Philip Johnson

Members

• Therese Clarke Arado
• Sheri Lewis

This year the Committee awarded three grants and honored two CALL members with annual awards. The committee also adjusted the grant application process so that there are now two grant applications: one for newer members (with five or fewer years in CALL) and one for more experienced members (with more than five years in CALL).

CALL Grant Recipients

Joanne Kiley, Executive Law Librarian at the Cook County Law Library, received a grant to attend the AALL Annual Meeting in Cleveland in July 2026.

Elizabeth Outler, Collections & Acquisitions Librarian at the Vincent G. Rinn Law Library, DePaul University College of Law, and Stacia Stein, Headquarters Librarian for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, received grants to attend the ALA Annual Conference in Chicago in June 2026.

CALL Chapter Awards

The Committee was pleased to acknowledge this year’s chapter award recipients at the May 2026 Business Meeting.

The Outstanding Lifetime Achievement in Law Librarianship Award is presented annually to a librarian for an outstanding lifetime achievement in law librarianship. This year, CALL honored Mary Ann Lenzen with this award.

The Agnes and Harvey Reid Award for Outstanding Contribution to Law Librarianship is presented annually to librarians who have provided outstanding service to the chapter during the previous year or for contribution to law librarianship. This year, CALL honored Matthew Timko with this award. The Outstanding In-House Publication and the Rising Star for Leadership Potential Awards were not awarded this year.

Report prepared by

Philip Johnson

President’s comments

Thank you to the Meetings Committee. 60 members registered for today’s meeting.

New members

Nicole Anderson, Madison Casteel, Edison Ellenberger, Christian Miller, Jacqueline Norton, Adam Quigley, Syeda Razeen, Todd Venie, Delia Wadlington, and Frank Young.

Thanks to our sponsor

AI Intel (Risk Management, OSINT, & Compliance Monitoring Experts). AIntel is new to the legal market. They provide comprehensive screening and due Diligence.

Speaker

Matt Messbarger, Archival Specialist for the Office of the City Clerk, City of Chicago

Mr. Messbarger shared information on projects he is working on and where we can access the digitized archives. City Council Archival Resources | Office of the City Clerk

This project was funded in part by a grant to the Office of City Clerk to digitize audio recordings from committee meetings. The collection covers 1970-2012.

Journal of Proceedings goes back to 1981 and the Annual indexes to the journal, 1905 -2004 with work in progress to get more uploaded over time. The plan is to go back to 1864. All resources are currently hosted on Internet Archive to ensure there is not a change in publishing on the City websites dependent on the elected officials at any give time.

Mr. Messbarger encourages us to explore the site. He has also tried to link to other local/regional collections where appropriate.

Questions:

1. Can datasets be grabbed and run AI? Yes, it’s all publicly available information.
2. Is Cook County listed? No, keeping specific to City.
3. What’s the most surprising item you found? Audio recordings during council wars with Vrdolyak and Washington almost coming to blows. And James Baldwin document that some Alders wanted to have banned, but there were write-ins in support of and advocating for allowing the Baldwin material and one of the advocates was Studs Terkel.
4. Lyle Benedict has retired but the municipal collection is still available on the 10^th floor of City Hall.
5. Speaker offered contact info -for any other questions CALL members may have. Matthew.messbarger@cityofchicago.org

Grant Awards with Philip

1. Grants:
   1. Elizabeth Outler and Stacia Stein for ALA
   1. Joanne Kiley, AALL
2. Matt Timko is the recipient of the Agnes and Harvey Reid Award for Outstanding Contribution to Law Librarianship. Congratulations, Matt. He was unable to attend. The award will be presented to him at the September meeting.
3. Mary Ann Lenzen is the recipient of the CALL Lifetime Achievement in Law Librarianship award. She recently retired from Ropes and Gray and now volunteers her time working to oppose book bans in Woodstock, IL
   1. Mary Ann expressed her thanks to CALL community

Committee Announcements

1. Government Relations:
   1. 3 webinars with over 200 people registered, thanks for the support
   1. Legal Geek is in town on June 2 and they are looking for someone with academic law library experience with multi-generational communication
2. Membership:
   1. Renewal process is ongoing
   1. if anyone has a transition – change of jobs, etc., do not make a new membership, we will change it on the back-end
3. Mentorship – Happy Hour in June 9 at the Green.

