For the Chemists and Poets in the Crowd

Yes, I know you are all lawyers, but you do not need to be a chemist to appreciate The Periodic Table of Haiku . Here you will find the Perioidic Table, with links to haikus about the elements. Amazingly, each haiku is descriptive of that particular element. An example:

6 Carbon

Dead stars reborn
as diamonds, buckeyballs,
and beings

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Legislative Branch Resources On GPO Access

As you know, at times, my virtual nocturnal prowlings take me far afield of the Law Library. During one such wandering, I discovered that the following link to federal legislative resources on GPO Access, the U.S. Government Printing Office's Web page, is well worth bookmarking.

Here, you will find links to resources ranging from the searchable full text of the U.S. Code and the Congressional Record, to legislative history materials (Committee hearings, prints, even the Congressional Serial Set), to Congressional rules and procedures, all just a click away. Note, however, that the coverage is of fairly recent vintage. Therefore, for older materials, you will likely need to search elsewhere.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Bathroom Construction Update

The bathroom in the Library is still under construction. We do not have an update from the University as to when it will be finished, but we all hope soon.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Constitution Day

Congress has declared September 17th as Constitution Day. This is a day to commemorate the signing of the United States constitution at the Constitutional Convention convened in Philadelphia to draft a replacement for the Articles of Confederation. Educational institutions must offer an educational program or display on the Constitution. As the 17th is a Saturday this year, the event may be held the week before or after. The Library plans a display, but the American Constitution Society and the Federalist Society are hosting a debate between Prof. Leon Friedman and Prof. Julian Ku during the common hour on Monday, Sept. 19th. Look for the posters for this event, it should be an interesting and fun debate.

The U.S. constitution was signed in 1787, but still had to be ratified by the states. The proposed constitution was extremely controversial and almost was not ratified. It was only by promising a "Bill of Rights" that the populace accepted the document. Amendments 1-10 are the results of that promise.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Katrina Information Map

An amazing use of technology in the face of disaster is Scipionus.com . This is a resource where people can report and find damage assessments on a Google Map. Scipionus is a "wiki", a collaborative page which has created a document of incredible detail regarding the condition of the gulf coast. Click on one of the hundreds of red balloons for site specific information. A wonderful application. Kudos to its 24 year old creator, Jonathan Mendez, a computer programmer living in Austin, Texas.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Hurricane Impacts Lawyers, Law Students and Justice System

Beyond the range of most news photos and personal stories, Hurricane Katrina has also had a devastating impact on the lives of many law students and professors, especially those at Tulane and Loyola-New Orleans. Hofstra announced this week, as did many other law schools, that it will be welcoming students from these schools as visiting students. The University has also set up the “Hofstra Helps” page on its web site, listing upcoming campus fund-raising events and other donation contacts. A Louisiana law professor’s message, posted to a listserv and later appearing on several law-related blogs, describes the staggering implications of the hurricane on the region’s lawyers, legal profession, and courts, and on those who depend upon them.


Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

1L's - Help on your Library assignment

Since some of you may not have read the comments to my earlier post, I have added a link to the Links section on the right (scroll down a bit) to the handout prepared by the Librarians to help you on your Library assignments. Or, go to Law Library Orientation.doc . This is a Word document. Clicking on this link will open Word in a separate Window.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Comment Spam

If email spam wasn't bad enough, now I am getting spammed in the Comments to my posts!!!

In order to reduce the number of spam comments, you will have one extra step when commenting to a post. When you click on the comment link, you will need to type the word you see in the Word Verification box. This is the same word verification system that Telecharge uses, if you have ever purchased tickets online.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Law School Events

The Dean's Convocation with a reception afterwards was held Tuesday evening. This was an opportunity for students to hear not only Dean Twerski but Judith S. Kaye, Chief Judge of the State of New York speak. I was pleased to note that many students did attend. Through out the year the Law School hosts a number of speakers and events that students are encouraged to attend. These occasions are additional benefits to a law school education. There is more to the law school experience than being present in a class room. Take advantage of these occasions while you can and get the most out of your time at Hofstra.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Air conditioning

There have been some problems with the air conditioning lately. We do call these problems into Plant as soon as we are aware of them. So, please, feel free to let us know if you feel it is too warm in the library. Also, a little tip to help you stay comfortable in the meantime: every room in the library is a different temperature. If you are too hot in one room, just move to another. You may even need to bring a sweater.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat