Government Info Pro

Government Info Pro Podcast: Episode 12

2009-11-06T16:59:00-05:00

During AALL, this summer, I had a chance to sit down with Andrea Muto, recently back from working on the Afghanistan Rule of Law Project (ARoLP) and interview her for the Government Info Pro Podcast.

I know that you are going to enjoy hearing about some of Andrea Muto's experiences as an information professional working in Afghanistan.

MP3 File

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right from the embedded player in this post
download the mp3 from the link right below the player
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SHOW NOTES:

Here is a short description of this project as provided to me by Andrea:

The Afghanistan Rule of Law Project (ARoLP) was funded by USAID, and implemented by Checchi & Company Consulting from 2005-2009. ARoLP was the US presence in the justice sector, first working with the Ministry of Justice (legislative drafting training, organizing and publishing laws), then later tasked with Supreme Court training and administrative reform (developing judges' training curriculum and materials, collaborating on writing the first Judicial Code of Conduct, publishing Supreme Court Cases). The development of the law library at the Independent National Legal Training Center (INLTC) rounded out judicial training and curriculum components.

The INLTC is located on the campus of Kabul University, situated between the Law & Political Science and Shari'a law faculties. It is a quasi-governmental organization, built by the Italian Embassy, administratively staffed by by the NGO International Developmental Law Organization and run by a Board whose representatives include the Supreme Court, Ministry of Justice (MoJ) and Attorney General's Office. USAID was invited to design and staff the first full-service law library in the country at the INLTC, since its Rule of Law project was heavily involved with both the Supreme Court and MoJ, and because its international staff included a law librarian (myself) who had joined ARoLP in February 2007.

The INLTC Law Library is actually full of firsts. It is the first library to catalog its collection in three languages (Dari, Pashtu and English) using Koha open-source software. It is the first law library to provide patrons legal research training, and a nascent version of first CALR courses. It is the first whose staff wrote the first Dari-Pasto legal research manual in the country in more than 30 years. It is the first to offer its resources via a web site in three languages (www.inltclawlibrary.org).

Here are some additional links of interest:

The INLTC Law Library's web site (Icon for English is in the upper-left corner of the page)
USAID releases regarding the opening of the law library: http://afghanistan.usaid.gov/en/Article.386.aspx and http://afghanistan.usaid.gov/en/Article.390.aspx
USAID follow-up release regarding the library's progress
USAID release describing ARoLP
FCIL announces Masoud has won its scholarship
The INLTC Law Library is part of a group of world-wide using Koha open-source cataloging software

Also, take a look at this post out on the Pace Law Library Podcast site: On Law Librarianship in Afghanistan. It has a good summary of the AALL Foreign, Comparative and International Law Special Interest Section (FCIL-SIS) program: The Past, Present, and Future of the Law Library and Librarianship in Afghanistan: The Challenges and Rewards of Building a Library After 30 Years of War. Among the resources listed there is a link to a podcast of the actual program. I attended this session and can tell you that it was one of the standout programs of AALL 2009. and that this podcast will be well worth a listen. Speakers were Mr. Ahmadullah Masoud, Andrea Muto, and Blair Kaufmann.

Careers in Federal Libraries Resume Review Service Connecting Newbies and Professionals

2009-11-05T11:51:00-05:00

Thanks to Kim Lyall, Outreach Specialist, NASA Center for AeroSpace Information operated by Chugach Industries, Inc., for the this article: Careers in Federal Libraries Resume Review Service Connecting Newbies and Professionals. This article was originally published in the 2009 Best Practices for Government Librarians: Change: Managing It, Surviving It, Thriving on It. The 2009 edition includes 60 articles and other submissions provided by more than 50 contributors from librarians in government agencies, courts, and the military, as well as from professional association leaders, LexisNexis Consultants, and more.

Read on...

Job searching, networking, and creating an online personal brand are all hot topics during this current economic decline. Combined with an increased interest in public service.¹ This seemed to be perfect timing for the Careers in Federal Libraries Google Group Resume Review initiative. What better way to connect library students and new professionals with seasoned federal librarians and others working in the federal library community?

