Bookmarks
ContactS
RegistRATION CLOSED
The 2014 Professional Development Seminar of the Legislative Research Librarians (LRL) staff section, was held Oct. 1 – 3, 2014, in Baton Rouge, La. The program was planned by LRL vice-chair Sonia Gavin and our Louisiana host librarians, Frances Thomas, director of the House library, and Elizabeth Hecker, director of the Senate library.
The seminar featured full day training on Wednesday and Thursday, Oct. 1 and 2, and a half-day session on Friday morning, Oct. 3, with an optional community service project on Friday afternoon. Louisiana staff also hosted a pre-conference Inmagic software demonstration at their offices on Tuesday, Sept. 30, from 2:00 to 5:00.
For those who prefer to leave on Saturday, Baton Rouge has a free concert downtown (Live After Five) on Fridays. There are also downtown farmers and arts markets on the first Saturday morning of each month and, for those who might want to spend the weekend, learn more about Baton Rouge attractions and events.
DRAFT SEMINAR AGENDA
All sessions were held at the Louisiana State Capitol, unless otherwise noted.
Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2014
| Time |
Sessions |
|
1:00-5:30 p.m.
Hampton Inn Downtown
|
Registration |
|
2:00-5:00 p.m.
Louisiana State Capitol, 7th Floor
|
Pre-Conference – Making Magic with Inmagic: DB/Textworks Basics and Moving Forward with the Presto Web Application
Location: Louisiana State Capitol, Floor 7
Presenter: Frances Thomas, Poynter Legislative Research Library
► How DB Textworks Works 2:00-3:20
Database structure, forms and other library applications. A chance for those who use the software to compare notes, ask questions and see how the Louisiana legislative libraries are using the software. It will also introduce the software and the information on what to consider when evaluating new systems.
► Inmagic Presto Connector to DB/Textworks 3:40-5:00
This past year the Poynter Library converted from Inmagic Webpublisher software to their Presto product, adding new databases while making the catalog more accessible to internal users. Demonstration of Poynter’s internal site followed by “How we did it.”
|
Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2014
|
7:30-8:30 a.m.
Hampton Inn Downtown
|
Breakfast - help yourself to breakfast at the Hampton Inn's included breakfast
|
|
9:00-9:15 a.m.
House Room 3
|
Welcome and Introductions
Elizabeth Hecker, Librarian, Huey P. Long Memorial Law Library (Senate)
Frances Thomas, Library Director, Poynter Legislative Research Library (House)
Sonia Gavin, Legislative Information Resource Manager, Montana Legislative Reference Center
Peggy Piety, NCSL Staff Chair 2014-2015; Staff Attorney, Indiana Legislative Service Agency
|
|
9:15-10:00 a.m.
House Room 3
|
What’s New in Your Library Roundtable
An opportunity to exchange ideas and compare notes on what is new in legislative libraries. Come prepared to share your library news!
|
|
10:15-11:45 a.m.
Old State Capitol
|
Tour of the Old Louisiana State Capitol
A prime example of “Steamboat Gothic” architecture, the Old Louisiana State Capitol now serves as a museum of state political history. A major example of a highly ornamental architectural style, the building’s history includes the debate and vote on succession and occupation by Union forces during the Civil War. Listen to Huey Long’s oratory and learn more about populism during the Great Depression.
|
|
11:45 a.m.-1:00 p.m.
Byron's Bistro
|
Group Lunch: Byron's Bistro |
|
1:00-3:00 p.m.
Governor's Office of Emergency Preparedness
|
When the Levee Breaks: Preparing for and Responding to Catastrophic Disasters (and Little Bitty Ones, Too)
Location: Louisiana Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness
We’ll hear a presentation in the heart of Louisiana’s state of the art response network. See the command center and learn how coordination prevents duplication of limited resources during a crisis. There will time set aside for librarians to discuss their own work in emergency response after the program.
Presentations: Governor's Office of Emergency Preparedness
Georgia Chadwick, Director of the Law Library of Louisiana
Miriam Childs, Associate Director of the Law Library of Louisiana
|
|
3:00-4:00 p.m.
State Capitol
|
Tours of the House and Senate Libraries, New Louisiana State Capitol
The tallest state capitol in the U.S., the current capitol is considered to be the country’s premier example of public Art Deco architecture.
Hosts: Elizabeth Hecker and Frances Thomas
|
|
4:00-5:00 p.m.
