April 2013 Issue of AALL Spectrum

The April 2013 issue of AALL Spectrum, a monthly publication of the American Association of Law Libraries, is available.

Among this month's selection of articles:

• Public Relations: Relationship Marketing by Frances M. Brillantine (Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law in Washington): "Public interest law auctions, held annually at many law schools, provide an excellent opportunity for librarians to collaborate with students. Individual support of the auction, either by donating, bidding on items, or attending, demonstrates that we support our students and their interests. An even stronger show of support is a donation made by the library or a library department. Donations made by the library also provide an opportunity for staff to build relationships among themselves while working on something enjoyable, which leads to improved service to students. Strong relationships and support among colleagues are essential to good customer service— and good service is the most valuable marketing tool we have."
• Cloudy with a Chance of Collaboration by Carla Wale (Northern Illinois University College of Law) and Ellen Richardson (Boston University): "(...) cloud-based collaboration services (cloud services) allow librarians to come together to create scholarship, work on projects in the office and across miles more efficiently, share ideas and interests, and inspire each other, ultimately benefiting the larger community. In this article, we examine the basics of cloud services, including security concerns; review some of the major services; and look at some ways fellow librarians are using these services to facilitate collaboration to get their projects off the ground and into the cloud."
• Law Firm Changes Offer Opportunities for Libraries by Sarah Sutherland (McMillan LLP in Vancouver): "Certain aspects of the practice of law are changing, particularly as they relate to the traditional ways lawyers charge for their work and how completed work is leveraged for future benefit. Some firms, for example, are moving to incorporate knowledge management (KM) practices, alternative billing, and law practice automation (...) These changes have the potential to create both great problems and great opportunities for law libraries and KM departments. The first thing libraries and KM departments can do is integrate into the project teams working on these initiatives. There are enormous informational aspects to all of these projects, and it is the job of the library and KM staff to ensure that they are being considered and addressed in the planning stages."
• A Pilot Using OverDrive by Nina E. Scholtz (Cornell University Law Library): "E-books are not just for popular reading; legal publishers are entering the e-book market as well. Major publishers are launching e-book platforms and offering law libraries the opportunity to purchase both individual titles and collections of electronic books that they also offer in print. One publisher has announced the availability of a specialized lending platform similar to that offered by OverDrive and other library lending platforms ... With these increasing signs of a strong future for e-books, and possibly for e-lending as well, in spring 2012 Cornell University Law Library decided to pilot OverDrive for the Cornell Law School community. "