New and Free: Google Desktop Search, Version 2

A Virtual Library Cat knows…every minute matters to a law student. The reference librarians tell me that Google has just announced a new software tool for Windows, available free at google.com, that should make your online life more efficient--and fun. Google Desktop Search, Version 2, allows you to search your own PC for more types of documents than the first version, including a variety of e-mail files (GMail, Outlook, Outlook Express and more) and chat mail transcripts, and to search PDF files. With its new Sidebar feature, you can go directly to real-time Internet information—incoming e-mail, news, weather, stocks—with just a click from your keyboard, and type casual notes and reminders that are saved automatically. You can learn more about Google’s newest software tools from an excellent New York Times article by David Pogue, “Google Gets Better. What’s Up With That?” (August 25, 2005, page C1), also available in an online subscription version with an audio slide show of the new Desktop Search program (www.nyt.com).
Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

The Library Cat Welcomes You

WELCOME ALL NEW LAW STUDENTS!!!

WELCOME BACK ALL RETURNING LAW STUDENTS!!!

For those of you who do not know me, I am Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat. My job is to prowl the Library for news and to pass along any good research tips I learn from the Reference Librarians.

Let me know what you think. My whiskers are always twitching for a good virtual conversation.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Tip for the First Years

A little known resource that will help you to answer many of the questions on your forthcoming Library assignment is the handout called "Orienting New Law Students: Law Libraries" . The Reference Librarians designed this handout to answer the questions on your assignments. You will find copies of these handouts at the Reference desk. If I get enough comments to this post, you may even persuade me to make it available here.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Continuing Library Construction

If you were around this summer, you will have noticed that the bathrooms in the Library (as well as some others in the law school building) were being refurbished. Unfortunately, due to a construction difficulty the library bathrooms are not yet completed, although we hope they soon will be done.

In related news, over the summer the library collection was shifted around, with some major moves happening. Maps to help you locate materials are available at both the Circulation and Reference Desks, and will hopefully soon be posted here as well.


Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Welcome to Long Island!

Welcome to all returning and 1L students. If you are new to Long Island, you may like a resource for events, attractions, maps, etc. to help you get around. About.com is a web group that believes that people are the best guides so the article listing resources for Long Island is done by an Island resident. About.com Long Island is an easy site to navigate with information on "things to do", traffic, discounts, weather, reviews and on and on. By no means comprehensive, this site still provides a newcomer with a starting point for discovering Long Island. Law school will keep you very very busy, but it is okay to come up for air every once and awhile.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Library Tours

We have been busy felines in the Library this summer - in order to make materials easier to find, we have rearranged much of the Library's collection. Take a tour of the Library to learn from the experts - the Reference Librarians- where everything is and about the Library's services . Tours will be at the following dates and times:

Week of 8/22
Tues. 8/23 - 8:10pm

Wed. 8/24 - 7:10pm, 8:10pm

Thurs. 8/25 - 4:10pm, 5:10pm, 8:10pm

Fri. 8/26 - 11:10am, 1:10pm, 2:10pm

Week of 8/29
Mon. 8/29 - 12:10pm, 5:10pm, 8:10pm

Tues. 8/30 - 12:10, 4:10pm

Wed. 8/31 - 12:10pm, 5:10pm

Thurs. 9/1 - 4:10pm, 7:10pm

Fri. 9/2 - 1:10pm, 2:10pm

The ½ hour tours will meet inside the Library at the front desk.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Advice to First-Year Law Students

Julie Hilden, A Yale Law School graduate and columnist, wrote this essay for Findlaw titled "Advice to First-Year Law Students". She tries make students aware of the things that she was totally unprepared for. The article is written in the tone of a friend who has been there trying to help out.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Clusty-the clustering search engine

Every library cat knows that you should ALWAYS USE MORE THAN ONE SEARCH ENGINE. An interesting one to try is Clusty. The coolest of it's many features is that it uses a Clustering Engine which organizes search results into folders grouping similar items together. For example, a search for ‘pearl’ organizes the top 250-500 results into subject folders such as Jewelry, Pearl Harbor, Pearl Jam, Steinbeck Novel and Daniel Pearl. This makes it much easier to zoom in on what YOU are looking for. It is also useful for unearthing alternate or additional search terms when researching an unfamiliar area or concept. You don't have to take the Ernster's word for it. Clusty was named one of Time Magazines 50 coolest websites for 2005. Take a tour from the link on the homepage, or just hop in and play!

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat