Canadian Association of Law Libraries Nominations for Honoured Members

The Canadian Association of Law Libraries (CALL) is inviting people to nominate a CALL member for Honoured Member status.

Honoured Member status is the Association’s highest honour and recognizes outstanding contributions to the advancement of law librarianship.

CALL members can submit their nominations, including supporting documentation, to Kim Nayyer, Past President, before March 1st, 2023.

Library Association Submissions to Federal Government 2023 Budget Consultations

The website Librarianship.ca has posted summaries of the pre-budget submissions made by various library, archivistic and cultural associations:

"In June 2022, the the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance invited Canadians to provide a written brief with their priorities and proposals as part of its Pre-Budget Consultations in Advance of the 2023 Federal Budget."

"The Standing Committee published the briefs submitted by associations and organizations representing Canada’s GLAM (galleries, libraries, archives, and museums) sector as well as other sectors in November 2022."

Among the organizations listed are:

• the Canadian Association of Research Libraries
• the Canadian Federation of Library Associations
• the Canadian Museums Association
• the Canadian Urban Libraries Council
• Access Copyright
• and many others

2022 at the Supreme Court: Year in Review

TheCourt.ca blog based at the Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto has published a review of the major decisions made in 2022 by the Supreme Court of Canada:

"For the second consecutive year, we witnessed a historic transition in our roster of SCC justices. We bid farewell to Justice Michael J. Moldaver, who retired from the Bench after eleven years of devoted service. Justice Moldaver brought to the Bench his acclaimed expertise in criminal law, serving on the Court under both Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin and Chief Justice Richard Wagner. His legacy will be defined by his affinity for making the law more accessible to the public and for his reputation as one of the Court’s best writers. In his place, we welcomed Justice Michelle O’Bonsawin as the first Indigenous person ever appointed to the SCC. Justice O’Bonsawin brings a breadth of knowledge to the Bench, including her personal experience as a Francophone First Nations woman and her expertise in employment law, criminal law and mental health law. Canadians can look forward to the fresh perspective of Justice O’Bonsawin, who notes that her abilities allow her to contribute to making Canada a more inclusive society which is fair and just to all (Questionnaire for Judicial Appointment)."

"In this article, we explore the jurisprudential highlights of 2022 and look ahead to what is in store for 2023."

International Federation of Library Associations Trend Report 2022 Update

The International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA) has released its IFLA Trend Report Update 2022:

"Following the focus in the 2021 Trend Report on the key developments which, according to emerging leaders across the field, are most likely to shape the future of the libraries and the communities that we serve over the next ten years, this year takes a look at what we need to do in order to respond. What should be on our own to-do list in the coming years if we are to be ready to seize the opportunities and face down the threats that lie out there for us?"

"To do this, we again draw on the insights and ideas of emerging leaders across our field. These are the ones who will be responsible, within their institutions, their associations, and our global Federation, for ensuring that we can not just respond to the new situations we face, but also can take a positive, proactive approach."

"This report is therefore a collaborative effort. It is based on the key proposals made by the participants in the three emerging leaders sessions held at the 2022 World Library and Information Congress, and has subsequently been co-drafted by them."

"The ideas shared have been structured according to the four pillars of IFLA’s mission - to inspire, engage, enable and connect the global library field. In each case, there are recommendations both for libraries in general, and our Federation in particular."

The broad recommendations for the library sector are:

1. We need to see libraries as players in a wide variety of policy areas 
2. We should be more open in where and how we engage in advocacy, making a wider variety of issues our own 
3. We should intensify and improve our own advocacy 
4. We need to adopt a broad definition of our field, and ensure that being part of it is synonymous with action 
5. We must see outreach as key to achieving our missions
6. We need to feel a sense of agency in the face of the future 
7. We need to embrace and share innovation 
8. We need to see ourselves as a core part of the education infrastructure 8 #IFLATrendReport 
9. We need to support emerging leaders as a core plank of sustainability, while also seeing that we all have potential to develop 
10. We must make connecting with others in our field an integral part of our practice 
11. We should invest seriously in our connections with partners and supporters

 

Supreme Court of Canada Launching New Electronic Filing Portal Next Week

The Supreme court of Canada has developed a new web-based portal that parties will be able to use to file case-related documents. It will become available on Monday, January 30, 2023:

"The web-based portal allows users to upload multiple documents per case.  This is the first phase of the portal, additional functions will be added over time."

