Thursday, December 21, 2006

YOU MADE IT!!!!!!!!

With only a few more hours to go, you will have conquered either your first, or another semester.

I am now going to take a much needed and earned nap. The purring you hear over break will be from me. I will return to my prowlings and postings when the Library re-opens on January 2nd.

Enjoy the holidays and break and have a very Happy New Year!!!

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Wednesday, December 20, 2006

2006 Year-End Google Zeitgeist

The end of a year, not just a semester, is upon us. How better to recap the global collective consciousness of 2006 than by posting the "top ten" lists of popular search terms typed into Google this year by millions of searchers? Google, Inc. has provided us with this knowledge on their 2006 Year-End Google Zeitgeist site. After you’ve checked out a few of the most frequently Googled terms reflecting the spirit of the times, learn about something new (or how well your interests are represented) by clicking on the tabs for “What’s Hot,” “Current Events,” “Sports” and “Entertainment”.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Tuesday, December 19, 2006

What American accent do you have?

This is one of the quizzes found at GoToQuiz. GoToQuiz is a site created by and for the visitors. They give you the tools to make really good quizzes, rank the top quizzes and track visitor ratings as well. The quiz in the title is one of the most popular and is accurate. Ok, you've been taking exams for the past week and don't want to take a quiz. But, this are fun, easy to take and you can't fail! And, you can make your own. What about a law quiz that YOU made?

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Monday, December 18, 2006

You are Time Person of the Year

Or at least all of us that contribute to the Internet are. The Internet has changed over the years, and more and more it is regular people like us that control it. Through websites like MySpace, YouTube, Wikipedia and countless blogs and podcasts, anybody and everybody can write, speak or create something for the world to see. For more, read the cover story of this week's edition of Time at Time.com

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Friday, December 15, 2006

Library Hours after Exams

I know many of you still have more studying to do in the next week, but for those of you who are thinking about after exams, here is the Library's schedule for the holidays and Intersession:

Friday, December 22 - January 1, 2007
LIBRARY CLOSED

Tuesday, January 2– Monday, January 15
Sunday Noon - 8:00 P.M.
Monday - Thursday 8:00A.M - 8:00 P.M.
Friday 8:00A.M.- 6:00 P.M.
Saturday 10:00A.M.- 6:00 P.M.

EXCEPTIONS:
Monday, January 15 (MLK Day) LIBRARY CLOSED

Tuesday, January 16 - the Library's Regular Hours resume.

Best of luck with the rest of your exams.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Thursday, December 14, 2006

Law School Academic Support Blog

A member of the Law Professor Blogs Network, the Law School Academic Support Blog offers advice for the student regarding various aspects of studying law. While it is not the most prolific or frequently updated of blogs, certain articles on the blog’s front page that contain suggestions about outlining, test anxiety, and even getting enough rest seem especially pertinent at this time of year.



Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Wednesday, December 13, 2006

Now for a Virtual Study Break...

As a virtual animal, I’m partial to taking my breaks in the virtual universe. It occurred to me that, while thousands of law students peer down at course outlines, the crew of the Space Shuttle is spending today getting ready to rewire the international space station while peering down at the planet. They--like many of us--are scheduled to return to Earth on December 21. Escape for a few minutes and enjoy some of the best photos of the Earth taken from the Shuttle, including a night view of New York City and Long Island. This page is brought to you by the Lunar and Planetary Institute, a scientific forum and research institute that supports the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and shares their explorations with the world.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Tuesday, December 12, 2006

Puzzle

Please note that there is a puzzle outside the main level computer lab. It is there for your enjoyment. Take a quick break from study and contribute to completing the puzzle before the end of exams.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Monday, December 11, 2006

Tips for Students Taking Law School Exams

A timely article appeared Friday on the Findlaw website written by Vikram David Amar. The full title of the article is:

Tips for Students Taking Law School Exams: Why Students Tend Not to Be Able To Demonstrate the Full Extent of Their Knowledge, and How They Might Do Better

He offers 5 helpful suggestions to help you do your best on your law school exams.


Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Friday, December 08, 2006

Blawg Searching

Want to search just legal blogs (a.k.a. "blawgs") ? Try Justia Blawg Search which provides the ever popular search box and a Blawg directory by subject and jurisdiction. You can also find Justia's ranking of the Most Popular blawgs .

