NIDL Annual Report for 1999

Annual Report for 2002

Submitted by Paulette Harding

2002 was an interesting year for the Northeastern Illinois Documents Librarians Group. Members shared information about recently completed and upcoming federal inspections. Depository librarians shared information on national and regional meetings, changing staff, collection merges, and budget freezes. Travel funds were difficult to obtain, but, at each meeting we had staunch support.

Paulette Harding, Poplar Creek Public Library District, served as Coordinator, Jeannie Struna, Illinois Valley Community College, served as Coordinator-Elect, and Anne Abramson, John Marshall Law School, served as Secretary.

The Group held two meetings: May 3rd, at University of Illinois Chicago, and October 11th, at Benedictine University. Of course, at each meeting we shared information about our home libraries, upcoming meetings, and interesting facts gleaned from resources, plus we received a tour of our host libraries.

Twenty members attended the spring meeting hosted by Aimee Quinn. Mike Ragen, Joe Natale, and Pegeen Bassett gave wonderful presentations. Mike Ragen, the Deputy Director of the Illinois State Library and the coordinator of the federal depository program in Illinois, formerly worked as a staff member in the General Assembly. He gave a very detailed blueprint of Illinois legislative history. He was able to intersperse a wealth of information with insightful stories. Joe Natale, Find-It! Illinois Development Coordinator and the coordinator of the Illinois depository program, gave us an update on the electronic development of Illinois documents. He walked us through the information available on Find-It! Illinois. Pegeen Bassett, Northwestern University Law School, highlighted free legal internet sites useful to pro se patrons. She demonstrated Lexis One, Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission, National Organization of Bar Counsel, and FindLaw, pointing to helpful features of each. To coordinate our fall election, we selected an Election Committee: Beth, Aimee, and Connie.

Joan Hopkins hosted our fall meeting in the new campus library. Members reviewed the NIDL website. We found some information incorrect or misleading, and some chosen sites needed to be reexamined. The Group was divided into two: the first group looked at the current website; the second group discussed possible new categories and new links. We decided to post the information for discussion and comment, then, allow the final changes to be approved at the Spring 2003 meeting. Mike Ragen, Illinois State Library, asked our Group to provide feedback on the procedure for discard lists. Notes from our discussion were forwarded to Mr. Ragen after the meeting. We discussed some pending legislation and began the round robin reports. Our election followed: coordinator-elect is Kristina Waldron and secretary is Tiffeni Fontno.

I would like to thank everyone who participated in making this a successful year for NIDL. I especially want to thank our three presenters from the spring meeting: Mike Ragen, Joe Natale, and Pegeen Bassett. And, I want to thank our host libraries and there staff: Aimee Quinn at the University of Illinois Chicago and Joan Hopkins at Benedictine University. I also have to add applause to this year's secretary, Anne Abramson, who took exceptionally complete notes. I had a wonderful term as Coordinator/Elect and Coordinator. Thank you all. I look forward to 2003.