Law Libraries Have Changed  c. Jean OGrady

Law Librarians were in law firms at least 30 years before any law firm hired a computer services technician. Law librarians have been breaking down the library walls for decades, but it was only this week that the Private Law Libraries section of AALL rebranded.

Law librarians were the first professionals  to  bring  the revolutionary concept of full text online research using Lexis and Westlaw to law firms. They often introduced the first dial-up connection to the internet before there was a World Wide Web. They created online catalogs of firm library collections. They built the early portals and created early KM systems using cataloging software and  connected to the hidden networks of global library holdings using systems from RLIN and OCLC. They introduced competitive intelligence when it was referred to as “selective dissemination of information” using command driven systems from Lockheed Martin Dialog and Orbit. So finally more than 30 years after librarians started transforming their roles, the Private Law Libaries Special Interest Section of AALL has rebranded the organization acknowledging that it is in fact an organization of ”librarians”  rather than “libraries” and to broaden the description of member roles to include  “information professionals.”

On Tuesday the PLL Board provided  this statement about the name change:

On June 16th the AALL Executive Board approved the following SIS name change:
•    Private Law Librarians & Information Professionals Special Interest Section (PLLIP-SIS) is the new name for the former Private Law Libraries Special Interest Section (PLL-SIS).
“As the legal industry has changed our members have been at the forefront of driving innovation in the development of information strategies and the delivery of knowledge to all facets of the business and practice of law,” said Jean O’Grady, current past chair of PLLIP. “The name change reflects the expansion of  new roles undertaken by legal information professionals in law firms including competitive intelligence, practice alignments, analytics, knowledge management, pricing, and business development.”

“The new name focuses on future growth and opportunities while reflecting the historical values of librarianship and recognizing the long standing critical migration of Libraries as a place in the former name to Librarians/Information Professionals as individuals in support of the true value and visibility of our members,” said Scott Bailey, incoming PLLIP Chair. “Recognizing that a name change in itself is a symbol and that the real proof of current and emerging value is in the ongoing development and promotion of our services.”

Here is the AALL Press Release:
_______________________________________________________________________________

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Cara Schillinger
Director of Membership, Marketing, and Communications
312.205.8020
cschillinger@aall.org

AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF LAW LIBRARIES ANNOUNCES SPECIAL INTEREST SECTION NAME CHANGES

CHICAGO, June 18, 2015 — The American Association of Law Libraries (AALL) announced today
that it has approved the name changes of two special interest sections (SISs) — member groups
with specialized areas of interest in law librarianship and legal information.

The AALL Executive Board approved the following SIS name changes:
• Government Law Libraries Special Interest Section (GLL-SIS) is the new name for the former State, Court, & County Special Interest Section (SCCLL-SIS).

• Private Law Librarians & Information Professionals Special Interest Section (PLLIP-SIS) is
the new name for the former Private Law Libraries Special Interest Section (PLL-SIS).

The SIS name changes reflect the interests of their members and required member votes, SIS bylaw
amendments, and final approval from the AALL Executive Board.

“AALL’s special interest sections represent the interests of more than 2,800 of our members who
belong to one or more group,” said AALL President Holly M. Riccio. “It is important for our SIS
members to feel that the names of their sections represent the types of institutions in which they
work, their areas of expertise, and their roles within those areas.”

“Changing our name to GLL-SIS reflects the multiple levels of government where our members
serve the public, the practicing bar, and the judiciary,” said GLL-SIS Chair Maryruth Storer. “Maintaining access to justice is imperative to a democratic society.”

“The PLLIP-SIS name change reflects the expansion of new roles undertaken by legal information
professionals in law firms including competitive intelligence, practice alignments, analytics,
knowledge management, pricing, and business development,” said Jean O’Grady, immediate past
chair of the PLLIP-SIS. “As the legal industry has changed, our members have been at the forefront
of driving innovation in the development of information strategies and the delivery of knowledge to all facets of the business and practice of law.”

AALL will gradually implement the name changes on the AALL website and in forthcoming
publications and communications.

For more information about AALL Special Interest Sections, visit bit.ly/AALL-SISs. For more
information about AALL, visit www.aallnet.org or contact AALL Member Services at membership@aall.org.

About AALL
The American Association of Law Libraries was founded in 1906 to promote law libraries’ value to the legal and public communities, foster the law librarianship profession, and provide leadership in the legal information field. With nearly 5,000 members, AALL represents law librarians and related professionals who are affiliated with law firms; law schools; corporate legal departments; courts; and local, state, and federal government agencies. For more information, visit www.aall.org

For more information about the AALL Special Interest Sections, visit bit.ly/AALL-SISs. For more