Blog

On October 22, members of CALL/ACBD voted in favour of Resolution 2020/1. The Term of office for President of CALL/ACBD is now one year and there is a progression for persons standing for leadership from Vice-President 2 (elected every year) to VP 1 (only elected when VP2 is vacant, as it will be for our February 2021 election) and then to President and finally immediate Past President.

The CALL/ACBD Bylaw will be amended as outlined by the Resolution https://www.callacbd.ca/resources/Documents/Resolution-BylawChanges2020FINAL.pdf

This change is now in effect. Here is a chart of the new terms of office.

Executive Board Position	Term of Office	Responsibilites
1st Vice President	1 year – Elevated from the position of 2nd Vice President; acclaimed unless 2nd VP is vacant	Succeeds to the office of President should that office become vacant. Liaises with groups as appointed by the president including the Bylaws Advisor. Shares liaison duties relating to professional development with 2nd Vice President. Votes on decisions of the Executive Board.
2nd Vice President	1 year – elected every year	Liaises with groups as appointed by the president including the Vendor Liaison Committee. Shares liaison duties relating to professional development with 1st Vice President. Votes on decisions of the Executive Board.
Member-at-Large (2 positions)	2 years – elected every second year	Members at large are appointed to either the Member Services or Publications portfolios. They liaise with their portfolios and vote in decisions of the Executive Board.
Past President	1 year – elevated from the position of President	Liaises with groups as appointed by the president, including the Archivist and Canadian Abridgement Editorial Advisory Board. Manages the Honoured Member nominations process and Chairs the Hugh Lawford Award for Excellence in Legal Publishing.
President	1 year – Elevated from the position of 1st Vice President; acclaimed unless 1st VP is vacant	Chairs meetings of the Executive Board and Members. Liaises with sister associations and CFLA. Appoints Committee Chairs. Acts as CEO of CALL/ACBD. Votes only to break a tie.
Secretary	2 years – elected every second year	Responsible for taking minutes at meetings of the Executive Board and the membership as well as notices of meetings. Unless running for office, coordinates elections. Liaises with all Special Interest Groups. Votes on decisions of the board.
Treasurer	2 years – elected every second year	Responsible for the funds of the association, liaising with a financial advisory committee. Votes on decisions of the Executive Board.

For the 2021 Election, the Nominations Committee chaired by Past President, Ann Marie Melvie will be seeking candidates for

•        1^st VP
•        2^nd VP
•        Member at Large (x2)
•        Secretary
•        Treasurer

Kim Nayyer will ascend to President of CALL/ACBD and serve a one year term.

Shaunna Mireau will move to the ex-officio position of Past President and serve in that role for one year.

Many CALL members may have heard of Trusted Intermediary-Legal Information Network (TI-LI Network).

In 2019, the Saskatchewan Access to Legal Information Project (SALI) joined forces with the BC LawMatters Program and the National Self Represented Litigants Project’s Family Law in the Library Project to establish the Network to encourage cooperation between legal information providers in order to enhance access to justice.

Yesterday, the blog of the Vancouver Association of Law Libraries published an invitation calling on law librarians to join the Network that has more than 80 contributors across Canada:

"The organizers recognize that user-centred design, interdisciplinary approaches, and networks are needed to address urgent, complex access to justice problems, especially during these uncertain times. The TI-LI Network thus connects legal information providers from across Canada to exchange information and maximize efficiency by encouraging collaboration and adapting of resources and materials related to legal information provision by trusted intermediaries."

"The justice landscape is changing in response to the current crisis with COVID-19 and TI-LI Network member organizations are creating new responses that are shared with trusted intermediaries to address current needs that have arose as a result of COVID-19."

The next meeting will be held on October 27th. The blog post contains contact information.

There were a number of presentations about the Network at the 2019 annual CALL conference:

• Part 1: The Role of Legal Information Providers and Public Libraries in Promoting Access to Justice: Exploring Opportunities and Challenges (Brea Lowenberger, Melanie Hodges Neufeld: "In part 1 of this session, Melanie and Brea will facilitate a macro discussion to set the stage for conversation about establishing a 'National Trusted Intermediaries – Legal Information Network' (TI-LI Network). They will draw on their experience in co-establishing the Saskatchewan Access to Legal Information (SALI) Project to share their observations on the need for a establishing a national network, and invite participants' feedback on this emerging development."
• Part 2: The Role of Legal Information Providers and Public Libraries in Promoting Access to Justice: Exploring Opportunities and Challenges (Dayna Cornwall, Megan Smiley): "In part 2 of this session, Dayna and Megan will facilitate a micro discussion on lessons learned in establishing, like the SALI Project, library and legal information projects in Ontario and British Columbia. Dayna will share initial lessons learned in establishing the 'Family Law at the Library', a new project that involves partnering with libraries in the Windsor area, and Megan will share how Courthouse Libraries BC has worked since 2007 with public libraries to enhance public access to legal information in all communities throughout British Columbia."

A small team of members lead by Matthew Renaud put together some guidance on opening a law library with consideration for COVID-19. The guide contains links to public health resources and precedents to assist law librarians working in a variety of settings. We hope that CALL/ACBD Members find it helpful. 

Read the Guide

Kim Nayyer, Vice-President of the Canadian Association of Law Libraries, has been named to the 2020 list of Fastcase 50 legal innovators. 

Kim is currently the Edward Cornell Law Librarian and Associate Dean for Library Services, Cornell Law in the state of New York.

“Created in 2011, each year the Fastcase 50 award honors a diverse group of lawyers, legal technologists, policymakers, judges, law librarians, bar association executives, and people from all walks of life. In many cases, honorees are well known, but in many others, the award recognizes people who have made important, but unheralded contributions.”

“ 'Every part of the legal market is changing right now – from law school through every part of the practice,' said Fastcase CEO Ed Walters. 'That change can be daunting or discouraging to many people. And that’s one reason that our team enjoys celebrating the accomplishments of the Fastcase 50. These are people who inspire us by their intelligence, creativity, and leadership. We hope they will inspire others as well, especially during a time of great change for the profession'. ”

Here is what Fastcase published about her:

Fastcase is an American-based provider of electronic versions of U.S. primary law (cases, statutes, regulations, court rules, and constitutions).

Simon Fodden, the founder of Slaw.ca, Canada's preeminent online legal magazine, was recognized as one of the Fastcase 50 in 2014.

Michael Mills, one of the Fastcase 50 in 2012, wrote in 2015 on LinkedIn about how the winners of the previous 5 years had begun to form an ecosystem of innovation:

“They champion transparency—in lawyer/client relations, in government data, policy, and practice, in judicial proceedings, and in legal education. They advocate for access—to the law itself, and to justice. They build structures, systems, and tools for access, quality, economy, and efficiency.”

“They also collaborate. A tour of the five classes found time and again 50’s who are working together across organizations and projects, who influence and inspire one another.” [my emphasis]

Using his company as an example, Mills writes that “from any one person among the Fastcase 250, there are lines linking in many directions to many others.” 

That has only become truer with time.

This is a follow-up to the May 20, 2020 blog post on the reopening of libraries.

After months of working remotely, you may be planning the reopening of your physical operations.

That much dreamed of "return to normal".

Happy happy, joy joy! 

