Image courtesy of Yale Law School

This month we would like to share Yale University Law Library's plan to help reduce student stress by

offering a therapy dog available for check-out among the law resources!

"...Librarian Blair Kauffman announced that the law library will run a three-day pilot program in which students can "check out" the certified library therapy dog - Monty - for thirty minute periods. He wrote that he hopes the program, which will begin March 28, will reduce student stress.

'We hope that making a therapy dog available to our students will prove to be a positive addition to current services offered by the library,' he said in the e-mail..."  Read Full article in Yale Daily News.   

A second story about Monty is also available here. 

In case you also missed the April 1 story featured on Harvard Law School Library's blog, they are introducing their Therapy Liger (April fools!) 

If you are interested to find out how Monty was cataloged in MORRIS, Yale Law School's catalog, click here!

Cassidy Cataloguing's president, Joni Cassidy, has been teaching Cataloging and Introductory Technical Services in New York metro-area library schools for many years.  In that capacity, she and the professional staff of Cassidy Cataloguing have had the opportunity to inspire several graduate students to pursue a career in Technical Services. We believe it is one of the things that sets us apart from any other catalog-record provider.

Jill Yaël Milhorat

"I met Joni at the start of my second year at Long Island University working towards my MLIS. I was contently working in my local public library as a Children's Librarian and had fully intended upon continuing in that area of librarianship. For some reason, unbeknownst to me, cataloguing is the most dreaded required course in Library school among students. Not being one to fall into gossip and having an open mind, I had no preconceptions going into my cataloguing class where Joni was teaching for the first time. Yes, cataloguing did come easy to me as I deeply enjoy it but there is no question that Joni was a huge part of that equation. I think it was when Joni's dog ate my homework which was the turning point from merely doing well to Joni becoming my mentor.

Joni voluntarily took the role of my mentor. While I enjoyed being a Children's Librarian, cataloguing satisfied something much deeper for me and Joni helped to hone that enthusiasm. When I was working towards my MLIS degree I was a single mother of a young child and was holding down three jobs just to make ends meet. Because of Joni's compassion, she helped me navigate the new world of Library and Information Science and guided me amongst the various associations and scholarships so I could manage to afford to graduate while providing for my daughter. Yes, I had to work hard and get the high grades and write the essays, but I never would have known that there were so many resources available so I could afford to finish my degree if Joni had not taken the time to show me the ropes. Plus, getting all the scholarships and awards helped my résumé which helped me gain employment in the cataloguing field.

While I sincerely adored and admired the majority of my professors in Library School, Joni was the only one who actively took me under her wing to be a mentor, an employer, and throughout the years most of all a friend who helped me when she did not have to do so. I can honestly say that I doubt I would be where I am today without Joni's guidance, wisdom and kindheartedness. Currently I am a Catalog Librarian at Rutgers University School of Law - Newark. But working for Cassidy Cataloguing Services, Inc. provided me with a plethora of experience to feel more confident to tackle new tasks. I cannot divulge the identity of the interviewer, but in one interview the potential employer was looking over my resume and remarked 'You work for Cassidy Cataloguing. That is all I need to know. Do you want the job?' I am forever grateful."