"The portal should be used for all filings with the exception of documents that are subject to a sealing or confidentiality order."

"You will be asked to register as a user and provide an email address for validation by the Registry Branch. This email address will also be used for communication purposes with the Registry regarding filings through the portal.  Filing parties will receive electronic confirmations of submitted documents with a summary of the information provided. Filing parties will also receive a confirmation when their documents are processed by the Registry."

Project to Watch: Total Digital Access to the League of Nations Archives

The United Nations Archive in Geneva has been working on a project to digitize the entirety of the archives of the League of Nations, the predecessor of the United Nations.

When made fully accessible to the public very soon, the project will include some 14.2 million pages covering all the activities of the League between 1920 and 1946, and some 27,000 maps and 9,000 photographs.

There is a video explanation of the project on YouTube.

Australian Law Reform Commission on User-Friendly Legislation

The Australian Law Reform Commission has published an article on User-friendly legislation: Why we need it, and how to achieve it:

"In our view, the design, drafting, and publication of legislation in Australia needs a fundamental re-think based on ‘user-experience’. This would promote legislation that is more coherent, navigable, and which communicates its message as simply and clearly as possible."

"After discussing the need for user-friendly legislation, this article outlines three potential means by which this could be achieved: 

• first, by drafting legislation that is simpler and more intuitive in its expression and structure;
• second, by helping users of legislation navigate and comprehend it by providing ‘knowledge tools’; and
• third, by improving the law-making process generally, including by soliciting and integrating user feedback, and through undertaking more regular reviews."

 

 

College and Research Libraries Article on Library Systems Maintenance

The most recent issue of the journal College and Research Libraries has a feature article entitled Indispensable, Interdependent, and Invisible: A Qualitative Inquiry into Library Systems Maintenance.

I admit library systems is an area to which I need to pay more attention.

From the intro:

"This article focuses on what has been traditionally known as the Integrated Library System or ILS, because it remains core to the operation of academic libraries."

"The ILS is the site of acquisitions, catalog record and item maintenance, and circulation management. It provides data to the library’s public catalog or discovery system and can be queried for statistical analysis of item use and overviews of holdings. Despite its centrality to the work of the library, its maintenance is rarely discussed in the literature of the profession. Yet an incomplete understanding of ILS maintenance is an incomplete understanding of the very thing that keeps the library functioning."

"In this article, maintenance is defined to include regular system upgrades, updating system settings, addressing bugs and issues, upkeep of integrations with other institutional systems, and minor tasks to improve user experience or support existing functions. The latter type of work spans maintenance and innovation,5 but when it consists of bringing existing systems into alignment with expectations and work already being performed, it aligns closely with other areas of maintenance included here. The term “library systems maintainer” is used here because not all maintainers are librarians, and to emphasize that those in this role also support interoperability between the ILS and some or all other technical systems used in the library."

The author is Ruth Kitchin Tillman at at Penn State University Libraries.

Canadian Forum on Civil Justice Winter 2022 Newsletter

The non-profit Canadian Forum on Access to Justice (CFCJ) publishes a regular newsletter on access to justice issues.

The latest issue includes news about:

• an upcoming Indigenous Access to Civil Justice Conference
• a new project about access to justice via administrative tribunals and panels
• the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act
• and more

The CFCJ is a national non-profit organization that works to advance civil justice reform through research and advocacy. 

Law Reform Commission of Ireland Consultation Paper on Liability of Clubs and Unincorporated Associations

The Law Reform Commission of Ireland has started a consultation process to look into the law on civil and criminal liability as it applies to clubs, societies and other unincorporated associations.

As part of the exercice, it has issued a Consultation Paper:

"Many voluntary nonprofit associations, clubs, societies and other groups that gather in pursuit of shared religious, sporting or other recreational interests are unincorporated associations. Such associations do not have a legal existence separate and distinct from their members: the association is simply the group of members (...)"

"However, this has a number of important legal consequences. It means that: 

(a) members can be exposed to personal liability for the wrongdoing of other members, in which they played no active part.

(b) members of unincorporated clubs, societies and associations who are injured cannot sue their own association, as doing so is treated by the law as suing oneself.

(c) suing unincorporated associations can be very difficult, as unincorporated associations cannot sue or be sued in their own name; rather individual members at the time of the relevant wrongdoing have to be identified.

