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  • 08 Mar 2024 3:43 PM | Michel-Adrien Sheppard (Administrator)

    Le français suit.

    We are writing to you on behalf of the Canadian Association of Law Libraries AI Working Group (WG).

    The WG is responsible for developing guidance on the use of artificial intelligence in legal technologies, including both commercial and non-commercial databases.

    The databases anticipated to be covered would be those that use legal information sources (statutes, regulations, cases, commentary, and other sources) as their primary data source.

    At this time, we are soliciting feedback from the legal profession.

    Your feedback is important to the process, and will be used to help frame our final document.

    The survey will take approximately 5 minutes of your time to complete.

    To access the survey using Microsoft Forms, please click here: https://forms.office.com/r/Wswb1G7cPn

    OR 

    To access the survey using Google Forms, please click here: https://forms.gle/kgpKW2BMeYXix2bB7

    Please complete the survey prior to  Friday March 15, 2024.

    For questions about this survey, or the project generally, please contact:

    Annette L. Demers | Reference Librarian 
    University of Windsor | Faculty of Law 
    email: ademers@uwindsor.ca

    or

    Sandy Hervieux | Head Librarian
    Nahum Gelber Law Library | McGill
    email:  sandy.hervieux@mcgill.ca

    We thank you for your time!

    Sincerely,

    The CALL AI Working Group

    Bonjour chères collègues,

    Nous vous écrivons au nom du groupe de travail sur l'intelligence artificielle de l'Association canadienne des bibliothèques de droit.

    Le groupe de travail est chargé d'élaborer des lignes directrices sur l'utilisation de l'intelligence artificielle dans les technologies juridiques, y compris les bases de données commerciales et non commerciales.

    Les bases de données visées sont celles qui utilisent des sources d'information juridique (lois, règlements, affaires, commentaires et autres sources) comme source principale de données.

    À l'heure actuelle, nous sollicitons les réactions de divers utilisateurs potentiels et actuels de l'IA.

    Vos commentaires sont importants pour le processus et seront utilisés pour élaborer le document final.

    Il vous faudra environ 5 minutes pour répondre à l'enquête.

    Pour accéder à l'enquête à l'aide de Microsoft Forms, veuillez cliquer ici : https://forms.office.com/r/dmQ1GxKQcJ

    OU 

    Pour accéder à l'enquête à l'aide de Google Forms, veuillez cliquer ici : https://forms.gle/GgDoFXdrBxamHhmX6

    Veuillez remplir le sondage avant le vendredi 15 mars 2024. 

    Pour toute question concernant cette enquête ou le projet en général, veuillez contacter

    Annette L. Demers | Bibliothécaire de référenceUniversité de Windsor | Faculté de droit
    Courriel : ademers@uwindsor.ca

    ou

    Sandy Hervieux | Bibliothécaire en chef
    Bibliothèque de droit Nahum Gelber | McGill
    Courriel : sandy.hervieux@mcgill.ca

    Nous vous remercions pour le temps que vous nous avez consacré!

    Cordialement,

    Le groupe de travail sur l'IA de l'ACBD


  • 18 Feb 2024 10:00 AM | Michel-Adrien Sheppard (Administrator)

    CALL member Annette Demers, Reference Librarian at the University of Windsor Law School, has written an article that will be of interest to many of us, "Artificial Intelligence AI for Legal Applications: Resources and Updates".

    It originally appeared on Slaw.ca on February 13, 2024.

    It is republished here with permission of the author, with minor edits.

    It’s been fun pulling together regulations and standards for Artificial Intelligence (AI) in legal applications over the past few months!

    CALL/ACBD AI Working Group

    Last fall, I proposed a working group (WG) through the Canadian Association of Law Libraries (CALL/ACBD).

    Ultimately, the CALL/ACBD Executive did approved an Artificial Intelligence WG, whose terms of reference are on the CALL website. We are a group of 13 law librarians from across the country, representing a variety of interested parties, from firms, to academia to courthouse and legislative libraries. Our focus is primarily on AI in legal research and writing applications. Our progress will be reported on as a Lightening Talk at the upcoming CALL Conference in Montreal this June, 2024.

    ISO/IEC Committee on Artificial Intelligence

    Similarly, representing CALL on the Standards Council of Canada mirror committee to the joint ISO/IEC Committee on Artificial Intelligence has also been eye-opening.

