AALLSpectrum_Apr 3/13/06 4:09 PM Page 12

perspective

Beyond the Spectrum

How AALL has benefited an international member

by Shaikh Mohamed Noordin

hen I accepted the job as a librarian in a medium-

W sized law firm in Kuala Lumpur in 1996, little did

I know what I was signing up for. I knew that I
had been entrusted to manage a law firm library, but I had no
clue whatsoever of the pitfalls ahead of me.

12 AALL Spectrum April 2006 © 2006 Shaikh Mohamed Noordin

AALLSpectrum_Apr 3/13/06 4:10 PM Page 13
Previously a corporate librarian in the
shipping and banking industries, I had no
prior experience in law librarianship. There
was no specific job description, except for
a brief introduction to the library. In
Malaysia, law firm librarians are mainly
hired for generic tasks, such as purchasing
and arranging books, updating statutes,
and the general gopher role of locating
books and resources for lawyers. It is often
the case in Malaysia that a law librarian’s
qualification is earned day-to-day in the
running of a law library.
The image of a law librarian as a
mere “keeper of the books” is a common
impression among lawyers here. Few
attorneys recognize the value of an
experienced librarian as an
astute custodian of knowledge
and, hence, fail to fully utilize
this resource in their practices.
Sadly, that perception has led
many law firms to hire poorly
trained or professionally
unqualified law librarians for
the job. It does not help that
much of what is tasked to a
librarian generally is clerical in
nature and that there may not
be a system in place to quantify
the services of a law librarian
vis-à-vis revenue generation. Shaikh Mohamed
When a law firm begins to Noordin
recognize that some of a
trained librarian’s time can be
billed to a client, the value of a librarian
starts to be properly realized and utilized.
The general segment of Malaysian
lawyers do not understand the value a
librarian brings, although they may be aware
of the importance of having someone to
take good care of their libraries. Despite
the growing need for the expertise of law
librarians in Malaysia, the number of
qualified librarians is rapidly shrinking.
Many of our professional law librarians
are unable to sustain their interest, due to
lucrative offers in other sectors or being
ill-equipped for the job. Even for those
who want to excel and develop themselves,
there are no formal training courses in law
librarianship available in Malaysia. There is
also a very limited circle of law librarians to
turn to and from which to seek advice. Loss
of interest due to these reasons and many
other factors are commonplace among the
professional law librarians here.
It is a continuing challenge for a
librarian like me to create an impact on the
job without professional guidance. How
can one convince others if one is not even
convinced oneself? Becoming a member of
the one and only professional association of
librarians in Malaysia is of limited help.
The association itself is too small and ill
prepared to cater to many facets and
interests possible within the profession.
Many of my curiosities in law librarianship
were left unanswered. But I was determined
not to have an outdated impression of the
profession while others are out there making
their marks.
AALL Fills the Void
This situation prompted me to look outside
the country for guidance and the possibility
of emulating others in the hope of improving
myself professionally. I found contacts for
several leading associations of law librarians
on the Internet, and one of these was AALL.
After some soul searching, I
chose to join AALL, as it was
the oldest and largest association.
AALL also seemed to have an
abundance of educational
resources in law librarianship.
Though I may be too far
away physically to enjoy the
splendid activities offered by
the Association, much of the
information can still be accessed
through its various publications.
Many of my questions were
answered when I received
brochures from AALL outlining
the benefits of membership. I am
still very excited to be associated
with an organization that is so
relevant and pertinent to our common cause.
AALL has provided an alternative for me and
has helped to fill the void.
Psychologically, AALL has boosted my
professional confidence. Just the thought of
being accepted in the largest professional
organization of this kind has changed my
attitude towards the profession itself. I no
longer feel alone and professionally isolated,
knowing that I can share my enthusiasm
and learn a great deal from the best in the
profession. I value all the information I
have received so far and have also started
to purchase more material for my own
reference purposes. My presence in the
firm is more visible now; my role and
contributions to the firm have been steadily
attracting attention.
AALL Inspires Professional Growth
From the time I started at my firm, Tay
and Partners, my traditional role has evolved
into one with a multitude of roles to
meet current needs. I am more fulfilled
professionally and accountable to the firm’s
well being. The guidance from more
experienced members in AALL has inspired
me to where I am today. I cannot imagine
doing the same thing I did 10 years ago.
My perspective of the job has changed
tremendously with multiple roles outside
traditional practice.
I have been fortunate to be able to work
with lawyers who are receptive to new ideas
and have an innovative approach to the
practice of law. My firm was among the first
in Malaysia to have a Web site, after the
relaxation of the Publicity Rules of our Bar
Council. This led to me being among the
first few librarians here to act as a Web
master. The Web site has recorded the
highest hits for those seeking full-text
statutes of Laws of Malaysia. It has also
been linked to various popular legal research
portals, including the Law Library of
Congress (www.taypartners.com.my/v_link
List.asp?catid=15). AALL has helped by
offering tips on how to promote the Web
site through its publications.
