Category: librarian

6 degrees of legal librarianing

You know that game, 6 Degrees of Kevin Bacon, when you can use Kevin Bacon to link almost anyone in Hollywood in 6 steps or less?

Yes?
Well, it’s got almost nothing to do with this post, but I like the idea of it 🙂
Anyhoo, what was it I was going to blog about…oh yes – the problem of what degree is most useful in a legal information environment. See, I knew there was some reason I’d been thinking of degrees!
Y’see, Robert Gordon University have done something rather spiffing: they’ve launched a distance learning Law LLB, woo-hoo! Studying is part-time as standard, and can be accelerated to full time from 2012.
Now…this is kinda tempting, because as a librarian in law firm, I’m similar to many librarians in this and other specialist areas: I don’t have a degree in the subject I work in. Everything I’ve learned, I’ve either been taught by my previous or current boss (both infinitely patient in relation to daft questions), or picked up through doing the research for enquiries, and self-education in the job. I do have a degree (science), and a postgraduate diploma (information and library science), but they don’t really prepare you for questions about what is a medium filum fluminis, or extinguishing a real burden, or any of the other specialist-area specific stuff.
So what you tend to find is that, if they can afford it, and can fit it into their lives, a lot of law librarians try and get some sort of legal qualification. This helps with two issues: gaining a better understanding of the foundations of what we’re working with, and the processes and systems we work within. And it also helps to remind co-workers that, yes, actually, we are professionals too, just like them. You see, you could have qualifications coming out of your ears (and often, we do: Msc’s, Bsc’s, MAs, PGDips, Charterships), but in a law firm, to a lawyer, you’re not a professional unless you have a law degree – they’re the only degrees that count. And if you’re not regarded as a “proper” professional, then it’s far harder to get your advice and work to be taken seriously.
But there’s no other option for law firm librarians than to come into law qualified in other subject areas: it’s too specialised an area to have a degree or other professional qualification we can do. We come in, we learn and get on with it, and if we have time and money, we increase our qualification level by throwing in a law degree.
So obviously, I went about things the wrong way really, what you want to do is a law degree, THEN switch to being a librarian!
Now, if only I could afford to do that one at RGU…

A latey, librariany, stereotypey shopping treasury

You! Yes, you! So you know a librarian? And you like stereotypes? And you want to buy them something for Christmas that fits in nicely to that stereotype?*

Well, let me help…

Now, books can get poorly, so what could be better than to let your Beloved Librarian help support sickly books, with a Book Shoe from the National Trust (no, I had no idea what a book shoe was before either).

If you’re feeling flush, you could buy Beloved Librarian their very own mobile library! Of course, they won’t get to draw it around the hills and vales of Britain, or get to give the donkey a funny name, but they’ll get a warm, inner glow of Doing Good. Even warmer if you actually buy them some books to put in it.

Of course, if you’re feeling wildly extravangant, buy BL their own village library. Although for that price, I’d be demanding that the library be named after me.

Etsy is of course a world of weird and wonderful handmade gifts…how have I survived without the book ring? Maybe your BL needs this little black book necklace? They might like being able to use this subtle reminder mirror, to practice giving pointed stares in response to stupid questions, while holding it in the enquirers eyeline…

If BL is just starting out on their training they could need a print of the Novice Librarian. In fact there’s reams of library or reading related prints, of varying…erm…quality. And of course there’s always room for a granite book in a librarians life, and signs demanding we read (something made somewhat harder when the book is granite, and without words…).

So now you’ve decorated their home, and made them a Good Person by buying charity gifts, how about dressing them? They’ll definitely need their cardigan clips (pearl, if possible) to keep that sensible cardie in the right position over their ladylike blouse, with a proper pleated skirt to go on the bottom half. Shoes are an essential part of any outfit, so give BL a choice. And there’s to be no stepping out the door without a book-based handbag. Mind you, they’re likely to be short sighted, so will need a pair of these to see where they’re going, and all those books they’re reading at once will need to go somewhere too. It’s heavy work, dressing librariany!

Perhaps it would be easier just to get them a librarian doll? And no, it’s not even the Nancy Pearl one!

So there you go: you’ve got a lot of gift options for your Beloved Librarian here..although of course…none of these will arrive in time for Christmas…SNOWMAGEDDON is coming, don’t you know!?!?

*Yes, men are librarians too, but we’re going with stereotypes here, so unless they’re comfortable in skirts, sensible heels, wearing a bun and a cardigan, they’re outta luck in this shopping guide.

The puzzled look

That’s the usual reaction I get when I respond to the question “So, what do you do?”

I either reply “I work for a law firm”, when I’m in mixed company and don’t really want to talk about work. But this seems to make people think I’m a lawyer, and I have to explain I’m definitely not a lawyer, but a librarian, and that all sorts of people other than lawyers work in a law firm. So, actually, that one kind of backfires an the -lets-not-talk-about-work front, and I’m trying to not say that any more!
Or I say “I’m a librarian for a law firm”, which is what I use when I’m feeling a bit more chatty, and happy enough to explain what I do. And since I end up having to explain my job anyway, I’m using this one more frequently.
No matter what I reply though, both lead to the same response.
The puzzled look.
Then there’s a couple of options:
“Oh, I didn’t know lawyers needed librarians”
“Oh, do you look after a lot of books then?”
“So, what do you DO all day?”
*sigh*
Is it really so hard to imagine? Is it so difficult to understand that law firms are actually pretty modern places? That the staff, both solicitors and support, do a huge volume of their work on computers? That they have access via those computers to internal current awareness services, subscription databases covering legislation, cases and journal articles, various core legal materials from the Government, sector-specific blogs, CD-ROMS and internal knowledge banks? Of course there are also traditional hard copy resources too: textbooks, journals, case reports, and loose-leaf publications too.
And someone has to be involved in managing all those resources, and doing the frequent research in lots of areas that is needed in an active law firm.
So no, I don’t look at books all day long: I look at a computer. And I like it that way.

Put a watch on the borders…

Be afraid…be very afraid….I’m being allowed to leave the country!

And not only am I being allowed out, but I’m going in the guise of a proper professional!
I’m going all the way to Australia, to attend the ALLA and NZLLA joint conference in Melbourne, thanks to some fabulous and generous bursaries from the lovely BIALL and SLLG, yay!
It’s kind of worrying when you look at a conference programme and think “ohhhh, I’d really like to go to that!”. I’m concerned that it may be a sign of becoming grown up. But, never fear, the business cards I’ve had made up will soon put paid to any such ideas in the people I meet, oh yes indeedy!
It is actually ever so slightly terrifying: I know no-one at the conference, my hotel booking’s gone a bit wonky already, and I arrive at 1am in the morning, after waaaaay too many hours of travelling…thankfully I’ve scheduled in a bit of recovery time, otherwise I’d be sporting the Zombie Librarian look.
Actually, maybe that’s the in-look in Australia at the moment, I shall have to find out.
I have also been told to bring back a kangaroo, koala, wombat, and duck-billed platypus….these may be tall orders. Although I am meeting up with a marine biologist friend while I’m there, wonder if he can pull some strings on the platypus front?