    AI for Legal Applications: Guides, Guidelines and Resources

    As reported on Library Boy blog in January, I have begun compiling a list of AI-related polices, guidelines and regulations in Canada. I think the list is fairly comprehensive, and includes what I’ve found so far for the US (federal and state), EU and a few other interesting tools currently available. It is continuously being updated.

    Additionally, I compiled a list of AI-driven tools that our law students already have access to. Admittedly, the list is pretty thin at present, and calls in products that have been using NLP for a decade or more, but I hope to keep it updated as more resources become available.

    AI in Legal Applications: Guidance for Law Students

    AI Guidance for Law Students is a set of guidelines that I drafted for discussion purposes. Please feel free to send feedback my way! An ongoing open dialogue about the impact of AI on legal applications is going to be necessary as the technology evolves!

    Next on my AI Reading List

    Artificial Intelligence AI Book Guidelines

    I’ve just ordered (and our staff immediately delivered the e-book link for) Roman V Yampolskiy, AI: Unexplainable, Unpredictable, Uncontrollable (Taylor and Francis Group, 2024). It ought to be interesting to draw upon as I write my next post “The Robots are Already in Control”. Stay tuned!

  • 21 Jan 2024 7:35 PM | Michel-Adrien Sheppard (Administrator)

    Le texte français suit.

    The winners of the 2023 Canadian Law Blog Awards (known as the Clawbies) were announced on New Year's Eve.

    The Clawbies exist to reward the best and most innovative Canadian blogs, podcasts, videos, legal newsletters, and other forms of online commentary. 

    The Canadian Law Libraries Review, the journal of our association, was selected as one of the best newsletters!

    In their synopsis, the organizers of the competition highlighted some of the significant features of the publication and our work as legal information professionals: "…voice of the Canadian Association of Law Libraries (CALL/ACBD), sharing news happenings, expertise and book reviews (...) An invaluable contribution to the Canadian legal infosphere!”

    Les lauréats des Prix des meilleurs blogues juridiques canadiens de 2023 (connus sous le nom des Clawbies) furent annoncés la veille du Jour de l'An.

    Les Clawbies existent pour reconnaître et célébrer les meilleurs blogues, balados, vidéos, infolettres et autres formes de commentaire en ligne dans le domaine juridique au Canada.

    La Revue canadienne des bibliothèques de droit, la revue de notre association, fut reconnue comme une des meilleures publications dans la catégorie des infolettres.

    Dans le résumé publié, les organisateurs ont souligné certaines caractéristiques clés de la revue et de notre travail à titre de professionnels de l’information juridique: « ... [la revue] est la voix de l’Association canadienne des bibliothèques de droit (CALL/ACBD), qui partage des nouvelles, de l’expertise et des comptes rendus de livres. Elle apporte une contribution inestimable à l’infosphère juridique au Canada! »

  • 11 Jan 2024 2:47 PM | Michel-Adrien Sheppard (Administrator)

    Le texte français suit.

    The Canadian Association of Law Libraries (CALL/ACBD) is accepting nominations for the 2024 Hugh Lawford Award for Excellence in Legal Publishing.

    CALL/ACBD has long had an annual award for excellent legal publishing.

    Some years ago, we renamed the award we present after Queens University Professor Hugh Lawford (1933-2009) to recognize his contributions to legal publishing in Canada. 

    As a group of legal information specialists, our work depends on being able to access and share high-quality legal knowledge. We value innovation and this award is open to legal content in all information formats.

    The award honours a publisher (whether for-profit or not-for profit, corporate or non-corporate) that has demonstrated excellence by publishing a work, series, website, or electronic product that makes a significant contribution to legal research and scholarship.

    Members and non-members of CALL/ACBD are welcome to make nominations. Information about the process is available on our website.

    Please send your nomination to National Office by January 31, 2024.

    The award will be presented to the recipient during the 2024 CALL/ACBD Annual Conference, which will be held in Montreal June 25 - 28, 2024.

    L’Association canadienne des bibliothèques (ACBD/CALL) accepte les mises en candidature pour le Prix d’excellence Hugh Lawford en édition juridique 2024.

