressantes ou les plus « cool » avec Michel-Adrien Sheppard afin de les faire publier sur le blogue de CALL/ACBD.

Today: Noting Up Specific Paragraphs of Cases (by Sharona Brookman, Reference Librarian, Osgoode Hall Law School, York University, Toronto).

Have you ever wanted to find cases that deal with a specific section of a case, but don’t want to look through all the cases that cite your case? Here are some tips to do just that.

CanLII

If you want to note up a particular paragraph on CanLII, look for the text box to the right of the case paragraph that interests you.

The example below is taken from Dunsmuir v. New Brunswick, 2008 SCC 9.

The number in the box on the right (in this case "12") gives the number of cases that cite paragraph 9. Click on the box, and it will open up different functionalities. Click on "Citing documents" it will take you to the list of cases that mention paragraph 9.

JustisOne

JustisOne (also known as vLexJustis) is a huge subscription-based caselaw database that includes Canadian cases and has a feature similar to CanLII for finding cases that cite a specific paragraph of a case. Here’s how to do it:

• Click on the settings icon and select Canada as your jurisdiction.

• Search for a case, e.g. Rizzo v. Rizzo Shoes Ltd. (Re), [1998] 1 SCR 27, 154DLR 4^th 193.

• The case appears on the right side of the screen. The paragraph or paragraphs that are most heavily cited appear on the left side of the screen, along with an option to highlight all quoted passages. In this case, para. 27 is cited most frequently.

• Click on “Highlight all quoted passages”. “Displaying quoted passages” now appears on top of the case, along with a “heat map” in varying shades of purple running along the right-hand side of the screen. The darker the shade of purple, the more that paragraph has been cited by other cases.

• Scroll down the case until you see the paragraph that interests you. Using paragraph 27 as an example, you’ll see that most of it is highlighted in the darkest shade of purple, as this is the part that has been cited most often.

Left click on any part of this section and a “Quoted in” list of citing cases will come up on the left. You can scroll through all the cases and click on any of them to go to the citing case, with the option of going to the specific paragraph in that case that cites the Rizzo v Rizzo Shoes case.

The list of citing cases includes cases from all the different jurisdictions JustisOne covers. If your subscription doesn’t include a specific jurisdiction you will still be able to see the citation for the case but won’t be able to access it through JustisOne. Links to free sources to the case may be available, for instance to New Zealand cases on the New Zealand Legal Information Institute (NZLII).

Lexis Advance and/or Westlaw Canada

On Lexis Advance Quicklaw and WestlawNext Canada there is no automatic or perfect way to do this, but there’s a partial workaround. Select some consecutive words in the paragraph that are likely to be cited.

The words should be distinct enough so as not to appear exactly in the same way in any other case and short enough that a search engine can handle the search.

Try 5 to 8 words. Then do a phrase search in a full text database. In Westlaw select Cases, use the Advanced Search function and enter the terms in the "This exact phrase" search box.

In Quicklaw select cases, use the Advanced Search function and put quotation marks around the phrase.

With thanks to CanLII's Sarah Sutherland, vLex Justis’s Mary Ibrahim and Ken Fox of the Law Society of Saskatchewan.

By Erin Clupp, Research Librarian in Norton Rose Fulbright’s Vancouver office.

Congratulations! You’ve successfully completed library school and are a freshly minted information professional. What is an exciting time in your life can also be overshadowed by what comes next: the dreaded job hunt, heightened by the fact that we are still struggling through the COVID-19 pandemic.

Despite this being a challenging and unprecedented time to enter the workforce, there are still many exciting opportunities that await you. Here are some tips and words of advice that I hope are helpful and comforting as you navigate through this next phase of your career:

1) Manage your expectations but be kind to yourself

First and foremost, job hunting can really suck. It’s important to acknowledge this and understand there will be periods of frustration, self-doubt, and worry (especially when we have bills to pay). This is normal! Rejection can be painful, and sending applications into that black hole where resumes seem to go can be demoralizing but don’t give up!

When job hunting, be mindful of the following:

As a new grad, you are probably eager and excited to land that first job and start working! Have some patience, the process may take longer than you would like it to be (before and during the interview process).

It is also great to have goals, but realize you may not get your “dream job” right outside the gate. That is fine! Along the way, you may find you don’t have one dream job after all, and that you enjoy doing many types of work.

Resist the urge to compare yourself to others. Some people may seem to have better “luck” or have more apparent success early on. We don’t always know their stories, what their past experiences are or who they may know. Just remember, we are all operating on different timelines and your opportunity will come. It doesn’t make you a failure or unworthy if it takes you a bit longer or if you end up in an area completely different than you originally thought.