It is also with much pride that I sit
with other partners of the firm on the
Editorial Board as co-coordinator of the
firm newsletter. My role is to ensure that the
newsletter meets its publication deadlines.
I am developing my own interest in writing
after some pointers from several articles in
Spectrum. A few of my own articles, such as
“Facing A New Reality: the Opportunities
and Challenges of Law Librarians in
Malaysia” (Journal of Malaysian Bar, INSAF
(2004)), and “Legal Research Facilities in
Malaysia” (Legal Information Management,
the journal of the British and Irish
Association of Law Librarians, BIALL
(2005)), have seen print in both local and
international journals.
In my current projects, I am preparing
articles for the Australian Law Librarian
Journal on the accessibility of law in
Commonwealth countries in Southeast
Asia from the Malaysian, Singaporean, and
Bruneian perspectives and for the Malaysian
Journal of Library and Information Science on
computer-assisted legal research in Malaysia.
I am grateful for the relevant guidance
that was available through the various
publications of AALL, which has assisted
me in no small way on my writing projects.
I find many of the AALL articles on
legal research to be very encouraging and an
eye-opener in enhancing my knowledge of
the subject. Teaching legal research is not a
common practice for law firm librarians in
Malaysia. I have begun giving legal research
training during library orientations for our
new lawyers and pupils (fresh graduates
undergoing training prior to being called
to the Bar). Some of our lawyers are foreign
graduates who may be unfamiliar with
Malaysian legal terms. These foreign-trained
(continued on pg. 27)
AALL Spectrum April 2006 13
AALLSpectrum_Apr 3/13/06 4:17 PM
Go Fish!— continued from pg. 6
Award Box.” These little acknowledgments
have proven effective.
3. Make Their Day
“The playful way they do their work allows
us to find creative ways to engage our
customers,” say the fish market personnel
in Fish! “That’s the key word: engage.”
Try to find ways to engage your clients,
customers, and patrons in your work.
“Focusing your attention on ways to make
another person’s day provides a constant
flow of positive feelings,” advises Fish!
In the law library, it is important we
look approachable and not too busy to help
our patrons.
4. Be Present
Be present, fully engaged in your work.
Make your customers or patrons wonder
if you would ever want to be any place else.
Be present and focus—focus on your patrons.
In my library we opened a Faculty
Reference Desk on another floor where most
of our student carrels are located. Of course,
Averett was the one behind this concept.
Another way to implement some of
these ideas is to divide up the staff in your
departments for brainstorming sessions.
Try to come up with different ways to
incorporate your modules and goals. And
remember, we can all do what we love for
our life’s work … if we have the right
attitude. ■
Linda C. Brown (brownl@lawgate.byu.
edu) is circulation manager at Brigham
Young University in Provo, Utah, where she
supervises 25 student employees.
Ad Index
AALL Planned Giving . . . . . . . . . 21
BNA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Global Securities . . inside front cover
LexisNexis . . . 7, inside back cover
Purdue University . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Social Law Library. . . . . . . . . . . 29
10K Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
West . . . . . . . . . . 3, 24, back cover
Page 27
Beyond the Spectrum— continued from pg. 13
lawyers appreciate my guidance on how
Malaysian law is documented and
published. I also provide instruction on how
to access Malaysian legal databases and to
find our law resources on the Internet. In
the course of all this, I have realized that
there is an absence of source reference
outlining legal research in Malaysia, which
has prompted me to begin writing a book
on this subject for student reference.
A New Challenge
Currently, I am involved in developing our
documents/precedents management system.
My understanding about knowledge
management concepts through various
articles in AALL’s publications has helped me
tremendously to contribute input on the
project. I am now responsible for managing
internally-generated information, which I
hope to model after the management of
externally-generated information in the firm
library. I am also helping the firm in its
marketing efforts by ensuring that all
materials about the firm and lawyers in
various publications and Web sites are
updated. Perhaps all these tasks are common
among law librarians in America, but, for us
in Malaysia, these experiences have taken our
traditional role into a new dimension and
have made the profession more challenging.
The influence, motivation, and inspiration
that came with the knowledge gained through
my association with AALL has heightened my
passion for my work. Even with my passive
participation in the organization, I believe
myself to be an example of how AALL has
succeeded in reaching beyond its spectrum in
pioneering the development of law
librarianship worldwide.
It is satisfying to me to have the full
support and confidence of the partners of
my firm, who fully sponsor my member-
ship. They are confident that the benefits of
AALL membership will manifest themselves
in both tangible and intangible ways for the
firm. Membership in AALL has provided
me with a different perspective on law
librarianship that I have in turn tried to
project on our legal community here. I have
no hesitation in recommending AALL to
those wishing to expand their horizons in
the profession. AALL has been a rewarding
choice. ■
Shaikh Mohamed Noordin (nordin@
taypartners.com.my) is managing librarian
for Tay and Partners in Kuala Lumpur.
He is also an active member of the Librarians
Association of Malaysia and was the first
chairman of the association’s Committee for
the Malaysian Law Librarian Group. He is
the only Malaysian member of AALL.
AALL Spectrum April 2006 27