Planners are inviting proposals for the upcoming Access conference, which will be held October 21 – 22, 2024 in Montréal at the Delta Hotel: "As Canada’s premier library technology conference, Access brings librarians, technicians, developers, programmers, and managers together from all library sectors to connect, learn, and share insights." "Access is a single-stream conference offering a platform for keynotes, presentations, and opportunities to connect and socialize. The Access 2024 Conference Committee invites you to submit session proposals for our upcoming event." It is possible to con ..read more

The New Professionals Special Interest Group of CALL (Canadian Association of Law Libraries) is looking for professionals from different kinds of law libraries to participate  in a Speed Networking Event at the association's upcoming annual conference in Montreal at the end of June. The goal is to encourage connections and dialogue between experienced Legal Information Professionals and students, graduates, and new professionals.  The event will be set up with professionals at tables and attendees rotating at 12 minute intervals. There will be icebreaker questions to get discuss ..read more

The Supreme Court of Canada has published its calendar of upcoming appeals that will be heard later this month. To find out more about any particular case, click on a case number in parentheses to find docket information, case summaries as well as factums from the parties and any interveners ..read more

The Supreme Court of Canada has released its annual report 2023 Year in Review. This is the 6th edition of the annual report that covers the Court's activities over the past year, including information about decisions and statistics ..read more

The Canadian Federation of Library Associations (CFLA) has published an update about its recent activities. The Canadian Association of Law Libraries is a member of the Federation.  There are updates about governance, intellectual freedom, copyright, climate action, Indigenous matters, and more ..read more

The National Self-Represented Litigants Project (NSRLP)  conducts research into access to justice issues, in particular those concerning people who cannot afford a lawyer and must represent themselves ("self-reps") Every few years, it produces a report based on demographic data it has collected from self-reps. The 2021-2023 Self-Represented Litigant Intake Report is now available. The report includes demographic data, describes what kinds of legal help people are seeking as well as the barriers they face when trying to access justice. The NSRLP is funded by the Law Foundation of O ..read more

The website of the International Federation of Library Associations recently published an interview with Andrea Cecchetto, the new chair of the Canadian Federation of Library Associations (CFLA). The CFLA is a Canada-wide federation of associations, including the Canadian Association of Law Libraries. In the interview Cecchetto addresses many topics, including the Federation's recently adopted strategic plan: "Our new strategic plan also focuses strongly on advocacy. When we were developing this plan last year, we reached out to members and ‘advocacy’ was by far the most common priority i ..read more

The Federal Courts Rules Committee is inviting comments as part of a global review of the Federal Courts Rules: "The areas for discussion identified by the 2024 Sub-Committee encompass several broad and recurring themes. Most of the proposed changes are intended to update the Rules to reflect technological advances and current procedures. For example: Update the Rules to permit electronic service and filing of documents throughout; Remove references to anachronistic practices and technology; Incorporate important elements from the Federal Court of Appeal (FCA)’s Consolidated Practice Directi ..read more

The Association of Research Libraries (ARL) has published a new report on Evolving AI Strategies in Libraries: Insights from Two Polls of ARL Member Representatives over Nine Months. The ARL is an organization of more than 100 research libraries at major universities in Canada and the United States. Close to half the member institutions completed the surveys conducted by the Association. A first survey was conducted in April 2023 and a second one in December 2023. "The survey was designed to elicit both structured and open-ended responses, allowing members to share their perspectiv ..read more

The Canadian Association of Law Libraries (CALL) is hosting a webinar on Tuesday, April 16, 2024 at 1:30-2:30 ET on Introduction to Data Analytics. The speaker is Sarah A. Sutherland, Parallax Information Consulting: "Information professionals often perform basic data analytics, scrutinizing what has happened in the past, as part of the decision-making process and to optimize operation efficiencies, among other reasons. In this session, attendees will obtain a general overview of the different types of data analytics and the circumstances in which each can be utilized. They will ..read more