Laura Ax-Fultz
Associate Dean for Library and Information ServicesLaura J. Ax-Fultz is the associate dean for library and information services at the H. Laddie Montague Jr. Law Library at Penn State Dickinson Law. In addition to her library administrator responsibilities, Professor Ax-Fultz teaches legal research in the first-year curriculum, LL.M. Legal Research, and upper-level courses as well as providing guest lectures in other courses. In addition, she provides research assistance on a wide variety of topics from general questions to specific guidance on the navigation of online resources. Professor Ax-Fultz enjoyed a career in private legal practice in Pennsylvania, focusing on family law, criminal law, and appellate work. While maintaining an active law practice, she pursued a master’s in Library Science from Clarion University. Professor Ax-Fultz also held law librarian positions at Penn State Law and at the United States Third Circuit Court of Appeals in Wilmington, Delaware. Select Publications by Professor Ax-Fultz Take Five for Customer Service Igniting the Conversation: Embracing Legal Literacy as the Heart of the Profession |
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Ax-Fultz’s Publications
Book Chapters
Ax-Fultz, L. (50%), & Tarves, T. K. (2022). The Law Libraries of Penn State. In Beth Adelman & Jessica de Perio Wittman (Eds.), Academic Law Library Structures: Past, Present, and Future Hein. Peer-reviewed/refereed. [In press — forthcoming].
Take Five for Customer Service. Pennsylvania Libraries: Research & Practice 4(1), pp. 4-19. (With Barbara Eshbach, Evonne Loomis, and Richard Miller, 2016).
Igniting the Conversation: Embracing Legal Literacy as the Heart of the Profession. Law Library Journal 107(3), pp. 421-439. (2015).
Basic Online Legal Research for Librarians. Pennsylvania Libraries: Research & Practice 2(1), pp. 71-83. (2014).
PORTT: The Legal Research Certification Program at Penn State Law The ALL-SIS Newsletter 33(2). (2014).
Taking Legal Research Instruction to the Next Level with the National Legal Research Teach-In. AALL Spectrum 18(4), 2. (2014).
Trade Publication, Professional
Ax-Fultz, L. J. (2022). "Using Institutional Objectives to Measure Peformance & Show Value." AALL Spectrum. 27(2), (pp. 2).
AALL Spectrum is the flagship magazine of the American Association of Law Libraries, distributed to the membership on a monthly basis. The authors of the "Ask a Director" column are personally invited by the editor to submit an answer for a posed question. See https://aallspectrum.aallnet.org/html5/reader/production/default.aspx?pubname=&edid=aa3ec334-f932-4200-961d-77cd169ed4bc
Blog
Ax-Fultz, L. (2022). Keeping it Brief!
- International Day of Peace (9/21/2022)
- Morning Pages for Mental Health (10/12/2022)
Ax-Fultz’s Affiliations and Service to the Community
Service to the Disciplines and to the Profession
American Association of Law Libraries, Educating and Diversifying the Next Generation Caucus, Credentials and Compensation Committee, Co-Chairperson, National. (June 2022 - Present).
Study the credentials and salaries of law librarians, including: the degrees needed for librarian positions, barriers to the profession due to required credentials, myths about law librarian credentials, and salary disparities among librarians and between librarians and other academic constituencies. Develop tools, publications, and programs for librarians seeking employment.
US News Working Group — Personnel, Society of Academic Law Library Directors, Committee Member, National. (2021 - Present).
Service to Public and Private Organizations
HSLC: Hosting Solutions and Library Consulting, Board Member, State. (January 2022 - December 2022).
HSLC is a nonprofit organization that contributes to the success of libraries by delivering technical and consulting services. The Board of Directors has oversight responsibilities for the organization and its mission to support libraries across Pennsylvania.
Honors or Awards for Service to the Profession
RIPS-SIS Service Award, American Association of Law Libraries. (July 2022).
The Research Instruction and Patron Services Special Interest Section Service award honors a RIPS-SIS member who has made outstanding contributions to RIPS-SIS in areas of section activity and professional service.
Penn State Dickinson Law and Penn State Law are reunifying to operate as Penn State University’s single law school, which will be known as Penn State Dickinson Law. While ABA approval for the reunification is pending, both schools are currently fully accredited. We submitted an application for acquiescence to operate as a single law school in July 2024 and plan to enroll a unified class in Fall 2025. Once reunification is complete, the separate faculties of each school will be members of the reunified Penn State Dickinson Law faculty.