(d) because unincorporated associations have no legal identity of their own, they require trusts to be established, through which property is held for the benefit of the association. This may mean that assets held by an unincorporated association are beyond the reach of litigants and regulators."

"In this Consultation Paper, the Law Reform Commission highlights an existing means of achieving legal protection from individual liability: the company limited by guarantee (CLG). It also proposes a number of possible reforms to try to make the law on the liability of unincorporated associations clearer, fairer and more enforceable."

The paper also has a section outlining the law in other jurisdictions, including Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United States, parts of the UK, France and other countries.

 

Victorian Law Reform Commission Issues Paper on Recklessness

The Victorian Law Reform Commission (state of Victoria, capital Melbourne, Australia) has published an Issues Paper on Recklessness in the local criminal law:

"Recklessness is an element in many Victorian offences and relevant to the application of the criminal law in other ways. However, it is not consistently defined in Victorian legislation and in most instances takes its meaning from the common law."

"Since the decision of the Victorian Court of Appeal in R v Campbell ([1997] 2 VR 585), an accused is reckless if they know that a particular harmful consequence will probably result from their action but they proceed regardless." 

(...)

"In some Australian jurisdictions, for most offences against the person involving recklessness other than murder, the accused need only foresee the possibility that harm might occur for recklessness to be established."

"The Victorian Law Reform Commission ... is asked to review and report on how the concept of ‘recklessness’ is understood ..."

In an appendix, the document sets out how recklessness is defined in Australian federal and state law, as well as in Canada, England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The Commission will deliver its report to the state's  attorney general early next year.

LawBytes Podcast on Future of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission

In the most recent LawBytes podcast, University of Ottawa law professor Michael Geist talks with Konrad von Finckenstein, former chair of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), the government agency that oversees and regulates broadcasting and telecommunications:

"The start of a new year often means a fresh start and for the CRTC, it meant welcoming a new chair, as Vicky Eatrides officially took over as chair a few days into 2023. Eatrides comes to the Commission at a particularly busy time with wireless competition concerns top of mind for many Canadians and the government set to ask the Commission to play a pivotal role in implementing Bills C-11 and C-18."

"Konrad von Finckenstein is someone who knows quite a bit about the challenges faced by new CRTC chairs, having served in the role from 2007 to 2012. He was recently appointed to the Order of Canada for his many contributions to public life and he joins me on the Law Bytes podcast to reflect on those experiences in the context of the CRTC. Our conversation reflects on what is involved in launching entirely new programs, ensuring public engagement, and developing policies that enjoy both public support and can withstand potential legal challenges."

Information about Bills C-11 and C-18 can be found on the Library of Parliament's LEGISinfo website:

• Bill C-11, An Act to amend the Broadcasting Act and to make related and consequential amendments to other Acts
• Bill C-18, An Act respecting online communications platforms that make news content available to persons in Canada

Statistics Canada Article on Violence against Men and Boys in Canada, 2021

Statistics Canada has published an article in its Juristat publication on Victimization of men and boys in Canada, 2021. 

It outlines trends and characteristics of violence against men and boys using police-reported data:

"In recent years, there have been several calls to action to address and prevent violence against women, with the acknowledgement that women experience certain forms of violence, within particular relationships, disproportionately. This has resulted in the recognition of violence against women as a public health concern requiring immediate attention. The Canadian Centre for Justice and Community Safety Statistics has released many gender-based violence reports which highlight the victimization of women and girls and, while corresponding data for men and boys is shown comparatively, they have typically not been the focus of analysis. As a result, there is a gap in understanding the trends and characteristics associated with violence against men and boys in Canada and internationally. This gap is important to fill considering that police-reported data in Canada have consistently shown similarity in violent victimization rates between men and women (...), yet the circumstances and risk factors surrounding such victimization often differ."

