Library of Parliament Legislative Summary of Royal Canadian Mounted Police Accountability Act

The Library of Parliament recently published its legislative summary of Bill C-42: An Act to amend the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Act:

"Bill C-42 essentially repeats the provisions of former Bill C-381 by amending the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Act ... to establish a new, independent civilian commission - the Civilian Review and Complaints Commission for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (the Commission) - to replace the existing Commission for Public Complaints Against the RCMP. The bill also gives the force of law to a provisional policy of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) on investigations of serious incidents involving members of the RCMP. In addition to addressing these two matters dealt with in former Bill C-38, Bill C-42 also introduces changes to the enforcement of disciplinary measures, the handling of grievances and the human resources management framework, in order to expedite the processing of serious misconduct cases involving RCMP members and to improve the performance of the organization. Overall, the changes proposed Bill C-42 aim to increase RCMP accountability to its members and to the public."

It is possible to follow the progress of the bill on the LEGISinfo website.

September 2012 Campaign Update of Save Library and Archives Canada

The Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) launched a campaign this year called Save Library and Archives Canada (LAC) because of its fear that recent federal budget cuts would hamper the institution's many collections and activities.

The campaign has just published a September 2012 Campaign Update. Among some of the items:

• Archival organizations across Canada withdraw from Library and Archives Canada’s Pan-Documentary Heritage Network
• LAC withdraws from the Association of Research Libraries
• The real scoop on digitization at LAC (based on an access to information request by CAUT
• and more

Earlier Library Boy posts on the topic:

• Canadian Library Association Dismayed by Federal Budget Impact (May 2, 2012): "The Canadian Library Association (CLA) today released a statement criticizing the 2012 federal budget which it believes will hit federal libraries and Libraries and Archives Canada very hard."
• Canadian Association of Law Libraries 2012 Conference Resolutions (May 10, 2012): "A number of resolutions were adopted yesterday at the Annual General Meeting ... of the Canadian Association of Law Libraries in Toronto (...) members also voted to support the Save Libraries and Archives Canada campaign ..."

Library of Parliament Legislative Summary of Immigration and Refugee Protection Amendment Bill

The Library of Parliament recently published its Legislative Summary of Bill C-43: An Act to Amend the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act:

"Bill C-43 focuses on the inadmissibility-related provisions of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA), which determine who may not enter or remain in Canada. Background information provided by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) suggests that the legislation is the outcome of an inter-departmental review of IRPA’s inadmissibility and other related provisions."

"Specifically, Bill C-43 makes several changes related to:

• evaluating inadmissibility;
• the consequences of being found inadmissible on certain grounds and of having an inadmissible family member; and
• granting relief from inadmissibility."

"In addition, it gives the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness the power to prevent an individual from obtaining or renewing temporary resident status."

"Finally, the bill introduces two other changes:

• it provides for new regulatory authorities for immigration applications; and
• it creates a formal procedure for the renunciation of permanent resident status."

It is possible to follow the progress of the bill on the LEGISinfo website.

Interview With Library of Congress Information Architect Meg Peters

In Custodia Legis, the blog of the Law Library of Congress in Washington, has been running an interview series featuring members of the library staff. The series started in late October 2010.

There are more than 80 posts in the series.

This week's interview is with Meg Peters, an Information Architect in the Office of Strategic Initiatives. She is part of the team that designed the new Congress.gov legislative information service:

"What was your role in the development of Congress.gov"

"Congress.gov is part of a three-tiered strategic plan for the Library’s websites created in consultation with web experts from various fields. Based on recent usability testing and interviews with Library stakeholders, the plan provided general guidance for redesigning THOMAS.gov and the internal legislative website, the Legislative Information System (LIS)."

"Initially, I helped define the scope and requirements for the Congress.gov beta site, which synthesizes THOMAS.gov and LIS. Then I created all the page mockups (wireframes), worked with the team to refine them, and co-wrote with Tammie the functional specifications detailing how the site should behave. (For example: 'If the user does this, then the site does that.')"

"In designing the information architecture for Congress.gov, I leveraged site usage metrics for THOMAS.gov and results of past usability testing for LIS. Leading up to the Congress.gov launch, I provided guidance on writing, organizing, and formatting the content."