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Thursday, December 07, 2006

Animal Law

As the holiday season continues alongside the stress of examinations, let us not forget goodwill to our four-legged friends (including yours truly). Those who are interested in animal law will find the Animal Legal & Historical Web Center from the Michigan State University College of Law to be of value. There are, at present, over 700 full-text cases (U.S., historical, and U.K.) and 975 U.S. statutes available on the site. There are also more than thirty-eight topics that offer the searcher information regarding some of the more interesting issues in the animal area. In addition, one will find numerous legal articles that address a wide variety of animal law topics.



Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Wednesday, December 06, 2006

Words of Wisdom from the Blogosphere

Now that you have Ernster’s advice on being in great condition to face those exams, you might gain some momentum from a just-posted compendium of helpful tips from law professors, students and experts on confronting exam questions. Brought to you by CALI’s Pre-Law Blog, the “Law School Exam Advice Post” lets you focus quickly on what concerns you—issue spotting, essays, multiple choice questions, what not to do on law school exams, and more—and link directly to the source. And don’t overlook CALI lessons in the study process. These computer-based review lessons keyed to typical law school courses and texts are available online from the Center for Computer-Assisted Legal Instruction. For more about using CALI lessons, check out our post of November 26, 2005, or ask a reference librarian.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Tuesday, December 05, 2006

More exam week suggestions

Create a schedule and pace yourself. Most of your time will be spent studying but breaks are needed.

Go for a walk or do your preferred exercise. Just remind yourself how much better one usually feels after a good workout. Helps to clear the mind and re-energize the body.

Eat properly. You will be better off eating balanced meals than relying on caffeine, sugar and nicotine (for those who smoke) to see you through exams. On the other hand, now is not the time to give up cigarettes if you do smoke. Give them up after exams.

Get a good nights rest before exams. Cramming will not do any good if you are so tired and the brain foggy.

OK, you already know all of this, but it doesn't hurt to be reminded.

Good luck with exams!

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Monday, December 04, 2006

study break


Long hours sitting and studying can be rough on your bod. Take a break with these pilates moves which can be done at your desk.

1. Spine Twist
Cross arms in front of chest, hands resting on opposite shoulder. Inhale, legnthen the spine. Exhale, rotate to the left keeping shoulders down and arms in front of chest. Inhale, Exhale to deepen the twist. On the next exhale return to center. Repeat on the right. 4-6 reps.

2. Single Leg Stretch
Inhale, legnthen the spine. Exhale, lift your right knee, place your left hand on your shin, right hand to your ankle. Bring your knee into your chest, and your forehead to your knee. Keep your elbows folded in and your shoulders down. Inhale, and on your next exhale, release to starting position. Repeat to the other side, 6-8 reps each leg.

You are now relaxed and refreshed! Please stop by the reference desk if there is anything else we can do to ease your mind!
Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Friday, December 01, 2006

Library Exam Hours

At the risk of using that four letter "e" word, to help you study for exams, the Library will extend our hours for the early birds and night owls.

As of Monday, December 4, the Library hours will be:
Monday - Friday 7am - 2am
Saturday & Sunday 10am- 2am

On Thursday, December 21, we will be open 7am - 10pm

Good luck.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Thursday, November 30, 2006

The Freedom of Information Act

For those who are curious about the process of unearthing declassified material and other federal government information, there is an excellent guide to the Freedom of Information Act ("FOIA") available at The George Washington University's National Security Archive's Web page. The page contains the text of FOIA, several guides to aspects of FOIA, including an explanation of how FOIA requests work, and news pertaining to FOIA.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Wednesday, November 29, 2006

National Academies Discovery Engine

The Discovery Engine, at the National Academies Press web site, is a real discovery for law students researching issues at the intersection of law and health, international policy, science or technology. By entering simple search terms in the Discovery Engine box on the site’s home page, users can immediately search more than 3,600 authoritative books and reports issued by the National Academy of Sciences, the Institute of Medicine, the National Research Council, and the National Academy of Engineering. Web site documents such as testimony and press releases from the National Academies are also searched. Powerful tools such as “Find more like this” and “one-click searches” on key terms derived from results save the searcher valuable time and effort. Best of all, most books and reports retrieved are freely available online for browsing, printing individual PDF pages, and searching within the document on key terms.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Tuesday, November 28, 2006

Directorate of Legal Research Reports

The mission of the Directorate of Legal Research is to provide high quality, timely, and innovative research, analysis, and reference services on issues of international, and foreign and comparative law to the United States Congress, as well as to the Supreme Court, other courts, executive agencies, the legal profession, academic community, and the general public, based on the strength of the world’s largest and most complete collection of international, foreign, and national legal resources.

