Learn with LiRN!

Professional Development for LiRN Library Staff

LiRN is happy to present an annual curriculum of free professional development programs organized into 4 learning paths: Electronic Resource Training, Substantive Law, Library Skills, and Soft Skills. 

Recordings will be made available on LwL YouTube channel, though we encourage you to attend in case you have any questions.

LIBRLT405 – Law Libraries And Legal Research is a course taught by Brenda Lauritzen (Carelton) at Mohawk College and may be of interest to library staff.

Learn with LiRN 2024 Conference

Materials from annual conferences are posted to the wiki under appropropriate subject headings.

Learn with LiRN 2023 Conference

2024 Curriculum Schedule

2023 Curriculum Schedule

PD Learnings Roundtable – Sept. 19, 2023 LwL Recording

Our annual sharing of PD learnings (9 pages) gathered from conferences such as CALL, AALL, or other PD webinars, conferences, etc.

Best Practices for Communicating with your Board, May 16, 2023. LwL Recording

Board relationships are an important component of the work for library staff and local law associations in Ontario. A successful relationship is key for association and library work to move forward. This relationship will change since board memberships change frequently, in addition to technology, infrastructure and societal changes as the pandemic has illustrated. Library staff are an important constant for their associations and wanted to learn more about building and nurturing these relationships.

Your library work takes precedence, but LiRN understands that association work is also important and has agreed that up to 15% of your work can be taken up by association work.  Please consult LiRN’s Additional Library Services and Responsibilities Policy for any clarifications about what your duties can consist of in terms of work for your association.

We have asked some of our members and a past president of an association to offer their perspective of what constitutes a good relationship with the board of your relationship. 

Our Panel

  • Rebecca Bentham, Executive Director, Hamilton Law Association
  • Milena Protich, Past President, Waterloo Region Law Association
  • Pia Williams, Executive Director, Waterloo Region Law Association

Know your Accounting & Fiduciary Duties for your Board & LiRN, April 4, 2023. Recording on LWL YouTube.

Know your Accounting was created by Mary Jo Petsche, Executive Director & Ashley Gibson, President, of Welland County Law Association for FOLA in 2022.   The presentation focused on best practices for financial reporting.   We have asked them to present it for the LiRN Network as part of our Learn with LiRN Curriculum.

Cool Tips and Innovations from your Network colleagues, March 21, 2023. Recording on LWL

Durham RegionResearch Services Request form using JotForm (electronic & print), All things DRLA Library booklet & their fiction lending library that started when a judge requested as reading material for those awaiting their trial. Donations piled in and they now have a great collection. DRLA 2023 Research Services Request (jotform.com)
PeelJo-Ann McQuillan – “Pod People” Zoom / Privacy booths – learn from their experience if you are building a business case for these in your upcoming budget.
Privacy Pods/Zoom booth vendor: Kube Booth – Contact Rachel Sekler for LiRN Bulk Rate. OR AtWork for their Wheelchair-accessible booth.
Library Signage & Wayfinding book recommendation
RenfrewSheri Proulx / Laura Keuhl did a live demonstration of their cool new Vibe smart board & Meeting Owl (camera & mic) that they use for CPD/Training/Meetings. Benefits of system including vendors & prices.
TorontoMegan Strain shared a live demo of Gimlet, their reference tracking software and how they use tags, time tracking for multiple staff members, resources, reports. etc.
YorkBetty Dykstra‘s presentation for Toggl, their time tracking database (not Big Brother) Free up to 5 users & Calendly.com External users can book an appointment using Outlook, Google calendar. Courts in CE using it. Works with Zoom, etc. Free for basics. Frontenac uses Clockify.
CarletonBrenda Lauritzen shared that they have started organizing monthly drop-in stress-relief sessions with the courthouse therapy dogs called Take a Paws with
Therapeutic Paws of Canada (Eastern Ontario). Good tips on promotion & event.

Accounting Basics for LiRN Library Staff

Presented by Betty Dykstra, York Region Law Association. Feb. 20, 2023. Our thanks to Betty for condensing accounting jargon and procedures into understandable language for library staff who may not be familiar with this type of reporting.