Jill expressed her thanks to all the people on the committees and encouraged everyone to consider volunteering.

Door Prize thanks to LexisNexis: winners are Megan Butman, Kathleen Mance

Board Transition

Outgoing: Philip Johnson, Past President, Mike McMillan, Treasurer, and Emily Byrne, Director

New Board: Diana Koppang, Vice President/President Elect, Keith Klein , Treasurer, Ramsey Donnell, Director

Gavel handed over to Todd Hilmer, the new CALL Board President

Compiled by Joanne Kiley

Financial & Membership Report

• Checking account: $14,080.65
• CD balance: $21,507.52
• Membership: 165 members (4 new)

Key Actions Approved

• Approved the August 2025 agenda and prior Executive Board meeting minutes.
• Approved revisions to the Diversity & Inclusion Advisory charge and handbook language. The Board will evaluate the revised structure during the coming year and make adjustments if needed.

Ongoing Business

• Website redesign: The current website theme is no longer compatible, requiring a temporary placeholder site while development continues. Spam posts and technical issues have been addressed, but no completion timeline is available. The Board also discussed ongoing listserv delivery problems and may explore alternatives.
• Committee recruitment: Chairs have been identified for all committees, but additional members are needed for Bulletin, Community Service, Meetings, and Diversity & Inclusion. Jill Meyer will send a membership-wide call for volunteers.
• Government Policy Statement: Revisions prepared by the Government Relations Committee were reviewed. Board members will provide final feedback before publication on the website, LinkedIn, and listserv.

New Business

• Membership Committee charge: Discussion was postponed pending further review of membership renewal policies and Neon system capabilities, including the possibility of rolling memberships.
• Committee Chair Summit: The Board discussed holding a virtual summit in late September or early October, with an optional in-person networking lunch.
• Committee Chair participation: Committee chairs will be invited to future Board meetings, with priority given to committees active early in the year.
• Grant program review: The Board discussed updating grant eligibility criteria and increasing awareness of grant opportunities to encourage more applications.

Public Relations Updates

• Questions remain regarding legacy social media accounts, including whether inactive Facebook and X/Twitter accounts should be formally deactivated.
• The PR Committee continues to monitor website updates and committee recruitment efforts.

Announcements

CALL’s poster presentation at AALL was well received. The Board discussed including the poster image in a future Bulletin issue.

Next Board Meeting

September 9, 2025

Compiled by Joanne Kiley

All board members present.

Financial & Membership Report

• Checking account: $15,720.85
• CD balance: $21,298.26
• Membership: 131 members (5 new)
• Membership numbers are down due to the annual renewal period. Renewal notices were sent, and the Board will monitor membership levels over the coming month.

Key Actions Approved

Actions Approved

• Approved the June 2025 agenda and May 2025 meeting minutes.
• Approved revisions to the Diversity & Inclusion Committee, which will become a D&I Advisory consisting of a chair and two members. Updates will be made to the handbook and website.

Ongoing Business

• Website redesign: Progress continues, though developer permission issues have caused delays. The new site is expected to be ready soon.
• Committee leadership: Several chairs will continue in their roles. Clare Willis will lead Membership, Kristen Naik will chair D&I, and additional volunteers are still needed for Community Service, Meetings, and Bulletin leadership positions.
• CONELL/AALL: The deadline for a CONELL marketplace table was missed; the Board will pursue poster space instead.

