Category Archives: Law Libraries

Our Free Library One-Hour Briefing on Changing from Two to One Legal Database Vendor is Now Available On-Demand!

35336PLI and LLAGNY have teamed up to offer free one-hour audio briefings for librarians, researchers, attorneys, and allied professionals. Last month we offered a session on moving from two legal database vendors to one, which is now available on-demand!

Our new economic world continually requires cost savings as a constant standard. Law Firms, Legal Departments and Government Libraries have subscribed to multiple major legal vendors since the 1980s. But currently, there are questions as to whether this should remain the standard. Can legal research be effectively performed with only one database? If a choice has to be made, how will that affect the efficacy of legal research?

Lecture Topics:

  • Responding to the new normal: How many legal databases can/should we provide?
  • Learn what steps should be taken in making the decision to select one vendor.
  • Review your usage and content to maximize the offerings in your contract.
  • What issues may you face after the decision has been made to go to one vendor?

The program faculty members are: Nancy Hancock of CURRENT ISSUES: A Library Service; Susan van Beek-McKenna of Budd Larner, P.C.; and Tanya Whorton of Crowell & Moring, LLP.

This briefing, featuring instruction from experts in library management, was conceived and created in cooperation with the Law Library Association of Greater New York (LLAGNY) and Practising Law Institute (PLI). This briefing is chaired by Janice E. Henderson, Patricia Barbone and Jill Gray.

Click here to listen to the on-demand program.

Georgetown University Blogs about PLI Discover PLUS!

Discover PLUS was recently featured on Georgetown Law School’s Due Process blog, which keeps students updated about new resources and technology that the Edward Bennett Williams Law Library has to offer.

Georgetown

We’re happy to report that Georgetown is a new Discover PLUS subscriber.

Are you a law school interested in a PLUS subscription? If so, email or call (877-900-5291) us today!

Interview with our AALL 2013 Kayak & Paddle Sweepstakes Winner: Ruck DeMinico

On Monday July 15th 2013 at the 106th American Association of Law Libraries (AALL) Annual Meeting & Conference, Practising Law Institute announced its lucky sweepstakes winner, Ruck DeMinico of Merlin Law Group.

Tell us a little about yourself, your work, and what a typical day looks like for you:

I started off my legal career as a trial attorney and litigated for the first dozen years, trying a couple hundred jury trials. I had always been interested in librarianship and decided to go back to get my degree and work at what I really enjoyed. I don’t know that there is a typical day – unless controlled chaos can be considered typical. Being a sole librarian for a firm with offices on both coasts and in seven states, research questions can come in on any jurisdiction and, as in any private firm, they are all considered rush/priority by the sender and can come at any time of the day or night. I also handle the traditional library functions, vendor relations, DMS/KM, edit and maintain the firm blogs, create handout materials and PowerPoints for presentations by firm attorneys at seminars, and along with the Managing Attorney and COO am a member of the firm’s Management team.

Have you kayaked before? Where will you take your Discover PLUS branded Kayak:

I have, in the Miami/Everglades area. I love canoeing and spend as much free time as I can on the rivers here in Florida. I’m looking forward to exploring the mangroves around Tampa Bay with the kayak and may take fishing back up now that I can maneuver in the mangroves.

What do you like most about your job as Knowledge Manager of Merlin Law Group:

The constant change in what I’m doing. Every day is different, with new challenges.

As an attorney and law librarian, what do you think are the most challenging issues/trends shaping the legal industry today?:

I would say ESI/e-discovery, especially for smaller cases that may still have large amounts of electronic data to provide – where the use of vendors may be cost prohibitive.

Are you familiar with Discover PLUS, PLI’s eBook library?  Did you receive a demo at PLI’s booth at the American Association of Law Libraries (AALL) Conference in Seattle:

I did see the demo at AALL.  I like the ‘all-inclusive’ business model, rather than having to choose which individual books to purchase or subscribe to.

 

Discover PLUS provides complete online access to PLI’s Course Handbooks, Treatises, Answer Books, Legal Forms and Program Transcripts.

Discover PLUS Featured on Harvard Law School Library ‘Ask a Librarian!’

Harvard Law School has access to PLI’s Discover PLUS and the Harvard Law School Library let their patrons know about PLI’s eBook library platform via their ‘Ask a Librarian!‘ page.

Do you subscribe to Discover PLUS? If so, a blog post or library page is a great way to spread the word to your patrons. Contact the PLI Library Help Desk for images and information you can add to your blogs, intranet, subject guides, practice area pages, listservs, or any other way you’re reaching your patrons!

harvard law school

AALL 2013 Seattle: Post-Conference Wrap-Up

AALL_award_jpg

(Left to Right): Alexa Robertson, Director of Library Relations, Jean Wenger, AALL Immediate Past President, Andrew Pantoja, Associate Publisher

 

  • Thanks to everyone who stopped by our booth at the AALL Conference in Seattle. We were there to provide you with information on PLI’s eBook library, Discover PLUS, which provides online access to PLI’s Course Handbooks, Treatises, Answer Books, Legal Forms and Program Transcripts.
  • Discover PLUS was named the 2013 New Product of the Year at this year’s annual meeting!  The picture (above) shows Alexa Robertson, Director of Library Relations and Andrew Pantoja, Associate Publisher, accepting the award at the Awards Ceremony July 13, 2013.
  • We had a great turnout at the PLI Lunch & Learn on July 14, 2013 at the Sheraton Seattle.  Alexa Robertson delivered a presentation on eBooks, how Discover PLUS came to be and continues to evolve, and how we won the AALL New Product of the Year award with your help.
  • The lucky sweepstakes winner of our Discover PLUS branded REI Kayak and Paddle was Ruck DeMinico of Merlin Law Group.  Ruck currently lives in Florida where he manages all aspects of Merlin Law Group’s Document Management System, library and the informational operations of the firm. Congratulations and enjoy, Ruck!
  • There were more than 1475 attendees at the 106th American Association of Law Libraries (AALL) Annual Meeting & Conference.  We enjoyed meeting many of you at our booth, and hope that you had an opportunity to see our award-winning platform, Discover PLUS.  See you next year in San Antonio, Texas!

 

 

Law Librarian Blogs about Discover PLUS

PLUSlogo

Joe Hodnicki of Law Librarian Blog and County Law Library Director of the Butler County Law Library reviewed PLI’s Discover PLUS and gave his feedback on our award-winning eBook library.  Check out his 7/22/13 recommendation in “Discovering Discover PLUS.”  Thank you, Joe!  We appreciate your comments!

Questions? Contact the PLI Library Relations Help Desk at libraryrelations@pli.edu or 877.900.5291.

Up A Legal Creek Without A Paddle?

DiscoverPLUSKayak

Sweepstakes ends on, and entries must be received by Monday, July 15th, 2013, at 10:00 a.m. PDT and the winner will be announced on Monday, July 15th, 2013, at 4:00 p.m. PDT.

Open to legal residents of the 50 U.S. states and Washington, D.C., age 21 and older. Odds of winning depend on the total number of entries received. Prize is one (1) REI Kayak and Paddle, plus shipping, handling and applicable federal taxes (RTV $1,090). Sponsored by Practising Law Institute, 810 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10019. Subject to Official Rules and Regulations.
VOID WHERE PROHIBITED

For additional information, or questions, please contact PLI Library Relations at
libraryrelations@pli.edu or (877) 900-5291.