Where is the Main Website?

If you are reading this you may have noticed our main website is no longer up and running.  Mea culpa! The domain did expire while I’ve been monitoring the winding up process of the NE2007 corporation.

Do not fret! The site fortunately is still available here for now:
http://www.law-lib.utoronto.ca/NE2007/default.html

The programs are also available through the AALL website since they sponsored the recording of programs as follows:  http://www.aallnet.org/prodev/ by clicking on the “Visit CPE Media” link.  You do need a membership to view them from this site (but they are available free from the University of Toronto site link above).

Questions? Comments? Concerns?   Feel free to contact me - conniecrosby@gmail.com

Thank you,
Connie

Thank you, Everyone!

It was a long time in the coming, hard to believe it is over! Thank you to everyone everyone who was there, and even some who did not manage it:

• all the delegates who came and participated. It was our pleasure to put this on for you!
• all the vendors (exhibitors, sponsors and delegates) who supported us in this unique endeavour;
• all the speakers and moderators who provided us with a stellar program;
• the Ontario Legislative Assembly and staff of the Legislative Library of Ontario who gave us a fabulous kick-off in our opening reception;
• all the volunteers who kept things running smoothly on site, hosted our TALL Tower Tours, and helped guide folks in our dutch treat dinners;
• all the conference organizers/committee members who put their blood, sweat and tears into it;
• all our colleagues who kept things running in our offices while we were preoccupied;
• all our families who similarly put up with our stress levels;
• and innumerable others who supported us and made this an amazing event.

This conference took 4 years to organize since first discussed by Steve Weiter and Danielle Brousseau at an AALL conference, and included participation from at least 10 associations/AALL chapters.

It is so hard to believe it is over…..

Cheers,
Connie

Perspective from the other side

As Connie has unwisely given me carte blanche in my blog postings, and as probably the sole Australian attendee at Libraries without Borders I’m going to have to be forgiven in advance for my distinctive perspective on the program and papers I’ve attended. As a research librarian for government lawyers, working within both a federalist and constitutional monarchist framework, as my Canadian colleagues also do, the papers which have interested me most are those which particularly illuminate our differences. In light of this I spent a very productive morning at the two Researching Canadian law sessions. Beatrice Tice, Bora Laskin Library’s Chief Librarian, gave an impressively detailed overview of the Canadian judicial process. While some processes are very familiar to me (Canadian lawyers, like their Australian and unlike their US counterparts, look all over the common law world for persuasive argument) others seemed foreign and strange (Canadian lawyers, unlike their Australian counterparts, do not distinguish between a hierarchy of law reporting). While we in Australia are well served by two good (albeit out of date) legal encycoplaedias as well as the various dense and valuable editions of the Australian Digest, Canada is only now being bestowed with its own Halsburys!

One thing we both share is having the global LexisNexis platform foisted upon us, with its inappropriate terminology and mysteriously inaccessible databases. I understand in Australia that such has been the poor reception of this product that lawyer usage has dropped away noticeably. One thing the commercial sellers of these databases continue to overlook is that a critical mass of freely available case law is now being provided by courts everywhere. My feeling is that having good annotators and good looseleaf services (online) is probably all anyone will need in a few more years. Oh, and good librarians who know how to use everything successfully.

Beatrice was succeeded later in the morning by her Bora Laskin colleague Sooin Kim who, alongside Jeanette Bosschart, led us through the intricacies of the legislative process. The Canadian manner of passing its statutes and regulations bears only a nodding resemblance to the processes in my own jurisdiction. My US colleagues seemed more au fait with this discussion, but I had so much to learn that I failed to keep up with my note taking, and can only say that I now understand why when I’m called upon to penetrate the thickets of provincial law in Canada, I often retreat in disarray. But now I have some email addresses! Statutory interpretation is obviously different in Canada from the way it is approached in Australia. And that’s all I plan to say on that matter, except that I was disappointed not to be treated to a similar overview of the US court and legislative processes.

The other paper which I found completely absorbing was Professor Lorraine Weinrib’s comparative look at the Constitutions of both Canada and the US. Her talk was so rich in historical and legal context, so informed by the view she obtained as a one-time lawyer for the Crown, and so thoughtful in its summary of the effects of each constitutional approach on the body politic and on the governed, that I couldn’t do it justice in one paragraph here. I have written a more extensive, and as yet unposted overview for my own blog so anyone wanting to read that please let me know and I’ll email you the link.

 

[Admin note:  posted by Barbara Flowers]

Join us!

Excitement has reached a fever pitch around the conference hotel. Last night’s bag stuffing and registration preparation has really brought home the fact that the conference is under way!

 If you find yourself somewhat surprised at how quickly the event has come upon us, you’re not alone. If you’re SO surprised that you didn’t get a chance to register - don’t despair!  On-site registration for the entire conference, for single days or for social events is possible.

 The registration desk will be open at the Downtown Marriott Eaton Centre (ballroom level) this afternoon from 3 - 5:00.  Registrants automatically have admission to the opening reception tonight, but guests will need to purchase tickets ($15). And tickets for the Closing Banquet are available to everyone (not included in the conference registration).

It looks for now like the rain will hold off, and it’s headed for 20 degrees today (68 for our
American cousins, or those born before 1970).

See you soon!

Wendy Reynolds

NE2007 Organizing Committee

It’s Almost Here!