Shared microwaves!

Chit-chat in the elevators! At the coffee machine! In the mailroom!

And all those clients handling and touching the books. And the printer. And the photocopier. And the staplers!

Uh oh.

There is an awful lot to ponder and plan for if you are going to do things smartly and safely and in a way your staff and clients will trust. You want to make that dream turn into something positive.

Two good places to start:

• the webpage created by the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA)  COVID-19 and the Global Library Field. One of the sections is about the reopening of libraries.

• the Checklist for reopening libraries created by the Australian Library and Information Association which is very practical:

  "Each library will have its own plans for reopening, depending on the sector and the specific needs of the library’s community, but the checklist provides a practical framework which outlines major considerations that library managers should be addressing, when planning to reopen their library."

The Great Library at the Law Society of Ontario has shared a series of resources to help law firms plan their reopening:

"These guides and checklists cover practical return to work considerations from physical distancing and PPE to employee accommodations and communications. As well, we’ve included links to a few recent articles that provide some food for thought on the potential redesign of law firm offices and legal practices in a post-pandemic world."

COVID-19 raises many privacy issues.

Justin Ling published an article in CBA National in June 2020 on Getting Back to Work: Sorting through the many privacy issues as businesses get their workplaces ready.

In it, Éloise Gratton, national co-leader on privacy and data protection at BLG, and David Fraser, partner at McInnes Cooper in Halifax, explain the minefield that employers will be facing as workplaces gradually reopen.  A minefield "where employment, labour, health, and privacy law all meet".

Some of the issues managers will be juggling:

• How much health-related information can employers ask from their staff?
• What kinds of technologies can they employ to keep people safe? Contact tracing keycards? Location tracking?
• Where does the data get kept? For how long? When does it get destroyed?
• Can much screening can employers impose or recommend? Body temperature checks? Swabs? Serological tests (i.e. blood work)?
• Can people be told to return to work? What if they are immuno-compromised?
• If an office does not reopen, does that change the conditions of employment under the employment contract?

Recordings from a recent international symposium on the reopening of research libraries are available.

The event was organized by the International Alliance of Research Library Associations (IARLA) and took place in June:

"IARLA convened an international symposium on 3 June 2020, which explored the plans that research libraries are putting in place to reopen their physical library buildings and reinstate their onsite services in the post-, or continuing-, Covid-19 landscape. The symposium included presentations from speakers in the United States, Canada, the Republic of Ireland, the United Kingdom, and Australia, who shared the plans and preparations that they are putting in place for the reopening of their libraries, how these relate to their wider institutional context, and how they correspond with their national and regional experiences of the Covid-19 pandemic."

One of the speakers was Vivian Lewis, University Librarian, McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario.

The international information professional association Special Libraries Association (SLA) recently organized a virtual roundtable What Will Reopening Look Like? Planning, Procedures, and Solutions for Reopening Libraries.

Professionals from government, law, manufacturing, construction, academia, and a variety of other work environments took part.

There was also a chat discussion:

"Chat comments included the following:

• Library management has created shared documents for each of us to contribute our concerns we have about reopening—everything from hours of operation to what should we do if someone asks to borrow a pen.
• We’re discussing letting visitors handle materials but going to set those materials aside for 3 days, which means we’re going to need to limit how much we can pull off the shelves for them.
• Is anyone else considering moving to closed stacks? We are strongly leaning to doing that.
• We have a new cohort of researchers arriving in September, and I’m thinking of at least starting off with 'curbside' pickup and then slowly allowing browsing (by appointment?).
• I like the idea of delivery but may pose increased risk to exposure while delivering items to patrons in the building."

The REopening Archives, Libraries, and Museums (REALM) Project is a collaboration between OCLC, an international library services cooperative, the US government agency Institute of Museum and Library Services, and Battelle, an R&D organization.

"This research collaboration will provide information on how long the virus survives on surfaces and how—or if—materials can be handled to mitigate exposure."

"To achieve these goals, the partnership is initiating work on several fronts:

Among other things, it has been investigating how long the virus SARS-CoV-2 that causes COVID-19 remains detectable on various library surfaces and materials.

So far, it has looked at:

• Braille paper pages
• Glossy paper pages from a coffee table book
• Magazine pages
• Children's board book
• Archival folders
• Cover of hardcover books (buckram cloth)
• Cover of softback books
• Pplain paper pages inside a closed book
• Mylar protective book cover jackets
• Plastic DVD cases.
  

The architecture firm IF_DO, in partnership with Libraries Connected and the UK library association CILIP, has developed a COVID-19 Safer Libraries Guide, available for free download.

It looks at issues such as: 

• staff safety
• ventilation
• safe materials borrowing and return strategies
• seating
• décor and signage

Talking of signage, the website Super Library Marketing has a number of suggestions for How to Tackle Library Signage in a Pandemic and Make Visitors Feel Comfortable With Your New Rules:

"When COVID-19 forced libraries to close, library marketing abruptly shifted to digital tactics. But now, as libraries move toward reopening, the debate over signage has returned to professional groups and library staff discussions. Signage is now crucial for communicating new rules about mask-wearing, social distancing, and time limits within physical library spaces."

"In the old days, I would have encouraged staff to use less signage and do more talking with patrons. That’s not possible right now."

"But we can still think strategically about how we place our signage, how it is designed, and how much of it we use. Here are some tips for planning your signage as your library moves toward reopening physical spaces."

It is written from the point of view of public libraries but many of the ideas apply to other kinds of libraries.

U.S. library consulting firm Aaron Cohen Associates recently published a text on its website on ReOpening the Library: Guidelines to Consider.

It has a number of good ideas for starting to think about how to fit library users into their 2-metre little bubbles when institutions re-open:

"Here are ideas on how to approach learning space occupancy and how you can start applying them. We included some strategies to develop a basic up-to-date, fact-based library plan framework. You can use this information to update your library services. And at corporations, colleges or Universities, these guidelines can be used to define collaboration and provide individual work environments."

It also includes a link to a white paper from Steelcase Education for classroom and collaborative spaces.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has launched the COVID-19 Law Lab in association with other major international organizations:

"The COVID-19 Law Lab is a database of laws that countries have implemented in response to the pandemic. It includes state of emergency declarations, quarantine measures, disease surveillance, legal measures relating to mask-wearing, social distancing, and access to medication and vaccines. The database will continue to grow as more countries and themes are added."

"It will also feature research on different legal frameworks for COVID-19. These analyses will focus on the human rights impacts of public health laws and help countries identify best practices to guide their immediate responses to COVID-19 and socioeconomic recovery efforts once the pandemic is under control."

There are legal documents from over 190 countries.

In addition to the WHO, the project involves the United Nations Development Programme, the UN Programme on HIV/AIDS and the O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law at Georgetown University.

Alan Kilpatrick (@Alan_Kilpat, Librarycanuck.com)| Reference Librarian, Law Society of Saskatchewan

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

My journey to legal librarianship was fortuitous.  After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts from Vancouver Island University (VIU), I took some time to reflect on what I wanted to do with my life.  Throughout my undergraduate degree, I worked weekends and summers as an Army Reservist and part time as a library page at VIU’s library and the Vancouver Island Regional Library.  Shortly after graduating from VIU, I spent a year working with the Canadian Forces security effort at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. While this was an amazing experience, I realized it wasn’t the correct career path for me. 