Careers in Federal Libraries started out as a live event taking place at various library and information conferences and graduate schools.² After the resounding success of the live events the idea was hatched for an online gathering space. Google Groups was chosen as the platform because it incorporated membership, discussion, and content features.³

The Careers in Federal Libraries Google Group provides access to over 200 members, discussion threads about new job opportunities, and pages describing and linking to a vast array of information about career opportunities and strategies for landing a federal position.

While participating in the discussion threads we began to receive ad hoc requests to review members’ resumes. This experience led us to develop a more standardized service where we created a page listing all resume reviewers and their contact information and invited our members to contact the reviewers for some one-on-one help. The Resume Review Service was born!

The Resume Review Service is not an idea unique to this group. In fact it is modeled after similar efforts such as the American Library Association New Members Round Table Resume Review⁴ and the Special Libraries Association Virtual Advisors program⁵.

We would have been unable to implement this service if not for the selfless dedication of the government library and information community. After sending out a call for volunteers we received over ten responses from librarians at a variety of government agencies and staffing firms. Our service offers career assistance from librarians at agencies as diverse as the State Department, Congressional Research Service, Justice Department, Defense Technical Information Center and many more!

The purpose of the Resume Review Service is to allow members the chance to volunteer for a worthy cause, offer assistance to the numerous library and information job seekers, and provide an opportunity for increased networking and mentoring relationships to form.

Students, job seekers, and new professionals can take advantage of this service by contacting a reviewer working within their area of interest. When contacting the resume reviewer have a clear idea of what type of position you are looking for, be ready to describe your past experience in detail, and be open to constructive criticism. If you want to develop the relationship further remember that mentoring is a two-way street and offer your resume reviewer a new piece of industry information, technology tip, or assistance with a special project.

In today’s competitive job market you can make yourself stand out by developing your online personal brand. Create a LinkedIn⁶ profile and online portfolio to share your work experience and accomplishments in a positive light. If you are using a Gmail account as your Careers in Federal Libraries membership email consider creating a Google Profile where you can upload photos, provide basic information about yourself, and link to your website or blog.⁷. Developing a more robust online brand can help you make greater use of the Careers in Federal Libraries Google Group community.

If you are interested in joining this online community please go to http://groups.google.com/group/careers-in-federal-libraries and select the Join this Group link.

Group homepage accessible at: http://groups.google.com/group/careers-in-federal-libraries

Resume Review Service at: http://groups.google.com/group/careers-in-federal-libraries/web/resume-review-service

_______________________________________

1 Vogel, Steve. “More Young People Lining Up for Government Jobs.” March 26, 2009. Washington Post.

2 Faget, Nancy. “Careers in Federal Libraries to reach NextGenFeds.” 2009 Best Practices: Change: Managing It, Surviving It, Thriving on It. Accessible at the Government Info Pro Blog

3 Lyall, Kim. “Careers in Federal Libraries - So you want to be a Federal Librarian?” Footnotes. 38.2 Nov 2008.

4 American Library Association. New Members Round Table. Resume Review Service.

5 Special Libraries Association. Career Coaching: Virtual Advisors.

6 www.linkedin.com.

7 Google Profiles.

LexisNexis Government E-Learning for November 2009

2009-11-03T22:38:00-05:00

Don't forget about the LexisNexis Government E-Learning series. LexisNexis Government E-Learning webinars are fast, effective, and best of all -- they're accessible right from your desk. You can link to information on the series from the right sidebar of the Government Info Pro - just click the red Government E-Learning series badge.

NOVEMBER CLASSES

Thursday, November 5th at 11 am and 2 pm

Related Content - Get Greater Insights and More Value From Your Case-law Research

Learn how to quickly uncover rich content related to your search, neatly presented in a new navigation pane that lets you:

Move to a cite list of available briefs, pleadings & motions
Find Case in Brief analyses, including recent news coverage of the issue and details such as the parties' arguments and references to cases for and against the holding
See how many analytical documents were retrieved
Tap an exclusive combination of analytical resources that cannot be replicated by any other online provider-including Matthew Bender®, Shepard's®, state materials, ALR®, BNA® and law journals, as well as court dockets, pleadings and motions
Link and explore any reference in a new window and more!