2025-2026 Meeting Schedule

• Sept. 18, 2025 – Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias; sponsored by vLex
• Nov. 12, 2025 – Speaker TBD
• Feb. 19, 2026 – Speaker TBD
• May 21, 2026 – Speaker TBD; possible Thomson Reuters sponsorship

Committee Liaison Assignments

The Board approved liaison assignments and encouraged members to connect with committee chairs, attend meetings when possible, and continue inviting committee chairs to Board meetings. A Committee Chair Summit is being considered for late summer.

Announcements

• Membership committee updates, including listserv access and a revised committee charge, will be discussed further at the next meeting.
• Several CALL members plan to attend AALL, and opportunities to highlight member presentations will be explored.

Next Board Meeting

August 12, 2025

Compiled by Joanne Kiley

Financial & Membership Update

The Treasurer reported balances of $12,654.37 in checking and $21,507.52 in certificates of deposit. Current membership stands at 170 members, including one new member.

Key Old Business

WEbsite Project

The Board discussed the stalled website project after learning that Matt Strict is unable to complete the remaining work. Matt offered to transition the project to a replacement. Board members will seek recommendations, establish clearer accountability and communication expectations for future website support, and ensure a long-term maintenance plan. Board members were asked to test website functionality, and Philip Johnson will investigate access issues.

Committee Recruitment

Several committees, including Bulletin, Community Service, Meetings, and Nominations & Elections, continue to need additional volunteers. Efforts to recruit members will continue throughout the year.

Membership Committee

No updates were available regarding potential implementation of rolling memberships through Neon. Any membership structure changes would occur after the upcoming renewal cycle.

Committee Chair Visits

The Board approved a schedule for committee chairs to attend board meetings throughout the year, providing regular updates on committee activities.

Grant Qualifications

The Board discussed revising grant criteria to encourage broader participation. A proposal to give preference to members who have not previously received a grant received favorable feedback and will be revisited next month.

New Business

Listserv Issues

Ongoing problems with the CALL listserv were a major topic of discussion. Some messages are not being delivered consistently, particularly meeting reminders. The Board reviewed alternative communication platforms and will evaluate options before the next meeting. Britnee will audit the current listserv membership, and Todd continues to work with University of Chicago IT on troubleshooting.

Committee Highlights

• Bulletin Committee: Plans include adding member-interest features to strengthen connections among members and moving publication timelines earlier in the year.
• Continuing Education Committee: Planning an October 22 roundtable focused on technology challenges such as single sign-on systems and generative AI. The committee is seeking speaker recommendations.
• Meetings Committee: Preparations for the upcoming luncheon are progressing well, with venue and sponsorship arrangements finalized. Registration stood at 29 attendees at the time of the meeting. Ongoing listserv issues may be affecting event communications.
• Public Relations Committee: Continues recruitment efforts and plans to focus outreach on LinkedIn and Facebook rather than X.

Action Items

• Board members will test website functionality and identify website support candidates.
• Philip Johnson will investigate website access issues.
• Jill Meyer will distribute information on alternative listserv platforms.
• Board members will review communication platform options before the next meeting.
• Mike McMillan and Philip Johnson will coordinate regarding speaker resources for Continuing Education programming.

The meeting adjourned at 10:03 a.m.

Compiled by Joanne Kiley

The committee includes Caitlin Archer-Helke (co-editor), Janice Collins (co-editor), Rachel Ford (co-editor), Ariel Scotese (member), and Susie Siebert (member). 

The committee year began with ongoing technical and website issues. While these are not yet entirely gone, the committee has largely figured out how to work around them. WordPress related issues continue to make the publication process longer than seems necessary. While it continues to be difficult to obtain consistent content, the Bulletin has published articles from membership including the following:

• “Tools and strategies for detecting AI case citation hallucinations in legal materials” by Ross Prolic and Rachel Wertheim
• “AI personage and sanctions: When the case cited isn’t real” by Frank Young

Committee members continue to liaise with other CALL committees to keep Bulletin readers informed of CALL activities.

