Canadian Association of Law Libraries Webinar on Copyright and Controlled Digital Lending

The Canadian Association of Law Libraries (CALL) is hosting a webinar on Copyright and Controlled Digital Lending on April 4, 2025 at 1PM EST:

"The dream of shared library collections - whether print or digital - has long been seen as a solution to many of the issues that bedevil libraries of all stripes, including managing costs, limited space, conservation and preservation of print collections. Practical and legal considerations have historically been seen as barriers to shared print or controlled digital lending (CDL) programs. However, recent years have seen growth in the area of shared collections with the birth of a new national level shared print network, North/Nord and experimentation with CDL during COVID-related lockdown. Economic and political uncertainty have given an added sense of urgency to the need to ensure that collections are preserved and accessible."

Speakers include Stephen Spong, Western University; Katya Pereyaslavska, COPPUL and North/Nord; and a representative of HathiTrust.

Canadian Association of Law Libraries Webinar on Tribunals for Access to Justice in Canada

The Canadian Association of Law Libraries (CALL) is hosting a webinar on April 2, 2005 from 12 to 1PM EST on Tribunals for Access to Justice in Canada: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly:

"Canada’s tribunals resolve many of the most important and frequently-arising legal disputes, within specialized spheres of jurisdiction assigned by statutes.  Their potential to outperform courts in delivering speedy and accessible justice has long been recognized, and in many cases that potential is realized.  However, some Canadian tribunals today (especially Ontario’s high-volume tribunals) are afflicted by politicization, delay, and endemic miscarriages of procedural and substantive justice.  This discussion will explore tribunals’ promise as a path toward more accessible justice, as well as the pitfalls on this road."

"In this session, Professor Noel Semple will update CALL/ACBD members on recent research and observations about the significant delays facing litigants at a number of Ontario Tribunals. The session will raise awareness of the importance of tribunals in our justice system, the impacts on litigants, policy and political influences leading to this situation, and the implications on access to justice."

The speaker is Noel Semple, Associate Professor, University of Windsor Faculty of Law.

April 1 Deadline for Canadian Association of Law Libraries Education Reserve Fund

The Education Reserve Fund of the Canadian Association of Law Libraries (CALL) awards money to  CALL members to further their education in pursuits that do not fit the guidelines of already established scholarships. 

These include such activities as library and/or law courses given outside Canada, study leaves and/or sabbaticals, or other educational activities that do not involve structured courses. 

These activities should be relevant to the applicant's career in law libraries and/or contribute to the development of law libraries or law librarianship.  

Fund applications are due April 1, 2025. 

Criteria for this award are available on the CALL website. 

Applications can be made through the online form.

Canadian Association of Law Libraries Launches Revamped Law Librarians’ Institute

The following is taken from In Session, the monthly bulletin of the Canadian Association of Law Libraries (CALL):

CALL is pleased to announced our revamped Law Librarians’ Institute, a specialized training program designed to help legal information professionals, law students, and other legal researchers build and refine their legal research skills.

Developed by Annette Demers and designed to meet the Competencies of a Legal Researcher in Canada, the program consists of two distinct components: a virtual learning program and an in-person workshop.

The virtual program will begin on March 3, 2025. It features self-paced video lessons, guided exercises, and live virtual discussions. Participants will work through skill-specific modules covering federal and provincial legislation, judicial decisions, secondary legal sources, as well as optional specialized research areas.

Following the virtual portion, participants will attend an in-person workshop on May 24, 2025, as part of CALL’s annual conference.

This hands-on session allows participants to engage in problem-based exercises, collaborate with peers, and apply their newly developed legal research competencies in a structured environment.

Participants who complete all required virtual modules and attend the in-person workshop will receive a Letter of Completion from CALL.

The cost to participate in the virtual portion of the course is included in your CALL membership fee. The cost to complete the in-person workshop at the conference can be found here.

More details, including a course syllabus, can be found on our website, here.

Canadian Association of Law Libraries Webinar on Canadian Open Access Legal Citation Guide

The Canadian Association of Law Libraries (CALL) is hosting a webinar on the new Canadian Open Access Legal Citation Guide on January 23, 2025 at  1:00-2:00 EST:

"Canada’s new – and free – legal citation guide, the Canadian Open Access Legal Citation Guide, was recently published in June 2024 and is available on CanLII at 2024 CanLIIDocs 830.  Hear from several of its creators and learn more about the COAL Guide, including why the guide was created, the benefits of the guide, the details of some of its citation rules, and the reasoning behind some of the many decisions that were made in the process of creating these rules."