    L’ACBD/CALL décerne depuis de nombreuses années un prix annuel pour souligner l’excellence en édition juridique. Depuis quelques années, nous avons renommé le prix que nous décernons en l’honneur du professeur Hugh Lawford de l’Université Queen’s (1933-2009) afin de reconnaître ses contributions à l’édition juridique au Canada.

    En tant que groupe de spécialistes de l’information juridique, notre travail repose sur notre capacité à accéder à des connaissances juridiques de haute qualité et à les partager. Nous avons à cœur l’innovation, et ce prix est ouvert au contenu juridique dans tous les formats d’information.

    Le prix est décerné à un éditeur (à but lucratif ou non, société ou autre) qui a fait preuve d’excellence en publiant un ouvrage, une série de textes, un site Web ou un produit électronique qui apporte une contribution importante à la recherche et l’aide juridiques.

    Les membres et les non-membres de l’ACBD/CALL sont invités à proposer des candidatures. Des renseignements sur le processus sont disponibles sur notre site Web.

    Envoyez les mises en candidature au bureau national avant le 31 janvier 2024.

    Le prix sera remis à la personne lauréate lors du Congrès annuel 2024 de l’ACBD/CALL, qui se tiendra à Montréal du 25 au 28 juin 2024. 

  • 17 Dec 2023 3:22 PM | Michel-Adrien Sheppard (Administrator)

    The Canadian Association of Research Libraries and the Canadian Federation of Library Associations (CFLA) have been working on a Crown Copyright Code of Best Practices for Libraries.

    The Canadian Association of Law Libraries (CALL/ACBD) is a member of the CFLA and has argued for reform of Crown Copyright.

    The draft code is now available for comment

    The review period ends January 15, 2024.

    As the draft explains:

    "The current legal provision related to Crown copyright in Canada is found in Section 12 of the Copyright Act. It is extremely comprehensive in scope, granting the Crown copyright to any work that has been 'prepared or published under the direction or control of Her Majesty or any government department.' It also preserves the ancient royal prerogative or privilege that predates copyright law and it is silent about term length for unpublished works, leading to the assumption that these works are protected by copyright in perpetuity. These anomalies provide governments with expansive rights that could be used to withhold, censor or control government information to the detriment of the public good."

    "Section 12 also sets out the duration of copyright controls for government works it covers. For published government works, the duration of the term of copyright is 50 years after the year of publication. In addition, and by virtue of Subsection 13(3) of the Copyright Act, the Crown, like any private sector employer, owns copyright in original work authored by its employees in the course of their employment. This copyright lasts until the end of the 70th year past the death of the author. Both Sections 12 and 13(3) may be modified by agreement but such agreements are relatively rare. Both apply to all works of the federal and provincial government and the territories and neither provides for compulsory licensing. In practice, government works are generally assumed to be protected by Crown copyright unless a personal author is named on the title page and the copyright statement does not clearly state that Crown copyright applies (e.g., © Government of Canada)."

    (...)

    "Confusion about the appropriate interpretation of the Act, and its hampering impact on the efforts of libraries attempting to serve as stewards of government works, was described in numerous submissions and testimonies presented to the Parliamentary Committee responsible for the Copyright Act review of 2018/2019, summarized by librarian Amanda Wakaruk and described in the Committee’s final report. Put briefly, this confusion, compounded by copyright anxiety and related legal chill, has impeded the work of libraries, which has resulted in the loss of innumerable government works, including both born digital files and legacy print materials."

    "At the time of writing, the Government of Canada has yet to address the concerns of those that participated in the most recent legislative review or the near-continuous requests for review and reform made by Canadian library associations and the Canadian Association of University Teachers. Nor has it addressed the comments of the Supreme Court of Canada, that Section 12 be revisited by Parliament."

    The issue was discussed earlier in December at one of the sessions at the Government Information Day(s) 2023.

    Past CALL/ACBD statements on copyright reform including Crown copyright include:

  • 14 Dec 2023 8:13 PM | Michel-Adrien Sheppard (Administrator)

    Le texte français suit.

    CALL/ACBD is pleased to share the results of the 2023 CALL-TALL Salary Survey.

    This is a joint salary survey report from the Toronto Association of Law Libraries (TALL) and the Canadian Association of Law Libraries / L'Association canadienne des bibliothèques de droit (CALL/ACBD).

    The purpose is to determine benchmark employment remuneration received by members. This survey reports data collected in February/March 2023. The previous survey was conducted in 2018.

