About Us
The objects of the Canadian Association of Law Libraries are:
- To promote law librarianship, to develop and increase the usefulness of Canadian law libraries, and to foster a spirit of co-operation among them.
- To provide a forum for meetings of persons engaged or interested in law library work and to encourage professional self-development.
- To co-operate with other organizations which tend to promote the objects of the Association or the interests of its members.
The above objects of CALL are excerpted from the official CALL March 1981 incorporation document often called the CALL "Corporate Charter". The objects of the association have not changed since that date.
CALL currently has approximately 400 members representing a wide variety of law library interests across Canada. It provides a forum for the exchange of information and ideas among members, fosters cooperation among Canadian law libraries, and plays an active role in promoting access to legal information for all Canadians.
Join Today
As an Association member, you have access to a network of experts in legal information management and retrieval. Whether you are part of the staff of a large library or work in a one-person library, you can benefit from the contacts you will make through the CALL. With contacts across the country and in all types of law libraries, whatever the task at hand, someone in the Association almost certainly has experience which can help you. A little historyThe Canadian Association of Law Libraries (CALL) has roots dating back to the late 1950's when several Canadian law librarians informally began meeting at annual meetings of the American Association of Law Libraries (AALL) to discuss matters of mutual interest. On July 5, 1963, CALL became a formal association with its own Constitution and By-Laws. The first President of CALL was Marianne Scott, with Eunice Beeson acting as Vice-President and Rosemary McCormick acting as Secretary. CALL also became a chapter of AALL in 1963 and continued as a chapter of AALL until 1971. CALL is currently incorporated as a federal corporation under the Not-For-Profit Corporations Act.
Over the years, there have been a number of articles on the history of the association published in the Canadian Law Library Review. All the articles are available on HeinOnline. CALL members have free access to the publication on HeinOnline via the Members Publication page in the Members only zone of the website.
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Margaret A. Banks, "Beginnings" (1988) 13(6) Canadian Association of Law Libraries Newsletter/Bulletin 5-10
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---, "CALL/ACBD - A Chapter of AALL, 1963-1971" (1988) 13(6) Canadian Association of Law Libraries Newsletter/Bulletin 10-14
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---, "CALL/ACBD: An Independent, Unincorporated Canadian Organization 1971-1981" (1988) 13(6) Canadian Association of Law Libraries Newsletter/Bulletin 15-20
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---, "CALL/ACBD: A Federal Corporation without Share Capital, 1981 to Date" (1988) 13(6) Canadian Association of Law Libraries Newsletter/Bulletin 20-24
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Janet M. Moss, "The Canadian Association of Law Libraries / Association canadienne des bibliothèques de droit: A Continuing History, 1988-2012, [Part I]" (2013) 38 Canadian Law Library Review 74-88
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---, "The Canadian Association of Law Libraries / Association canadienne des bibliothèques de droit: A Continuing History, 1988-2012, [Part II]" (2013) 38 Canadian Law Library Review 122-130
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---, "The Canadian Association of Law Libraries / Association canadienne des bibliothèques de droit: A Continuing History, 1988-2012, [Part III]" (2013) 38 Canadian Law Library Review 163-173
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---, "The Canadian Association of Law Libraries / Association canadienne des bibliothèques de droit: A Continuing History, 1988-2012, [Part IV]" (2014) 39 Canadian Law Library Review 13-22