Here, the connections I had made with the library world as a page paid off.  After speaking with several librarians, I decided that attending Western University’s Master of Library & Information Science program was the right professional move. 

At Western, I developed my career goals and identified my professional interests.  I gained an interest in reference service, legal research, and government information after a co-op with Transport Canada’s Ottawa Library as a reference librarian.  I discovered an interest in copyright law and instruction after an exciting opportunity to research and present on Western Library’s Access Copyright agreement.

Following graduation, I received a summer internship with Saskatchewan’s Legislative Library.  During this time, I learned about the Law Society Library.  After handing in a resume in 2013, an opportunity presented itself and I haven’t looked back since. 

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

CALL membership has been extremely beneficial professionally.  When I became a law librarian, CALL connected me to a large professional network and with mentors who helped me develop the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in this industry.  Attendance at CALL’s New Law Librarian Institute helped me further develop my knowledge and create a competitive legal information skill set.  I frequently contact the colleagues I’ve met through CALL for advice, assistance, and encouragement. 

Our association’s annual conference has been a source of wonderful networking opportunities and topnotch professional development.  As legal innovation accelerates and legal information resources evolve, our skill set must keep pace.  I’m confident CALL will help me do this. 

As my career grows, I’m grateful for the opportunity to serve the association through various committees, including being on the Board of Directors for the 2019-2021 term.   

3. What’s one piece of advice you’d give to someone looking to break into the legal information industry?

Network!  During CALL’s 2018 conference in Halifax, I was privileged to co-present Taking the ‘Work’ Out of Networking: Build Relationships, Not a Stack of Business Cards with Bronwyn Guiton, Veronica Kollbrand, and Megan Siu.  During the presentation, I made five networking suggestions for new and prospective legal information professionals: 

• It’s never too early to start networking: It’s been valuable at every stage of my career.   
• Get Active: Joining a professional association is a great way to network.
• Network widely and wisely: Don’t limit your networking horizons.
• Share your story: We’re all doing interesting things as information professionals.  Tell people about it!
• Embrace new situations: Networking can be intimidating.  Don’t be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone. 

4. What are three skills/attributes you think legal information professionals need to have?

• Act Boldly: Boldly market yourself and boldly reimagine what a library can be. 
• Embrace Change: Embrace change in the legal information field.    
• Learn Continuously:  Commit yourself to lifelong learning.  Integrate what you learn into your professional practice.    

5. What are three things on your bucket list?

• Explore Cold War history by doing a road trip through Eastern Europe
• Restore a 1970s American Motors Corporation (AMC) Gremlin
• Travel to India again (I spent the final semester of my Library Science degree on an amazing internship with a literacy organization in Bangalore)     

Alan Kilpatrick (@Alan_Kilpat, Librarycanuck.com)| bibliothécaire de référence, Barreau de la Saskatchewan

1. Parlez-nous un peu de vos antécédents scolaires et de la manière dont vous vous êtes intégré au secteur de l’information juridique.

Le parcours qui m’a conduit à la bibliothéconomie juridique a été un pur hasard. Après l’obtention de mon baccalauréat ès arts de l’Université de l’île de Vancouver (VIU), j’ai pris du temps pour réfléchir à ce que je voulais faire dans la vie. Au cours de mes études, je travaillais les week-ends et les étés comme réserviste de l’Armée canadienne et à temps partiel comme aide de bibliothèque à la bibliothèque de la VIU et à la bibliothèque régionale de l’île de Vancouver. Peu de temps après l’obtention de mon diplôme, j’ai passé un an à assurer la sécurité avec les Forces armées canadiennes pour les Jeux olympiques de Vancouver de 2010. Même si l’expérience fut extraordinaire, je me suis rendu compte que ça n’était pas la bonne carrière pour moi.

C’est à ce moment-là que les liens que j’avais tissés comme aide dans l’univers de la bibliothéconomie ont été payants. Après avoir parlé à plusieurs bibliothécaires, j’ai décidé que le programme de maîtrise en bibliothéconomie et en sciences de l’information de l’Université Western était la bonne voie professionnelle.

Au cours de mes études, j’ai précisé mes objectifs de carrière et cerné mes intérêts professionnels. Je me suis intéressé aux services de référence, à la recherche juridique et à l’information gouvernementale après avoir fait un stage à la bibliothèque de Transports Canada à Ottawa en tant que bibliothécaire de référence. J’ai découvert un intérêt pour le droit d’auteur et l’enseignement après avoir eu une occasion formidable de faire de la recherche liée à l’entente de l’Université Western avec Access Copyright et de faire une présentation sur ce sujet.

Après l’obtention de ma maîtrise, j’ai effectué un stage d’été à la bibliothèque de l’Assemblée législative de la Saskatchewan. C’est au cours de cette période que j’ai découvert la bibliothèque du Barreau de la Saskatchewan. J’ai envoyé mon c.v. en 2013 pour répondre à une offre d’emploi, et je n’ai jamais regretté cette décision.

2. En quoi votre adhésion à l’ACBD/CALL vous a-t-elle été utile sur le plan professionnel (p. ex. bourses et subventions, formation continue, réseautage)?

L’adhésion à l’ACBD/CALL m’a été extrêmement bénéfique sur le plan professionnel. Lorsque je suis devenu bibliothécaire juridique, l’association m’a permis d’accéder à un vaste réseau de professionnels et de mentors qui m’ont aidé à améliorer les connaissances et compétences requises pour réussir dans ce domaine. Ma participation à l’Institut pour les nouveaux bibliothécaires de droit m’a permis de perfectionner mes connaissances et d’acquérir des compétences nettement plus aiguisées dans le domaine de l’information juridique. Je contacte souvent des collègues que j’ai rencontrés par l’intermédiaire de l’ACBD/CALL pour obtenir des conseils, de l’aide ou des encouragements. 

Le congrès annuel de notre association offre une excellence façon d’établir des contacts et d’obtenir du perfectionnement professionnel de qualité. Il faut maintenir nos compétences à jour pour suivre l’innovation juridique et l’évolution des ressources de renseignements juridiques. Je suis convaincu que l’ACBD/CALL m’aidera à y parvenir. 

Tout en cheminant dans ma carrière, je suis reconnaissant d’avoir la possibilité de servir l’association par le biais de divers comités, notamment en siégeant au conseil d’administration pour le mandat de 2019-2021.

3. Quel conseil donneriez-vous à quelqu’un qui cherche à percer dans l’industrie de l’information juridique?

Faites du réseautage! Lors du congrès 2018 de l’ACBD/CALL à Halifax, j’ai eu le privilège de coprésenter la conférence intitulée Taking the ‘Work’ Out of Networking: Build Relationships, Not a Stack of Business Cards avec Bronwyn Guiton, Veronica Kollbrand et Megan Siu. Dans le cadre de cette présentation, j’avais donné cinq conseils de réseautage pour les nouveaux et futurs professionnels de l’information juridique :

• Il n’est jamais trop tôt pour commencer à faire du réseautage : connaître des gens m’a été utile à chaque étape de ma carrière.
• Soyez actifs : se joindre à une association professionnelle est une excellente façon de se constituer un réseau.
• Entretenez beaucoup de contacts de manière intelligente : essayez d’élargir autant que possible vos horizons de réseautage.
• Partagez votre histoire : nous faisons tous des choses intéressantes en tant que professionnels de l’information. Parlez-en aux gens!
• Adoptez une vision plus large des nouvelles situations qui s’offrent à vous : faire du réseautage peut être intimidant. N’ayez pas peur de sortir de votre zone de confort. 