    This analysis is based on 204 survey responses. Respondents were able to skip questions, which results in different “totals” for individual questions throughout this report.

    .............................................................................................

    Nous sommes heureux de vous transmettre les résultats du Sondage sur les salaires 2023 de la TALL et de la CALL/ACBD.

    Il s’agit d’un rapport conjoint de la Toronto Association of Law Libraries (TALL) et de la Canadian Association of Law Libraries / Association canadienne des bibliothèques de droit (CALL/ACBD) portant sur l’enquête salariale.

    Ce sondage visait à établir une référence quant à la rémunération des membres.

    Les données du sondage ont été recueillies en février et mars 2023. Le sondage précédent avait été réalisé en 2018. L’analyse est basée sur 204 réponses.

    Étant donné que les répondants pouvaient sauter des questions, cela explique les différents « totaux » pour les questions individuelles dans le rapport.

  • 19 Nov 2023 5:08 PM | Michel-Adrien Sheppard (Administrator)

    On October 25, the Private Law Library and Academic Law Library Special Interest Groups jointly held a session about AI and the student experience.

    Gathering to learn more about what students are learning and using in the school and firm environments, the groups had a lively conversation and left with a better understanding of how we can support students as they start seeing more AI resources during their school and articling careers.

    We had 3 academic speakers sharing their perspectives, which ranged from "not touching on it at all" in lower-year legal research and writing classes to using the "cool mom approach": we know students will use AI, so let’s teach them to use it safely.

    Each speaker stressed the importance of teaching students to question data sets and results, try multiple approaches, and not rely solely on AI for their research.

    Our 3 firm speakers touched on the role and scope of internal AI committees setting policies and guidance for responsible AI use. Firms are also using research sessions to remind students to learn the limitations of AI tools and understand how to evaluate results for accuracy and authority.

    While articling, students must also consider how client privacy requirements might influence how and when they would incorporate AI tools into their work.

    Ending with a roundtable, the groups agreed that we have an important role in building AI skills, becoming experts in using AI tools for research efficiency, identifying training and development gaps, shaping use policy, and piloting new tools.

    The AI landscape is still rapidly shifting, and we concluded with a recognition that academic and firm librarians will all succeed more effectively in this space if we continue to meet and share our experiences.

    Carolyn Petrie, Library Services Director,  Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP / S.E.N.C.R.L., s.r.l. (Vancouver)


  • 29 Oct 2023 6:50 PM | Michel-Adrien Sheppard (Administrator)

    Le texte français suit.

    The Membership Development Committee (MDC) is excited to be back in the full swing of things, with an excellent group of volunteers and plans in the works for membership events to come later this season.

    In the immediate, however, the return of fall means the return of school visits on behalf of the Association.

    As it has been a few years since we have had the opportunity to visit many of the professional and technical programs across Canada, the MDC is working on updating and expanding our list of contacts at the various school programs.

    We would like to encourage our CALL/ACBD membership to forward along to us your ideas and suggestions for programs we should connect with; your contacts at your alma mater, and of course, your interest in attending a school visit, should you wish!

    The MDC Co-Chairs Beth Galbraith and Katherine Melville can be reached at: membershipcommittee@callacbd.ca 

    Le Comité de recrutement des membres (CRM) est ravi d’être de retour dans le feu de l’action grâce à un excellent groupe de bénévoles et aux projets d’activités à venir plus tard cette saison.

    En attendant, l’arrivée de l’automne est synonyme du retour des visites dans les établissements d’enseignement pour l’Association.

    Étant donné que nous n’avons pas eu la possibilité de visiter les programmes professionnels et techniques au Canada depuis quelques années, le CRM s’efforce de mettre à jour et d’élargir sa liste de contacts dans les différents programmes d’études.

    Nous invitons les membres de l’ACBD/CALL à nous faire part de leurs idées et de leurs suggestions concernant des programmes avec lesquels nous devrions établir des liens, des personnes à contacter auprès de leur ancienne université et, notamment, de leur intérêt à participer à une de ces visites!

    N’hésitez pas à contacter les coprésidentes du CRM, Beth Galbraith et Katherine Melville: membershipcommittee@callacbd.ca.

  • 02 Oct 2023 7:25 PM | Michel-Adrien Sheppard (Administrator)

    Le texte français suit.