Additionally, committee members continue to provide extensive content, including co-editor Rachel Ford’s ongoing web accessibility series, Ariel Scotese’s continuation of the horoscope series started by prior editor Stacia Stein, and Caitlin Archer-Helke’s tarot and oracle deck card pulls.

Co-editors Rachel Ford and Caitlin Archer-Helke have worked together on getting material publication-ready for HeinOnline, including the creation of a new masthead, a shared Google email, and tagging and other actions to make material as accessible as possible.

To read the Bulletin, please see our website.

Jill Meyer, Todd Hillmer, Joanne Kiley, Mike McMillan, Philip Johnson, and Kristen Naik were present. Emily Byrne was absent.

Financial & Membership Report

• Checking account: $11,229.09
• CD balance: $21,793.65
• Membership: 177 members (down one member from December).
• The Board continues to track membership levels and review historical information regarding the chapter’s certificate of deposit.

Key Actions Approved

• Approved the January 2026 agenda and December 2025 meeting minutes.
• Continued oversight of the website redesign project and related content planning.
• Agreed to review listserv guidelines at the next meeting and consider an annual reminder to members.

Ongoing Business

• Website redesign: Development continues, although progress has been slower than anticipated due to technical issues with the new WordPress theme. The developer has resolved the issue and now projects completion by late March or early April 2026. Current work focuses on site structure, content migration, and improving the homepage design.
• Bulletin archive and format: The Board discussed how Bulletin issues should be displayed and archived on the new website. Questions remain regarding PDF conversion, accessibility, and long-term preservation. The Bulletin Committee will consider whether changes to the current format are needed.
• Member engagement: The Board discussed hosting a social event in early 2026, with options including an in-person happy hour or virtual trivia event.
• Listserv guidelines: The Board reviewed questions about committee use of the CALL listserv and agreed that existing guidelines should continue to govern appropriate content. Members also discussed sending an annual reminder of the guidelines and reviewing them each year.

Committee Updates

Archives: Continued efforts to organize and transfer prior Board records and materials.
• Bulletin: The committee is preparing the February issue and developing ideas for future content, including member profiles, government relations topics, retired member features, wellness content, and opportunities for greater member engagement.
• Community Service: No updates.
• Continuing Education: No updates.
• Diversity & Inclusion: No updates.
• Government Relations: The committee is developing programming focused on artificial intelligence, government information, and legal research issues, including educational sessions on AI-related contracts and legal data.
• Grants & Chapter Awards: Grant applications for both newer and experienced professionals are expected to be announced before the end of January. The committee finalized application language and reimbursement requirements.
• Meetings: Planning continues for the February 19 meeting.
• Membership: No updates.
• Mentorship & Career Development: The committee continues planning for GLAM Jam and is awaiting website updates to support promotion of the event. Coordination with AALL is also underway.
• Nominations & Elections: Election preparations continue, and payment for the AALL election platform has been arranged.
• Public Relations: The committee has an upcoming meeting and continues planning future communications efforts.

Announcements

No additional announcements were reported.

Next board meeting: February 10, 2026

Compiled by Joanne Kiley

Jill Meyer, Todd Hillmer, Joanne Kiley, Mike McMillan, Emily Byrne, and Philip Johnson were present. Kristen Naik was absent.

Financial & Membership Report

• Checking account: $11,058.27
• CD balance: $21,793.65
• Membership: 177 members (unchanged from January).
• The Board continues researching the history and establishment of the chapter’s certificate of deposit.

Key Actions Approved

• Approved the February 2026 agenda and January 2026 meeting minutes.
• Continued review and revision of CALL’s listserv guidelines.
• Discussed future plans for archives management and document preservation.

