National Indian Law Library
David Selden; Monica Martens

Projects Underway:

NARF Web Site Facelift and Branding: The library has been working with NARF Development on a facelift for the NARF web site. The facelift involves a new look and reorganization that should make the site more attractive and easier to use. In addition, the library has developed a new logo that fits in with the overall branding of NARF. The new logo will be used on the NILL portion of the NARF web site as well as on NILL correspondence and promotional materials. Look for the facelift and logo on the NARF/NILL web site in November.

Projects Completed:

Publishing & Launching of A Practical Guide to the Indian Child Welfare Act: Over the past few months, the Library staff and volunteers focused much of their efforts on completing the web site version of A Practical Guide to the Indian Child Welfare Act. NARF published this Guide in book format, which included the Introduction, FAQ/Answer chapters, and abbreviated appendices. The Library had been tasked with creating web pages for this content and the full appendices (only available at NARF's web site). The full appendices included: primary research documents (federal and state laws, regulations, court cases, legislative materials) and secondary research documents (reports, guides, links, a bibliography, forms, and contact information). All NILL student staff and volunteers had a part in this project, which added 1,800 new files to the NARF web site (now 6,000 files).

Library Outreach and Education: Both NILL Librarians gave presentations this summer. David Selden gave a plenary program on tribal law research at the conference of the National Council of State Legislatures in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Monica Martens presented a program at a conference of tribal college librarians in Bozeman, Montana. Both programs focused on the specialized research services available from the National Indian Law Library. The audiences, although highly important in relation to the NILL mission, were generally unfamiliar with NILL and its services. Library staff also attended various child welfare conferences during 2007 to publicize the ICWA Guide and demo a draft version of the web site with NARF Attorneys.