    As you all know, 2024 is another election year for our association and a Nominations Committee has been struck to solicit expressions of interest, or the names of members who are willing to stand for election to the Executive Board.

    The members of the Nominations Committee are Daniel Boyer, Vicki Jay Leung, Allyssa McFadyen, Carolyn Petrie, and George Tsiakos (Chair). Our sincerest thanks to these CALL/ACBD members for taking time to serve on this important committee.

    In 2024, there will be one position open for election: Second Vice-President.

    If you are interested in standing for office, please contact any member of the Nominations Committee [contact info available in the Members Directory in the members-only section of the CALL webesite].

    Current Executive Board members also welcome inquiries about serving on the Board. The Committee will present an initial slate of candidates to the President by mid-November, and the President will communicate the names to the membership by Dec. 1.

    Afterwards, a write-in process outlined in our Bylaws facilitates nominations from the general membership.

    Serving on the Executive Board provides a tremendous opportunity to build your professional network and skill set. It is also personally rewarding and a great way to give back to the community.

    We hope that you will give some thought to providing leadership to the association. The investment in time and effort is worthwhile.

    Comme vous le savez, 2024 est de nouveau une année d’élection pour notre association. Un Comité des candidatures a été mis sur pied pour solliciter des déclarations d’intérêt ou le nom des membres qui sont disposés à se présenter à l’élection du Conseil exécutif.

    Le Comité des candidatures est composé des membres suivants: Daniel Boyer, Vicki Jay Leung, Allyssa McFadyen, Carolyn Petrie et George Tsiakos (président). Nos remerciements les plus sincères à ces membres de l’ACBD/CALL qui se rendent disponibles pour siéger à cet important comité.

    En 2024, il y aura un poste à pourvoir, celui de deuxième vice-président.e.

    Si vous souhaitez vous porter candidat.e, veuillez contacter l’un des membres du Comité des candidatures [vous pouvez trouver leurs coordonnées dans le Répertoire des membres dans la section réservée aux membres du site de l'ACBD].

    Les membres du Conseil exécutif se feront également un plaisir de répondre à toute question à propos des mandats au Conseil.

    Le Comité des candidatures présentera une première liste de candidats à la présidente à la mi-novembre, et cette dernière communiquera les noms aux membres avant le 1er décembre. Par la suite, une procédure de vote par correspondance, prévue dans nos Statuts, facilitera la nomination par l’ensemble des membres.

    Siéger au Conseil exécutif constitue une formidable occasion d’élargir votre réseau professionnel et de perfectionner vos compétences. C’est également une expérience enrichissante sur le plan personnel et un excellent moyen de redonner à la communauté.

    Nous espérons que vous songerez à la possibilité d’assurer le leadership de l’association. L’investissement en temps et en efforts en vaut la peine.

  • 18 Sep 2023 4:19 PM | Michel-Adrien Sheppard (Administrator)

    Le texte français suit.

    The CALL/ACBD Board recently approved the creation of a new AI Standards Working Group as a sub committee of the Vendor Liaison Committee.

    This group currently includes members from Ontario and Alberta, representing Academic and firm libraries.

    We are currently seeking to add new members to the group.

    Members from courthouse or government libraries from jurisdictions outside of Ontario and Alberta would be preferred, however all interested people are welcome to contact us with expressions of interest.

    Please send an email to Annette Demers (chair) at "ademers AT uwindsor.ca" to express interest.

    Le Conseil exécutif de l’ACBD/CALL a récemment approuvé la création d’un nouveau Groupe de travail sur les normes de l’intelligence artificielle à titre de sous-comité du Comité de liaison avec les éditeurs.

    Ce groupe est actuellement composé de membres de l’Ontario et de l’Alberta représentant des bibliothèques du milieu universitaire et de cabinets d’avocats, et nous recherchons de nouveaux membres pour y siéger.

    Des membres travaillant dans une bibliothèque gouvernementale ou de palais de justice dans une province autre que l’Ontario et l’Alberta seraient préférables, mais toute personne intéressée est invitée à nous contacter pour nous faire part de leur intérêt.

    Veuillez transmettre votre déclaration d’intérêt par courriel à Annette Demers (présidente) à l'adresse "ademers a commercial uwindsor.ca".

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