Google Reader going dark July 1

I just saw that Google Reader is shutting down on July 1, 2013. I've used it to monitor my RSS feeds for several years now, and now will have to find a replacement. For more details, visit Google at http://support.google.com/reader/answer/3028851 or read the Ars Technica article at http://arstechnica.com/business/2013/03/poll-technica-where-should-we-go-when-google-reader-is-put-out-to-pasture/.

Terms of Service Aren't Just Read by Lawyers Anymore

Terms of Service Aren't Just Read by Lawyers Anymore Lisa Salazar of 3 Geeks and a Law Blog posts about the uprising of the Instagram users after the service had changed their terms of service, and quickly changed them again. Bonus: Lisa posted several great photos that she's taken.

More on the story from CNet, "Instagram apologizes to users."

Law Prof Blogosphere = Disruption?

Has the Law Prof Blogosphere Established Itself as a Disruptive Publishing Medium? Joe Hodnicki ponders law faculty blogging and how it augments and disrupts traditional publishing of law reviews.

First paragraph:

Law prof blogging is no longer the latest "hot" thing to do. Hasn't been for years. After some ten years or so the law prof blog is a mature publishing medium. Denver Law prof J. Robert Brown Jr. has been publishing a series of posts entitled "Law Faculty Blogs and Disruptive Innovation" on the Race to the Bottom blog. [First post here]. The posts are based on and highlight themes from his Essay: Law Faculty Blogs and Disruptive Innovation [SSRN].

CRIV Blog

Did you know that CRIV (AALL's Committee on Relations with Information Vendors) now has a blog? Check it out at http://crivblog.com/. Why a blog? According to their May 10, 2012 post:

Why a CRIV Blog and why now?
1.   Much of the discussion about the relationship between information vendors and law librarians happens online.  CRIV wants to be part of that conversation.
2.  The CRIV Sheet is published only 3 times a year and so can only be distantly reactive at best.  The CRIV  Blog can respond quickly as events unfold and can get information out much more quickly.
3. Print (e.g. The CRIV Sheet) is a one way medium. The CRIV Blog is two way (please comment on our posts).
4. The CRIV Blog has been in the works for a long time.  CRIV leaders past and present have advocated the establishment of a CRIV blog.  We finally made it happen.
5. Issues relating to the relationships between librarians and information vendors are more important now than ever.   Let’s talk about it!

Is "Self-Help" a Good Thing Or a Bad Thing?

Is "Self-Help" a Good Thing Or a Bad Thing? Greg Lambert posts on 3 Geeks and a Law blog about the trend for lawyers to handle tasks that they previously delegated to staff. Is this a good trend, bad trend, or neutral trend?

21 Resources for Library Marketing with Social Media

There are so many good (and free!) marketing opportunities on social media channels. Here are some articles and blog posts which offer advice for making the most of these. 21 Resources for Library Marketing with Social Media

Librarian recommended apps

Camille Reynolds, Director of Knowledge Management at Nossaman Guthner Knox & Elliott, LLP, posted "...a brief column on Librarian Recommended Apps for Lawyers (no subscription req'd) as part of the NOCALL's "Beyond the Shelves" series in the local publication The Recorder an ALM publication." - quote from her email to PLL-SIS listserv dated 1/10/2012.

10 Fun and Interesting Things to do with Wolfram Alpha

10 Fun and Interesting Things to do with Wolfram Alpha

Another fun, geeky post from Greg Lambert at 3 Geeks and a Law Blog. Greg lists fun and interesting computations and other things you can do with Wolfram Alpha, including create QR Codes and barcodes.

Making Lemonade Out of Lemons

Last week I read Lora Kloth's post on SLA's Future Ready 365 blog titled, Know Thyself and Drink Lemonade and it inspired me to write today's blog entry for DALL.

Like Kloth three years ago my position as a Library Specialist at a global law firm came to an abrupt end. I had mixed feelings of frustration, anxiety, depression and fear because it was during that time our economy was going through chaos due to the economic crisis. Though I was out of work, it allowed me to focus on my studies full-time during the semester.