Thursday, November 12th at 11 am and 2 pm

Company, Executive and Industry 360: The Complete Picture

Get comprehensive, easy-to-read profiles of 43 million companies worldwide, 58 million executives and information on 1,200 industries to your desktop in just seconds. Identify potential new customers or acquisition targets, understand a company’s brands and trademarks, access detailed financial and recent litigation information, and more.

Thursday, November 19th at 11 am and 2 pm

Playing By the Rules

Find out the legislative & regulatory impact of your matter. Complementing the comprehensive range of lexis.com® a service is a powerful suite of legal intelligence products, including both state and federal legislative and regulatory resources. Learn tips on utilizing these resources to your agency’s advantage.

DON'T FORGET! On-Demand Classes are pre-recorded webinars available for your convenience. Choose from Courtlink, Company/Financial Research, the new Public Records enhancements, and more.

Just click HERE to access the recorded classes.

SLA Click U: Ask the Copyright Experts - International Copyright Law

2009-10-30T21:52:00-04:00

Washington D.C. Area Information Professionals:

As the DC/SLA Click U Coordinator, I'd like to share information with you about an upcoming Click U session. Click U sessions are a great way to keep up professionally. The sessions are free to SLA members but you do need to register to attend the locally hosted session in DC. Registration information is provided below.

Here's the program description:

Program: Ask the Copyright Experts - International Copyright Law

Presenter: Frederic Haber, Copyright Clearance Center

Program Description:

This informative session will provide an in-depth discussion of the challenges associated with using and sharing content around the world and across borders. Speakers will discuss whether "international copyright law" truly exists and will review the Berne Convention, national treatment, and obtaining global permissions for the use of copyright-protected content. The highlight of the session will be an interactive panel discussion featuring a cross-section of copyright experts. This session is ideal for librarians around the world who oversee the use and sharing of content in highly collaborative business environments.

Date: Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Time: 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM EST

Location:

LexisNexis
6th Floor
1150 18th Street, NW
Washington, D.C. 20036
(Metro: Farragut West/North)

Guests must show a photo ID to the guard in the lobby.

RSVP (All Attendees Must RSVP):

Please RSVP to Marie Kaddell to reserve your seat.

Make sure to note whether or not you are a SLA member in your RSVP.

Price:

Free for DC/SLA members; $25.00 for non-DC/SLA members (payable via PayPal). Non--members: Please confirm your space before making your payment on PayPal.

Online Social Networking and Lawyers

2009-10-29T10:27:00-04:00

Survey Reveals Substantial Growth in Online Social Networking by Lawyers Over the Past Year

2009 Networks for Counsel Survey Commissioned by LexisNexis® Martindale-Hubbell® Also Shows Sharp Rise in Demand for Online Networks Designed Exclusively for Legal Professionals

NEW YORK, NY, September 19, 2009 - New survey data reveals that more than 70 percent of lawyers are members of an online social network – up nearly 25 percent over the past year – with 30 percent growth reported among lawyers aged 46 and over. The second annual Networks for Counsel Survey of almost 1,500 lawyers was commissioned by LexisNexis® Martindale-Hubbell®, the industry leader in networking and law firm marketing. It shows that more than 50 percent of respondents think online networks have the potential to change the business and practice of law, while 65 percent expressed interest in joining an online professional network designed specifically for their profession.

See Full Press Release

IL2009: Tough Times, What Ifs, and Rock 'n Roll

2009-10-28T23:19:00-04:00

Passing By Internet Librarian 2009 Sign at Entrance to Conference Center

Today's tracks were:

Tough Times Tactics & Tools
Content Management
Cultivating Innovation & Change
Digital Culture

Heading Towards a Conference Session

A few interesting things presented during conference sessions:

