Marie
Wallace has
enjoyed a fulfilling career as a librarian, beginning in
1951 in academia with the University of California and
transitioning in 1971 into the private law library world
until her 1995 retirement from O'Melveny & Myers. She
is the 1997 recipient of the American Association of Law
Libraries' highest honor, the Marian Gould Gallagher
Distinguished Service Award. Throughout her professional
life, Marie has been a guiding force in the Southern
California Association of Law Libraries, Practising Law
Institute's programs for law librarians and Teaching
Legal Research in Private Law Libraries (TRIPLL).
Today, Marie has
commenced on a new path she terms "Life in
Progress," which enables her to pursue a diversity
of interests as a master swimmer, law librarian, trainer,
storyboarder and designer of wearable art. She continues
to be a dynamic speaker and prolific writer on such
topics as private law library management, presentations
and training. She is a member of Toastmasters
International and is active with the American
Society for Training & Development (ASTD) and in continuing education for
private law librarians. She devotes her "free"
time to various non-profit and civic activities. Always
open to new ideas, Marie can be reached at:
ax852@lafn.org.
Annual Reports (ARs) tell
how your operation supports the organization and provide
a snapshot of actions taken and ones contemplated. Before
you begin writing your AR, whether your first or
"umpteenth," learn about your audience: 1.
What are the organizational expectations regarding annual
reporting?
- Is an AR expected from your department or
operation?
- Is there a standard format or protocol in the
parent organization?
- If an AR is not anticipated and you plan to write
one, what can you do to reduce the element of
surprise?
- In the case of multi-office law firms, will the
AR be submitted on a local office or firmwide
basis?
- Are copies of previous ARs from your department
or operation available?
2. How are ARs used in your organization--planning,
evaluation, control, unclear?
- How do you intend to use your AR in your
operation(s)?
3. Who are the primary AR reader(s)--the policy makers
and decision makers.
- What issues concern the primary AR reader(s)?
- What are the business needs and interests of the
primary reader(s)?
4. What are professional perspectives, the
communication styles and specialized jargon of the
primary AR reader(s)?
- Deans, lawyers, engineers, managers of
information technology, judges, court
administrators, human resource managers, MBAs and
accountants are likely to see the world through
different lens than information professionals and
use different concepts and vocabularies to
articulate and prioritize organizational goals.
5. Who are the secondary AR readers?
- Will everyone on the Library or other department
staff get a copy?
- Which other department heads, faculty members,
judges, supervisors, board members, or
professional colleagues might value a copy?
6. What is your purpose in writing the AR?
- Pride
- Self-evaluation of performance
- Instill confidence
- Keep an open communication channel
- Reduce executive isolation
- Keep decision and policy makers informed of the
value of your operation
- Motivate employees and staff
- Encourage sharing of information
- Record change and innovation
- Market services and products
- Public relations
7. Do you have or do you need to seek out critical
planning information from the parent organization that
may shape your future goals?
- Plans for expansion or reduction
- Merge with another organization
- Close an existing unit
- Move or re-location of facilities
- Change of CEO, Managing Partner, Dean, or Chair
of the Board of Trustees
- Radical change in operating or service policy
- Unexpected increase/decrease in revenue
- Consolidation of operations
8. What formal or informal reporting instruments
augment the AR?
- Monthly departmental financials
- Database usage tallies
- Monthly personnel summaries
- Departmental meetings
- Marketing reports
- CLE and other training reports
- Recruiting reports
- Summaries of hours billed
9. What actions and activities have priority, how much
time do you have to prepare the AR, and what can you
delegate to staff?
- If you have taken on new responsibilities, such
as acting Dean, Conflicts Manager, Records
Manager, or Director of Lawyer Training, priority
may go to a state-of-the-innovation report.
10. Where are the industry or professional standards
for your operation(s) that can be used for best practices
norms or that your primary reader(s) may use to put your
achievements in perspective?
- ABA accreditation standards
- ABA Guides for professional managers
- Price Waterhouse or other law office reports
- Library/information association reports
- Judicial administration reports
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