Learn with LiRN 2022

Learn with LiRN Conference (formerly COLAL) Oct 13 – 14, 2022. A huge thanks for the informative, innovative and practical presentations that had everyone buzzing with ideas!

Our Presenters have shared their Presentations with LiRN members only, please do not share.

2022 Curriculum

LiRN has created an exclusive Learn with LiRN (LwL) YouTube Channel of our curriculum sessions. It is Private so please contact Jacquie for the invitation link to view a video if you are unable to access it.

Introduction to Legislative Research

Brenda Lauritzen’s (CCLA) session on LwL YouTube focusing on Federal Legislation (PP) including:

  • Types of Legislation – both Print and Online sources
  • Point in Time Legislation – including examples
  • Legislative History – What were they thinking?
  • Noting up  – how to check if the law is still good?
  • Tracking Legislation
Forms & Precedents session

Lee Holstead’s (DRLA) session on LwL Youtube and Handout for finding Forms and Precedents such as: 

  • LN Practical Guidance – all modules including the new Real Estate module.
  • Westlaw – Solicitor’s Core as well as the Source products
  • Ontario Court Forms
  • AccessCLE / CPD – Annotated Forms and older Practice Notes

Introduction to Legal Research session

An overview of how to the legal research session on LwL YouTube was created by Joan Rataic-Lang (TLA) and Jen Walker (CCLA). They provided several handouts of this very helpful session for those new to legal research:

Introduction to eLiRN resource suites

Pia Williams (WLA) & Betty Dykstra (YRLA) eLiRN introductory session on LwL YouTube provided some great sample questions & answers to demonstrate how to use the new eLiRN resouces!  Some of their tips:

  • Call a friend -librarians are a collegial profession and often like to help each other out
  • AccessCLE (LSO CPD), Halsbury’s, CED (great starting points for research questions)
  • Quantums (e.g. employment, criminal sentences) – how much notice, severance?
  • It’s OK not to be perfect and there is no such thing as a stupid question, it’s a question that needs help answering which applies to all of us at times

They also created a helpful ELiRN Resource cheat sheet by Topic, Resources, Checklists, etc.

PD Learnings 2022 Roundtable

LwL YouTube session of this annual event designed to share your insights, cool tips, speaker highlights from PD conferences/webinars, etc. that you have had a chance to attend and share with your colleagues.

LiRN Reporting Session

Theresa Leitch, Managing Director of LiRN, presented a session on LwLYouTube about the new LiRN Chart of Accounts, Budget Template and Statistics Gathering Form. Text of the chat discussion. See Library Reporting Requirements for dates for additonal information.

eLiRN Suite of Resources Librarian Aids

Please see our public home page for promotional resources and information about eLiRN.

LiRN’s Electronic Resource Guide details the numerous electronic resources available for library staff. This in-depth resource is an overview of the eLiRN suite of resources, CPD, HeinOnline, technical & training information, Boolean searching, Google search tips, relevant free websites, links to legal research guides and much more.

Training Recordings for LN Practical Guidance and vLex (Irwin Law) are available on our YouTube channel for Learn with LiRN.

Vendor Trainers’ Contact Information. Please contact them for individual or group sessions for your Association. These sessions are accredited for LSO – Professionalism hours.

EFAP Program

Please note that the Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP) has programming you may be interested in. You can find it online here (use Library Co as the group name).

Research Guides

  • Guides on how to use the catalogue, how to find Forms & Precedents, Legislation, International law as well as  topical research guides.
  • Know How – The blog of the Great Library with links to numerous topics such as legislative research, legal writing and legal research survival guide.
  • Detailed overview of case law research, Noting-up, Research Steps, International law.
  • Research Guides on all areas of law in Canada as well as Subject Research Guides and legal writing.
  • Learn how to cite cases, statutes, and more using the McGill Citation Guide (9th ed.)
  • Guide to finding citation abbreviations (Canada & US & Commonwealth)
  • Links to Dictionaries, Words & Phrases, Encyclopedia, Forms, etc.
  • How to set up alerts to monitor legal news online for the SCC, Lawyers’ Daily, Blogs, CanLII, and more.

Links above are to Canadian Law Schools in Ontario.  You can also use their online catalogues.