Banish the phrase: "technology project" from your vocabulary. Find the business value to the organization and present it from the "business project" angle. -- Fred Cohn, Assistant City Manager, City of Monterey
Anticipate "what if" questions and be prepared, not just to answer them, but address them up front. -- Stacey Aldrich, Deputy State Librarian, California State Library
When presenting a project for approval, explain how it fits together with other plans and strategies already in place across the organization (other branches, divisions, etc.) and explain how your strategy can take advantage of existing resources/assets. -- Danis Kreimeier, Director, Napa City-County Library
Information that does not render well on devices like iPhones will be seen as less reliable than information that does. -- Kristen Yarmey-Tyloutki, University of Scranton
Discoverability (on the web) depends on high-quality content, clean structure and strategic metadata. -- Marshall Breeding, Director, Innovative Technologies & Research, Vanderbilt University
Got kids? Listen to what they have to say about how they use technology and access information. -- Keynote Student Panel, Facilitated by Stephen Abram

Cool Factor: Coolest vote-taking technique seen in session during conference: dim the lights and use your cell, iPhone, BlackBerry to cast your vote. Rock on. (Library Website Improvement Face-Off)

IL2009: Going Mobile, Conversation Portraits, and Invaluable Experiences

2009-10-27T23:50:00-04:00

Heading Into the Exhibit Hall

Today's tracks were:

Web Presence & Discovery
Enterprise Trends & Practices
Mobile Trends & Practice
Digital Services

Lights, laptops, action

A few interesting things presented during today's sessions:

Find the top 5-10 things that your statistics for your library's website show are hot and make them even better. (Library Website Improvement Face-Off)
Mobile Trends: Currently... US 260 Million users, 3 Billion global users. By 2020 mobile devices predicted as being primary connection device for the internet. -- Kristine Ferry, Director, Web Services, UC Irvine Libraries (When Students Go Mobile)
Be the go-to person for social media. Someone has to do it, so why not you? -- Jaye A. H. Lapachet, Manager, Library Services, Coblentz, Patch, Duffy & Bass, LLP (Web 2.0 for Tough Times)
If you find that a tool doesn't work for you, change focus and remember that you are may be out your time but you have gained invaluable experience. -- Camille Reynolds, Director, Research & Information Services, Nossaman LLP (Web 2.0 for Tough Times)
Library Website Design: Make it cluttered enough to help the user find more than one thing on the topic of interest but not so cluttered that the user can't find anything. -- David Lee King, Manager, Digital Branch & Services, Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library. (Experience Design Makeover)
Library as cognitive theater. -- Paul Holdengraber, Director, Public Programs, New York Public Library (Keynote)
Flash Rosenberg's Conversation portraits. Including this one shown at Keynote...

Conversation Portrait: Antonio Lobo Antunes and Paul Holdengraber from Flash Rosenberg on Vimeo.

IL2009: Bit Rot, Zombies, and Angry Patrons

2009-10-26T22:30:00-04:00

Monterey Conference Center

One of the strong points of Internet Librarian conferences is the number of simultaneous tracks and how much ground you can cover in one day of program attendance - either immersing yourself in a track for the day or moving across tracks.

Conference Session

Today's tracks were:

Information Discovery & Search
Social Media: Leveraging Web 2.0
Learning
Digital Library Practices

A few things interesting thoughts gleaned from today's sessions:

With the confluence of different interactions taking place online, some of what we perceive as ephemeral might turn out to archival. -- Vint Cerf, VP & Chief Internet Evangelist, Google (Keynote)
We need to be address bit rot and the potential for losing access to our digital archives. What happens if we no longer have the equipment needed to access these files. -- Vint Cerf, VP & Chief Internet Evangelist, Google (Keynote)
We want our e-learning to sparkle and not create zombies. -- Lori Reed, Employee Learning & Development Coordinator for the Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County (E-Learning: Trends & Tools)
Favorite phrase I heard today from a speaker for convincing people to give something a chance they might not otherwise want to do: "Let's just try this and see if it works." -- Erin Downey-Howerton, School Liaison, Johnson County (KS) Library (Sneaknig the Social Web Into Your Library & Going Beyond 23 Things)
Put chat windows and help links where customers are upset. -- Julie Strange, Maryland AskUsNow! & Amy Kearns, CJRLC (Micro Interactions, Conversatins, & Customers: Sweet Tweet Strategies)

IL2009: Beautiful Monterey

2009-10-25T03:09:00-04:00

Upon arriving for Internet Librarian 2009, you just have to take a moment to admire the beautiful setting that Monterey provides for the conference.

