Blog - Improve your Current Awareness Strategy

We’ve recently enjoyed library and information conferences, such as CILIP, BIALL and AALL, and yet, there are more to come! Team Vable is looking forward to the London-based Internet Librarian and Legal Libraries conferences, as well as IFLA (International Federation of Library Association) in Zagreb on 20-21 August 2019. This last one is of interest to me not just because of its focus on continuous professional development (CPD), but its continental European aspect.

As a student of history, and regular visitor to Bosnia and Herzegovina, I am acutely aware of the region’s geopolitics. The unique cultural mix can be seen in the local architecture, the food, the languages - and the libraries. Having spent time in the national libraries of Bosnia, Croatia, and Slovenia, I’m aware that of their vital role within the historical, cultural, political and social identity of their countries.

Your organisation’s success depends on information and, without an efficient flow, organisations face insurmountable challenges. The legal information function knows how much time and money is saved by using the right tools for the job. But how can we ensure the rest of the firm does? What opportunities are you missing out on, and what might this look like in practice? 

I was reading through my #BIALL2019 notes and decided to amalgamate two related sets. The first is the excellent “Designing Client-centred Knowledge Services” by Sophie Thompson. The second is the case study on “Contingent Valuation Surveys” presented by the Middle Temple Library team. Both offered practical insights into providing - and improving - excellent library services.

AALL is the largest legal information management event of the year so it’s easy to be overwhelmed by the many sessions. As a way of navigating this conference, I have been inspired by our Business Skills for Librarians ebook, with an extra section on technology. Update your skills and get these sessions added to your app schedule - don't forget to come visit Vable at booth 234!

The focus of BIALL 2019 was “Past Present Future”. Press releases are continuously pushing buzzwords like AI, legaltech, blockchain, fintech to generate public interest. But just how innovative are some of these tech initiatives? Whether it is establishing incubators for legal start-ups, appointing innovation managers, or partnering with tech teams at universities, the race for real innovation is on. But at what cost? How many of those systems are actually going to solve your problems in a practical way?  

Manchester 2017 saw us welcome David Allen Green for the first plenary session/ Willi Steiner Memorial Lecture on 'Informing the debate about Brexit'. Because this is still a relevant and contentious topic, BIALL invited him back to Bournemouth 2019 to give a follow up talk. Anyone who follows David on Twitter knows that he cuts through the political bias to give a clear, considered explanation of the legal issues. This was a good opportunity to get an overview as we head towards 31 Oct 2019.

Jargon is defined by the Oxford Dictionary as "special words or expressions used by a profession or group that are difficult for others to understand".

Conference season is almost upon us once again, and Team Vable are busy making plans for some exciting upcoming events. For my part, I am looking forward to BIALL in Bournemouth where the theme is the past, present and future of the legal information profession.

Keeping up to date with library and information colleagues has never been easier. Everyday I find a new blog to read and it enriches my professional life to know that ideas, concerns, passions are shared. As part of this sharing experience, here are some blogs that I read regularly. (Updated 8th May in response to Twitter conversations.

Twitter is a reliable bellwether of organisational pre-occupations. With confidence, I can report that client engagement is trending in the minds of many business owners and legal tech commentators. For instance, this recent exchange got me thinking about not only the importance of asking what people want, but how you ask: