Finally . . .

As yet another academic year quickly passes by, you may notice some of the changes that have occurred on the second floor of the library. Just in case you missed any:

A new Canon microfiche reader/printer is now making microfiche more palatable to the library’s patrons. A user may make paper copies, or scan the fiche to make a digital copy. (The Microform room, #202, is near the state codes.)

The new computer lab may be used in several ways. Faculty can use the smartboard to enhance a classroom presentation. Videoconferencing equipment can link the lab to another location via the internet.

Our new reference librarian, Etheldra Scoggins, may be found in her office, Room 212, or at the Reference Desk.

New furniture from the Worden Company, including tables and study carrels, has now been installed. The deGilde series, designed by James Bubb, combines natural and made-made elements in a constructionist design motif.

The Shepard’s Citators which were on the tall metal range in Reference are now located on the new Worden index tables in front of the new instructional computer lab. These tables are reserved for those patrons who are using the citators; if you need study space, please use one of the new carrels or tables. Remember that special Shepard’s citators, such as those for Louisiana or the CFR, are still in their same places.

As new books or journals come into the library, they make a stop at the Recent Acquisitions shelf. Here you may browse through the latest in legal publishing. If you wish to keep up with the latest journal articles, or simply find a book to read, be sure to visit this shelf, located by the Shepard’s citators.

Laptop computing power needs electrical power. You can forget about tripping over electrical cords strung between tables. Many of the new study carrels and tables will be equipped with internal power strips.

A new Reference Desk, specially built for us by the Worden company, now sits at the rear of the reference section. Too big to be ignored, the new reference desk can handle all of your reference needs. A knowledgeable reference librarian may be found at the desk, waiting to assist you.

We are continually trying to improve the library for the benefit of both the faculty and the students. We hope that these and future changes will make the library a more dynamic and inviting place to begin your legal career.

Everything Old Is New Again

You are working on a paper for class. After checking the paper Index to Legal Periodicals, you find the perfect journal article for your paper.  It is located in the Banking Law Journal, in a 1941 volume. Since you are a savvy law student, you check the Library’s online catalog, and discover that the Library does indeed have this journal, but that the collection only goes back to 1947. Undaunted, you turn to Westlaw or Lexis. As a very savvy law student, you check the paper Westlaw or Lexis Database Directory, and discover that one of them does indeed have this journal, but that their collection only goes back to 1987!
Since you are really a very very savvy law student (who doesn’t know the meaning of the word “quit”), you turn to the Library’s home page, and click on “Links to Law Library Resources.” You scroll down, and find “Hein-On-Line.” On this site, you find the December 1941 article that you need.
Hein-On-Line is a great source for periodical articles in full text. The database is a product of William S. Hein & Co., Inc., a major legal publisher and distributor. Hein-On-Line provides electronic access to pre-1980 legal periodical literature that is usually not available from any other online source. More recent articles are also included, however.
The company provides un-corrected OCR (Optical Character Recognition) text for these periodicals. Unlike a simple scanned image, a program interprets the characters being scanned, so that the document can be searched. But, because it was scanned, what you see looks just like the original printed page. A user can browse through the collection, or do full text searching. Unlike Westlaw and Lexis, a page number found on the database is the same page number found on the original document. Therefore, even if a citation is off a bit, you can still retrieve the intended page.
 

Supreme Court Updates

Keeping up with the United States Supreme Court’s new decisions can be time consuming. Fortunately, Cornell’s Legal Information Institute makes the process a lot easier. They offer hyper links to new decisions on their web site at http://supct.law.cornell.edu/supct/index.php . If you prefer to be continuously updated, Cornell will send you a free email bulletin that summarizes the Court’s decisions as they are handed down. Instructions on how to subscribe to this service may be found at http://liibulletin.law.cornell.edu/

Staff Announcements

The Library is pleased to announce that Etheldra Scoggin has joined the Reference staff this semester. Ms.Scoggin  came to us from Villanova University School of Law, where she was a Reference Librarian and Legal Research Instructor. She has a B.A. from Newcomb College/Tulane University, a J.D. from the University of Houston, and a M.L.I.S. from Louisiana State University.
 Michael Whipple has been appointed to chair the American Association of Law Libraries’ Price Index for Legal Publications Advisory Committee (‘03-’04). He was also recently appointed to a three year term on the Association of American Law Schools’ Libraries and Technology Committee (‘03-’05).

