Goal A: Explore and promote ways to disseminate and to effectively use electronic information in the areas of foreign, comparative and international law. discussion  discussion of Goal A
Rank Goal A: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 :

Goal B: Develop foreign law research guides and teaching tools.  discussion of Goal B
Rank Goal B: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Goal C: Improve the FCIL SIS program and workshop development process.  discussion of Goal C
Rank Goal C: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Goal D: Increase active participation in the events and work of the FCIL SIS.  discussion of Goal D
Rank Goal D: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Goal E: Encourage FCIL SIS Committees and Interest Groups to sponsor speakers and to host other creative activities during the Section's meeting hours at the AALL Annual Meeting.  discussion of Goal E
Rank Goal E: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Goal F: Strengthen relationships with other organizations and groups such as British and Irish Association of Law Librarians, Canadian Association of law Libraries, Australian Library and Information Association, International Association of Law Libraries, International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions and the Joint Study Institute planners.  discussion of Goal F
Rank Goal F: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Goal G: Establish a procedure for librarians to discuss hot topics.  discussion of Goal G
Rank Goal G: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Goal H: Create mentoring programs for new foreign, comparative and international law librarians.  discussion of Goal H
Rank Goal H: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

GOAL A: Explore and promote ways to disseminate and to effectively use electronic information in the areas of foreign, comparative and international law.

Possible Implementation:

• Link to foreign and international library organizations at the FCIL SIS Web site.
• Link to the work of the Special Committee on Authentication and Preservation of Digital Information at the FCIL SIS Web site.
• Develop a collection of foreign law research guides at the FCIL SIS Web site (see next goal).
• Track AALL initiatives relevant to the use of electronic information in the areas of foreign, comparative and international law.
• Provide a forum for FCIL SIS members to raise issues regarding access to, and the reliability of, electronic forms of legal information for foreign, comparative and international law
• Connect members of the FCIL SIS to conferences and publications that particularly deal with updating information products, sources, and creative uses of electronic formats. (Example: conferences and publications on teaching specialized legal research.)
• Lead in identifying and prioritizing important electronic materials that should be considered for archiving. Determine whether and how the materials can be preserved.
• Approach publishers with questions about their practices concerning the quality of electronic products in the international and foreign law area. Questions would focus on licensing, dissemination and authentication.

• Addressing this goal is important to our profession.
• Feasible.
• Projects could have different components. (Examples: Adding FCIL SIS Web site links; developing research guides; contacting publishers; and identifying electronic materials for archiving.)
• FCIL SIS Web site would provide links to more reliable, useful sites.

• How to organize the addition of content to the FCIL SIS Web site?

• Form a sub-committee to focus on the FCIL SIS Web site. (Model: CS SIS Web site subcommittee)

Possible Implementation:

• Develop format/template and standards for research guides to ensure consistency.
• Solicit research experts to create guides. (Example: African Law Interest Group solicited member volunteers to create 3 guides for this Group's July 2000 meeting.)
• Post guides on the FCIL SIS Web site.
• Each year, add new research guides focusing on other jurisdiction.

• Create excellent resources for librarians.
• Free librarians from conducting unnecessary research.
• Identify research experts.

• How to solicit research experts to create guides if FCIL SIS cannot pay fees to authors?
• How to obtain funding to support this project?
• How to avoid overlap with guides available at sources such as llrx.com?
• How to ensure consistency and quality of guides?
• How to periodically update the guides?

• Explore waiver of FCIL SIS dues for authors of research guides.
• Form sub-committee to develop format/template and standards for the research guides.

Possible Implementation:

• Add to the FCIL SIS Education Committee: the FCIL SIS Chair; an FCIL SIS member  with 0-3 years of experience as a reference or international law librarian (the “new member representative”); and a representative of the FCIL SIS African Law, Asian Law, CIS and East European Law and Latin American Law Interest Groups.  The current Chairs of the African Law, Asian Law, CIS and East European Law and Latin American Law Interest Groups shall notify the FCIL SIS Chair of each Interest Group's newly appointed representative to the FCIL SIS Education Committee.
• Between January and June of each year, the FCIL SIS Education Committee shall review the draft Strategic Planning document (1999) and shall determine which foreign jurisdiction(s) will be the focus of the following year's FCIL SIS-sponsored AALL Annual Meeting programs and workshops.
• Before the July 2000 AALL Annual Meeting, the Education Committee shall solicit coordinators for four AALL Annual Meeting program or workshop proposals on foreign, comparative or international law topics.

• Help to ensure that programs cover diverse jurisdictions of interest to FCIL SIS members.
• Help to ensure that programs cover hot topics of interest to FCIL SIS members.
• Help to provide educational opportunities at various levels (examples: introductory, intermediate and advanced) for FCIL SIS members.

• How to develop a 3-5 year educational plan?

• Review schedule of foreign law jurisdictions recommended for future study in draft Strategic Planning document (1999).
• Obtain recommendations for programs and workshops from Education Committee.

Possible Implementation:

• Establish a mentoring program (see goal described below).
• Solicit research guides from FCIL SIS members (see goal described above).
• Sponsor a “blind-juried” writing competition.
• Offer more programs appealing to non-specialists (FCIL SIS members who do not regard themselves as foreign, comparative and international law specialists).