Among the highlights:

•  In 2021, 192,413 men and boys were victims of police-reported violent crime in Canada, representing a rate of 1,015 victims per 100,000 male population and accounting for just under half (46%) of all victims of violent crime reported to police.
• Between 2016 and 2021, the rate of victimization of men and boys increased 12%, with increases observed for most age groups. The largest increase was documented among men aged 45 and older (+22%).
• The rate of victimization against men and boys was higher in almost all provincial rural areas, driven by violence in the rural North. The rate of violent victimization against men and boys in the rural North was three times higher than the rate in the rural South and nearly four times higher than in urban areas.
• Compared to women and girls, men and boys experienced higher rates of more severe forms of victimization: homicide, other violations causing death and attempted murder, assault level 2, robbery, assault level 3 and extortion. Sexual assault was a notable exception to this trend.
• Physical force was used against half (51%) of all male victims and an additional 30% experienced victimization with a weapon present.
• In 2021, of those whose violent victimization was reported to police, eight in ten (79%) men and boys were victimized by someone outside the family. Boys aged 11 and younger were most often victimized by a family member (59%) but, with increasing age, proportionately more males were victimized by a non-family member.
• Between 2011 and 2021, the homicide rate among men and boys increased 22%, driven largely by the homicide of men aged 25 and older (+32%).
• Males aged 12 and older were most commonly killed by someone outside the family, such as by a friend, stranger or acquaintance.

January 2023 Issue of In Session E-Bulletin of Canadian Association of Law Libraries

The January 2023 issue of In Session has been published.

It is the monthly e-newsletter of the Canadian Association of Law Libraries (CALL) and contains news from CALL committees and special interest groups, member updates and events. 

Excerpt from the President's Message (George Tsiakos):

"Happy New Year!

I hope you all had a restful and joyous holiday season full of celebrations and good cheer. I am wishing all of you, and your families, friends, and loved ones the very best and much success in all you seek to achieve in the year ahead. As an association, we have plenty to look forward to this year, including:

• a full election of the Executive Board with exceptional candidates who have graciously agreed to put their name forward in service of the association ... ;
• a strategic planning process that will assist us in reimagining who we are as an association and in setting new goals priorities (details to be shared in the coming months); and 
• the first in-person annual conference since 2019!"

January 2023 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 sectors around the world.

The January 2023 issue has just been published. 

It includes:

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

Check Out the Justice Canada Research and Data Publications

The Research and Statistics Division at Justice Canada publishes a range of information products that can interest the legal researcher:

"High quality research and data are foundational to making evidence-based decisions on justice-related issues. At Justice Canada, the Research and Statistics Division (RSD) plays an important role in supporting the development of effective policies, programs, and legislation by conducting social science research and summarizing findings in reports and other informational products."

"Some of the RSD’s studies are conducted by in-house researchers, others are conducted by external subject-matter specialists, such as academics, community-based researchers or legal experts who are contracted by the RSD. This allows the Department to benefit from different research perspectives and approaches and to hear the voices of many different communities."

There are research reports, fact sheets and infographics, analyses relating to the performance of the criminal justice system, studies on the various kinds of legal problems faced by different groups of Canadians, annual surveys of Canadians’ perceptions and knowledge of justice-related issues, reports on legal aid, and victims-related research articles.

The most recent publication (December 2022): Overrepresentation of Black people in the Canadian criminal justice system.

New and Updated Research Guides from GlobaLex

GlobaLex, a very good electronic collection created by the Hauser Global Law School Program at the New York University School of Law, has  published or updated a number of research guides recently:

• The Execution of the International Public Contract during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Comparative Perspective: "Many questions arose about the impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on contracts and legal agreements. Additionally, the legislator is responsible, on the one hand, to insert explicit provisions that can deal with those cases in the national legislation, and on the other hand, there is also a responsibility on the contractual parties to include in contracts some articles which could deal with disaster and Force Majeure cases, and other articles to define the rights and obligations of each party in these cases. In all cases, the political considerations and the circumstances surrounding each contract must be considered separately. Therefore, it becomes necessary to clarify the effect of the pandemic on the execution of the international administrative contract. Is it a Force Majeure? What are the rights of each party during the period of the pandemic?"
• UPDATE: Researching the United Nations: Finding the Organization's Internal Resource Trails: "The United Nations is such a massive organization that its wide array of processes and products require enough reference sources to warrant a map and compass for navigation. As a map, here are suggested search techniques for several standard types of queries and, as a compass, here are the U.N.'s many diverse search tools organized into resource types."
• UPDATE: An Introduction to International Fisheries Law Research: "International fisheries law, a subfield of the law of the sea, is an emerging area of public international law that seeks to regulate fisheries management in areas within and beyond national jurisdictions. This body of law touches upon some other areas of international law, for example, international environmental law, international marine environmental law, natural resources law, sustainable development law, international trade law, etc. International fisheries law is also interdisciplinary as it often draws on other disciplines, such as, fisheries and marine science, oceanography, marine resource management, fisheries economics, fisheries statistics etc. Although international fisheries law is primarily based on international and regional treaties and customs, other elements, such as, decisions of international courts and tribunals on fisheries matters, practices of States and regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs), and scholarly writings and publications by leading experts have also contributed to shaping up this evolving area of international law."
• UPDATE: Researching the Inter-American System of Human Rights: "The purpose of this research guide is twofold. The first purpose is to serve as a document that will give the reader a basic understanding of the Inter-American System of Human Rights by presenting a brief history of the Inter-American System of Human Rights, the institutional organs through which the System functions and the enabling instruments of the System. The second purpose is to serve as a point of departure for in-depth research. My comments will be limited to the mission, the internal structure, the administrative organization, and the research materials available at the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights website."

