We’ve just seen the press release about Lexis Nexis Australia publishing a 40-Year History of the Australian Law Librarian?s Association
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The press release reveals that LN have published? ?Setting a Precedent: The Evolution of the Australian Law Librarians? Association, 1969-2009?, authored by Donald Barker, Fiona Brown and Graeme Johanson.
The title, we learn, was officially introduced at the annual Australian Law Librarian?s Association (ALLA) Summit held September 2nd to 4th, 2009 in Darwin.
Here’s? the release in full
The Association?s first title published by LexisNexis, the chronicle explores the 40 year history of the ALLA through the eyes of its members. From the origins of the Association in 1969, its evolution into a national body in 1989, to the challenges and opportunities for the organisation today, the title comprehensively charts the progress and achievements of the ALLA at a significant milestone in its history.
TJ Viljoen, CEO of LexisNexis Pacific, said, ?LexisNexis is proud to have been invited to publish this book, marking 40 years of the ALLA while truly capturing the essence of the Association for future generations of Australian law librarians. We would like to extend our sincere congratulations to the Association, not only for the publishing of this book, but for their many achievements. We wish them well in what will no doubt be an equally successful next 40 years.?
The ALLA is an incorporated national association with divisions in Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia. Despite the Association?s relatively small size, it has achieved big things in its first 40 years. The Association?s official history describes the unique services provided by law library staff to Australian lawyers since its inception with a mere 24 members.
John Botherway, National President of the ALLA, said, ?The ALLA is marking its 40th anniversary by celebrating the work we?ve done promoting law librarianship, providing networking and continuing education opportunities, lobbying and helping the Pacific region by the publication of this book. The Association has reached this milestone in good health and, with over 600 current members across Australia, we will be looking to continue these successes into our future.?
The Association aims to promote and provide a national focus for law librarianship and to support the interests of law libraries, collections and legal information services to both legal and public communities.
I know here at HOB we can be very pedantic but is it realy a good idea for the “independent” ALLA to have a book of the association’s history published by LN.
We know some will say the company are the obvious choice because they have the widest distribution and are the country’s leading legal publisher.
But why couldn’t the ALLA have chosen The Federation Press or a smaller homegrown legal publishing house ..or even in this day and age published the book themselves.
In general LN are one of the main, if not the main sponsor of ALLA conferences, coffee mornings, annual christmas parties and so on and so forth.
Now the publishing company have their claws in the association’s official history. How are the ALLA ever going to negotiate as a group with power if they allow Lexis to sponsor many aspects of the association’s activities.
We won’t be popular for saying this but Lexis are only doing this because it fits with their hard nosed business strategy..not because the company as a whole feels a sense of love and affection for the ALLA. The divide and conquer route rules.. those who are members and supporters of the ALLA will no doubt receive a little bit more care and attention from LN ..whilst naysayers will undoubtedly feels themselves ever more on the fringe.
One thing that we can assure you .. member or non member of the ALLA your LN subscription will cost you more next year than this year.