4. Selon vous, quelles sont les trois compétences ou qualités que les professionnels de l’information juridique doivent détenir?

• Faire preuve d’audace : mettez vos compétences en valeur et réinventez de façon audacieuse à quoi pourrait ressembler la bibliothèque de demain. 
• Accueillir le changement : soyez ouverts aux changements dans le domaine de l’information juridique.   
• Apprendre sans cesse : engagez-vous sur la voie de l’apprentissage continu et intégrez ce que vous apprenez dans votre pratique professionnelle. 

5. Quelles sont trois choses que vous aimeriez réaliser avant de mourir?

• Explorer l’histoire de la guerre froide en parcourant l’Europe de l’Est en voiture.
• Restaurer une automobile American Motors Corporation (AMC) Gremlin des années 1970.
• Visiter à nouveau l’Inde (au cours du dernier semestre de mes études en bibliothéconomie, j’ai fait un stage extraordinaire dans un organisme d’alphabétisation à Bangalore).

Open Letter to CALL/ACBD Membership The CALL/ACBD Executive Board and the Diversity, Inclusion, and Decolonization Committee issue this joint statement to express solidarity with the #BlackLivesMatter movement and all who are protesting systemic injustice and racism. Here in Canada, we also see systemic injustice profoundly in the lives of the Indigenous peoples of this land. We recognize these recent weeks have been difficult, and we know that they have also been deeply painful for some of our friends and members of our community. Not all of us can know the depth of this pain, but we can offer support and efforts to work toward change. We share in the outrage, we echo the demands of peaceful protesters for change, and we underscore our commitment to inclusion and anti-racism. George Floyd was a human being--a father, a son, a brother, a friend--but he became yet another black man killed by police. The killing of George Floyd was captured on video, and the horror of the manner of his death laid bare the injustices that black Americans endure in daily life. That recording of a terrible, terrible action of now-criminally charged police officers settled doubts some people still held about a larger and widely unseen injustice. Mr. Floyd’s death is a single illustration of a deeply entrenched problem. George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery are only the most recent names on a very long list, a list which began 400 years ago. In Canada, our list of shame includes Colton Boushie, Tina Fontaine, Chief Allan Adam, and the numerous women described in the study of missing and murdered Indigenous women. The list began with the first peoples of this land. Canada is not immune to systemic racism, injustice, and acts of prejudice and racism. When we listen to our membership, we learn that, sadly, neither is our profession nor our Association. In 2018, CALL/ACBD formalized its Diversity, Inclusion and Decolonization Committee to advise the Association on these matters and to work to ensure that we continually do better. The DIDC adopted a mandate to further Resolution 2018/1, by which CALL/ACBD has committed to work “to foster awareness and acumen in respect of issues of diversity, inclusion, and decolonization,” and, through our work and our partnerships and collaborations, to give voice to the diversity of the law library and related professions and of the Canadian population . We affirm this commitment now. We do not have all the answers and we all have much to learn from each other. Our profession is positioned to listen, to learn, and to work to counter racism. We must continue to foster acumen among our members and in the worlds of the legal information and library professions. We must commit to listen and understand the depths of entrenched and insidious systemic racism in the legal system. We must acknowledge the impact of the cumulation of acts of implicit, unconscious, and single acts of bias and prejudice. And we must identify the intersections of all of these with law and justice and work toward better systems and outcomes. Since Resolution 2018/1, we have offered our members, partners, and colleagues programming that furthers this mandate. We’ve offered programs on implicit bias; decolonization in legal information; speech, equality and transphobia; designing spaces to further accessibility and inclusion; and others. We believe these efforts are only the beginning. To accept the status quo of racism through silence and inaction is to be complicit in its perpetuation. To make change in our communities, we must make change in attitudes. We must be proactive; we must use our voices and find ways to put a stop to systemic and unjust discrimination. Each of us can educate ourselves on racism and systemic injustice; can reach out to colleagues and friends to listen or to say support is at hand; can share information through a resource guide or an article; can join in the work of a group in our communities; or can even donate funds to an organization doing needed work. These are but a few ideas. Through our combined efforts, big or small, we can make change. To further our learning and commitment to action, the DIDC has compiled a living list of resources and action opportunities, listed below and linked on our site. These offer an entry point for those who would like to learn more about systemic racism, or who wish to further inclusion and anti-racism. Our next step will be to host a collective discussion at the start of a forthcoming Business Meeting to the CALL/ACBD membership. Details will follow in the coming days. We will invite comment on and additions to our list of resources and action opportunities. Members will be welcomed to the DIDC, to create content that addresses discrimination and systemic injustice that affects black, Indigenous, and racialized people in their interfaces with legal information work, the legal system, and our communities. We recognize we do not have all of the answers. Together we can learn and work to create better paths for improving diversity and inclusion and to make systemic change. We are here to listen, to learn, and to renew our efforts. CALL/ACBD Board of Directors Shaunna Mireau (President) Kristin Hodgins (Member-At-Large) Yasmin Khan, (Co-Chair - Diversity, Inclusion and Decolonization Committee) Alan Kilpatrick (Member-At-Large) Sooin Kim (Secretary) Eve Leung (Treasurer) Vicki Jay Leung (Co-Chair - Diversity, Inclusion and Decolonization Committee) Ann Marie Melvie (Past President) Kim Nayyer (Vice President) Learn and share: A living list of resources and action opportunities Visit these sites: ● The award-winning “The 1619 Project” the New Times is an important resource to assist with understanding slavery and its continuing legacy in the USA. This legacy in systemic criminal system injustice, persistent racial prejudices, and the impacts of segregation. It was released August 2019, 400 years after the beginning of slavery in what is now the USA. [racism; systemic racism] https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/08/14/magazine/1619-america-slavery.html ● The National Center for Civil and Human Rights, Atlanta GA, USA, and its website connects the American Civil Rights Movement to today’s struggle for Global Human Rights. It enables visitors to