The speakers are:

• James Bachmann, Editor-in-Chief of the Canadian Open Access Legal Citation Guide and the Instruction Librarian at the University of British Columbia
• Ann Marie Melvie, Librarian at the Court of Appeal for Saskatchewan and Managing Editor of the Canadian Open Access Legal Citation Guide
• Michelle Terriss, also Managing Editor of the Guide and Law Librarian at Thompson Rivers University

The webinar is free to all attendees.

Canadian Association of Law Libraries Webinar on Social Media News, Psychological Biases, and AI

The Canadian Association of Law Libraries (CALL) is hosting a webinar on October 7, 2024, 12:00PM - 1:30pm EDT on A Perfect Storm: Social Media News, Psychological Biases, and AI:

"In an age where news information is created by millions and consumed by billions over social media (SM) every day, issues of information biases, fake news, and echo-chambers have dominated the corridors of technology firms, news corporations, policy makers, and society."

"In this context, the speakers will:

1. Explain information bias anchoring (IBA);
2. Put IBA in the context of social media news and how it creates an information deluge leading to uncertainty;
3. Discuss how technological rationality and individual biases intersect to mitigate the uncertainty, often leading to news information biases;
4. Explore how bad actors in society might be able to manipulate IBA to achieve nefarious ends."

The speakers are  Mark Whitmore, Associate Professor at Kent State University’s Department of Management and Information Systems; Dr. Pratim "Pratt" Milton Datta, Professor of Information Systems in the College of Business at Kent State University; and Dr. Joseph K. Nwankpa, Associate Professor in the Department of Information Systems & Analytics and the Director of Cybersecurity Initiatives at the Farmer School of Business at Miami University, Oxford, Ohio.

The webinar is free for CALL members. 

Cost is $50.00 for non-members and $15.00 for student non-members.

Canadian Association of Law Libraries Scholarship Opportunity to Help With Continuing Education Funding

Members of the Canadian Association of Law Libraries have until August 1, 2024 to apply for the James D. Lang Memorial Scholarship.

The scholarship supports attendance at a continuing education program "be it a workshop, certificate program or other similar activity deemed appropriate by the CALL/ACBD Scholarships and Awards Committee".

Canadian Association of Law Libraries Upcoming Webinar on Data Analytics

The Canadian Association of Law Libraries (CALL) is hosting a webinar on Tuesday, April 16, 2024 at 1:30-2:30 ET on Introduction to Data Analytics.

The speaker is Sarah A. Sutherland, Parallax Information Consulting:

"Information professionals often perform basic data analytics, scrutinizing what has happened in the past, as part of the decision-making process and to optimize operation efficiencies, among other reasons. In this session, attendees will obtain a general overview of the different types of data analytics and the circumstances in which each can be utilized. They will also gain an understanding of the forms of data analysis that law firms are/should be implementing, and the benefits of doing so. Attendees are encouraged to share their experiences. What internal data analysis is your employer implementing? What legal data are you being asked to track down and what data analytics resources do you subscribe to?"

The CALL National Office will soon send out the registration link.

Canadian Association of Law Libraries Upcoming Webinar on How to Create a Respectful Land Acknowledgement Statement

The Canadian Association of Law Libraries is hosting a webinar on Tuesday, February 6, 2024, 12:30 – 1:30 p.m. EST on How to Create a Respectful Land Acknowledgement Statement:

"Understanding and committing to the Calls to Action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) is an important function of all leaders. Learning the history of land acknowledgements is an important step in the path to reconciliation to help deepen our knowledge of other calls to action and can help to move reconciliation forward. Members will learn how to draft a land acknowledgement that is both thoughtful and aligned to their organization's role in the reconciliation process."

The speaker will be Jaimie Kechego, the Indigenous Curriculum and Pedagogy Project Coordinator for the Centre for Teaching and Learning. She is Anishnaabwekwe from Deshkaan Ziibing (the Chippewa of the Thames First Nation reserve) located near London, Ontario.

