Library School Liaison Committee

The Library School Liaison Committee is pleased to administer two annual programs to benefit students enrolled in library programs in Southern California:

• The SCALL mentoring program for library students
• The SCALL scholarship

Grants Committee

The Grants Committee is pleased to distribute grants to support members who wish to attend the SCALL Institute, the AALL Annual Meeting, or other conferences that are law and/or library related.

Community Youth Internship Experience

In addition, the  Community Youth Internship Experience offers employment opportunities to qualified high school students from underserved schools.

Volunteer for SCALL

The success of SCALL is dependent on the voluntary efforts of the members. By joining a committee, you have the opportunity to interact with your colleagues, make a contribution to your professional association and see the results of your efforts. A wide range of opportunities are available.  See where you can contribute.

        The SCALL mentoring program for library students:

PURPOSE:  The purpose of the Southern California Association of Law Libraries’ (SCALL) Mentorship program is to match students to mentors who are professionals working in law-related libraries and organizations.  Our mentors come from a variety of different backgrounds, e.g. academic law libraries, public/county law libraries, government agencies, and private law firms. The mentor program is designed to give you a contact person who can answer your questions and offer advice about the profession.

QUALIFICATIONS:  Mentees must be currently enrolled graduate students in either the UCLA Department of Information Studies or a distance library school program, AND must live full-time in Southern California to be eligible to participate.

REQUIREMENTS:  If you are interested in learning more about law librarianship and would like to be assigned a mentor, please keep an eye out for our email to the SCALL, UCLA, and SJSU listservs sent in early October, with instructions on how to sign up for a SCALL mentor.

DEADLINE: Mentor-Mentee matches are typically made at the end of October.  Please look for our email to the SCALL, UCLA, and SJSU listservs in early October, with further details on the deadline.

For more information about law librarianship, visit the American Association of Law Libraries website at http://www.aallnet.org.

        The SCALL scholarship:

PURPOSE:  The purpose of the Southern California Association of Law Libraries’ (SCALL) Scholarship is to reward current library school students who hold promise of future involvement in the law library profession.  The number of awards granted and amount of each award varies depending on current funding of the scholarship committee.

QUALIFICATIONS:  The applicant must:

1. Demonstrate a sincere interest in law librarianship.
2. Live in Southern California* and be a currently enrolled graduate student in either the UCLA Department of Information Studies or a distance library school program. (* The geographical boundaries of SCALL are generally understood to extend from the northern boundary of San Luis Obispo County to the Mexican Border and to reach as far east as the California/Nevada/Arizona boundary. Scholarship applicants must live within these boundaries to be eligible for consideration.).
3. Please note that applicants who have received a SCALL scholarship in the past will not get top priority if they apply again.

REQUIREMENTS:  Along with an application form, the applicant must submit:

1. Two letters of recommendation from an instructor or employer that comment upon the applicant’s potential for contribution to the field of law librarianship;
2. A short essay in which the applicant describes his/her interest in law librarianship and how s/he hopes to contribute to the profession; and
3. A resume indicating educational background and employment history.

DEADLINE: Applications and supporting materials must be received by the extended deadline of Monday, March 16, 2020. Applicants will be notified of the committee’s decision within 3 weeks of the above due date.

        Grants Committee

PURPOSE: The purpose of the Southern California Association of Law Libraries’ (SCALL) Grants program is to support members that have a demonstrated financial need who wish to attend the SCALL Institute, the AALL Annual Meeting, or other conferences that are law and/or library related. Grants allow members to continue their professional development that is not otherwise supported by their employers.

QUALIFICATIONS:  Current SCALL Membership.

SCALL Grant Information

SCALL offers grants for two major conferences each year:

1. SCALL Institute: $300 and comped registration
   Application Deadline: December 1st of each calendar year
2. AALL Annual Meeting: $1,000
   Application Deadline: April 1st of each calendar year

To apply, complete the grant application form [or print and fill out form] and email it to Amber Madole (amadole@law.usc.edu) and Diane Ellis (dellis@law.usc.edu) with the subject line “SCALL Grant Application”

Important Information:

• The number of grants awarded each year depends on SCALL’s budget and the volume of qualified applications.
• In cycles where funding is limited, preference is given to applicants who are actively involved in SCALL committees, are scheduled to speak at the event, or are expected to benefit significantly from the conference programming.
• If you do not receive a grant in a particular cycle, we encourage you to reapply in the future.
• Grant recipients are asked to contribute an article to the SCALL Newsletter, sharing insights from the grant-funded conference they attended. Additionally, AALL grant recipients are expected to serve for a SCALL committee in the following year.

For more information, please contact Amber Kennedy Madole.

        Community Youth Internship Experience

Donate Now

Mission Statement

SCALL established the Community Youth Internship Experience in 1992. Our mission is to offer employment opportunities to qualified high school students from underserved schools in private, public and academic libraries as well as other related institutions. Our program intends that by participating in these work environments, our interns will gain more familiarity with the profession of law, law librarianship, and useful work experience. We want to further these students’ career aspirations and to encourage them to achieve all that they can.

Program Description

CYIE is a structured paid internship program across Los Angeles County, San Bernardino County, and Riverside County, having placed over 250 high school interns since its inception, and has received support from over 90 host sites.

Benefits to Host Sites

• No overhead of recruitment
• Student intern available 20 hours per week
• Customized program catered to your needs
• Wholly or partially subsidized by SCALL

Benefits to Students

• Paid employment
• Transferable skills: time management, meeting deadlines, collaborating with a team, office basics (answering a phone, using a copy machine, working a reference desk, customer service)
• Networking: exposure to a network of legal professionals that can last beyond the summer program
• Professional work exposure: simulate a real-life job search, interview skills, work etiquette, and reporting to a supervisor

About the CYIE Committee

SCALL members volunteer their talents to the Community Youth Internship Experience by completing the SCALL Committee Form. To make the most of your experience on this committee, we recommend serving a term of 2-3 years.

Goals

Members recruit junior and senior high school students to work in law libraries or legal organizations by coordinating a paid internship program. Members are also responsible for recruiting host law libraries and other organizations to hire students to work during the summer for 100 hours.

Duties

1. Coordinate with LAEP or other partners to recruit junior or senior student applicants.
2. Recruit law firms, courts, academic law libraries, and public organizations to serve as host sites for a six to eight week internship period.
3. Participate in welcome orientation and provide training to student interns including an introduction to legal materials and reading call numbers.
4. Participate in closing meetings with student interns and conduct exit interviews and a debrief of the internship experience.
5. Handle procedural questions from host sites and interns during the internship.
6. Provide guidance to host sites about how to assist in welcoming interns into their workflows.
7. Compile information from evaluation forms that both intern & employers complete.
8. Maintain a cloud drive containing forms, samples of correspondence, and pictures documenting each internship period.
9. Interact with the SCALL Membership, Community Partners, and others to fundraise, market the internship program, and provide periodic reports.
10. Interact with the SCALL Executive Committee and write an annual report.

With Los Angeles Education Partnership
www.laep.org

Diana Jaque  djaque@law.usc.edu (213)740-2632

Sangeeta Pal sangeeta@law.ucla.edu 310-794-9671