Scooting Librarian?

scooting about in the library By jessamyn on scooter


This blog post title caught my attention, being a scooterer and a librarian. The scooter in question is not the type I ride though, alas (I wish they would come up with different names for kids scooters, Vespa type scooters and mobility scooters). So, it looks like a great idea, I love libraries that offer 'shopping baskets' to patrons and this is another way of making a trip to the library less physically taxing.

Anyway maybe I could start up a mobile Librarian service 'Scooting Librarian' bringing resources and research assistance to you.

Legal Research blog

I came across this new blog written about legal research in Australian (yeah)! This is how the author (Lauren) describes it

Legal Research Rescue (LRR) is a place for legal research tips and tricks for junior (and not-so-junior) lawyers, law graduates and law students

I subscribed straight away and recommend it for librarians to use as a resource when conducting legal research training or doing research themselves. She has also created a delicious account for legal research sites and articles.

Donkey library in Ethiopia

I love these stories.... Libraries in developing countries, bringing books to those who need them the most. Especially when there are donkeys involved. Story from the BBC UK.

For EBCEF's project manager in Awassa, Mezrasha Kibret, books are the key to everything.

"If we are interested in changing the world," he says, "then we have to read."

Nepalese children's first encounters with computers

From the BBC Be not afraid: Nepalese children's first encounters with computers

What a great story and another example of the power of eLibraries.

2009 diary

My diary
Originally uploaded by jobloggs

I made this cover for my work issue diary tonight.

Lawyers and Web 2.0

I have noticed a particular aversion or apathy to new technologies amongst the legal staff where I work. My, the library and the organisation's attempts to introduce web 2.0 tools and education have invoked comments such as - "blogs, wikis, RSS: I have no idea what they are, maybe some of you younger ones do" chuckle chuckle.... Until these tools are seen as being more widely accepted by the legal community, the lawyers here won't invest time and energy to investigate them and the possible benefits. Let's face it, they are busy and are bound to be more so this year with the fallout from the economic downturn. Unless there is a valid reason for them to become involved, there is no impetus, especially in government/public sectors. A few Australian law firms are introducing RSS Feeds, blogs and wikis, though mainly for internal use, as they have a commercial reason to 'keep up with the Jones's' and to engage with their clients. These initiatives are often driven by the IT or Library/Information areas within the firm rather than by the Partners.

I am currently tracking several US Legal Blogs or Blawgs and their numbers are increasing, in stark contrast to the lack of blawging going on here in Australia. There are US blogs on different practice areas as well as general discussion on court decisions, proposed legislation, judicial appointments and other topics of interest to practitioners. Lawyers in the US are also embracing the use of Twitter to communicate with colleagues and to debate and discuss legal issues. This blog entry from Real Lawyers Have Blogs summarises my thoughts on why lawyers have been slow on the uptake of web 2.0 technology.

Digital Darwinism?

Older lawyers running law firms fight change.

Lawyers in general feel they are above the fray - 'others may be harnessing innovative technology, but we're dealing with the law. Facebook, Twitter, Blogs, LinkedIn? We're proud to say we're a non user.'

Courts have not adopted ways to cite free case law and blogs as secondary sources.

Businesses in the legal industry who do not understand Web 2.0 and social media support with advertising moneys hard copy legal periodicals.

Though legal blogs are flourishing, there may not be the quality of legal content online we see from the general publishing industry.