House Room 3
|
Vive La Difference! Introduction to Louisiana Civil Law
Louisiana Civil Law is based on Spanish and French Law, which has its origins in Roman law and is unique in the United States. This tradition ties Louisiana with the Caribbean and the continental Europe and has contributed to the development of Common Law in the United States.
Presenter: John Randall Trahan, Louis B. Porterie Professor of Law and Saul Litvinoff Distinguished Professor of Law, Paul M. Hebert Law Center, Louisiana State University |
| evening |
Dinner On Your Own
Entertainment establishments and restaurants are just down the street from the hotel.
|
Thursday, Oct. 2, 2014
|
7:30-8:30 a.m.
Hampton Inn Downtown
|
Breakfast - help yourself to breakfast at the Hampton Inn's included breakfast
|
|
9:00-9:45 a.m.
House Room 3
|
Time for a New Constitution! Louisiana’s Constitutional Convention of 1973
At 11, Louisiana has the distinction of having had the highest number of state constitutions. The presentation will cover the challenges and process of revising a constitution.
Presenter: Jerry Jones, Chief Legislative Counsel for the Louisiana Senate. Mr. Jones is co-author of Louisiana Legislative Law and Procedure (West) and an expert in this field.
|
|
9:45-10:00 a.m.
House Room 3
|
Epilogue: Researching the Constitutional Convention of 1973
Presenter: Robyn Cockerham, Reference Librarian, Poynter Library
|
|
10:00-10:45 a.m.
House Room 3
|
Design a Database to Revise These Laws: The Louisiana Population Database
Prior to Hurricane Katrina, Louisiana law contained many references to municipalities and parishes (counties) by population. After the population displacement brought about by two major hurricanes caused major population shifts laws no longer applied to the same localities. The Poynter Library’s database identified laws, population totals, impacted legislative districts and more. Presentation will walk through the process of developing the database, how it was used by legislative staff and demonstrate the final product.
Presenter: Frances Thomas, Director, Poynter Legislative Research Library
|
| 10:45-11:00 a.m. |
Break
|
|
11:00-11:30 a.m.
House Room 3
|
Lights, Cameras, Incentives!
Louisiana is a leading state in attracting the entertainment industry, including film, music and live performances. This session will look at how Louisiana has used incentives for the entertainment industry to promote economic development.
Presenter: Chris Stelly, Executive Director, Louisiana Office of Entertainment Industry, Louisiana Economic Development
|
| 11:30-12:30 p.m. |
Lunch at the Capitol
|
| 12:30 p.m. |
Leave for New Orleans
|
|
2:15-4:00 p.m.
Louisiana Supreme Court
New Orleans
|
Tour of the Louisiana Supreme Court and the Law Library of Louisiana
Located in the heart of the French Quarter, we will tour the Supreme Court and its library.
Presenters: Georgia Chadwick, Director of the Law Library of Louisiana
Valerie Willard, Deputy Judicial Administrator, Louisiana Supreme Court
|
| 4:00-6:00 p.m. |
French Quarter
Tour the French Quarter on your own or with a Louisiana legislative library staff member.
|
|
6:00 p.m.
Tujague's
|
Dutch Treat Dinner in New Orleans: Tujague's
|
| 7:30/8:00 p.m. |
Leave for Baton Rouge
|
Friday, Oct. 3, 2014
|
7:30-8:30 a.m.
Hampton Inn Downtown
|
Breakfast - help yourself to breakfast at the Hampton Inn's included breakfast
|
|
9:00-9:30 a.m.
Senate Room
|
Indexing Legislation
Discussion of indexing and demonstration of Louisiana’s indexing program.
Presenter: Frances Thomas, Director of the Poynter Legislative Research Library
|
|
9:45-10:45 a.m.
Senate Room
|
Millennials, Gen X, Boomers and Whatnot: Bridging Generational Divides in the Workplace
Presenter: Elizabeth Hecker, Librarian, Huey P. Long Memorial Law Library
|
| 11:00 a.m. |
Wrap-up
|
| 1:30 p.m. |
Optional Community Service Project: One Stop Shop
Donation of books, magazines and subscriptions to the One Stop Shop for the homeless.
|
| Post-Conference |
For Those Who Leave Later, Local Activities on Friday and Saturday: |
| Friday, 5:00 p.m. |
Near the Old State Capitol:
|
| Saturday, 8:00-noon |
Within a few blocks of the hotel:
|