Commentary and Opinion

January 18, 2008

Indexing Files for Your Paperless Office

QUESTION

“I am so ready to get into a full (or as close as possible) paperless office. I would like to create a hard copy index in the client file detailing what is in the client file on my hard drive. This way, when I have a senior moment and can’t remember if I wrote the client or opposing counsel about a certain topic, I can locate it readily without having to guess what all my, or my staff’s, abbreviations and shorthand mean. I use MS Word. Can anyone who has gone paperless share how they solved this issue or describe a better technique?”

ANSWER:

January 17, 2008

Beige Book: Summary of Commentary on Current Economic Conditions by Federal Reserve District

by David Badertscher

Introduction.

Reports from the twelve Federal Reserve Districts suggest that economic activity increased modestly during the survey period of mid-November through December, but at a slower pace compared with the previous survey period. Among Districts, seven reported a slight increase in activity, two reported ixed conditions, and activity in three Districts was described as slowing.

Most reports on retail activity indicated subdued holiday spending and further weakness in auto sales. However, most reports on tourism spending were positive. Residential real estate conditions continued to be quite weak in all Districts. Reports on commercial real estate activity varied, with some reports noting signs of softening demand. Manufacturing reports varied across industries, with pronounced weakness noted in housing-related industries as well as the automobile industry. Strong export orders and increased demand in industries whose products compete against imports was reported by some Districts. Demand for nonfinancial services remained generally positive, although some Districts commented on continuing weak demand for transportation services.

January 16, 2008

Implementing Knowledge Management: Key Planning Considerations

by David Badertscher

BY Brett Haywrd, Vice President of Professional Services for the Americas, InQuira

Summary:

Today’s consumers expect fast and convenient online self-service, and they demand knowledgeable, responsive support from contact center agents-anything less and today’s consumers are perfectly willing to take their business elsewhere.

January 16, 2008

Lessons from the Best Web Sites on Capitol Hill: The Gold Mouse Report

by David Badertscher

The information below is from the Press Release announcing the Report, followed by a link to the complete Report:

Washington, D.C. – A new report from the Congressional Management Foundation (CMF) on congressional Web sites says the overall quality “continues to be disappointing,” with more than 40% of congressional Web sites earning a substandard or failing grade. The report also contains recognition and praise for the best Web sites on Capitol Hill with the announcement of the winners of the 2007 Gold, Silver, and Bronze Mouse Awards.

“The good news is that 19 more offices won awards in 2007 than did in 2006, including 16 freshmen Members. The bad news is that there were 20 more D’s and F’s,” said Beverly Bell, Executive Director of CMF, a non-profit, non-partisan organization founded 30 years ago to promote a more effective Congress. “We were glad to see good sites getting better, but discouraged to see the bad getting worse.”

January 10, 2008

Final Report: Library of Congress Working Group on Bibliographic Control

by David Badertscher

This posting includes the Executive Summary followed by a link to the full text of the Final Report:

“The Working Group hopes that this Report is viewed as a ‘call to action’ that informs and broadens participation in discussion and debate, conveys a sense of urgency, stimulates collaboration, and catalyzes thoughtful and deliberate action. We anticipate broad discussion of the Report’s recommendations and their implications, and look forward to the development of specific implementation plans, research agendas, and educational programs.”

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY In November 2006, Deanna Marcum, Associate Librarian for Library Services at the Library of Congress, convened a Working Group to examine the future of bibliographic control in the 21st century. The formal charge to the Working Group on the Future of Bibliographic Control was to:

January 9, 2008

Q&A: Blog Policy

by David Badertscher

QUESTION:

If anyone has a blog policy they wish to share, we would appreciate it.

Thanks.

January 4, 2008

News from American Libraries Direct

by David Badertscher

Here are some highlights from the January 3, 2008 issue of American LibrariesDirect.

National Film Registry selections for 2007 Librarian of Congress James H. Billington on December 27 named 25 motion pictures-classics from every era of American filmmaking-to the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress, including Bullitt, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Grand Hotel, Oklahoma!, and 12 Angry Men. The selections were made as part of a program aimed at preserving the nation’s movie heritage. This year’s selections bring to 475 the number of motion pictures in the registry….

Library of Congress, Dec. 27

January 4, 2008

2007 End of Year Report on the Federal Judiciary

by David Badertscher

The following is an excerpt followed by a link to the actual document:

“…Americans should take enormous pride in our judicial system. But there is no cause for complacency. Our judicial system inspires the world because of the commitment of each new generation of judges who build upon the vision and accomplishments of those who came before. I am committed to continuing three of my predecessor’s important but unfinished initiatives to maintain the quality of our courts.

First, I will carry on the efforts to improve communications with the Executive and Legislative Branches of government. The Constitution’s provision for three separate but coordinate Branches envisions that the Branches will communicate through appropriate means on administrative matters of common concern. Each has a valuable perspective on the other. The Branches already engage in constructive dialogue through a number of familiar forums, including the Judicial Conference, congressional hearings, and advisory committee meetings. But the familiar avenues are not necessarily the only ones…”

January 4, 2008

The Prennial Issue: Library Funding

by David Badertscher

The following is a question regarding alternative approaches to library funding and a summary of responses to that question.

QUESTION

“The perennial issue – law library funding. Beyond civil filing fees, has any law library tried other avenues for funding, for example, a portion of the attorney registration fee, or other vehicle? I am interested whether or not the attempt was successful.”

December 21, 2007

Law Library Journal 99, No. 4 Fall 2007

by David Badertscher

Table of Contents:

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General Articles