Reference Librarian
E-mail: zook@wisc.edu
Telephone: (608)262-7761
Office: Room 5326, Law School
Education:
B.A. Education, University of Wisconsin
M.L.S. University of Wisconsin
Teaching Areas:
Business Organizations/Corporations
Intellectual Property
Skills Training
Biography
I enjoy research and gained a reputation as an experienced legal researcher during my tenure working in a busy law firm in Chicago. First, as a reference librarian, and later as a legal information manager at an American Lawyer Top 100 Law Firm.
I describe my ability to locate information as a form of "legal research serendipity" because so often research is not only about locating information, but about recognizing what is valuable. Sometimes, stumbling upon what you need while looking for something else, feels very much like a fortunate accident.
When it comes to research, my moto is "be flexible," and while I appreciate using technology for research, I also value more traditional resources, for example, print resources. It's print and my love of books, after all, that first drew me to a career as a librarian and since we live in a hybrid time in research where book research and online research must co-exist, I've learned to value whatever tool helps me locate information.
My approach to the latest technology and research tool is to continue to evaluate as many services as possible. Because these resources are constantly changing, I advocate dating rather than marrying the latest tech. tool, and keep your options open!
I'm a firm believer in teaching others the principles behind good legal research skills. At the University of Wisconsin, I coordinate library instruction programs for faculty and staff and have presented on a variety of legal topics at the University of Wisconsin - Madison, as well as to the legal community of Wisconsin.
During my Chicago years, I designed and taught an online legal research course for Paralegals at Harper College, in Palatine, Illinois. In Madison, I am a member of the Paralegal Certification Board at MATC.
I am a past President of the Law Librarians Association of Wisconsin (LLAW) and an active member of American Association of Law Libraries (AALL).