2022 Review of the Supreme Court of Canada

Supreme Advocacy LLP, an Ottawa-based firm that acts as a Supreme Court of Canada agent, has published a review of major activities at Canada's top court for the year 2022:

"This special year-end review is a complete legal snapshot of all the law from the Supreme Court of Canada in 2022, and includes:

• appeal judgments
• oral judgments
• leaves to appeal granted.

Each section is arranged in alphabetical order by area of law so you can more easily find the decisions relevant to your practice. We have also included direct quotes from judgments or headnotes in some cases if they provide a useful summary for the reader."

December 2022 Issue of In Session E-Bulletin of Canadian Association of Law Libraries

I forgot to mention this but the December 2022 issue of In Session came out a few weeks ago.

It is the monthly e-newsletter of the Canadian Association of Law Libraries (CALL) and contains news from CALL committees and special interest groups, member updates and events.

American Library Association - Government information in the News in 2022

The Government Documents Roundtable or GODORT is part of the American Library Association. 

GODORT describes itself as "a dynamic forum where information professionals learn, discuss, advocate, and create scholarship on and about government information at all levels of government (local, state, national, international)."

It just compiled a list of Government publications in the news during 2022. It is fascinating list of US official documents that were quoted in the media.

It would be interesting to find out if any Canadian organization has done the same thing here.

New European Court of Human Rights Factsheets

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.

Recent additions include:

• Racial profiling
• Cannabis-based medication

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 46 member countries. Canada is an observer.

The ECHR is not to be confused with 2 other major international courts based in Europe:

• the Court of Justice of the European Union, based in Luxembourg, which ensures compliance with EU law by EU members states and rules on the interpretation and application of the treaties establishing the European Union
• the International Court of Justice, the judicial organ of the United Nations, based in The Hague

Government of Canada Annual Departmental Performance Reports for 2021-2022

Every year, the Treasury Board tables performance reports in the House of Commons on behalf of dozens of federal government agencies and departments.

The 2021-2022 reports were presented last month. These reports are part of the federal government's Estimates and Supply process. They provide details on an organization’s mandate, commitments and results achieved.

The list includes reports from many justice-related bodies such as:

• Administrative Tribunals Support Service of Canada
• Canadian Human Rights Commission
• Civilian Review and Complaints Commission for the RCMP
• Courts Administration Service
• Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada
• Justice Canada
• Military Police Complaints Commission of Canada
• Office of the Commissioner for Federal Judicial Affairs Canada
• Office of the Correctional Investigator
• Office of the Commissioner of Lobbying Canada
• Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages
• Office of the Information Commissioner of Canada
• Office of the Intelligence Commissioner
• Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada
• Office of the Public Sector Integrity Commissioner of Canada
• Office of the Registrar of the Supreme Court of Canada
• Public Prosecution Service of Canada
• Public Safety Canada
• RCMP External Review Committee
• Veterans Review and Appeal Board

Results are also presented on the government website GC InfoBase with tables and interactive data visualizations.

Supreme Court of Canada Calendar of Upcoming Hearings in January 2023

The Supreme Court of Canada recently published its calendar of upcoming appeals that will be heard in January 2023.

To find out more about any particular case, click on the docket number in parentheses next to each case name to find docket information, case summaries as well as factums from the parties. 

Winners of 2022 Canadian Law Blog Awards

The winners of the 2022 Canadian Law Blog Awards (known as the Clawbies) were announced a few days ago.