After being unemployed for six months, I was offered and accepted a position as a Librarian I at a local community college campus in the Dallas area. I saw it as opportunity to learn a different realm of librarianship, particularly in academia. Even though it is considered a community college library, we are open to the public too. With my background in the legal field, I contributed to the staff on collection development in selecting resources in the main collection. I was able to teach students about information literacy who were not familiar with library information and resources for their studies using the catalog and databases along with understanding bibliographic citations for their research paper.

During my time with the college, I still kept in touch with DALL members and attended some events. While I was at a DALL luncheon earlier this year, it really hit me that I really missed working in the legal field. I believe my true calling is to work in the law librarian profession. Therefore, I began to attend more events, was nominated and accepted the position as Treasurer of DALL joining the Executive Board for the 2011-2012 year. In addition, I began to published entries for our organization's blog, utilizing my LinkedIn account to stay connected with others in the profession and established a Twitter account to stay on top of news, trends and updates in the legal, technology, knowledge management and competitive intelligence field.

As I think back on the past few years, at one time I saw myself as a failure due to the lost of my job. However, my current position gave me a boost of confidence, realizing I can work as a competent, efficient information professional. I soon realized that I wanted to come back to the legal profession and began to reinvent myself by becoming more involve in my organization.

"When life hands you lemons, make lemonade," in life we go through experiences that can shake our world. You question yourself and self-doubt looms over you with mixed emotions. Nonetheless, we can change our mindset by making a positive out of a negative and running this every changing marathon race called Life.

The 500+ Friend Introvert

The 500+ Friend Introvert

This post from 3 Geeks and a Law Blog intrigues me. Younger people have no problems posting, tweeting, meeting people virtually, but are shy in real life crowds. Is this indicative of the times, or did we have more mentors in the past to shepard us through the first few conferences and social hours?

Out of the Jungle: Johns Hopkins To Close Its Medical Library

Out of the Jungle: Johns Hopkins To Close Its Medical Library

Marie S. Newman posted on the Out of the Jungle blog regarding the decision of Johns Hopkins to close their medical library. It appears that the librarians are already being embedded in departments, and staff is not being reduced. The fate of the physical building has not been decided.

Culture trumps cash, but what about strategy?

Culture trumps cash, but what about strategy?

Another interesting guest post from 3 Geeks and a Law Blog, with Scott Preston discussing the importantance of culture in an organization.

Lawyers and iPads

Tom Mighell, of inter-alia.net fame, has a blog specifically for iPad using lawyers called iPad4Lawyers (http://ipad4lawyers.squarespace.com/). The posts are well-written, have pictures to illustrate points, and are very practical. If you have questions about what iPads can do in the legal world, I'd recommend following this blog.

The Unanswered ILTA Questions

The Unanswered ILTA Questions

Toby Brown of the 3 Geeks and a Law Blog about his participation in the "Offshoring and Outsourcing: What It Means for Your Firm and Your Job" panel at ILTA recently. He reported two questions and answers regarding law firm libraries and outsourcing...so go read the post!

Improving Google Skills

A fun way to encourage students to improve Google search skills
August 30, 2011
Out of the Jungle
Betsy McKenzie

This post is aimed at training for students, but can be applied to training anyone in Google search. McKenzie describes how she used "A Google A Day!" puzzles to get students to buff up their research skills. She also has links to additional Google search support.

I Think Someone Forgot to “Target Their Communication”

I Think Someone Forgot to “Target Their Communication” Greg Lambert muses on a misdirected email invitation from Bloomberg.

The 7 Sins of Social Media

Lawyerist.com has provided a list of do's and don'ts in the use of social networking in the legal field. Read here.

Google drops features

According to the Law Librarian Blog, Google has quietly dropped some search features. See more at Google Drops Some Content and Search Features.

Training issues

The Oregon Legal Research blog has a couple of posts re: training

• Read the Whole Screen: You’re Never too “Experienced” for More Training
• To Google is Human, to “Date Other Search Engines” Divine

Legal Current

Legal Current is a legal business blog by Thompson Reuters. You can subscribe to the blog via RSS and email. The blog also have a podcast available on iTunes.