explore the fundamental rights of all human beings, to inspire and empower ongoing dialogue about human rights in communities. [racism; systemic racism; law and justice] https://www.civilandhumanrights.org/ ● A Collective Impact: Interim report on the inquiry into racial profiling and racial discrimination of Black persons by the Toronto Police Service [racism; systemic racism; law and justice] http://www.ohrc.on.ca/en/public-interest-inquiry-racial-profiling-and-discrimination-toronto-police-service/collective-impact-interim-report-inquiry-racial-profiling-and-racial-discrimination-black ● Final report of the TRC (National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation [racism; systemic racism; law and justice] https://nctr.ca/map.php ● Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Final Report and information site [racism; systemic racism; law and justice] https://www.mmiwg-ffada.ca/final-report/ ● Black Lives Matter is a leader in anti-Black racism initiatives. Scroll to the end of the website below to check out chapter sites and contact information for Toronto, Vancouver and Waterloo [racism; systemic racism; law and justice] https://blacklivesmatter.com/chapters/ ● Selwyn Pieters and Adrian Roomes, “Data Collection, Race and Justice in Canada: Alchemical Reflections,” 2012 CanLIIDocs 290. (Critical Race Symposium at Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto, November 2, 2012.) This study examines attitudes to data collection in interactions of law enforcement and racial minorities. The authors conclude that, while increasing collection and use of hard data on law enforcement interactions with minorities remains important in illuminating the existence of racial discrimination and racial profiling, “deep structural impediments” continue. [racism; systemic racism; law and justice] https://commentary.canlii.org/w/canlii/2012CanLIIDocs290 Find these books in your local library or bookstore: ● Ibram X. Kendi, How to Be an Antiracist [racism; systemic racism; law and justice; society] ● Bryan Stevenson, Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption [systemic racism; law and justice; USA] ● Ta-Nehisi Coates, Between the World and Me [racism; systemic racism; law and justice; society; USA] ● David Chariandy, I’ve Been Meaning to Tell You [racism; society; Canada] ● Robin DiAngelo, White Fragility: Why it’s So Hard for White People to Talk about Racism [racism; society] ● Why I’m No Longer Talking to Write People About Race (Reni Eddo-Lodge) [racism; society] Donate and share if you can. Suggestions: ● Equal Justice Initiative [systemic racism; law and justice; USA; Cdn accepted] ● National Center for Civil and Human Rights [systemic racism; law and justice; USA; Cdn accepted] ● Color of Change [racism; systemic racism; society; USA; Cdn accepted] ● National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation [racism; systemic racism; law and justice; society; Canada] ● A listing of charitable and non-profit organizations across Canada that provide aid or do work to improve criminal justice systems and outcomes [racism; systemic racism; law and justice; Canada] https://charityvillage.com/organizations/directory/criminal-justice/ Le conseil exécutif de l’ACBD/CALL et le Comité de la diversité, de l’inclusion et de la décolonisation émet la présente déclaration commune afin d’exprimer leur solidarité avec le mouvement #BlackLivesMatter et les personnes qui manifestent contre l’injustice et le racisme systémiques. Nous constatons également chez nous une injustice systémique profonde qui touche la vie des peuples autochtones du Canada. Nous sommes conscients que les dernières semaines ont été difficiles, et nous savons qu’elles ont aussi été durement éprouvantes pour des amis et membres de notre communauté. Même si nous ne connaissons pas tous la profondeur de cette douleur, nous pouvons offrir notre soutien et œuvrer en faveur de changements. Nous partageons le sentiment d’indignation, nous réitérons les changements réclamés par les manifestants pacifiques et nous soulignons notre engagement en faveur de l’inclusion et de la lutte contre le racisme. George Floyd était un être humain – un père, un fils, un frère, un ami –, mais il est devenu un autre Noir tué par la police. Son meurtre a été filmé sur vidéo et l’horreur de sa mort a révélé les injustices que subissent les Noirs américains dans leur vie quotidienne. Cet enregistrement d’un acte atroce commis par des policiers, qui sont maintenant accusés au criminel, a dissipé les doutes que certains avaient encore sur une injustice plus vaste et largement méconnue. La mort de M. Floyd est une illustration unique d’un problème profondément ancré. George Floyd, Breonna Taylor et Ahmaud Arbery ne sont que les derniers noms des victimes parmi une très longue liste qui a commencé il y a 400 ans. Au Canada, notre liste de la honte comprend Colton Boushie, Tina Fontaine, le chef Allan Adam et les nombreuses femmes décrites dans l’enquête sur les femmes autochtones disparues et assassinées. Cette liste a commencé avec les premiers peuples de ce pays. Le Canada n’est pas à l’abri du racisme systémique, de l’injustice et des actes de préjugés et de racisme. En écoutant nos membres, nous apprenons que, malheureusement, notre profession et notre association n’y échappent pas non plus. En 2018, l’ACBD/CALL a officialisé la mise sur pied de son Comité de la diversité, de l’inclusion et de la décolonisation (CDID) afin de conseiller l’association sur ces questions et de travailler pour s’assurer que nous faisons toujours mieux. Le CDID a adopté un mandat pour faire avancer la Résolution 2018/1, par laquelle l’ACBD/CALL s’est engagée « à s’efforcer de mieux faire connaître et d’aborder avec finesse les questions liées à la diversité, l’inclusion et la décolonisation », et, par notre travail et nos partenariats et collaborations, à donner une voix à la diversité des bibliothèques de droit, des professions connexes et de la population canadienne. Nous affirmons cet engagement maintenant. Nous n’avons pas toutes les réponses et nous avons beaucoup à apprendre les uns des autres. Notre profession est bien placée pour écouter, apprendre et travailler pour lutter contre le racisme. Nous devons continuer à encourager la clairvoyance parmi nos membres et dans le monde de l’information juridique et des bibliothèques. Nous devons nous engager à écouter et à comprendre le racisme systémique insidieux profondément enraciné dans le système juridique. Nous devons reconnaître l’impact du cumul des actes implicites ou inconscients et des actes motivés par des préjugés ou partis pris. Et nous devons déterminer les croisements de tous ces éléments avec le droit et la justice et travailler à l’amélioration des systèmes et des résultats. Depuis la Résolution 2018/1, nous avons proposé à nos membres, partenaires et collègues des programmes pour renforcer ce mandat. Par exemple, nous avons offert des programmes portant sur les préjugés implicites; la décolonisation de l’information juridique; la parole, l’égalité et la transphobie; la conception d’espaces pour favoriser l’accessibilité et l’inclusion, et bien d’autres. Nous sommes convaincus que ces efforts ne sont qu’un début. Accepter le statu quo du racisme