Unfortunately not many are released to the public and the reports available are difficult to locate. However, a recent research guide gives a good analysis of the value of these reports and some tips on how they might be found. The Directorate of Legal Research at the Library of Congress: A Treasure Hidden under a Bushel Basket by Michael Ravnitzky.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Monday, November 27, 2006

Summer Associates Survey 2006

The American Lawyer's Annual Summer Associate Survey is now online for 2006. You can read the article The Real World According to Summer Associates by Tamara Loomis at Law.com. To read the National Rankings and the Results by City you must sign up for a free subscription first.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Sunday, November 26, 2006

The Forbes Fictional 15

For a gradual re-entry back to school after a long holiday weekend, check out The Forbes Fictional 15.

This list of fictional billionaires reveals the fortunes of popular
characters from the worlds of film, cartoons, and board games. Take a moment to ponder the net worth of Thurston Howell III (Gilligan's Island), Rich Uncle Pennybags (AKA the Monopoly Guy), Lara Croft etc.

THEN, swing by the library to book a study room for your group (remember, they fill up fast this time of year)


Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Wednesday, November 22, 2006

Light Thanksgiving Fare

Mayflower descendants, from Presidents to Hollywood actors, are still making their mark on American society. For a little Thanksgiving fun, check out the eclectic roster of “Famous Descendants of Mayflower Passengers,” at the history and genealogy web site, MayflowerHistory.com. Maintained by Mayflower descendant Caleb Johnson, the site also includes the text of original source documents such as the wills of Mayflower passengers. These wills reveal the Pilgrims’ prized possessions and their priorities, not to mention the legal writing (and quite recognizable wills and estates law) of the Mayflower generation.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Tuesday, November 21, 2006

National Thanksgiving Turkey presentation

This is an event that dates from the Truman Administration. Presidents traditionally have granted the National Thanksgiving Turkey a "pardon." After the presentation, the National Turkey and its alternate will be taken to Disneyland Resort and Theme Park in Anaheim, California to be a part of the holiday display and where they will stay the remainder of their natural lives. Both the turkeys will serve as honorary Grand Marshals for Disneyland’s annual Thanksgiving Day Parade.

It is thought that the tradition dates to Pres. Lincoln who pardoned his son Tad's pet Turkey.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Monday, November 20, 2006

The Thanksgiving Proclamation

Among the Papers of George Washington is the original Thanksgiving Proclamation signed by him on October 3, 1789. You can read much more about the proclamation on the Introduction page and you can also see a transcription of the original proclamation.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Friday, November 17, 2006

Thanksgiving week Library hours

Deane Law Library Hours for Thanksgiving week (Mon. 11/20 - Sun. 11/26):
Mon. - Tues. 8am - Midnight
Wed. 8am - 5pm
Thurs. - Fri. LIBRARY CLOSED
Sat. 10am - 8pm
Sun. 10am - Midnight

Reference Librarian hours are, as always, at the link on the right side of the page (scroll down a bit).

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Thursday, November 16, 2006

Selecting New York Judicial Opinions For Publication

Have you ever wondered how judicial opinions are chosen for publication in New York? The New York State Law Reporting Bureau’s “Selection of Opinions for Publication” Web page offers a succinct but informative overview of the rules and statutory criteria that the Bureau follows in determining which cases it accepts for publication.



Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Wednesday, November 15, 2006

Sunlight Named "Best Blog"

An international jury of bloggers, journalists and media experts has selected the Sunlight Foundation site as the winner in the “Best Blog “ category of the 2006 International Weblog Awards. Also known as the Best of the Blogs (BOBs), the competition is organized by the German broadcaster Deutsche Welle. The Sunlight Foundation, begun in January 2006 with the goal of using the power of the internet and technology to help American citizens be their own government watchdogs, neither supports nor opposes political candidates. Sunlight posts information and sponsors projects, such as the “Exposing Earmarks” project using citizen volunteers to find hidden funding inserted into legislation. The site also lists useful links to key government oversight and citizen watchdog groups.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Tuesday, November 14, 2006

21st Century Library: Customizing Firefox

Due to Pizza with the Dean Monday evening, this workshop will be repeated
this coming Thursday, Nov. 16th from 5:10 to 6:00 pm. Thank you to
everyone who expressed interest. Hope you can attend this Thursday evening.

