Western Pennsylvania Law Library Association Annual Report 2013-2014 The Western Pennsylvania Law Library Association (WPLLA) 2013-2014 executive board members were: Stosh Jonjak, President; Cindy Cicco, Vice President; Karen Shephard, Past President; Amy Gillin, Treasurer; Amy Lovell, Secretary; Sue Megarry and Yan Yu, Members at-Large.
Our programming committee, chaired by Vice President Cindy Cicco, organized a variety of strong and pertinent programs for our membership. Committee members included Joel Fishman, Karen Shephard, Mary Stacy, Sarah Steers, and Ann Unger.
Activities 2013-2014 – WPLLA met its goal of utilizing technology and collaborating with similarly-focused industry associations during this year’s programming. To encourage future collaborations, we invited law-and-library related professional organizations (ILTA, SLAPittsburgh, and PLAA) to our first, September program “In the Balance: Tools to Increase Your Personal & Professional Productivity” remotely presented by John DiGilio via webcast. Building on this momentum, we webcasted our November program “Drafting Proposed Legislation, Legislative Procedure & Administrative Law” by the Pennsylvania Legislative Reference Bureau’s Acting Director Vincent DeLiberato, to law students at both the University of Pittsburgh and Duquesne University.
Our winter continued with topical programs and engaging events. In December, AALL President Steven P. Anderson visited WPLLA during the association’s combination holiday banquet and 35th anniversary celebration. He commended our chapter on our 35 years of law librarianship advocacy, service and leadership, and presented us with a celebratory letter. Our February programs included “Cloud Computing, Mobile Technology, & the Best Legal Apps for Mobile Devices” presented by me, and a lunch and learn program sponsored by The William S. Hein & Co., featuring news about the updates to HeinOnline. Our April program was a Lexis luncheon featuring presentations about updates to Advance. Our closing event featured Jeffrey Bauman, current law clerk for Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice Debra Todd.
This summer, our Association hosted three well-received legal research workshops, all offered to Pittsburgh-area Summer Associates, and focusing on conducting research using federal resources, business resources, and state resources. We also updated our by-laws and constitution to clarify the duties and powers of WPLLA’s Officers, to aid future boards by specifically defining the responsibilities of their positions, to help the board conduct typical business associated with the Association, and to introduce an antidiscrimination clause to treat all current and potential members equally. And, as the WPLLA chapter grant recipient after winning the WPLLA-hosted grant essay contest, I was able to attend the AALL Annual Meeting & Conference in San Antonio. Lastly, our executive board conducted interviews with each individual in our membership to elicit feedback about the programming and activities of WPLLA.
The 2013-2014 board members are: Cindy Cicco, President; Ann Unger, Vice President; Stosh Jonjak, Past President; Amy Gillin, Treasurer; Sallie Smith, Secretary; Donna Kielar and Sue Megarry, Members-at-Large.
I am thankful for the opportunity to serve as President of WPLLA, and look forward to WPLLA’s future success.
Respectfully submitted, Stosh Jonjak, WPLLA President 2013-2014
Western Pennsylvania Law Library Association 