par le silence et l’inaction, c’est de se faire complice de sa perpétuation. Afin de créer des changements dans nos collectivités, nous devons changer les attitudes. Nous devons être proactifs; nous devons utiliser nos voix et trouver des moyens de mettre fin à la discrimination systémique et injuste. Chacun de nous peut s’instruire sur le racisme et l’injustice systémique; peut contacter des collègues et amis pour les écouter ou leur dire qu’ils peuvent compter sur leur soutien; peut partager des informations par le biais d’un guide de ressources ou d’un article; peut participer au travail d’un groupe dans sa communauté; ou peut même faire un don à un organisme qui accomplit le travail nécessaire. Ce ne sont là que quelques idées. C’est grâce à nos efforts conjoints – petits et grands – que nous pouvons faire changer les choses. Afin d’approfondir nos connaissances et notre engagement à agir, le CDID a dressé une liste à jour de ressources et de possibilités d’action énumérées ci-dessous et dont les liens figurent sur notre site Web. Celles-ci offrent un point de départ pour les personnes qui veulent en savoir plus sur le racisme systémique ou qui souhaitent faire progresser l’inclusion et l’antiracisme. Notre prochaine étape sera d’organiser une discussion collective au début d’une prochaine réunion d’affaires pour les membres de l’ACBD/CALL. De plus amples informations suivront dans les prochains jours. Nous vous inviterons à nous faire part de vos commentaires et à ajouter des éléments à notre liste de ressources et de possibilités d’action. Les membres seront les bienvenus au sein du CDID afin créer du contenu qui aborde la discrimination et l’injustice systémique touchant les personnes noires, autochtones et racialisées dans leurs liaisons avec le travail d’information juridique, le système juridique et nos communautés. Nous reconnaissons que nous n’avons pas toutes les réponses. Ensemble, nous pouvons apprendre et travailler à créer de meilleures voies pour améliorer la diversité et l’inclusion et pour apporter des changements systémiques. Nous sommes là pour écouter, apprendre et redoubler nos efforts. CALL/ACBD Conseil d'administration Shaunna Mireau (Président) Kristin Hodgins (membre en général) Yasmin Khan, (Co-Chair - Comité de la diversité, de l’inclusion et de la décolonisation) Alan Kilpatrick (membre en général)  Sooin Kim (Secrétaire) Eve Leung (Trésorière) Vicki Jay Leung (Co-Chair - Comité de la diversité, de l’inclusion et de la décolonisation) Ann Marie Melvie (Ancien Président) Kim Nayyer (Vice Président) Apprentissage et partage : Une liste à jour de ressources et de possibilités d’action Visitez ces sites : ● Le projet primé « The 1619 Project » du magazine The New York Times est une ressource importante qui aide à comprendre l’esclavage et l’héritage permanent laissé aux États-Unis. Cet héritage se traduit par l’injustice systémique dans le système de justice pénale, la persistance des préjugés raciaux et les conséquences de la ségrégation. Ce projet évolutif a été publié en août 2019 afin de marquer le 400e anniversaire du début de l’esclavage américain. [racisme; racisme systémique] https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/08/14/magazine/1619-america-slavery.html ● Le National Center for Civil and Human Rights, Atlanta GA, É.-U., et son site Web relie le mouvement des droits civiques aux É.-U. à la lutte actuelle pour les droits de la personne à l’échelle mondiale. Il permet aux visiteurs d’explorer les droits fondamentaux de tous les êtres humains, d’inspirer et de renforcer le dialogue permanent sur les droits de la personne dans les collectivités. [racisme; racisme systémique, droit et justice] https://www.civilandhumanrights.org/ ● Un impact collectif : Rapport provisoire relatif à l’enquête sur le profilage racial et la discrimination envers les personnes noires au sein du service de police de Toronto. [racisme; racisme systémique, droit et justice] http://www.ohrc.on.ca/fr/enqu%C3%AAte-d%E2%80%99int%C3%A9r%C3%AAt-public-sur-le-profilage-racial-et-la-discrimination-raciale-au-sein-du-service-de/un-impact-collectif-rapport-provisoire-relatif-%C3%A0-lenqu%C3%AAte-sur-le-profilage ● Rapport final du Centre national pour la vérité et la réconciliation [racisme; racisme systémique; droit et justice] https://nctr.ca/fr/map.php ● Rapport final de l’Enquête nationale sur les femmes et les filles autochtones disparues et assassinées et site Web [racisme; racisme systémique; droit et justice] https://www.mmiwg-ffada.ca/fr/final-report/ ● Le mouvement Black Lives Matter est un chef de file dans le cadre des initiatives contre le racisme envers les Noirs. Cliquez sur le lien ci-dessous et défilez la page d’accueil jusqu’à la fin pour consulter les sites des divers chapitres ainsi que les coordonnées des personnes à contacter à Toronto, Vancouver et Waterloo [racisme; racisme systémique; droit et justice]. https://blacklivesmatter.com/chapters/ ● Selwyn Pieters et Adrian Roomes, Data Collection, Race and Justice in Canada: Alchemical Reflections, 2012 CanLIIDocs 290. (Symposium sur les enjeux raciaux, Faculté de droit Osgoode Hall à Toronto, le 2 novembre 2012). Cette étude examine les attitudes à l’égard de la collecte de données dans les interactions entre les forces de l’ordre et les minorités raciales. Les auteurs concluent que même si l’augmentation de la collecte de données et de l’utilisation de données concrètes portant sur les interactions entre les forces de l’ordre et les minorités demeure importante pour mettre en lumière l’existence de la discrimination raciale et du profilage racial, de « profonds obstacles structurels » subsistent. [racisme; racisme systémique, droit et justice] https://commentary.canlii.org/w/canlii/2012CanLIIDocs290 Trouvez ces livres dans une bibliothèque ou une librairie de votre localité : ● Ibram X. Kendi, How to Be an Antiracist [racisme; racisme systémique; droit et justice; société] ● Bryan Stevenson, Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption [racisme systémique; droit et justice; É.-U.] ● Ta-Nehisi Coates, Between the World and Me [racisme; racisme systémique; droit et justice; société; É.-U.] ● David Chariandy, I’ve Been Meaning to Tell You [racisme; société; Canada] ● Robin DiAngelo, White Fragility: Why it’s So Hard for White People to Talk about Racism [racisme; société] ● Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race (Reni Eddo-Lodge) [racisme; société] Faites un don et partagez si vous le pouvez. Suggestions : ● Equal Justice Initiative [racisme systémique; droit et justice; É.-U.; accepte les dons du Canada] ● National Center for Civil and Human Rights [racisme systémique; droit et justice; É.-U.; accepte les dons du Canada] ● Color of Change [racisme; racisme systémique; société; É.-U.; accepte les dons du Canada] ● Centre national pour la vérité et la réconciliation [racisme; racisme systémique; droit et justice; société; Canada] ● Le site Web présente une liste d’organismes de bienfaisance et à but non lucratif au Canada qui fournissent de l’aide ou travaillent à améliorer les systèmes de justice pénale et leurs résultats [racisme; racisme systémique; droit et justice; Canada] https://charityvillage.com/organizations/directory/criminal-justice/