Two Federal Privacy Commission Studies on Citizens Watching Other Citizens

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada has published two independent studies it commissioned on the legal implications of the use of social media by private citizens to report on other private citizens:

"In June 2011, bystanders documented the scene as a riot broke out in downtown Vancouver following Game Seven of the Stanley Cup Finals. Tips were submitted by the public to the Vancouver police, which included over 1,000,000 photos and over 1,000 hours of video. These events provide a real-life scenario to study the emergence of citizen journalism and the potential for misuse of personal information that comes with it."

The two studies now being made available are:

• Surveillance and spectacle: eighty-four observations on citizen journalism, social media, mobile devices and mobs by Internet strategist and CBC radio columnist Jesse Hirsh  
• No mistakes, no forgetting: privacy in the age of social media by lawyer Kent Glowinski

Call for Proposals for 2013 Conference of Canadian Association of Law Libraries

The Programming Committee of the 2013 conference of the Canadian Association of Law Libraries (CALL) is calling on all members to submit session proposals for next year's annual meeting in May 2013 in Montreal:

"The committee has selected three themes or tracks.  Each Plenary session will focus on one of the following themes and the programming for the day will be aligned with the main conference theme as the Librarian: a multi-faceted professional."

"The three themes are:

• Looking to the future
• How to Develop Professionally
• Alignment"

The deadline is October 15, 2012.

The CALL website has further details on the requirements for making program proposals.

CALL Webinar October 9 - 60 Sites in 60 Minutes

The Webinar Subcommittee of the Canadian Association of Law Libraries (CALL) is hosting a webinar on October 9, 2012 at 1:00 - 2:30 PM Eastern on 60 Sites in 60 Minutes:

"Hot on the heels of their presentation at SLA 2012, we are bringing John DiGilio and Gayle Lynn-Nelson together online to give us a reprise of their wildly popular session exploring new and under-utilized websites. Fast-paced and fun, it offers a glimpse of what you may be missing on the Web."

John DiGilio is the National Manager of Research Services for Reed Smith, LLP in Chicago. John is also the founder and Editor-in-Chief of On Firmer Ground, a blog by and for law firm librarians.  It is an international collaboration by law library groups from Australia, Canada, Great Britain, New Zealand, Scotland, South Africa, and the United States.  

Gayle Lynn-Nelson is a Senior Library Relations Consultant with LexisNexis in New York. Recently, Gayle has participated, as a member of the Board for the Institute of Museum & Library Services which commissioned a study on the Future of Librarians and Information Professionals in the workforce. The Institute established a grant and set up a National Advisory Board. This was a two-year study with the purpose to develop a comprehensive understanding of the current and projected future workforce needs for librarians, other library workers, and other information professionals in relation to anticipated retirements over the next decade. 

Library of Congress Launches Beta Version of Congress.gov

The US Library of Congress recently launched the new Congress.gov, which is still in "beta version". It will eventually replace / incorporate the THOMAS legislative information service.

There is more background on the In Custodia Legis blog of the Law Library of Congress.

Library of Parliament Legislative Summary of the Safe Food for Canadians Act

The Library of Parliament recently published a legislative summary of of Bill S-11: Safe Food for Canadians Act:

"The bill consolidates the Meat Inspection Act (MIA), the Fish Inspection Act (FIA), the Canada Agricultural Products Act (CAPA)and the food provisions of the Consumer Packaging and Labelling Act. It also aligns inspection and enforcement powers across all food commodities.The government has identified several advantages of the new bill for industry. These include the following:

• consistency in inspectors’ powers, inspection procedures and regulations for all types of food (rather than separate statutes dealing with different food industries) since the bill will consolidate the inspection powers and procedures currently contained in the legislation governing the food industries affected by the bill;
• the availability of official certification for exported foods, which is becoming increasingly desirable to Canada’s international trading partners; and
• a review mechanism that would apply to all foods inspected by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA)."

"The government has also identified several advantages of the bill for consumers, including the following:

• prohibitions on food-tampering that could make food dangerous for human consumption;
• increased traceability requirements, important in the event of a recall;
• authority to license food importers; and
• authority to prevent imports of food that may pose a health risk "

(...)

"Public response from industry to Bill S-11 has been very positive. Major stakeholders, including the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association, the Canadian Federation of Agriculture, the Canadian Meat Council, the Canadian Poultry and Egg Processors Council, and the Canadian Supply Chain Food Safety Coalition, among others, expressed their support for the bill soon after its tabling (...)"

