How confident are you responding to patrons’ questions on, say, landlord/tenant issues, bankruptcy proceedings, or location of divorce records? Legal questions come in all shapes and sizes, and most cannot be resolved easily. While county law libraries and trained law librarians are often the best referral, not all Oregon residents have access to a staffed law library with specialized resources. That’s where you come in: Even as non-attorneys, public, school, and academic library workers can offer meaningful help. At this 4-hour preconference, gain necessary skills and learn effective strategies to provide knowledgeable legal reference service. Increase your understanding of the legal system and improve your ability to respond to legal questions, including where to find forms. Listen to speakers from the State of Oregon Law Library, Oregon State Bar, Oregon Judicial Department, and Legal Aid Services of Oregon as they share tips and information on their services. Bring your specific questions for discussion. Leave with an arsenal of resources and contacts that will make YOU the legal information expert at your library!
Ever wonder what goes on behind the scenes at the libraries and archives in Salem? Here is your chance to take a tour of the Oregon State Library, State of Oregon Law Library, and Oregon State Archives. Learn about the history, collections, and current services offered by these state institutions! The walking distance between the Convention Center and these buildings is just under 3 miles total. Walking is encouraged, but alternative transportation will be offered to registered participants if requested.
Schedule
Meet at Salem Convention Center (Registration Desk) to walk to State Archives - 1:00 pm
General Orientation – 1:30-1:45 pm – State Archives Conference Room
State Archives Tour - 1:45-2:30 pm
Library Tours – 2:45-3:30 pm (one group will go to State Law Library, the other to the Oregon State Library)
Library Tours – 3:45-4:30 pm (groups switch)
Optional Capitol/Historic Salem Walking Tour (on your own, brochures will be provided) – 4:30-5:00 pm
We hope that many of you will consider using this opportunity to get out and walk around Salem! The total walking distance (round trip) is 2.8 miles, if you start from the Salem Convention Center. Here is a map to give you a sense of the route: https://goo.gl/maps/L3Zmf3fNgtJ2
If you prefer to drive your own car, please be prepared to pay for parking spaces (city rate is $1.50 per hour) and understand that availability of spaces can be limited while the Oregon Legislature is in session. Here is information about parking in the Capitol Mall area:
Oregon State Archives - http://sos.oregon.gov/archives/records/tour/Pages/parking-hours.aspx
Oregon State Library - http://www.oregon.gov/osl/Pages/OSLDirectionsMaps.aspx
Presenters from the special, public and academic library communities will address different aspects of creating, maintaining and revising collection development policy. The policy development and revision session will include:
• Stabilizing Collection Development policy in Public Libraries
• University Collection Development policy and management
• Collection Development Policy from an administrative standpoint
A library is the quintessential civic institution. Our population’s current level of civic literacy and participation is low. Libraries must take up the challenge of assisting citizens to become more knowledgeable and involved. Come to this program on Civics for Adults: Enhancing Civic Knowledge / Inspiring Political Engagement and find out how your library can meet this challenge. Attendees will leave with examples of how to help citizens expand their ‘civic literacy’ skills and gain confidence in determining when information may be inaccurate or incomplete.
Critical thinking skills can be improved by challenging patrons with real world examples from political ads, news headlines, graphs, statistical data, etc. in a “what do you see here? / what is missing?” type of format, following up with strategies for finding accurate information, including at one’s library!
Citizen Advocacy is following a desire to improve one’s community - whether on a neighborhood, city, state or federal level. Citizens gain confidence to do so through a historical perspective of change, examples of successful advocacy, understanding who makes the “rules” and how to be heard, as well as being able to “track” civic/political issues.
NYT Bestselling author and Print Award honoree Maggie Stiefvater discusses the way mythology makes stories more universal.