[posted on behalf of Martha Murphy]

The Government SIG has prepared a collective list of resources offering information on COVID-19. Canadian sources include library guides, government, legislation, courts, legal and academic communities. 

Honourable mention goes to University of British Columbia, University of Calgary, University of Toronto,  and York for their LibGuide pathfinders.

Please also see Michel-Adrien Sheppard May blog post on Ideas on Reopening Libraries Post Covid-19  and the April post on Covid-19 Resources

If you would like to add to the list and keep it updated, please contact Martha Murphy.

Libraries and Reopening

CALL Blog Post - Ideas on Reopening Libraries Post Covid-19

ALA - Reopening Archives, Libraries and Museums (REALM) Information Hub Covid-19

ALA - Pandemic Preparedness Tools Publications Resources for Libraries

AccessOLA - 2020 Pandemic Planning Information Guide

Oregon State Library - Covid-19 Library Policies and Services

Legal

American Bar Association – ABA Committee on Disaster Response and Preparedness - Disaster Resources for Lawyers & Law Firms

Canadian Bar Association – COVID-19 Resource Hub

Canadian Lawyers Magazine - Covid-19 and the Courts

CLEO (Community Legal Education Ontario) - COVID-19: Updates on the law and legal services

Federation of Law Societies of Canada – Covid-19 Timeline of Provincial Law Societies

The Lawyer’s Daily – COVID-19 Updates

Lawyers’ Professional Indemnity Company (LAWPRO) – PracticePro - Covid-19 Articles & Resources

Lexis Practice Advisor - Coronavirus Guidance for Canada (free Coronavirus document kit)

McCarthy Tetrault - Covid-19 Emergency Measures Tracker

NSRLP (National Self-Represented Litigants Project) - COVID-19 Resources 

Ontario Bar Association – COVID-19 Action Centre

Thomson Reuters - Taxnet Pro COVID-19 Canadian Tax Updates

Thomson Reuters - COVID-19 Resource Centre

Federal

Government of Canada - Coronavirus disease Covid-19

Justice Canada - Government of Canada’s response to COVID-19

Library of Parliament - HillNotes

University of Toronto - Canadian Government Information Covid-19 by Sam-chin Li

UBC Libraries Government of Canada Publications - Covid-19 Research Guides

University of Ottawa - Repository of Canadian COVID-19 Emergency Orders by Craig Forcese

Provincial

Alberta

Centre for Public Legal Education Alberta - Covid-19

University of Calgary Libraries - Covid-19 3 LibGuides with Free Resources

Alberta Court of Appeal News

Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench News

Alberta Provincial Court News

Alberta Provincial Court COVID-19 Court Information

Alberta Open Government Publications (for Ministerial Orders)

Alberta Orders in Council (recent OICs posted up front)

Alberta Government Legislative Assembly Bills

Alberta Government COVID-19 Info for Albertans

Alberta Law Libraries Updates (Legislative News)

The Lawyer’s Daily – News

Law Society of Alberta – COVID-19 Updates

Canada Bar Association – Alberta Branch – COVID-19 Updates

British Columbia

Law Society of British Columbia - Covid Response

Legislative Assembly of British Columbia - Covid-19 Legislative Updates

British Columbia Government - Response to Covid-19

City of Vancouver - Covid-19 Dashboard

Courts of BC Notices and Updates - Covid Update

Manitoba

Law Society of Manitoba - Covid-19 Updates

Legislative Assembly of Manitoba - Covid-19

Government of Manitoba - Covid-19 Updates

City of Winnipeg - Covid-19 Updates

Manitoba Courts Notices and Updates - Covid-19

New Brunswick

Law Society of New Brunswick - Covid-19

Government of New Brunswick - Covid-19 Resources

City of Fredericton - Covid-19 Resources

New Brunswick Courts Notices and Updates - Covid-19

Newfoundland & Labrador

Law Society of Newfoundland & Labrador - Information Regarding Covid-19

House of Assembly of Newfoundland & Labrador - Covid-19

Government of Newfoundland & Labrador - Life with Covid-19

City of St. John’s - Covid-19

Courts - Covid-19 Operational Plan

Northwest Territories & Nunavut

Law Society of Northwest Territories - Updates

Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories - News Releases

Government of Northwest Territories - Covid-19 Response

City of Yellowknife - Covid-19

Courts - NWT Response to Covid-19

Law Society of Nunavut - Covid-19

Legislative Assembly of Nunavut - News Releases Covid-19

Government of Nunavut - Covid-19 Response

City Iqaluit - Covid-19 Updates

Nunavut Courts - Updates

Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia Barrister’s Society - Covid-19 FAQ’s and Updates

Nova Scotia Legislature - News and Notices Covid-19

Government of Nova - Response to Covid-19

City of Halifax - Covid-19

Courts - Covid-19 Preventive Measures

Ontario

York University Osgoode Hall Law Library - COVID-19 and the law by Sharona Brookman

University of Toronto - Canadian Government Information Covid-19 by Sam-chin Li

Law Society of Ontario - LSO COVID-19 Response

Government of Ontario - Emergency status on COVID-19

City of Toronto -  COVID-19: Orders, Directives & Bylaws

Ontario Courts:

Ontario Court of Justice - COVID-19 Notices and Updates

Superior Court of Justice - Notices and Orders – COVID-19

Court of Appeal for Ontario - Practice Directions and Notices regarding COVID-19

Prince Edward Island

Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island – Covid-19 News Release

Law Society of Prince Edward Island - Covid-19 Updates

Government of Prince Edward Island – Covid-19 Resources

City of Charlottetown - Covid-19 Updates

Courts of Prince Edward Island - Covid-19 Letter and Resources

Quebec

Barreau du Quebec - Covid-19 FAQ’s

Government of Quebec - Covid-19

Montreal - Covid-19

Courts of Quebec - Covid-19 Notices

Saskatchewan

Law Society of Saskatchewan - Preparing for Covid-19

Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan - Covid-19 Updates and Resources

Government of Saskatchewan - Covid-19 Resources

Courts of Saskatchewan Notices and Updates - Courts Covid-19 Response

City of Regina - Covid-19 Resources

Yukon

Law Society of Yukon - Covid-19 Resources

Legislative Assembly of Yukon - News Releases

Government of Yukon - Information about Covid-19

City of Whitehorse - Covid-19

Courts - Covid-19

Not the easiest topic to cover.

No one really knows when law libraries in different cities or jurisdictions will be reopening or under what conditions.

Will physical access be restricted? Will all returned materials have to be quarantined? Will most of your staff continue working from home or will we all return wearing masks and gloves? Will elevators be no-go zones? Will space need to be redesigned to eliminate cubicles and open offices? What about air conditioning during muggy summer and fall days? And washroom surfaces? Reference counter surfaces? Table surfaces? Shelf surfaces? Surfaces, surfaces everywhere. And all those doors and those buttons to push to access restricted areas.

Here are a few ideas and sources to help you start thinking about "reopening the library".

The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) has created a webpage devoted to COVID-19 and the Global Library Field.

One of the sections is about the reopening of libraries:

"Most examples so far focus on a phased approach, with new services, activities and parts of the library only resumed when this can happen safely, with some associating the shift from one phase to the next to wider progress in tackling the pandemic, while others are more cautious in setting dates. As the Australian Library and Information Association has set out ... a useful approach is to start by assessing risk, then developing plans, and only then setting timings for resuming different services. It may also be the case, of course, that partner organisations are not yet open, which will also have an impact."

"Broadly, the library field has warned against any rush to re-open physical buildings. Furthermore, given uncertainty about how the situation will develop, it is possible that stricter rules will need to be implemented subsequently, and so the possibility of returning to lock-down should be borne in mind (indeed, West Virginia recommends continuing to work from home one day a week so that the habit is not lost). At the end of this section, you will find a selection of plans already established."

You may also want to check out the IFLA blog for posts on library reopening. Two recent texts cover the debate:

• Now and Next: What a Post-COVID World May Bring for Libraries (April 6, 2020)
• Advoc8: Now and Next Part 2 – What Might a Library Advocacy Agenda for the Post-Pandemic World Look Like? (April 21, 2020)

NELLCO, a law library consortium based in the North East United States, has published results from a survey it recently conducted concerning the response of academic law libraries to the COVID-19 pandemic. One section covers reopening plans.

OCLC and other organizations in the United States have launched REALM, a research partnership to share information on best practices for the Reopening of Archives, Libraries and Museums. It will have a specific emphasis on the handling of materials and workflows:

"This research collaboration will provide information on how long the virus survives on surfaces and how—or if—materials can be handled to mitigate exposure."