"Bill S-11’s provisions relating to incorporation by reference received a mixed response from stakeholders appearing before the Standing Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry. Two witnesses indicated that incorporation by reference would streamline the often cumbersome process of recognizing new regulations related to food additives, standards of composition and health claims. Another was concerned that incorporation by reference would mean less consultation with industry.'

"The bill’s traceability requirements also got a mixed response from stakeholders. The Canadian Federation of Agriculture praised the government’s initiative on the topic in the media, saying that traceability can 'enhance food safety and increase the competitiveness of our industry.' Meanwhile, some other witnesses before the Senate committee were concerned about the implications for their respective industries. One suggested a voluntary approach to traceability is appropriate, since mandatory traceability requirements present challenges in relation to systems integration and information sharing. Another noted that meeting traceability requirements in the grain industry, where producers commingle their crops, could be a significant burden."

It is possible to follow the progress of the bill through Parliament on the LEGISinfo website.

Canadian Library Association 2012 -2013 Webinar Series

The Canadian Library Association has announced the line-up for its 2012-2013 series of professional development webinars:

• So what do you do – and why do I need you – exactly? Tips on Branding for Information Professionals (Octo. 15, 2012)
• Becoming Indispensable: The Value Proposition (Nov. 19, 2012)
• How to Construct a Superb Résumé (Jan. 21, 2013)
• Cover Letters – Do They Do Us Justice? (Feb. 11, 2013)
• The Job Interview:  Projecting Competence, Confidence, and Fit with Organizational Culture (Feb. 25, 2013)

Pricing and time details are available on the online registration form.

SLA Webinar Next Week: Libraries & Knowledge Management

Legal Division of SLA (Special Libraries Association) will present a reprise of its hit program, Libraries & Knowledge Management: Taming the KM Monster on Wednesday, September 26, 2012, 2 – 3 PM ET:

"Learn how librarians are using their expertise to develop connections within their organizations that deliver value by meeting the needs of internal and external customers. Discover how you can implement KM initiatives in your organization using existing tools and creative problem solving. Internal knowledge sharing, information silos and developing products that integrate internal and external data which vendors can't duplicate create added value for attorneys, managers, directors, and other professionals. This talk provides tips on how to start small, market your successes, and build on those successes for larger-scale initiatives, discusses how to define KM in a way that fits your organizational culture and mission, which, in turn, sets realistic expectations of what KM can and cannot achieve."

Attendance is free to members of SLA, the Canadian Association of Law Libraries and the American Association of Law Libraries.

Speakers are Camille Reynolds, Director of Risk Management & Information Services at Fenwick and West, and Jaye Lapachet, Manager of Library Services, Coblentz Patch Duffy & Bass LLP.

New Issue of Information Technology and Libraries

The most recent issue of the journal Information Technology and Libraries is available. Since March 2012, it has been an open-access, electronic-only publication.

Of particular interest to me are the following articles:

• Extending IM beyond the Reference Desk: A Case Study on the Integration of Chat Reference and Library-Wide Instant Messaging Network: "Openfire is an open source IM network and a single unified application that meets the needs of chat reference and internal communications. In Fall 2009, the California State University San Marcos (CSUSM) Library began use of Openfire and other Jive software instant messaging technologies, to simultaneously improve our existing IM-integrated chat reference software and implement an internal IM network. This case study describes the chat reference and internal communications environment at the CSUSM Library and the selection, implementation, and evaluation of Openfire. In addition, the authors discuss the benefits of deploying an integrated instant messaging and chat reference network."
• The Next Generation Integrated Library System: A Promise Fulfilled?:"The adoption of Integrated Library Systems (ILS) became prevalent in the 1980s and 1990s as libraries began or continued to automate their processes.  These systems enabled library staff to work, in many cases, more efficiently than they had been in the past.  However, these systems were also restrictive – especially as the nature of the work began to change, largely in response to the growth of electronic and digital resources – for which these systems were not intended to manage.  New library systems – the second (or next) generation library systems are needed in order to effectively manage the processes of acquiring, describing and making available all library resources.  This article examines the state of library systems today and describes the features needed in a next generation library system.  The authors also examine some of the next generation library systems currently in development that purport to fill the changing needs of libraries."

Information Technology and Libraries is published by LITA, the Library and Information Technology Association, a division of the American Library Association.

