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