The Path Less Traveled

by Nancy D. Stancel

MAALL Annual Conference, 2004

Serendipity & networking

It’s Old News Already Serendipity counts! Networking A chance to use/grow

your skills

Last Remnant of a Card Catalog System

Phase I – Planning Grant

$5600.00 Avery Report –June 30, 1994 Purpose – Computer access to legal databases

through a commercial law vendor

At minimum, purchase “a” computer to migrate NPITCA’s print data

This accomplish alone would put NPITCA at forefront of Tribal Appellate systems

Phase I (Continued)

Sought $174,000 grant Create physical library

and incorporate CD-Rom research

Purchase on CD’s a federal law library (reporters, digests, legal forms, CJS)

North & South Dakota state statutes

Nebraska state statutes Subscription to

Handsnet; Connectivity via modem

Who’s included?

NPITCA Tribal Members (1994)

NPITCA (1994)

– Crow Creek Sioux Tribe – Ft. Thompson (S.D.)– Three Affiliated Tribes - Ft. Berthold (S.D.)– Sisseton-Wahpeton Sioux – S.D. & N.D.– Yankton Sioux Tribe (S.D.)– Spirit (Devils) Lake Sioux Tribe (N.D.)– Omaha Tribe of Nebraska– Ponca – Nebraska– Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska

What now?

The Path widens

Transferable skills – Legal texts - knowledge of how Legal research tools

work– FolioViews software – common software in legal

research

Folio Products

Folio Products (Cont.)

Applying Metadata

Metadata - assigning controlled vocabulary terms to data

& Hypertext linking – links between cases,

digests, etc.

Cases

Case Name Digest

Subject Digest

Codes

Resolutions

The Main Menu

Demonstration to Bush Foundation

Court Administrator and NPITCA Board President present:– FolioViews Electronic database– Printed text version of database

& then …

YEE HA!

Expansion of grant

$120,00 additional money added to expand the database.

Law Librarian consultant asked to stay on project.

Include two more codes Include cases from pre-1988

End of Phase I

Accomplishments:– Electronic database created:– 200+ cases– 2 Digests (case name & subject)– 2 Codes– Winnebago resolutions (120), bylaws, charter,

constitution & amendments

Proposed Web site (Phase II)

Make your words count!

“I have heard talk and talk, but nothing is done. Good words do not last long unless they amount to something.”

- Chief Joseph, 1880

Enjoy the conference!

Red Horse, 1876 (Minneconjou Lakota) by Judy Larson