I would like to reply to some of the points made regarding the Newsletter
and the outsourcing issue. First, I take offense at the statement that
outsourcing has reared its ugly head. I use outsourcing in my library
and I know many of our colleagues also use it. We, however do not
ordinarily use outsourcing for our entire library staff. Some of our
AALL members are working for outsourcing companies and I wish them
well. Outsourcing is a part of the library community now and will
continue to be so.
My problem with the article is not really with the article itself. My
problem lies with the placement of the article on the cover of our
Newsletter. Why are we giving such prominent play to outsourcing - the
black cover one month and the outsourcing article the next. There are
many important legal information issues that deserve headlines. I
believe outsourcing articles that slant positively toward outsourcing are
important to be in our Newsletter to keep us all thinking of both sides
of the issue but lets give our President's message top billing and place
the controversial articles on the inside. That may even keep members
reading to the end of the Newsletter if they thought there might be some
juicy and rousing articles buried inside.
Next issue: I am the chair of the task force formed to study the value
of law libraries and law librarians in the information age. We do want
to demonstrate that members of the profession are essential if law firms
are to cope with the information explosion. This Task Force will meet
for the first time, face to face, in Pittsburgh. We have been working
very hard to bring ourselves all to a level of knowledge of what is out
there in the literature to assist us in this overwhelming task. Your
input is asked for and even begged for. There will be a notice in the
Pittsburgh daily newspaper on the site for the task force meeting. You
are welcome to come and observe and there will be time for your input if
you wish to address the task force. After the meeting, which will take
place on Wednesday morning at a site yet to be named, you will be hearing
much more from this task force. Some people think we are not working
hard enough but I remind you that the members of the task force are
working for law firms across the nation and those law firms are paying
our salaries. All or much of the task force work must be accomplished
outside the regular work day. Each member of the task force has many
obligations that they must meet each day. I thank them for their
continuing communication through the internet and for their continuing to
read from the extensive bibliography of applicable resources. Join with
me in a resounding "THANKS" to all the volunteers who continue to make
this Association run smoothly and efficiently.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Patricia Patterson | SCHIFF HARDIN & WAITE
Director | 7200 Sears Tower
Legal Information Services | Chicago, IL 60606
papat@class.org | 312-258-4701
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On Thu, 6 Jul 1995, Foley FOLEY Lardner wrote:
>
> I am in complete disbelief that the AALL newsletter would
> actually print a lead article that gives such a pro slant to outsourcing
> the library. (I don't care if there is a disclaimer in the masthead,
> this article does not belong on the cover of a newsletter that is suppose
> to benefit the society's members). I know outsourcing is a topic that
> has once again reared its ugly head in the library community and cannot
> be ignored, but it is inexcusable to have our newsletter print a
> prominent article on the benefits of outsourcing without presenting any
> other side of the issue. The person who wrote the article is no longer a
> librarian and the person quoted makes a living on outsourced libraries.
> The presence of this article as a lead article is a slap in the face to
> all private law firm librarians (they were the target of the article) if
> not to all law librarians who belong to AALL.
>
> Susanne Zumbro posted a message of disbelief that this article
> was published. Mark Estes' response to her message was even more of an
> insult than the article. Mr. Estes is a past president of AALL and as
> such, his comments are more likely to be quoted than mine. The fact that
> the AALL newsletter has a disclaimer and that the ABA Journal is not an
> official statement of the American Bar Journal does not mean that any
> article is acceptable. The ABA Journal would not publish articles that
> were detrimental to the legal profession without seriously considering
> all reprocussions. The editor of the AALL newsletter has a
> responsibility to the society members to carefully consider the
> consequences of the articles published therein.
>
> The May issue of the AALL newsletter was published with an all
> black cover, symbolizing the society's mourning of our colleagues who
> were fired from Baker & McKenzie in Chicago. Is the mourning period over
> that quickly and have we forgotten them so soon?
>
> In the April 21st issue of the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin there
> was an article about law librarians planning to push their image after
> the Baker & McKenzie firings. It stated: "The American Association of
> Law Libraries, reacting to Baker & McKenzie's dismissal of all 10 library
> workers at the firm, has formed a nationwide task force to demonstrate
> that members of the profession are essential if law firms are to cope
> with the information explosion." By publishing that article on
> outsourcing, no matter what Mr. Estes says about the disclaimer, others
> will quote the article and duly note the source. A great disservice has
> been done to the law library community by our own society and I believe
> AALL owes its members a big apology.
>
> These comments are entirely and humbly mine and not that of the
> organization that employs me.
>
> Charlie Knuth
> Librarian
> Foley & Lardner
> Washington, D.C.
> foley@access.digex.net
> (202) 672-5315 (voice)
> (202) 672-5399 (fax)
>
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