Profile:  CALI

The new law student may be forgiven for believing that CALI is a Hindu deity. A quick trip to the website  http://www.cali.org/about/, however, will reveal that the Center for Computer-Assisted Legal Instruction is a non-profit consortium of law schools that researches and develops computer-mediated legal instruction, and supports institutions and individuals using technology in legal education. Established in 1982, CALI now has over 180 member schools, and publishes 270 computer-based tutorials in 27 different areas. So, even if you are unfamiliar with CALI, other law students are familiar with it.

Lessons are prepared by law professors and law librarians. The length of time that each author suggests may be required to complete each lesson (anywhere from a fraction of an hour to several hours) is as varied as the lessons themselves. You may wish to start with a short lesson, and then try one that lasts for several hours. Although the lessons are prepared by many different authors, they all have the same look: CALI utilizes a common template screen for each lesson. The software is simple and easy to use; even a person with only limited computer experience can navigate each lesson. For the truly competitive, the lesson will keep track of your score.

One well-known author is Ronald L. Carson, the Fuller E. Callaway Professor of Law at the University of Georgia School of Law. His lesson on Expert and Opinion Evidence  presents a series of courtroom exchanges which read like sections of transcript. The lesson is divided into civil and criminal sections. After a portion of testimony, you are prompted to rule on objections. If one makes a correct ruling, a pop-up box will explain why the ruling is proper, and will cite the pertinent case law, rule, or even treatises, which are often written by Prof. Carlson. If one chooses the wrong answer, a pop-up box will reveal why it is incorrect. This can be as helpful as a correct response.

Why use CALI? The average law student can learn a lot from the lessons. Even if a law student believes that she has already mastered a subject area, then CALI lessons are still useful as a means of "testing" that mastery.

    Library News: Food & Drink

Please help us by complying with the Law Library food and drink policy.  You may drink beverages from spill-proof containers anywhere in the Law Library.  Covered containers such as those from Starbucks do not qualify.  We will be giving a spill-proof mug to all first-year students as well as returning upperclass students.  Ask about your mug at the Circulation and Reserve Desk.

There should be no food on the second or third floors of the Law Library.  In the first floor reading room, you may consume non-microwavable vending machine snacks such as potato chips, corn chips, and candy.  Please dispose of wrappers appropriately.

Please cooperate with this food and drink policy.  It is designed to protect the Law Library from an invasion of little creatures that not only feed on any leftovers but on paper, bindings, and glue in books.  It will also serve to protect the new furniture from any inadvertent spills.

The More Things Change. . .

The second and third floors of the law library used to look remarkably similar. Both had the same floor plan,  the same color carpet, and the same 70’s era furniture. The real difference was one of sound, not appearance: the third floor was reserved for silent study. This policy has not changed. So, as you notice the visual difference between the floors, please remember the aural difference as well. Keep the third floor quiet.

Library Hours

Please call the Circulation Department at 861-5545 if you have any questions regarding the hours of operation.

The law library will be open for extended hours during the final examination period. The library's schedule will be:

Spring Final Examination Schedule:
April 28 - May 12, 2003
Monday - Monday 7:30 a.m. - 12:00 a.m.

Tuesday, May 13, 2003
7:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Regular Break Schedule:
Wednesday May 14 - Monday May 26, 2003
8:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Reference Desk:

Monday - Thursday: 9:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Friday: 9:00 a.m.  - 4:30 p.m.

Sunday: 2:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.