Canadian Association of Law Libraries 2011 Conference Website

The website for the 2011 annual conference of the Canadian Association of Law Libraries (CALL) is now available.

The conference takes place in Calgary from May 15 to 18, 2011.

I co-chair the Courthouse and Law Society Libraries Special Interest Group of CALL. Our Group is sponsoring 3 panels:

• Monday, May 16, 2011
  11:15 -12:15
  Workflow - How Not To Be Swamped!
  There's just so much stuff coming at me!" Between reference requests, administrative meetings and everything else, it's far too easy to lose control of information and important tasks. Panelists will discuss strategies and tools that they use in their organizations to keep control, and their sanity. Participants will learn tips on managing workflows from the micro (solo) to the macro (team) scale.
  
• Monday, May 16, 2011
  2:15 - 3:15
  Going Green at your Law Library: Learning from Calgary Public Library's Eco Action Team
  Law libraries face unique challenges when attempting to implement green initiatives. They are often located within courthouses and law firms, making it difficult to have full control over building practices such as recycling and energy use. Law libraries also serve clientele and boards of professionals that may not place green initiatives high on their agenda, resulting in a unique environment for advocacy and marketing. Calgary Public Library (CPL) is a leader in implementing green initiatives in Canada's library community, and has won multiple awards for green marketing and efforts such as recycling and waste reduction. CPL's Crowfoot Branch was the first building to be designed and constructed under the City of Calgary's new Sustainable Policy, and the library is working to achieve LEED certification at other branches. In this session, a panel of members from CPL's Eco Action Team will share their experience and offer advice to law libraries on how to get staff, clients, and board members involved in green initiatives, and tackle complex issues such as recycling and procurement of sustainable materials. The panel will also share ideas for simple changes that can be made at your library to reduce its ecological footprint.
• Tuesday, May 17, 2011
  3:30 - 5:00
  Beyond the adversarial criminal court system
  There is a growing recognition that traditional courts cannot deal very well on their own with many of the social causes of recidivism. Various initiatives such as drug treatment courts, domestic violence courts and aboriginal courts have emerged in many parts of Canada to help the criminal justice system respond more effectively and more compassionately to the often complex social and personal issues involved in crime. In these courts, judges, probation officers, social workers, Crown and defense counsel and members of the community work in a more cooperative way to address all the dimensions of crime, restitution and rehabilitation. This panel discussion will introduce CALL members to a few of these alternative "problem-solving" courts, their origins, rules of procedure, manner of record-keeping and decision-making, challenges, and successes.