One more sleep until the conference!   I am just at home packing my things and getting one last good night of sleep before we kick things off tomorrow evening.   I’m sure many of you are doing the same.  Earlier this evening I poked my head in on the delegate bag stuffing/registration envelope collation and was very impressed with our fantastic group of volunteers who had everything well in hand.

Thanks so much to all of you who are making this a reality!  All the hours of hard work, energy and imagination are finally coming together!

I expect to be at the conference hotel tomorrow after 3 pm if you have any questions for me.  But I well expect our fantastic registration and information desk volunteers to be able to field many of your questions.

The Toronto folk are very much looking forward to welcoming you!

Cheers,
Connie Crosby
crosbyc@weirfoulds.com

Countdown to Meeting!

The committee co-chairs had our last meeting/conference call this morning.  Things are pretty much in order; we are just putting the finishing touches on the last details at this point.    We can’t wait for the opening reception Wednesday night, and to get the ball rolling! 

If you are coming, don’t forget to sign up for the TALL Tower Tours and add your name to the wiki for the Dutch Treat Dinners, both taking place Thursday evening (and yes, you can do both!).

Over 40 people have posted their name to the Looks Who’s Coming page.   Have you added yours?

Finally, we are looking for a few people to blog about the conference here on this blog.  Think of it as an opportunity to try out this blogging thing if you haven’t done so before!  If you are interested in giving it a try, please contact me directly.

Cheers!
Connie

Connie Crosby
Co-Chair
crosbyc@weirfoulds.com
416-947-5057

Coming Soon: Survey for Delegates!

Today I drafted a survey for all delegates to help us plan out rooms and seating for the various concurrent sessions during the conference.   The other planners are going to work through it to ensure it makes sense, and then I hope to send that out mid-week.  Keep your eyes peeled! 

 If I can co-ordinate it, Canadian delegates should also be receiving your confirmation receipts with it.  U.S. delegates have already received receipts; if you haven’t received yours, please contact U.S. registrant James Gernert jgernert@yahoo.com.

Cheers!
Connie

Connie Crosby
Canadian Co-chair
crosbyc@weirfoulds.com  
(416) 947-5057

Hotel - Today is Last Day for Booking!

Mary Saulig (your Local Arrangements Committee Chair) and I are just about to head up to the Marriott Eaton Centre to make final arrangements for booking sessions into meeting rooms, and have a look at the list of guests who have booked rooms for the conference.   Meanwhile, a number of other committee members will be taking one last site visit to see how we will be laying everything out.  We are coming down to the final crunch on all fronts!

Which reminds me, today is the last day to book a room with the conference hotel at our conference rate price.  After this, you will pay their regular rates and your booking will not count towards our numbers to off-set meeting room costs.  So, if you are thinking of coming, I urge you to book today!  Don’t delay!!

Cheers,
Connie Crosby

Have You Registered Yet? NE2007 - Libraries Without Borders 2 - Oct. 17 - 20, 2007

I have posted this just about everywhere I can think, so I should post it here, too! — Please feel free to edit and repost as you see fit! - Connie Crosby

Have you registered yet for the 4th Northeast Regional Law Libraries Meeting (NE2007)?? Time is running out!

Our theme is Libraries Without Borders 2, and it is gearing up to be THE outstanding learning, networking, must-attend event for 2007. Just a few of the many highlights:

• A grand opening reception at the Legislative Building at Queen’s Park. This is home to the Ontario Legislative Assembly, and an impressive building built in 1893, surrounded by park and University of Toronto campus.
• Keynote by Michael Ignatieff, internationally renowned academic, journalist, commentator, intellectual, and specialist in human rights and international affairs.
• Challenging sessions on the law library profession, roles and responsibilities as well as substantive legal research topics with an international, “cross-border” twist.
• Plenary session on the future of legal information and law publishing called Pipe Dream to Pipeline. We have invited some of the industry leaders to look into their crystal balls and tell us what they see.
• Outstanding speakers Claire Germain, Gayle Lynn-Nelson, Sabrina Pacifici, Vicki Whitmell, Molly Brownfield, Diane Goldstein, Steven Lastres, Donna Purvis, and many, many more!
• Something we call the TALL Tower Tours, tour of some of the stellar law firm libraries from our host association, the Toronto Association of Law Libraries.
• Closing banquet–time to catch up with friends, old and new, and enjoy fine food and great music!

I am pleased to be co-chairing this fantastic event. This is the joint regional meeting of nine chapters of the American Association of Law Libraries plus the Toronto Association of Law Libraries.

Key web spaces:

• Main website - www.librarieswithoutborder.net
• Program
• Register!
• Hotel info
• Blog - librarieswithoutborders.wordpress.com - the latest scoop!
• Wiki - librarieswithoutborders.pbwiki.com - let everyone know you are going, post questions and info!

This is the must-attend event of 2007. Will I be seeing you there??

- Connie Crosby

Folks are coming from all over everywhere!

The organising committee met this week, and we had a report on registration. Over 100 Canadians from across the country are already signed up, which is very encouraging. U.S-based registrants are 130 to date, with the largest contingent coming from ALLUNY followed very closely by ORALL.

I was very impressed to learn that we have *three* delegates coming from Brazil, and we’re expecting at least one delegate from the United Kingdom. There are rumours of an Australian also making the trek!

One of our Brazilian guests is hoping to get in touch with librarians working in the medical/health sphere as well. If you can suggest some names or groups, please post them to the delegates wiki, or drop a note to Connie Crosby.

Happy long weekend, everyone!

 Wendy