Ongoing Business

• Bulletin format review: The Board discussed how Bulletin issues should be published and archived on the new website. Members favored continuing to provide PDF versions while exploring options for displaying content online. The Bulletin Committee will review its current process and make recommendations.
• Listserv guidelines: The Board reviewed existing guidelines in response to questions about advocacy-related postings. Members discussed clarifying language, improving visibility of discussion etiquette expectations, and adding guidance directing members to contact the Board with questions. Revised guidelines will be circulated for review.
• Website redesign: No major updates were reported. The Board also discussed how website-related contracts and records should be preserved as part of broader archive planning.
• Archives planning: The Board began reviewing long-term procedures for collecting and preserving organizational records. Members discussed current practices, potential cloud-based storage options, and the need to better understand what materials have already been archived.

Committee Updates

• Archives: The Board will continue evaluating archival processes and inventorying existing records before determining next steps.
• Bulletin: Publication of the February issue has been delayed slightly to accommodate a memorial article honoring Lenore Glanz. The committee continues exploring opportunities for member engagement and contributions.
• Community Service: Committee leaders discussed participation in the Chicago Public Library Staff Institute on April 29, where CALL may host a table and contribute programming focused on legal information resources. The committee also reminded members about the Cradles to Crayons volunteer event on March 7.
• Continuing Education: A planned mentoring roundtable was canceled due to low interest. The committee is planning an expert research-focused program for April.
• Diversity & Inclusion: No updates.
• Government Relations: The committee finalized plans for a March 19 program featuring Jessica Frank of the Free Law Project on expanding open access to legal information.
• Grants & Chapter Awards: Applications remain open for CALL grants, although no applications had been received at the time of the meeting. The committee is also monitoring website-related issues affecting access to grant materials.
• Meetings: Registration remains strong for the upcoming business meeting, with more than 40 attendees registered. Planning for the May meeting continues.
• Membership: The committee is updating membership records and preparing for elections. A committee meeting is scheduled later this month.
• Mentorship & Career Development: No updates.
• Nominations & Elections: Elections are scheduled to begin on February 16.
• Public Relations: The committee is finalizing a draft social media policy that will be shared with the Board for review.

Announcements

No additional announcements were reported.

Next board meeting: March 10, 2026

Compiled by Joanne Kiley

Jill Meyer, Todd Hillmer, Joanne Kiley, Mike McMillan, Emily Byrne, Kristen Naik, and Philip Johnson were present.

Financial & Membership Report

• Checking account: $10,288.29
• CD balance: $21,943.19
• The Board confirmed that CALL’s certificate of deposit was originally established in 2007–2008.
• Membership: 180 members (up from 177 in February).

Key Actions Approved

• Approved the March 2026 agenda and February 2026 meeting minutes.
• Continued planning for the website redesign and future website governance.
• Agreed to review election participation issues and follow up with AALL regarding voter access concerns.

Ongoing Business

• Bulletin format: The Board confirmed that future Bulletin issues will continue to be published as complete issues rather than individual blog posts. The Bulletin Committee is creating accessible PDFs and exploring options for preserving and displaying issues on both the website and HeinOnline.
• Website redesign: The developer has signed the contract and received payment. Work is progressing on the homepage, Bulletin section, and content migration. Board members and committees were encouraged to submit any requested website updates by March 31. The Board also discussed future website maintenance and the possibility of creating a technology-focused committee.
• Listserv guidelines: The Board reviewed proposed revisions and agreed that only minor organizational changes are needed. Updated guidelines will be circulated for review.
• Archives planning: The Board continues to evaluate procedures for collecting and preserving chapter records and plans to hold a separate discussion to determine next steps.

