Richard Pravata wrote:
>
> Patty,
>
> you sound like the exception, we, the librarians and our vendor reps
> have spent a lot of time training some of our secretaries to do some
> research. eventually they stop doing research, defering it to us
> because they dont have the time or dont do enough of it and dont feel
> comfortable. if you do train secretaries to do specific types of
> research be sure everyone is committed to it and arent just doing this
> for prestige or a whim.
>
> richard pravata
> reference librarian
>
> ______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
> Subject: RE: Secretaries doing library research
> Author: "Campbell, Patricia J" <CampbellPJ@corning.com> at internet
> Date: 2/27/97 2:24 PM
>
> Oh boy....let the flames begin....I am a legal secretary for a Fortune
> 500 corporation legal department. I have an AAS degree in legal
> secretarial science and have about 10 years of legal secretarial
> experience. Responsibility for the legal library is just one of the
> many functions of my position. The suggestion that secretaries are not
> "capable" of performing quality legal research is demeaning and
> stereotypical.
>
> My responsibilities initially began as performing the routine library
> work--invoices, replacement pages, updates, shelving, ordering etc. As
> I became more acquainted with the "workings" of the library I have
> graduated into other areas of performing research including WESTLAW and
> LEXIS. Fortunately, I work for supervisors and for a corporation that
> support the notion that one should be challenged in their position and
> encourage all levels of employees to seek further training and
> instruction in their area of interest.
>
> I agree that I do not have the level of expertise as an individual with
> a MS in library science. But, I am capable of learning and would know
> when I was "in over my head" and then request the assistance of an
> attorney. Experience to me has been the best learning tool. It may
> take me a little longer than someone with formal education but I usually
> am able to come up with an answer. I get calls and requests from
> individuals in all areas of our company. My work is usually received
> with great appreciation and never with apprehension that an unqualified
> individual located the information.
>
> I realize, as well, that a legal librarian in a private law firm
> functions quite differently than one in a corporate environment and
> would be required to perform legal research in a greater degree. But,
> I'm sure that if an efficient, intelligent secretary was put in the
> position of having to perform legal research, with the proper training,
> he or she would do just fine.
>
> In the meantime, lighten up!!!! Most secretaries are doing their job
> because they enjoy the type of work they do. The fact that they want
> some research responsibilities is probably merely out of a desire to have
> variety to their job. I doubt anyone is interested in taking over your
> position.
>
>
> Patty Campbell
> Legal Department
> Corning Incorporated
> MP-HQ-E2-10
> Corning, NY 14830
> 607-974-8188 (phone)
> 607 -974-8262 (fax)
> campbell_pj@corning.com
> ----------
> From: Barb Avery
> To: 'law-lib@ucdavis.edu'
> Subject: Secretaries doing library research
> Date: Thursday, February 27, 1997 1:04PM
>
>
> I am troubled by several recent instances of attorneys at our law firm
> suggesting that their secretaries do library research to keep them
> "challenged." I am about to communicate my concerns re: quality
> control,
> professional education and experience, the complexity of many library
> materials, etc. to the attorneys. But I am wondering if anyone has been
> through this before, and might have established some "boundaries" for
> what
> kinds of information requests can/should be handled by secretaries.
>
> We have willingly trained our secretaries to do look-ups in
> Martindale-Hubbell, the court directories, Switchboard on the Internet,
> pulling and photocopying cases from the reporters, etc., but, beyond
> this,
> I get really nervous. I want to rein in this trend before it gets out
> of
> control.
>
> At the most basic level, I guess I am just really annoyed that the
> attorneys think just any Tom, Dick or Harry can do things like locating
> parallel citations, Shepardizing, etc. Maybe I'm just being snobbish,
> but,
> as the one responsible for the quality of the information service, I've
> got
> a real problem with this--and it's not because I'm feeling threatened.
> I'm
> not.
>
> Anybody have any sage advice for me? TIA
>
> Barbara Avery, Librarian
> Marshall & Melhorn
> Four SeaGate, 8th Floor
> Toledo, OH 43604
> (419)249-7228
>
>
>
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Richard,
It's interesting that you feel that way. Perhaps you were never in the same
situation that I and many of our peers were in. Many of us didn't always have an MLS but
began working in a law library as a clerk, learning various aspects of librarianship
"hands on," by responding to attorney's requests. We found that we liked the work and
were good at it, so we made the effort to go on. I will always be grateful to the 1st
Circuit librarian, who was patient and generous enough to teach me the fundamentals of
legal research. Her encouragement was what motivated me to get my graduate degree.
(Thank you, Lois.) I'm wondering if anyone will say the same of you.
Barbara Whitsett
Librarian
U.S. Attorney's Office
s.d. Texas
The opinions I express are my own, and not a reflection of the Office or the Department.
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