Customizing Firefox: Why use Firefox, the Internet browser from
Mozilla? There are many reasons, some of which are tabbed browsing,
built in searching and enhanced security. However, one of its nicest
features is that you can customize Firefox's appearance and enhance its
capabilities to suit your needs. This library workshop will cover how to
get the most out of Firefox from using its built-in features to finding
and installing the best enhancements.


All 21st Century Library workshops are held in the lower level computer
lab.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Monday, November 13, 2006

A Visual Guide to the Federal Budget

Death and Taxes is a website that looks at the Federal Budget. It does so mainly through a visual map designed by freelance designer Jesse Bachman to make people more aware of how our taxes are spent and try to create more accountability in Congress. The charts are divided into military and non-military spending. It is a fascinating website.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Eating in the Library?

Continuing on with our discussion of the survey results, today's topic is eating in the library. There were a number of comments about eating in the library (both asking if we could permit it, and others complaining that the "no eating" policy was not being enforced), so below are some common questions and answers.

Q: Why won't you allow food in the library?

A: There are many reasons, but the main ones are these: (1) we have had several insect invasions, directly caused by food in the library, (2) other students complain about the smell and noise of food, and (3) cleanliness.

Q: What is the food policy of the library?

A: No eating is permitted by students in the library. If a student is caught eating, two options are available: (1) leave the library, taking the food with him/her, or (2) allowing the food to be confiscated by library or law school staff. Multiple violations may lead to a loss in library privileges.

Q: Why won't you let students just put away their food if they're caught eating?

A: We tried this for many years and found that what usually happens is that the food is put away until after the staff member leaves, and then it comes right back out again.

Q: Will the library ever allow students to eat in the library?

A: Hopefully, yes. If we are able to find ways to address the concerns under the first question above, we would like to change the policy, at least long enough to see if we can find one that works well both for students and for the library's facilities/collection. In fact, recommendations have already been sent to various law school committees in an attempt to address these concerns.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Sunday, November 12, 2006

How Stuff Works

Whether you think asking a colleague how something works might expose a lack of knowledge, or you are starting a research project and are looking for ideas about alternate or additional search terms, the website howstuffworks is a real find!

Search this site by keyword, or browse by subject category. You will find concise articles that clearly explains how things like computers, cloning, botox, your cell phone, fiber optics, or a manual transmission work.

An easy place to do some quick pre-game before a meeting etc.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Friday, November 10, 2006

Earplugs

As many of you may have noticed, in response to the recent library survey, we were providing complimentary earplugs for those students who might want additional barriers between them and noise. The good news is that the experiment was a smashing success. Unfortunately, though, it was such a success that we have gone through over 600 sets of earplugs in a week's time. The library cannot continue to provide the earplugs at such a rapid use rate, but we will reintroduce them around exam time when we know that noise becomes particularly troublesome.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Fantasy Congress

Now that most of the results of the mid-term Congressional elections are in, you can "play politics" by picking your "dream-team" Congress from the newly elected Congress and watch how they perform. At Fantasy Congress, you get to draft your team of legislators and then earn points by tracking the progress of actual legislation. Your team members earn you points when bills they introduce progress through the steps of the legislative process. And, just as with other fantasy leagues, you can trade players (i.e. members of Congress). Even if you do not want to "play", check out the site to see how productive individual members of Congress have been.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Thursday, November 09, 2006

Introductions To The Canadian and Mexican Legal Systems

Have you ever needed a concise, but sophisticated, introduction to the legal systems of our neighbors to the north and south, or are you simply curious about their similarities to and differences from our own? If so, then the following introductions to the legal systems of Canada and Mexico may be just what you seek. While they are part of an online guide to the environmental laws of these two countries, the introductions stand apart at the beginning of the guides, which is where the links offered here lead you.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Wednesday, November 08, 2006