Monterey Bay View

Walking Along the Monterey Recreation Trail

Internet Librarian 2009

2009-10-23T01:19:00-04:00

Before I head out to Internet Librarian 2009, I wanted to share a few pieces of information about the conference with you. The 2009 conference is the 13th annual Internet Librarian. Internet Librarian is a "conference for information professionals who are using, developing, and embracing Internet, Intranet, and Web-based strategies in their roles as information architects and navigators,Webmasters and Web managers, content evaluators and developers, taxonomists, searchers, community builders, information providers, trainers, guides, and more". [Internet Librarian 2009]

Here are a few conference resources:

Follow conference tweets on Twitter at #IL2009 or visit Flickr & Twitter IL2009 Event Tracker.

I'll be blogging from the confence here on the Government Info Pro.

Managing Transition: Outlining a Course of Action

2009-10-22T15:40:00-04:00

Thanks to B. Vick, Technical Librarian, United States Government Accountability Office, for this article: Essential Components of Change. I think it is a perfect Friday post. This article was originally published in the 2009 Best Practices for Government Librarians: Change: Managing It, Surviving It, Thriving on It. The 2009 edition includes 60 articles and other submissions provided by more than 50 contributors from librarians in government agencies, courts, and the military, as well as from professional association leaders, LexisNexis Consultants, and more.

Read on...

Transitioning into a new position is a process that takes time, energy and a certain level of commitment. It can be stressful but it doesn’t have to be. With the right state of mind and proper planning, anyone can successfully manage change.

Why Listen to Me?

I’ve been there. I’m there now! As a new addition to the Technical Library at the Government Accountability Office (GAO), I know all too well the benefits and challenges of transition. Taking on a new position not only generates feelings of excitement, but also anxiety. Navigating within a new organizational structure, with its own unique procedures and protocols, is no easy task. Gaining an understanding of the role and responsibilities of a new position, while attempting to build professional yet personal working relationships with new colleagues and clients, can be a struggle. Sometimes you may wonder, like I do, whether you are up to the challenge. It is at these times that I remind myself that as a trained librarian, I have all the tools I need to meet these challenges head on.

What is My Action Plan?

After graduating with my bachelor’s degree, I worked as an industrial engineer at an automotive company based in Detroit. Months after joining the organization, I felt as though I was lagging behind in some way. In my opinion, it was taking longer than it should for me to get a handle on my specific responsibilities and job tasks. It was then that I realized the need for a written plan of action. The plan would provide a basic outline of the steps I would need to follow in order to minimize the learning curve associated with coming into any new position. The action plan I developed is called “Keep C.A.L.M”. The name is a reminder to me that I should always:

Conduct one on one interviews with coworkers to learn their best practices and incorporate those practices into my own
Actively participate in internal training and also seek out external training opportunities whether instructor led or self-guided
Lead by example; take initiative by volunteering to participate in projects that broaden exposure to the organization
Maintain an open mind in regards to the ever-changing needs of my work environment

As professionals, and more importantly as human beings, change is something we need to embrace and use as a tool to propel us forward towards our goals. There are many forms of change and because of that, we must revisit and at times alter the tools we develop to manage that change. As time moves forward, I’m sure that my own action plan will need to be revised but so far my plan to Keep C.A.L.M has served me well.

________________________________________

The statements and opinions expressed in the above article are solely those of the author. They do not, in any way, constitute a policy or endorsement by the United States Government Accountability Office.

Government Info Pro

Government Info Pro Podcast: Episode 12

Careers in Federal Libraries Resume Review Service Connecting Newbies and Professionals

LexisNexis Government E-Learning for November 2009

Related Content on LexisNexis

SLA Click U: Ask the Copyright Experts - International Copyright Law

Online Social Networking and Lawyers

IL2009: Tough Times, What Ifs, and Rock 'n Roll

IL2009: Going Mobile, Conversation Portraits, and Invaluable Experiences

IL2009: Bit Rot, Zombies, and Angry Patrons

IL2009: Beautiful Monterey

Internet Librarian 2009

Managing Transition: Outlining a Course of Action