Call for Proposals: 2025 SLA Midwest Symposium

The 2025 SLA Midwest Symposium will take place virtually (via Zoom) on Friday, August 1, 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. Central, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Eastern.

The symposium will feature invited keynotes as well as presentations from colleagues.

This year the planning committee is looking for presentation proposals on a wide variety of topics including (but not limited to):

-Case studies and practical applications of data
-Special libraries & artificial intelligence
-New, innovative projects or programs
-Taxonomy & knowledge management
-Leadership insights, tips, & tricks
-New careers in special libraries
-Advocacy for special libraries
-Negotiation skill- Tips for new librarians
-ROI for specialized libraries
-Research data management
-Other topics of interest to SLA communities

Presentation opportunities include educational sessions (20 minutes) and lightning talks (10 minutes).

Presentations from all types of specialized libraries (corporate, government, non-profits, health sciences, law, business, etc.) and specialized collections are invited. Membership in SLA is not required (nor is being from the Midwest). We strongly encourage students to propose a session! Registration will be required but this will be a free symposium.

Please fill out this form by Friday, May 30, 2025:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1metJPW6kgIxtn0yEpJLp4gH9vE2ENryS8Ulruc6WONk/preview.

Speakers will be notified by Friday, June 13, 2025.

For questions, please contact Marydee Ojala, marydee@xmission.com.

Permanent link to this article: https://chicagolawlib.org/blog/2025/04/29/call-for-proposals-2025-sla-midwest-symposium/

May Business Meeting – Registration Open

May 2025 Business Meeting
Meeting Date: Tuesday, May 20, 2025
Location: Wildfire Chicago, 159 W. Erie, Chicago, IL 60654
Time: Registration & Networking starts at 11:30, lunch begins at 12:00 Noon
Cost: $30.00
Registration will close at 5:00 pm on Wednesday, May 14, 2025.

Sponsor: Thank you to Thomson Reuters for sponsoring the meeting.

Speaker:

Ellen Keith is the Director of Research and Access and Chief Librarian at the Chicago History Museum, where she has been since 2012. Prior to joining the Museum, she held library positions at Johns Hopkins University, the Illinois Institute of Technology, Columbia College Chicago, and Saint Xavier University. She is an active member of the Chicago Collections Consortium, currently serving as board chair. She received her B.A. in Victorian Studies from Vassar College, her M.L.I.S. from Dominican University and her M.L.A. from Johns Hopkins University.
Menu:
Appetizers:
  • Tomato & cheese flatbread
  • Greek salad
Main Courses
  • Pasta with roasted market vegetables
  • Cedar-planked salmon
Side Dishes
  • Red skin mashed potatoes
  • Roasted market vegetables
Dessert
  • Triple-layer chocolate cake
  • Door County cherry pie
* Please reach out to the Meetings Committee with any dietary restrictions.
Door Prizes: Gift cards will be raffled during the meeting courtesy of Thomson Reuters.
CALL No Show and No Walk in Policies for Business Meetings
Note: You will have to log into Neon to register for the meeting. Enter “Not sure if you have an account or you forgot your login information?” to recover your account and reset your password. If you do not receive a password recovery email, please check your spam filter.

Permanent link to this article: https://chicagolawlib.org/blog/2025/04/25/may-business-meeting-registration-open/

CALL Grants – Deadline Extended + New Award!

While CALL Grants are available to CALL members throughout the year, the deadline for the Grant to attend the AALL Annual Meeting has been extended:

Applications for AALL Annual Meeting grants must be received on or before Wednesday, April 23, 2025, at 11:59 PM Central Time.

  • Beyond this AALL Grant, funding is available for all types of continuing education programs.
  • Members must demonstrate their need for funding support in the grant application.
  • CALL members are encouraged to apply for a grant for AALL or other programs of interest

For more information, please contact the Grants & Chapter Awards Committee Chair, Mandy Lee, at mandylee2008@u.northwestern.edu.

CALL’s Grants & Chapter Awards Committee also seeks nominations for the following awards:

  • NEW AWARD: Rising Star Award – presented annually to recognize and celebrate emerging talent and leadership potential in CALL and law librarianship.
  • The Agnes and Harvey Reid Award for Outstanding Contribution to Law Librarianship – presented annually at the May business meeting for outstanding service to the chapter during the previous year or for contribution to law librarianship.
  • Outstanding Lifetime Achievement in Law Librarianship Award – presented annually at the May business meeting for outstanding lifetime achievement in law librarianship.
  • Outstanding In-House Publication Award – given to an individual or group who created in-house library materials (print or online) that are user and staff oriented, are relevant for law libraries, and are outstanding in quality.
  • Awards will be presented at the May 20, 2025, CALL business meeting.
  • Nominations must be received on or before Wednesday, April 23, 2025, at 11:59 PM Central Time.

To nominate an award candidate, please contact the Grants & Chapter Awards Committee Chair, Mandy Lee, at mandylee2008@u.northwestern.edu.

Permanent link to this article: https://chicagolawlib.org/blog/2025/04/01/call-grants-available-4__trashed/

Government Relations and Continuing Education Committees present: Advocating for Libraries: What Are The Issues? How Is It Done?

When: Thursday, March 27, 2025, Noon-1:00pm CT

Libraries, especially public libraries have become the focus of attention by many who would wish to influence their work and their collections.  In a similar vein, librarians have become the unwilling focus of this activism which has impacted their ability to do their work and provide service.  It has become incumbent on all of us in the profession to be part of the discourse on the future of libraries, library collections and library program.  To that end, this webinar is intended to provide a basic understanding to members of the law librarian community of the specific issues that public librarians are dealing with as well as concrete steps that law librarian can take in their individual capacity to support libraries and librarians.  In addition, the distinction between advocacy and lobbying will also be discussed.

To aid in this discussion, we will be joined by the following individuals who are working librarians and have experience with advocacy from the American Association of Law Libraries (AALL) and the Illinois Library Association:

  • David McFadden – Southwestern Law School – Chair – AALL Government Relations Committee
  • Amanda McKay – Effingham Public Library – Co- Chair – ILA Advocacy Committee
  • Elizabeth Lynch – Addison Public Library – Chair – ILA Intellectual Freedom Committee
  • Laura Long – Fremont Public Library – Chair – ILA Public Policy Committee

 

Register Now.

Permanent link to this article: https://chicagolawlib.org/blog/2025/03/06/government-relations-and-continuing-education-committees-present-advocating-for-libraries-what-are-the-issues-how-is-it-done/