HeinOnline Adds Code of Federal Regulations

Now for some news totally unrelated to voting and elections...I’ve discovered a great new source for students trying to find federal agency regulations in PDF format. The U.S. Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) is now available on HeinOnline, one of the Law Library’s most popular research databases. CFR coverage on HeinOnline is from the first edition (1938) through the 1983 edition, containing about 1250 books of the historical CFR from this time period to browse and search. For access to the CFR from 1997 to the present (some titles from 1996) in PDF format, try GPO Access, the U.S. government internet site for documents.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Tuesday, November 07, 2006

21st Century Library: Customizing Firefox - Next Week

Customizing Firefox: Why use Firefox, the Internet browser from Mozilla? There are many reasons, some of which are tabbed browsing, built in searching and enhanced security. However, one of its nicest features is that you can customize Firefox’s appearance and enhance its capabilities to suit your needs. This library workshop will cover how to get the most out of Firefox from using its built-in features to finding and installing the best enhancements.

When: Monday, Nov. 13 – 5:10 to 6 p.m.; and
Tuesday, Nov. 14 – 11:10 to 12 noon.

All 21st Century Library workshops are held in the lower level computer lab.



Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Monday, November 06, 2006

Random Thoughts on Election Eve

Democracy cannot succeed unless those who express their choice are prepared to choose wisely. The real safeguard of democracy, therefore, is education.
-Franklin D. Roosevelt

The right of voting for representatives is the primary right by which other rights are protected.
-Thomas Paine

Man’s capacity for justice makes democracy possible, but man’s inclination to injustice makes democracy necessary.
-Reinhold Niebuhr

Bad politicians are sent to Washington by good people who don’t vote.
-William E Simon, former US Secretary of the Treasury

An election is a bet on the future, not a popularity test of the past.
-James Reston

It’s not the voting that’s democracy, it’s the counting
-Tom Stoppard

PLEASE get out & vote!!


Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Election day tomorrow

If you want more information on the 2006 elections, Yahoo news has made a site where they compiled all of this news. Full Coverage: Midterm Elections 2006 contains links to articles, a map in which you can click any state for full coverage of all elections within the state, videos, audios, directories and more.

This site will not only help you find any more information you might need in making your voting decisions but will also keep you informed of the candidates and issues everywhere else in the country.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Friday, November 03, 2006

Tis the Season for Politics

Whether your political stripe is red, blue - or, in my case, black - money plays a role in politics. If you are interested in exactly how, two websites give you the dollars and cents.

followthemoney.org - describes itself at "the nation's most complete resource on information on money in state politics"

opensecrets.org - a site I have mentioned before, does the same for federal elections.

Tuesday is election day. Whatever your stripe - GO VOTE AND BE HEARD !!!

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Thursday, November 02, 2006

Law School And Legal Research Guides

For an interesting, informative, and opinionated view of law school and legal research, look no further than Rod Borlase's online guides. Borlase minces no words as he guides you through the labyrinths of law school, legal research, and preparation for practice. The guides are introductory in nature, and cover the following areas, among others: Introductory legal research; research strategy; skills sought by law firms; an "anatomy" of the West Digest system, and much more.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Survey Results Discussion Continued: Temperature

The temperature in the library (and the entire law school building) is difficult to regulate, not only because of the wide open spaces involved, but also because traffic and the people in the room do affect the temperature. In the library, all of the thermostats are set to 72 degrees. Since many complained about it being too cold, however, we are asking our Plant Department to change these settings to 75 degrees. It may take several adjustments to pinpoint the temperature at which most users are comfortable, so please bear with us as we try to determine the ideal setting.

In the meantime, I would like to remind everyone that if you ever find it too hot or cold in a particular area of the library, please feel free to report the problem to the circulation desk attendants. We do call Plant to check the temperature when we receive complaints.

Please also remember that everyone has a different temperature comfort level. Because of that, we frequently get complaints that the same room, at the same time is too hot and too cold. In those cases, there is no temperature ideal for both parties, so we try to pick a midway point.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Wednesday, November 01, 2006

Constitution Finder

To quickly locate English translations of over 200 countries' constitutions, you can't do better than Constitution Finder. This free site, kept up to date by faculty and students of the University of Richmond School of Law, offers an alphabetical pull-down list of countries. Each links to that nation's current constitution in both English and the native language, and in many cases to historical constitutions and other related documents from official government web sites. Explore Afghanistan to Zimbabwe, including virtually any country in the news. The United States page features the current federal Constitution as well as state, historical, and Native American tribal constitutions.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

2006 Library Survey Raffle Winner

Congratulations to Joseph Bufano for winning the raffle! The winner will receive a separate email with details on how, when, and where to claim his new iPod shuffle.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Tuesday, October 31, 2006

21st Century Library workshops

We do not wish to conflict with the Memorial Service for Steven Wasylenko this coming Thursday evening, so we have rescheduled the workshop.