September 2012 Issue of Governance and Recordkeeping Around the World

The Governance and Recordkeeping Around the World newsletter, published by Library and Archives Canada (LAC), highlights issues pertaining to government and recordkeeping practices in the public and private sector.

The September 2012 issue has just been published on the LAC website.

It includes:

• news items from Canada and around the world
• announcements of upcoming Canadian and international events (meetings, workshops, seminars)
• project and product news in areas such as digitization, archives, open source, e-government, access to information and Web 2.0 initiatives
• selected papers and readings (white papers, presentations, reports)

New Factsheets from the European Court of Human Rights

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in Strasbourg has published a series of Factsheets that describe important jurisprudence of the institution on a number of subjects.

The ECHR recently added new Factsheets on the right to life, companies and taxation. They include key cases and pending applications before the Court.

The ECHR hears complaints from individuals living in any of the member states of the Council of Europe about violations of the European Convention of Human Rights. The Council of Europe is one of the continent's oldest political organizations, founded in 1949. It has 47 member countries.

Supreme Court of Canada: New Library Titles

The list of new library titles added to the Supreme Court of Canada collection for the period of September 1-15, 2012 is now available on the Court website.

The web page explains: "The Supreme Court of Canada Library does not lend materials from this list, which is provided for information only."

But, once the material goes into the general collection, after about a month, the works do become available for inter-library loan to authorized libraries.

It is possible to subscribe via e-mail to receive the list.

Interview With Law Library of Congress Special Assistant to the Assistant Law Librarian for Collections

In Custodia Legis, the blog of the Law Library of Congress in Washington, has been running an interview series featuring members of the library staff. The series started in late October 2010.

There are more than 80 posts in the series.

This week's interview is with Penelope Fay Heavner, Special Assistant to the Assistant Law Librarian for Collections, Outreach and Services:

"What is the most interesting fact that you have learned about the Law Library of Congress?

"(...) Many people think of libraries as dry, uninteresting and on the sidelines of modern life.  Perhaps I can use two facts to demonstrate one point: libraries today still provide a vital public service, and that is especially true of the Law Library.  Only a few years ago the Law Library played a key role in assisting the Afghan government.  The Taliban had destroyed all copies of Afghan official documents, leaving the Karzai government with very little documentation on which to base their legal system.  The Law Library had a considerable collection of pre-Taliban legal documents and was thus in a position to help the Karzai government restore its basic legal documents and subsequent precedents developed under the pre-Taliban legal system."

"The Law Library also played a similar supporting role in the 1990s.  Probably not many people know that Dr. Oleg G. Rumiantsev, who is sometimes referred to as the Russian James Madison [author of the US Bill of Rights and one of the 'Fathers' of the US Constitution], used the Law Library’s collection in drafting the new Russian constitution.  Dr. Rumiantsev, who was then in the United States, was a frequent visitor to the Law Library and he drew extensively on its legal collection, particularly focusing on examples of constitutions that contained the checks and balances typical in western constitutions."

The Law Library of Congress is the world’s largest law library, with a collection of over 2.65 million volumes spanning the ages and covering virtually every jurisdiction in the world.

LawNow Sept/Oct 2012 Issue Available

The Sept/Oct 2012 issue of  LawNow is available. The magazine is published by the Centre for Public Legal Education Alberta. As of this issue, what used to be a subscription-based publication is completely free online.

The current issue is devoted to "sex and taxes".

LawNow provides credible legal information and interpretation to help Canadian citizens understand law and better protect their interests.

Over 100 years of Supreme Court of Canada Judgments Available Free on CanLII

The Canadian Legal Information Institute (CanLII) now offers a nearly complete collection of over 9,000 decisions of the Supreme Court of Canada dating back to 1907. This is thanks to a joint initiative of the Court and Lexum Inc.:

"The Supreme Court of Canada, Lexum and the University of Montreal are Canada's pioneers in making law freely available on the internet having collaborated since 1993 to provide free, web-based access to Supreme Court of Canada judgments. Their efforts, along with a 1997 federally-promulgated statutory instrument authorizing royalty and permission-free reproductions of federal law and the judgments of federally constituted courts and tribunals, laid much of the groundwork that made CanLII possible. Indeed, Lexum itself has also served continuously as CanLII's publisher and technology supplier since CanLII was launched by the Federation of Law Societies of Canada as a project in August of 2000."