The Clawbies exist to reward the best and most innovative Canadian blogs, podcasts, videos, legal newsletters, and other forms of online commentary.

The Fodden Award for the very best in Canadian legal commentary went to the The Trauma-Informed Lawyer Podcast:

"We’re hard-pressed to name a legal publication that focuses on more important and pressing issues in 2022 as Métis-Cree lawyer Myrna McCallum’s Trauma-Informed Lawyer Podcast."

"Having won Clawbies in the Best Podcast category in both 2020 and 2021, the Trauma-Informed Lawyer features fascinating interviews with judges and lawyers, profs and educators, survivors and community leaders, experts and everyday people."

"In 2022, the podcast tackled topics such as restorative justice, boundary-setting and mental health, vicarious trauma in the courtroom, trauma-informed teaching, decolonization, and much more. Powerful, frank discussions carry out the podcast’s mission to build critical competencies that are missing from law school and bar course competency requirements. Transcripts for most episodes also increase accessibility."

There are awards in many categories.

The Clawbies are organized by Stem Legal, a B.C.-based strategy firm.

Hague Institute for Innovation of Law Policy on What Works in People-Centred Justice?

The Hague Institute for Innovation of Law in the Netherlands is a non-profit research group that puts out interesting research on how to make justice more accessible.

It recently published a "policy brief" that looks at “What works” in People-centered justice?

"Every day hundreds of millions of people need the law to resolve land disputes, debt issues, family disagreements, disputes with neighbours and many other legal issues. The parties, the issues at stake, and the contexts are always unique, but it is common wisdom that some pathways to solutions are more effective than others. Knowledge about what “generally” works is a crucial ingredient for an effective and people-centred justice system which aims to provide access to justice for all."

"In this policy brief, we explore the question of “what works” in justice. The policy brief aims to provide evidence-based insights on effective interventions in the field of justice and to encourage further research in this area. Not surprisingly, there are no quick fixes."

"Challenges to understanding 'what works' in justice include a lack of robust data, disagreements on the meaning of justice outcomes, and a lack of understanding of the full range of interventions needed to resolve legal problems fairly. To address these challenges and improve access to justice, it is necessary to adopt an evidence-based approach, including gathering more people-centred data, defining justice outcomes more broadly, and viewing interventions as packages of activities rather than individual components."

Article: Defining Artificial Intelligence for Librarians

The Journal of Librarianship and Information Science in late December 2022 published an article [open acccess] entitled Defining artificial intelligence for librarians. It provides a good overview of the topic.

"The aim of the paper is to define Artificial Intelligence (AI) for librarians by examining general definitions of AI, analysing the umbrella of technologies that make up AI, defining types of use case by area of library operation, and then reflecting on the implications for the profession, including from an equality, diversity and inclusion perspective. The paper is a conceptual piece based on an exploratory literature review, targeting librarians interested in AI from a strategic rather than a technical perspective. Five distinct types of use cases of AI are identified for libraries, each with its own underlying drivers and barriers, and skills demands. They are applications in library back-end processes, in library services, through the creation of communities of data scientists, in data and AI literacy and in user management. Each of the different applications has its own drivers and barriers. It is hard to anticipate the impact on professional work but as information environment becomes more complex it is likely that librarians will continue to have a very important role, especially given AI’s dependence on data. However, there could be some negative impacts on equality, diversity and inclusion if AI skills are not spread widely."

The co-authors are from the University of Sheffield in the United Kindgom.

 

Librarianship Honour Roll for 2022

The website Librarianship.ca has published a 2022 Honour Roll listing all the members of the Canadian librarianship community who were reconized with awards last year for their contributions to the profession.

There are quite a few law librarians in the list:

• Yemisi Dina: Daniel L. Wade Outstanding Service Award, American Association of Law Libraries (AALL) Foreign, Comparative and International Law Special Interest Section (FCIL-SIS)
• Kristin Hodgins: LTRC’s Women of Legal Tech, American Bar Association (ABA) Legal Technology Resource Center (LTRC)
• Sooin Kim: Arbor Award, University of Toronto
• Anne C. Matthewman: AALL Hall of Fame Award, American Association of Law Libraries (AALL)
• Shaunna Mireau: Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee Medal, Government of Alberta
• Hannah Steeves: CALL Nancy McCormack Emerging Leader Award, Canadian Association of Law Libraries (CALL)