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Legally Speaking: Jenn and I appeared with attorney Jim Hilborn on his TVCTV public access call-in program Legally Speaking (no web site yet). I know we should have told you before the program, but while I’ve spoken in front of large groups before, TV is a whole different and stressful ball-game. I figured the fewer people watching the better, at least for our debut. And if all went well and Jim wanted us back, then maybe I’d put the word out. All did go well. Jim was a wonderful host, we had callers with excellent questions (thanks to our best-ever call screeners who performed with unmatched skill and humor), and I survived, although a word of advice. Don’t wear linen on TV. It is cool if the room is hot, but the wrinkles that appear on screen aren’t pretty. (Marlene Dietrich and Ingrid Bergman can pull it off the linen look, but heaven knows, I’m no Marlene or Ingrid!) But do coordinate with your fellow guests. Jenn was lovely in her lavender and I in my pink so how wrong could we really go. The tough part is next. Is the law librarian work we do, and in particular the reference work we do, suitable for a TV call-in show, even with only periodic appearances? With Jim, who made it all seem easy and fun, we had a good time and showed viewers how a lawyer would answer the caller’s question and how a law librarian would answer the same question. But can a call-in legal research show ever hope to become the law librarian/lawyer version of Click and Clack? I don’t think so. In our defense, there isn’t ANY call-in show to match them, but realistically, can one play reference librarian on TV once a month, perhaps a 10 or 15 minute spot on the show? Maybe, maybe not. Jim is brave enough to welcome us back on so we’ll see.

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