Upcoming Webinar on Artificial Intelligence Prompt Engineering for Librarians

The Association of College and Research Libraries, a division of the American Library Association, is hosting a webinar on September 19 entitled CLEARer Dialogues with AI: Unpacking Prompt Engineering for Librarians:

"As we navigate an era where generative artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping information discovery and interaction, it’s more crucial than ever for librarians to grasp the intricacies of AI-assisted interactions. In this webinar, we explore the importance of prompt engineering—a skill pivotal for optimizing AI interactions. This session offers unique insights into how librarians can leverage AI more effectively, enhancing their capacity to support research, instruction, and user engagement (...)"

"We’ll delve into the broader implications of AI and prompt engineering on future library practices, including potential changes in information literacy instruction, research assistance, and content curation."

The speaker will be  Leo S. Lo, Dean and Professor, College of University Libraries and Learning Sciences, University of New Mexico.

 

Canadian Association of Law Libraries Upcoming Webinar on Negotiating Tips and Tricks

The Vendor Liaison Committee of the Canadian Association of Law Libraries is hosting a webinar on July 26, 2023 from 1:00 to 2:30PM Eastern on Negotiating Tips and Tricks:

"Contract negotiations have evolved and are now more complex than ever. Listen to experienced colleagues discuss today's negotiation landscape with practical takeaways."

(...)

"In this session, you will learn:

• general approaches and strategies in negotiating contracts
• general contract language to watch out for and strategies for responding
• how to get support"

Canadian Association of Law Libraries Upcoming Webinar on Indigenization of Cataloguing

The Canadian Association of Law Libraries is organizing a webinar on March1, 2023 from 1:30 to 2PM called The Decolonization/Indigenization of Cataloguing Practices:

"Learn how libraries are Decolonizing/Indigenizing their cataloguing practices, including changes to subject headings and the development of the KI classification system. Learn how library staff can apply these practices within their workplaces in an effort to work toward reconciliation and to better assist their patrons."

Free to association members.

 Non-member – $50.00; Student Non-member – $15.00.

Canadian Association of Law Libraries Upcoming Webinar on Global Legal Research

The Canadian Association of Law Libraries is organizing a webinar on December 8 from 1 to 2PM called Global Legal Research: Lyo’s Guide to the Best Resources for Helping Users Who Are Embarking on Foreign, Comparative, and International Law Research Quests:

"Researching foreign, comparative, and international law (FCIL) topics can be daunting, but wonderfully rewarding if you can help a user find the information they need. In this webinar, you will find out what the most frequently asked FCIL research questions are and how to prepare to answer them. Lyo will introduce you to the best online and print tools to start with, tell you who the best people resources are, and give you tips on what to do when you’re stumped or don’t know when to stop looking for answers. Whether the user’s FCIL research quest is successful or not is up to you. Are you ready?"

The speaker is Lyonette Louis-Jacques, Foreign and International Law Librarian & Lecturer in Law, D’Angelo Law Library, the University of Chicago Law School.

Canadian Association of Law Libraries Webinar: Preservation, Discovery, and Accessibility

The Canadian Association of Law Libraries (CALL) is organizing a webinar on Thursday, October 20 at 1:00PM Eastern on Preservation, Discovery, and Accessibility: A Toolkit:

"During the 2021 Annual NELLCO Symposium, the Collection Development and Acquisitions Interest group chairs appointed a small working group to draft a document highlighting three specific areas of concern about electronic resources, particularly as publishers and libraries increasingly transition from print to electronic format.  The group developed a toolkit, Preservation, Discovery, and Accessibility (PDA).  This toolkit, designed to assist librarians during vendor negotiations, raises awareness of our problems in the electronic era. "

"The program will explore each of the three elements highlighted in the document and provide an opportunity for participants to share their experiences and concerns regarding preservation, discovery, and accessibility."

 Registration is free for CALL members, $50 for non-members and $15 for student non-members.

Canadian Association of Law Libraries Webinar on Law and Disability in Canada

The Canadian Association of Law Libraries (CALL) is organizing a webinar on Tuesday, June 28 at 1:00PM Eastern on Law and Disability in Canada: An overview of law and disability issues in Canada:

"This webinar will explore the ways in which persons with disabilities interact with the law in Canada. This will be done through an examination of barriers regularly faced by people with disabilities and how these are interpreted in foundational domestic and international equality rights instruments (including the Charter, human rights law, and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities). The authors will also provide a brief history of disability rights litigation in Canada and discuss several contemporary access to justice issues currently facing people with disabilities."

