Publications

Rebuilding the Profession: Recommendations for Librarians Interested in Becoming Academic Law Library Directors

Frank G. Houdek — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 14:35:50 PDT

Based on papers presented at a 2005 workshop for individuals interested in becoming academic law library directors, this article begins by exploring the duties of academic director jobs -- administrative skills and faculty responsibilities -- before examining how to build credentials in preparation for such jobs. It concludes by focusing on the skills and knowledge needed to interview for director jobs.

AALL History Through the Eyes of its Presidents

Frank G. Houdek — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 14:35:50 PDT

On the occasion of the celebration of AALL's centennial in 2006, Professor Houdek offers a personalized history of the Association by presenting reminiscences of those who have served as its president. Collectively, these stories contribute a unique perspective on the important issues that have confronted AALL as an organization and law librarianship as a profession. They also help explain how these individuals became AALL leaders and what the experience meant to them.

Frequently Asked Questions About AALL's First Hundred Years

Frank G. Houdek — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 14:35:49 PDT

To kick off the yearlong celebration of the centennial of the American Association of Law Libraries in 2006, Professor Houdek answers some basic questions about the history of AALL.

How We Lost Our Moral Rights and the Door Closed on Non-Economic Values in Copyright

Susan P. Liemer — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 14:35:48 PDT

When Congress passed the Visual Artists Rights Act ("VARA") in 1990, it introduced into our federal law concepts that had been shut out of Anglo-American intellectual property law for over 200 years. VARA gives visual artists the right of attribution, i.e., the right to have their work properly attributed to them, and the right of integrity, i.e., the right to not have their work altered or destroyed without their permission. While others have studied the history of Anglo-American copyright from the advent of the printing press, they make few references to the type of rights granted by VARA. To fill that gap, this article retraces the history of Anglo-American intellectual property law, analyzing how VARA rights fit into it. In particular, while analyzing the key Eighteenth Century English statutes and cases, this article pinpoints the moment in the evolution of Anglo-American law when the English judges effectively lopped off the branch of intellectual property law that soon after bloomed in France into the droit moral or "moral rights." The timing of this legal development (and concurrent political developments) ensured that the intellectual property laws of the new United States would contain the English emphasis on economic protection and ignore the protection for the creative process that developed soon after in France. Understanding the twists and turns of this history may help us be more vigilant to protect moral rights development as our intellectual property law evolves to once again accommodate new technologies.

The Quest for Scholarship: The Legal Writing Professor's Paradox

Susan P. Liemer — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 14:35:48 PDT

This article explores the many institutionalized obstacles placed in the paths of the legal academy's experts on legal writing when they themselves attempt to write.

The Essential Law Library Journal

Frank G. Houdek — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 13:33:14 PDT

As a kickoff to the celebration of the centennial volume of Law Library Journal, Professor Houdek presents a selective, annotated list of "essential" readings culled from the preceding ninety-nine volumes of the Journal. The list represents pieces that anyone involved in law librarianship, whether a novice or someone experienced in the field, should read and absorb.

Top 10 Tips on Writing for Professional Journals

Frank G. Houdek — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 13:33:14 PDT

The author provides ten suggestions for writers aspiring to publish in professional journals, ranging from writing about something you know to leaving yourself adequate time to revise and edit prior to a submission deadline.

From the Reference Desk to River City: A Bibliography of the Writings of Robert C. Berring

Frank G. Houdek — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 13:33:13 PDT

Professor Houdek documents the prolific and eclectic body of work of Robert C. Berring, including the books, chapters, articles, and assorted other materials he has written to date on subjects ranging from law libraries and legal information to legal research instruction and Chinese law and history.

A Law Library Journal Centennial Timeline: Highlights from One Hundred Years of LLJ History

Frank G. Houdek — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 13:33:12 PDT

Professor Houdek provides a time line highlighting events, actions, and individuals that have played prominent roles in the nearly hundred-year history of Law Library Journal.