While job hunting can become a full time job, don’t forget to take breaks and don’t let it become all-consuming. Focus some energy on your hobbies, personal relationships, and most importantly rest!

2) Beyond the library – be flexible and think outside the box

The information profession is evolving, and while there are still plenty of “traditional” LIS jobs in academic and public library settings, there are increasingly more jobs in special libraries and in larger “information teams” in government, private corporations, and non-profits. When searching for job postings, don’t just focus on the job title, be sure to also read the descriptions and position requirements. Look for buzz words like “information analyst”, “knowledge management”, “content creation”, “competitive intelligence”, “prospect research”, “information architecture”, or “data curation”, all of which use the skills of an LIS professional and are increasingly in demand as businesses recognize the need for improved information governance and user experience.

I know people with LIS backgrounds who work in academic institutions, museums, archives, law firms, government, telecommunications companies, non-profit organizations, healthcare, and international organizations doing a variety of work including research, privacy, information security, instruction, technical writing, and management. Basically any organization that deals with information and people (read: all of them) may have a position that you can apply for. Now is the time to experiment and try new opportunities. Don’t worry about pigeonholing yourself, because you can always leverage your transferable skills and move within industries and organizations.

3) Take a leap – consider a move!

While not possible (or desirable) for some, consider moving to a new city (or country!), especially if you are in a very competitive market and do not have a lot of library experience. When I struggled to find a job after graduating, I ended up taking an amazing opportunity overseas in Qatar. Not only did this give me adventure and a life changing experience, it allowed me to gain some solid work experience quicker than if I stayed in Canada the whole time. When I returned, I found I was more marketable and my application to interview ratio was noticeably higher.

While moving overseas is scary, you can also stay within Canada and still have some great experiences (many of my peers accepted jobs in northern and smaller communities). Remember, if you move away, it doesn’t have to be forever!

4) Networking Building relationships

Our profession is quite small. Chances are, if you look someone up on LinkedIn, you probably have connections in common. Use this to your advantage!

Best way to network? Stay in touch with your peers from library school. Reach out to LIS professionals on LinkedIn who are in jobs you are interested in. See how they got their current gig and if they have any advice or know of specific training available that is helpful for that role. Join a professional association where you will likely meet an array of other new professionals as well as more seasoned pros (often in management roles). You can also look into mentorship programs and alumni associations.

Treat every encounter as a potential lead. Be genuine, but always be polite and courteous as you never know who will end up on the other side of the interview table. Knowing someone may not guarantee you get a position, but it may help secure that all-important interview.

5) Be prepared – do your research!

When sending out applications, think quality over quantity. Avoid firing off generic applications to every post you see. Be discerning, take your time and use those honed research skills to learn more about different roles or industries you are interested in and tailor your application accordingly.

Understand that there are varied requirements and expectations for different industries. For example, academic libraries often require more detailed C.V.’s and have prolonged interview and hiring processes; government applications often require lengthy online questionnaires and testing phases; private companies often prefer shorter resumes and cover letters.

Make your application stand out by showing you’ve done your homework. When applying for a job, research the organization and find out what their mandate is, their history, what their biggest successes are, and who their key players are. When preparing for an interview, find out the names of the interviewers and do some research on their backgrounds. This will show interest and will create conversation points in your interview (remember you are interviewing them too).

Conclusion

Lastly, be patient with yourself and the process. It’s a marathon, not a race and you have your whole career to look forward to. Treat each opportunity as a new stepping stone and learning opportunity and over time you will build a rewarding professional experience for yourself.

While job hunting can sometimes feel gruelling, it doesn’t have to be soul sucking! Make a plan for yourself, stay organized, have a good support system, and prioritize wellness in the process.

Most importantly, if you’re feeling burnt out, take a rest and don’t forget to reward yourself!

Good luck!

Speaker Bio

Erin Clupp is the Research Librarian in Norton Rose Fulbright’s Vancouver office. A self-proclaimed “accidental law librarian”, she previously worked in various archives and records management roles, including the BC Securities Commission, the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, the College of the North Atlantic’s campus in Doha, Qatar, and as an Adjunct Professor at the University of British Columbia’s iSchool.

Erin completed her MLIS from the University of Western Ontario in 2014 and has a BA in History and Classical Studies from the University of Ottawa. In addition to being a member of CALL, she is currently Co-Chair of the Program Committee with the Vancouver Association of Law Libraries (VALL). Outside of work, she enjoys dabbling in voice acting and bookbinding, various fitness activities, and drinking copious amounts of coffee.