The speakers are:

• David Ireland, Faculty of Law at the University of Manitoba
• Freya Kodar, University of Victoria Faculty of Law
• Dr. Laverne Jacobs, University of Windsor Faculty of Law
• Dr. Richard Jochelson, Dean of Law at the University of Manitoba

Registration is free for CALL members, $50 for non-members and $15 for student non-members.

Upcoming Canadian Association of Law Libraries Webinar on Student Action and Indigenous Legal Education

The Canadian Association of Law Libraries (CALL) is hosting a webinar on March 9 from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM on Meaning Making: Student Action and Indigenous Legal Education:

"Student research, advocacy, negotiation and hard work are widening our views about what at times seems impossible - respecting Indigenous peoples’ aspirations within and beyond Canada’s legal frameworks. This work is slowly gaining momentum as students shed greater light on our collective past, present and future. In the process, this impacts society as a whole, as student ideas and research spreads beyond universities through their work. This seminar will address how Canadian legal education is responding to these processes."

The speaker is Dr. John Borrows, Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Law at the University of Victoria Law School.

The event is free for CALL members. Students pay $15.00 plus applicable taxes, non-members $50.00 plus applicable taxes.

Materials from October 14 Webinar on Negotiating With Vendors

Last week, the Canadian Association of Law Libraries (CALL) hosted a webinar called Savvy Negotiation Skills: A Toolkit for Law Librarians.

The speaker was Annette Demers, head of the Paul Martin Law Library at the University of Windsor and past president of CALL.

Demers has posted materials relating to her webinar on the website of Paul Martin Law Library.

Canadian Association of Law Libraries Webinar on Negotiating With Vendors

The Canadian Association of Law Libraries (CALL)  is hosting a webinar called Savvy Negotiation Skills: A Toolkit for Law Librarians on Thursday, October 14, 2021 from 2 to 3:3PM EST:

Some law librarians continue to be involved, to some extent, in negotiating contracts with vendors. Negotiations with large vendors can be intimidating, especially for newer librarians. Law librarians in all work situations and levels of experience are welcome to participate.  Senior librarians are invited to share their experience and perspectives. This session will provide practical tools, tips and checklists to assist law librarians in the various phases of contract negotiation.

The speaker is Annette Demers, head of the Paul Martin Law Library at the University of Windsor and past president of CALL.

It is free to CALL members. Student - $15.00 plus applicable taxes;  nn-Member - $50.00 plus applicable taxes.

Canadian Association of Law Libraries Webinar on Inclusive Language

The Canadian Association of Law Libraries (CALL)  is hosting a webinar on inclusive language this Friday, July 9, 2021 at 2PM Eastern:

"Language has power. It not only describes realities, but language also produces and perpetuates them. This workshop on the use of inclusive language introduces guidelines for using language in ways that do not exclude individuals or groups, does not perpetuate discrimination or stereotypes, and strives for equity. By using inclusive language, we prioritize respect and equity, while embracing the diversity of communities. This workshop is grounded in the several guiding principles: Respect for individuals’ and groups’ language preferences, recognition that terms that may be appropriate for members of a group may be inappropriate when used by non-members, remembering the diversity of experiences within groups, and the willingness to relearn. Since language constantly changes, we must be open to learning new inclusive standards. This workshop will offer tips and discuss inclusivity standards for both academic writing and in face-to-face interactions."

The speaker is Grant Yocom, University of Windsor.

It is free to CALL members and $20 plus tax for non-members.

Canadian Association of Law Libraries Webinar on Prison Law

The Canadian Association of Law Libraries (CALL) will host a webinar on January 28, 2021 on Prison Law: Researching Health and Legal Implications of Aging Prison Populations. 

The event will take place 1:00 - 2:15 PM ET:

"Dr. Iftene will present on the substance and the methodology of her biggest project to date. This project was built around the experiences of older prisoners, the challenges individuals face in Canadian penitentiaries, and their struggles for justice. Through firsthand accounts and quantitative data drawn from extensive interviews, her work brings forward the experiences of federally incarcerated people living their 'golden years' behind bars. These experiences show the limited ability of the system to respond to heightened needs, while also raising questions about how international and national laws and policies are applied, and why they fail to ensure the safety and well-being of incarcerated individuals."

The speaker will be  Dr. Adelina Iftene, Assistant Professor and the Criminal Justice Specialization Coordinator at the Schulich School of Law, Dalhousie University, in Halifax.

Webinar Costs:

• CALL Member: $40 + HST
• CALL Student Member: $25 + HST
• Non-member: $60 + HST