Committee Updates

• Archives: Continued work on developing a process for collecting and preserving Board and committee records.
• Bulletin: The Spring issue is scheduled for publication on April 24. The committee continues making older issues more accessible and is addressing issues related to author attribution in the new website template. Plans are underway for an article highlighting recent community service activities.
• Community Service: The Cradles to Crayons volunteer event was successful. Planning continues for participation in the Chicago Public Library Staff Institute on April 29.
• Continuing Education: The committee is planning two upcoming educational sessions and coordinating Zoom logistics for presenters.
• Diversity & Inclusion: No updates.
• Government Relations: A March 19 webinar featuring Jessica Frank of the Free Law Project is scheduled. Additional programs focused on state and federal AI-related legislation are being planned for April.
• Grants & Chapter Awards: Grant and award announcements are being distributed following the opening of AALL registration. The committee is reviewing available funding levels for grants.
• Meetings: Attendance for the February business meeting was strong, with 63 registrants. Planning continues for future meeting venues and programming.
• Membership: No updates.
• Mentorship & Career Development: The committee is hosting a March 31 trivia happy hour and continues outreach efforts with library schools and professional organizations. Members also discussed improvements to meeting registration processes and enhancements to the committee’s website presence.
• Nominations & Elections: Election participation reached approximately 60 votes. The Board discussed reports of members not receiving voting information and is following up with election administrators regarding voter access concerns.
• Public Relations: No significant updates were reported.

Announcements

• The Board discussed highlighting chapter accomplishments during the May business meeting and documenting award presentations through photographs and recognition activities.
• Board members also identified areas where committee and officer responsibilities may need clarification or updating in chapter policies and procedures.

Next board meeting: April 14, 2026

Compiled by Joanne Kiley

All board members were present: Jill Meyer, Todd Hillmer, Joanne Kiley, Mike McMillan, Emily Byrne, Kristen Naik, and Philip Johnson.

Financial & Membership Report

• Checking account: $10,253.58
• CD balance: $21,943.19
• Membership: 185 members (up from 180 in March).
• Membership growth and retention efforts continue to show positive results.

Key Actions Approved

• Approved the April 2026 agenda and March 2026 meeting minutes.
• Continued review and revision of Board officer responsibilities and governance documents.
• Discussed member-facing language for membership renewals and onboarding.

Ongoing Business

• Chapter accomplishments review: The Board began compiling accomplishments from the past year to highlight at the May Business Meeting. Topics under consideration include membership growth, educational programming, social events, volunteer opportunities, community service projects, and enhancements to the Bulletin.
• Board responsibilities review: The Board discussed updates to officer and governance responsibilities to better reflect current chapter practices. Several outdated provisions were identified for revision or removal, and additional review will continue by email.
• Membership engagement: The Board discussed ways to highlight chapter growth and member benefits, including volunteer opportunities, professional development programs, and community service activities. Ideas for celebrating future membership milestones were also considered.
• Event coordination: The Board discussed the importance of avoiding scheduling conflicts between committees and improving communication regarding program dates.

Committee Updates

• Archives: No updates.
• Bulletin: The committee is developing a standardized masthead template to support future editors and ensure continuity between editorial teams.
• Community Service: Planning continues for CALL’s participation in the Chicago Public Library Staff Institute. Volunteers will staff an information table and assist with programming focused on legal information resources.
• Continuing Education: Recent programs were well attended. The committee continues planning future educational sessions and roundtable discussions.
• Diversity & Inclusion: No updates.
• Government Relations: The committee successfully hosted a webinar on free legal information resources and has scheduled two April programs focused on artificial intelligence legislation and legal research tools. Planning is also underway for future programming on library board service and the possible revival of the Legislator of the Year Award.
• Grants & Chapter Awards: Several grant applications have been received. The committee is seeking additional nominations for chapter awards and discussed ways to promote the nomination process.
• Meetings: The committee continues evaluating venue options for future events and business meetings.
• Membership: The committee completed a review of membership records, consolidated email lists, and successfully encouraged several members to renew. Work is also underway on onboarding resources for new members.
• Mentorship & Career Development: No updates.
• Nominations & Elections: No updates.
• Public Relations: No updates.

Announcements

No additional announcements were reported.

Next board meeting: May 12, 2026

Compiled by Joanne Kiley