"To achieve these goals, the partnership is initiating work on several fronts:

The New York Law Institute wrote recently about Reimagining the Law Library in the Time of COVID-19. It defines guidelines for returning to work:

1. The library will operate with a minimal crew

2. Hygiene and virus prevention protocols will be established

3. Access for library patrons will be phased in

4. Social Distancing will be practiced among Staff

5. New delivery protocols will be put in place

6. Mail will be Resumed

7. Patrons will be advised of precautions and protocols

The article also provides links to many other reopening plans elsewhere.

The Australian Library and Information Association has developed a Checklist for reopening libraries which is very practical:

"In practical terms, there will need to be a greater focus on the safe handling of items for borrowing and display. The Institute of Museum and Library Services, OCLC and Battelle in the US are collaborating to develop an evidence-based approach to safe reopening practices, providing information about how to handle materials, training and cleaning in libraries."

"The International Federation of Library Associations is also gathering information about the strategies that libraries around the world are taking, as they plan to reopen their libraries."

"Each library will have its own plans for reopening, depending on the sector and the specific needs of the library’s community, but the checklist provides a practical framework which outlines major considerations that library managers should be addressing, when planning to reopen their library."

And I leave you with thoughts from David Whelan, Director, Legal Information & the Great Library, Law Society of Ontario. In an April 14, 2020 blog post entitled The Things We Leave Behind he thinks about what he "might do with a clean slate" post-pandemic.

Mary-Jo Petsche, Executive Director | Welland County Law Association      

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

I took an indirect path to the legal industry. I had a diploma in recording engineering and job prospects were slim so I found a job in banking to pay the rent. I stayed in that job for 7 years until one day the bank announced they were making significant changes to employment contracts and gave employees the choice to stay or take a retraining package. I thought, this is my chance to go to college and finally do something that I love. Sheridan College had an excellent Library and Information Technician program and I graduated in 1997. Honestly, I was never really interested in a traditional library setting as I wanted to work in corporate. I worked at Micromedia in Toronto and also as a knowledge management consultant for a few years at Nortel. The crash and burn of Nortel in the early 2000s had me looking for a library job closer to home as I had two young children and did not want to commute to Toronto anymore. As luck would have it, I was scanning the FIS Jobsite one day and found the LIT posting for the Welland County Law Association and the deadline to apply was that very day! I knew nothing about the law but was confident that I could manage the library and I figured the “law stuff” would be a nice challenge. Nineteen years later I am still employed at the R. Boak Burns Law Library at the WCLA and love my job.

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

I’ve been a CALL member for 19 years and I have benefitted so much from the association. I was encouraged to get involved in the association early on and I’m grateful for the opportunity. I’ve volunteered on committees and also had the opportunity to sit on the CPC for the Winnipeg conference and most recently the 2020 conference. That was a real eye opener to see all the planning and hard work that is involved with the conference. Networking helps build this community of people that you can lean on. There are so many talented, smart and engaging professionals in CALL who have helped me over the years. Lastly, the scholarships available for continuing education help support growth and enhance our professional development. I’ve taken advantage of these scholarships over the years and I’m so grateful to the association for their support.

3. What are three things on your bucket list?

• Hike the Camino
• Learn to play the cello
• Visit Austria

4. What are three skills/attributes you think legal information professionals need to have?

• The ability to be creative and manage change.
• Time management is a must no matter if you work in a solo library or as a team.
• Keep up with technology and identify the need for new or emerging technology.

5. What was your first job or your first library-related job?
My first job was picking cherries on a fruit farm at the age of 12…that was hard work!

1. Parlez-nous un peu de vos antécédents scolaires et de la manière dont vous vous êtes intégrée au secteur de l’information juridique.

J’ai emprunté une voie indirecte pour parvenir au secteur juridique. J’avais un diplôme en enregistrement audio et vidéo, mais comme les perspectives d’emploi étaient minces je travaillais dans le secteur bancaire pour payer le loyer. J’occupais mon poste depuis sept ans lorsque la banque a annoncé qu’elle apportait des modifications importantes aux contrats de travail et qu’elle offrait aux employés la possibilité de rester ou de suivre une formation de recyclage professionnel. Je me suis dit que c’était l’occasion pour moi de faire des études postsecondaires et de faire enfin quelque chose que j’aimais. Le Collège Sheridan proposait un excellent programme en technique de bibliothéconomie et d’information, et j’ai obtenu mon diplôme en 1997. Honnêtement, je n’ai jamais vraiment été intéressée par le cadre traditionnel d’une bibliothèque, car je voulais travailler en entreprise. J’ai travaillé chez Micromedia à Toronto et aussi comme consultant en gestion du savoir pendant quelques années chez Nortel. Lorsque les choses ont commencé à dégringoler chez Nortel, au début des années 2000, j’ai commencé à chercher un emploi dans une bibliothèque plus proche de chez moi, car j’avais deux jeunes enfants et ne voulais plus faire le long trajet entre la maison et le travail à Toronto. Comme par hasard, je suis tombée sur l’offre d’emploi de la Welland County Law Association alors que je consultais le site d’emploi FIS, mais la date limite pour postuler était cette journée-là! Même si je ne connaissais rien au droit, j’avais confiance en mes capacités de pouvoir gérer la bibliothèque, et je me suis dit que ce secteur serait un beau défi. Dix-neuf ans plus tard, je travaille toujours à la bibliothèque de droit R. Boak Burns de la WCLA et j’adore mon métier.

2. En quoi votre adhésion à l’ACBD/CALL vous a-t-elle été utile sur le plan professionnel (p. ex. bourses et subventions, formation continue, réseautage)?

Je suis membre de l’ACBD depuis 19 ans et j’ai grandement tiré profit de l’association. Dès le début, on m’a encouragée à m’impliquer dans l’association et je suis reconnaissante de ces possibilités qui m’ont été données. J’ai siégé à plusieurs comités à titre de bénévole et j’ai également eu la chance de faire partie des comités de planification du congrès de Winnipeg ainsi que de celui de 2020. Cela m’a réellement ouvert les yeux sur toutes les choses qu’il faut planifier et le travail énorme à accomplir pour la tenue du congrès. Les activités de réseautage permettent de bâtir une communauté de personnes sur laquelle on peut s’appuyer. Il y a tellement de professionnels talentueux, intelligents et engagés au sein de l’ACBD qui m’ont aidée au fil des ans. Enfin, les bourses offertes dans le cadre de la formation continue contribuent à notre épanouissement et à notre perfectionnement professionnel. J’ai eu l’occasion de profiter de ces bourses au fil des ans et je remercie grandement l’association pour son soutien.

3. Quelles sont trois choses que vous aimeriez réaliser avant de mourir?

• Faire les chemins de Compostelle à pied.
• Apprendre à jouer du violoncelle.
• Visiter l’Autriche.

4. Selon vous, quelles sont les trois compétences ou qualités que les professionnels de l’information juridique doivent détenir?

• La capacité de faire preuve de créativité et d’adaptation au changement.
• Bien gérer son temps est indispensable, qu’on travaille en solo ou en équipe.
• Se tenir au fait des progrès technologiques et déterminer ses besoins en matière de nouvelle technologie.

5. Quel a été votre premier emploi ou votre premier emploi lié à la bibliothéconomie?

Mon premier emploi a été cueilleuse de cerises dans un verger à l’âge de 12 ans, et c’était un travail vraiment difficile!