Tuesday’s CS-SIS Programs & Events, AALL Annual Meeting

Today’s Computing Services Special Interest Section events include:

CS-SIS Breakfast Business Meeting and Awards, 7:15am – 8:45am at Hyatt-Capitol Ballroom 3 – Live Streaming

H1: The Economics of Interface: Vendors Respond, 9:00am – 10:30am at CCC-Room 102-106

Recent scholarship has theorized that Westlaw and Lexis design their user interfaces to maximize profits to the detriment of legal research. In this interactive session, vendors will respond to this assertion. Using an interview style question-and-answer format, panelists will discuss how their respective companies might harness technology to better serve the legal information industry, and whether the competing needs for efficiency and profit can peacefully coexist. Perspectives from new organizations outside the duopoly, which feature alternative legal research platforms, will augment the conversation. All panelists will candidly discuss the economic realities of online legal research and the provision of digital legal information.

I4: Turning the Page: e-Book Readers in Law Libraries, 10:45am – 11:30am at CCC-Room 205-207

E-books for devices such as the Amazon Kindle, Sony Reader, and iPhone are a small but growing segment of the total market for books. As time passes, more law students, lawyers, and other law library patrons will likely be reading some books – including law books – on e-book readers. What should law librarians know about these technologies? In what ways might legal publishers tailor books and other content for e-readers? Should law libraries start to acquire e-book readers and e-books, or wait for further developments? The presentations and a follow-up audience discussion will address these questions and related issues.

J2: Going Mobile: New Tools to Keep Your Library's Information Moving, 2:15pm – 3:15pm at CCC-Room 108-112

According to a 2008 report by the Pew Internet and American Life Project, “the mobile device will be the primary connection tool to the Internet for most people in the world in 2020.” Chances are, many users already use these devices to access websites and catalogs. All types of law libraries must begin meeting the demands of mobile technology, whether by delivering information to an attorney's Blackberry or by enabling students to access library resources by iPhone. This session will introduce attendees to the world of mobile applications. We will evaluate applications of interest to law librarians and their users. The live action demonstration of popular mobile applications will prepare attendees to implement effective mobile interfaces. We will explain the technology behind mobile applications and the steps required to create your own – whether you decide to do it yourself or outsource the project.