• Accomplish more goals.
• Allocate tasks among more Section members.
• Increase dues revenue.

• How to make FCIL SIS more approachable?
• How to involve more of this Section's 381 members in activities?
• How to increase participation of librarians who sometimes perform international and foreign law research?
• How to create a diverse agenda?

• To spur Section members’ participation, FCIL SIS Executive Committee changed name of Working Groups to Interest Groups.
• Increase involvement of non-specialists (FCIL SIS members who do not regard themselves as foreign, comparative and international law specialists) in this Section's activities.
• Submit a workshop proposal to AALL’s Professional Development Committee (could present workshop in multiple locations).  Possible topics: introduction to foreign, comparative and international law research; or teaching foreign and international law research.

Possible Implementation:

• In September, Chair + Committee/Interest Group Chairs discuss: the Committees and Interest Groups that had “prime” meeting slots at the prior AALL conference; the Committees and Interest Groups that might wish to host speakers or to conduct special activities at the forthcoming AALL conference; whether an AALL Annual Meeting site facilitates recruitment of particular speakers; and whether a noted speaker has volunteered to give a presentation. [Note: AALL provides a limited number of afternoon meeting slots to Special Interest Sections.]
• In October, Chair determines Committees’ and Interest Groups’ needs (microphones, audiovisual equipment, room size) for programs and activities to be held during the Section's meeting hours.
• In November, Chair submits meeting schedule and equipment request form to AALL.
• In January-June, Committees and Interest Groups plan use of meeting hours.
• Recruit additional law firm librarians to serve on Committees and Interest Groups, to help develop activities to meet firm librarians’ educational needs.

• Supplement AMPC-approved AALL Annual Meeting programs on foreign, comparative and international law topics.
• Create opportunities for speakers who cannot make scheduling commitments by AALL’s August deadline for program proposals.
• Increase Section members’ knowledge.
• Provide opportunities to master a new subject or to perform advanced work.

• How to deal with scheduling issues resulting from the limited number of afternoon meeting slots for Special Interest Sections?
• How to encourage Committees and Interest Groups to plan for next year's meetings?
• How to recruit law firm librarians for Committees and Interest Groups?

• FCIL SIS Chair works closely with Committee and Interest Group Chairs to guarantee rotation of “prime” meeting slots.
• Committee or Interest Group Chair ends meeting at the AALL conference with a discussion of plans for the following year's meeting.
• Committee and Interest Group Chairs actively recruit the Section's law firm librarians.

Possible Implementation:

• Host social activities to meet members of other organizations.
• Promote the Ellen Schaffer Foreign Librarian's Grant program.
• Encourage officers of other organizations to participate in FCIL SIS activities at the AALL Annual Meeting.  (Example: BIALL officer will speak on Irish legal sources and research at the 2001 Annual Meeting.)
• Recruit FCIL SIS members to aid other organizations.  (Example: FCIL SIS member could speak at a future BIALL conference.)
• Sponsor FCIL SIS officers to attend other organizations’ conferences.
• Obtain AALL leaders’ support for initiatives like the Joint Study Institute.
• Ask foreign librarians to assist in creating FCIL SIS research guides.

• Develop contacts.
• Educate FCIL membership about foreign jurisdictions/law.
• Feasible.
• AALL leaders likely would support this goal.
• Possible opportunity to attend foreign conferences for those who lead the Section.

• No concerns expressed at October 27, 2000 meeting.

Possible Implementation:

• Increase use of FCIL SIS listserv.
• Develop FCIL SIS Web site.

• Promote expanded use of existing tools.
• Reach out to law librarians–fosters perception of FCIL SIS as responsive to members’ needs.

• How to ensure that all Section members can receive FCIL SIS listserv postings?
• How to better use existing technology?
• How to coordinate discussion of hot topics?
• Whether to designate one person to support Web site postings regarding hot topics?

• Discuss population of FCIL SIS listserv with listserv administrator (currently, Mila Rush).
• Hold periodic meetings to discuss hot topics.
• Create FCIL web site links for material on hot topics and send all contributions to one person (possibly, current Web site administrator Anne Burnett).

Possible Implementation:

• Solicit mentors through the FCIL SIS Newsletter, listserv and Web site.
• Pair volunteer mentors with new foreign, comparative and international law librarians.
• Include library school students interested in foreign, comparative and international law in the mentoring programs.
• Provide “virtual mentoring” by compiling and disseminating a list of recommended readings, courses and conferences.

• Heighten awareness of our organization and its goals.
• Expand the base of people willing to achieve the goals of the FCIL SIS.
• Increase social and relationship-building opportunities.
• Create activities that increase participation in the events and work of the FCIL SIS (thus advancing a goal stated above).

• How to recruit mentors?
• How to identify new foreign, comparative and international law librarians and interested library school students?
• How to delegate the mentoring program?

• FCIL SIS Executive Committee solicits a Mentor Program Coordinator.
• Increase number of FCIL SIS members who represent our Section at the Conference of Newer Law Librarians (CONELL).
• At CONELL, creatively promote FCIL SIS Reception.

COMMENTS ON GOALS A - H:

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