CanLII's Supreme Court database also includes all appeals in cases originating from British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario back to the Court's creation in 1876.

What Librarians Should Wear to Interviews If They Want to be Hired

The Hiring Librarians blog is reporting on the results of its survey of library hiring managers on what candidates should wear.

The survey is still open but the blog provides a description as well as graphs of the responses from more than 150 people who have answered so far.

The vast majority of responses have been from academic libraries. So share this with managers you know from other institutions if you can.

The survey has questions on suits, pantyhose (!), bare arms, make-up, jewelry, hair colour, etc.

Interview With Legal Research Specialist at Law Library of Congress

In Custodia Legis, the blog of the Law Library of Congress in Washington, has been running an interview series featuring members of the library staff. The series started in late October 2010.

There are 80 posts in the series.

This week's interview is with Emily Carr, Senior Legal Research Specialist:

"How would you describe your job to other people?"

"My official job title now is Senior Legal Research Specialist, but my responsibilities include a variety of projects and activities. I administer our Law Library Ask a Librarian digital reference service. I curate our Guide to Law Online legal portal. I provide Congressional statutory coverage (2 U.S.C. § 138) during late sessions on three to four evenings a week. I am part of a team that provides coverage through special orders, filibusters, rain, sleet, or snow! I assist Andrew Weber as part of the Law Library social media team, providing updates through our social media outlets on Facebook and two (THOMASdotgov, LawLibCongress) Twitter accounts. Since February of this year, we tweet hearing notices. With three of my colleagues, I am part of a two-year Reading Room Management Training Program. I have worked on a variety of past projects, including: web design, web archiving, publications, and developing special collections bibliographies of topics in the news (impeachment, terrorism, and judicial nominations)."

The Law Library of Congress is the world’s largest law library, with a collection of over 2.65 million volumes spanning the ages and covering virtually every jurisdiction in the world.

New Reports Released by National Action Committee on Access to Justice

The National Action Committee on Access to Justice in Civil and Family Matters this week released two reports asking for public feedback.

The reports are:

• Report of the Court Processes Simplification Working Group that identifies initiatives that reduce delays, minimize costs and have the potential to improve access to court services.
• Report of the Access to Legal Services Working Group Report that presents recommendations that address the need to create increased flexibility in the way that legal services are provided.

The National Action Committee is a broad-based committee established by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada Beverley McLachlin. It is chaired by Supreme Court of Canada Justice Thomas Cromwell. Members of the committee include the Canadian Bar Association, Justice Canada, and the Canadian Judicial Council. It works to identify ways to reduce barriers to access to the civil justice system.

August 2012 Issue of Connected Bulletin on Courts and Social Media

The August 2012 issue of Connected is available online. The bulletin covers news about the impact of new social media on the courts.

It is published by the Virginia-based National Center for State Courts and the Conference of Court Public Information Officers.

Supreme Court of Canada: New Library Titles

The list of new library titles added to the Supreme Court of Canada collection for the period of August 16 to 31, 2012 is now available on the Court website.

The web page explains: "The Supreme Court of Canada Library does not lend materials from this list, which is provided for information only."

But, once the material goes into the general collection, after about a month, the works do become available for inter-library loan to authorized libraries.

It is possible to subscribe via e-mail to receive the list.

New Work-Related Factsheet from European Court of Human Rights

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in Strasbourg has published a new Factsheet on Work-related rights.

The ECHR has published a series of Factsheets that describe important jurisprudence of the institution on a number of subjects.


The ECHR hears complaints from individuals living in any of the member states of the Council of Europe about violations of the European Convention of Human Rights. The Council of Europe is one of the continent's oldest political organizations, founded in 1949. It has 47 member countries.

List of Law-Related Listservs

Lyonette Louis-Jacques, librarian at the University of Chicago Law School, has written a piece on Slaw.ca about law-related listservs (e-mail dicussion lists):

"The best listservs are for information sharing among professionals in the same field. There are good listservs for law library directors, catalogers, serials librarians, acquisitions librarians, government documents librarians, foreign and international law librarians, and computing services staff. Several of these listservs have affiliations with associations. Subscribers use these lists for announcements, crowdsourcing, offers and requests, interlibrary loan, research help, information sharing. They’re thriving. They’re peopled. Subscribers are responsive. They have very few “lazy researchers” posting. They tend not to have flame wars. "