21st Century Library workshop: Paper Writing is rescheduled for:

Monday, November 6th from 5:10 to 6 pm in the lower level computer lab.

Corporate Finance and Securities Research Online: Whether you're headed for a firm, corporation, government agency, or legal services, you can't proceed--or succeed--without crucial corporate information about your client or opposing party. This workshop will cover the basics on finding financial assets, securities filings, business news and other online resources for corporate financial information.

When: Tuesday, Nov. 7 -- 11:10 to 12 noon; and
Thursday, Nov. 9 -- 5:10 to 6 p.m.



Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Library Survey, Quiet/Talking Areas (during exams) Follow-Up

Thanks to everyone who participated in the survey! Over the coming weeks, I will post various information from the survey, along with follow-up questions where we have insufficient information.

The first topic for discussion is talking versus quiet spaces, and this is admittedly a hot topic. The responses were significantly divided, with 49.5% of the group voting to make the entire library a quiet space. However, that means that a significant number of people still want some talking areas. Further complicating the matter, the comments that we received were also mixed, some finding the library too quiet and others finding it too noisy. Based on these responses, during Fall 2006 exam weeks, the library will retain its current talking/quiet designations.

Because opinions are so mixed, and because there are different sensitivity levels to noise, please alert the reference or circulation desks if you feel that there is too much noise in an area. They can then assess the noise to see if it is unreasonable and then speak to the noisemakers. Please keep in mind that these service desks are not situated in every library room, so the staff may not always be aware when there is a noise problem. We rely on users in these areas to alert the staff to these issues.


Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Monday, October 30, 2006

The Most Reliable Search Tool

CNET recently published an article titled "Most reliable search tool could be your librarian". Although doing your research on Google may be quicker, it is very often not nearly as reliable. The author, Elinor Mills, uses a great example of this, by discussing how the first result of a Google search of Martin Luther King was a web site written by white supremacists. The article goes on to talk about many more reasons why a librarian is better than a search engine for doing research.

So come by and visit us; we are always happy to help.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Sunday, October 29, 2006

Law School Innovation Blog

Check out a new member of the Law Professor Blog network entitled the Law School Innovation Blog.

Professor Douglas A. Berman explained in his introductory post that:

Topics ranging from Harvard Law School's new 1L curriculum to the recent emergence of Supreme Court clinics to blogging as scholarship to PowerPoint and internet access in the classroom are just some of the issues I hope will get discussed here.

Sounds like a keeper!

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Thursday, October 26, 2006

Today in the Library

Due to illness of our Thursday evening librarian, we will have to close the Reference desk this evening at 5pm.

Don't forget to fill out the Library survey - tell us what you think and enter the raffle to win an iPod shuffle . Check your email for the web site.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Wednesday, October 25, 2006

Voting Technology: Brave New World

As national elections approach, the media is buzzing about new voting technology and whether our votes (for any candidate) will actually be counted. Anyone interested in the latest news about the voting equipment being adopted across the country, local election experiences, and assessments should check out the Caltech-MIT Voting Technology Project web site. The Project brings together technical and social science experts from both schools to evaluate how reliable and secure American voting systems currently are, and to suggest uniform standards going forward. I also recommend Vote: The Machinery of Democracy for an eye-opening look into America's past experience with ballots, voting methods and machines. This online Smithsonian Institution exhibit visually tracks how voting has evolved over the course of our history along with social and technological change.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Tuesday, October 24, 2006

21st Century Library workshop: Paper Writing

Paper Writing: Are you still searching for a topic for a paper this semester? If you already have chosen a topic, would you like some help gathering resources? If so, please attend the library's upcoming workshop exploring databases we have available both in the law school and via Axinn, the university's main library. There are many high quality resources available to you which you may not know about!! This workshop will introduce you to many of them, as well as touch upon the many "law and"-type resources available through Lexis and Westlaw.

When: Tues., Oct. 31st – 11:10 to 12 noon; and
Thurs., Nov. 2nd – 5:10 to 6:00 pm

Where: Lower Level Computer Lab

All law students are welcome.



Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat