2009 Statistical Abstract of the United States

The 2009 version of the Statistical Abstract of the United States is now online.

According to the United States Census Bureau’s Web page, which hosts the document, the Statistical Abstract of the United States “is the authoritative and comprehensive summary of statistics on the social, political, and economic organization of the United States”. Sources of data include the Census Bureau, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Bureau of Economic Analysis, as well as many other Federal agencies and private organizations.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Word of the Year is "Bailout"

The American Dialect Society recently released the 19th annual words of the year vote. This year the word is "bailout". Word of the Year is interpreted in its broader sense as “vocabulary item”—not just words but phrases. The words or phrases do not have to be brand-new, but they have to be newly prominent or notable in the past year, in the manner of Time magazine’s Person of the Year.

This is a fun way to review notable events and perceptions of the previous year, what words and / or phrases are remembered. You should look at the list for all of the words nominated. Will admit that IMHO 2008 does not beat the word of the year for 2005 "truthiness"




Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Law School Summary -- Laptops in Class Helps

The National Law Journal has posted a summary of a national study of law students.  Among the findings highlighted is that laptops in class do have academic value.  That's because students can, for instance, instantly look up cases that are mentioned in class.  (The summary doesn't mention what might be open on other browsing tabs at the same time.) 

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Gallery of Juror Art

A snowy weekend before the start of a new semester is a great time to browse the American Gallery of Juror Art, an eclectic and eye-opening collection of drawings, sketches and photographs by "actual jurors on actual jury duty." The Gallery is a feature of trial lawyer Anne Reed's blog, Deliberations: Law, News, and Thoughts on Juries and Jury Trials. Whether the creations of professional artists who found themselves on juries or of non-artistic doodlers, they all capture revealing perspectives on both fellow jurors and the courthouse environment. This is one of my favorites.

A hat tip to Legal Blog Watch for making me aware of this unique collection.



Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

I'm Back (almost)

Starting Monday, I'll be back to my normal prowling hours - and the Library will be back to regular schedule. As always, check the Library's web site for the Library's hours and the Reference Librarians' Hours link to the right of this post.

REGULAR HOURS - Monday, January 12 - Tuesday, April 14
Sunday 10:00 A.M. - Midnight
Monday - Thursday 8:00 A.M. - Midnight
Friday 8:00 A.M. - 9:00 P.M.
Saturday 10:00 A.M. - 8:00 P.M.

EXCEPTIONS:
Monday, January 19 (MLK Day) 10:00 A.M. - 6:00 P.M.
Monday, February 16 (Presidents’ Day) 10:00 A.M. - 6:00 P.M.


Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Moon-Venus Conjunction Ends 2008

As a follow-up to our post of December 20, 2008, and in case you missed the occurrence during your New Year’s Eve revels, we present a link to a nice photo of the Moon-Venus conjunction that took place on December 31, 2008.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Better With Age: the Computer Mouse Turns 40!

Happy birthday friend! I couldn't imagine purring through my computer files without . . . my mouse. It is pretty amazing that 40 years have passed since Douglas Engelbart and Bill English introduced and demonstrated the computer mouse. In their 90 minute demonstration at the Fall Joint Computer Conference, Englebart, English, and their team stationed 30 miles away also introduced hypertext, email, video conferencing, word processing, and cut-and-paste. Click here to see the complete demonstration.



Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Top Ten Legal Issues of 2008

Findlaw has posted its 2008 Top Ten Legal Issues on Consumers Minds. The legal issues were chosen on the basis of popularity indicators, including "most searched" legal topics, most popular lawyer searches, and top legal questions. According to the list, the number one issue is "Home Foreclosure and Renter's Rights"--not a surprise!

Hat tip to the Law Librarian blog for bringing my attention to this.


Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Where Your Money Goes

While prowling the internet this week, a new report made me stop purring and pay attention. The New York Attorney General's Charities Bureau, which supervises charitable organizations and maintains a registry of charities and fundraising professionals in the state, has just released "Pennies for Charity, Where Your Money Goes: Telemarketing by Professional Fund Raisers." The report lists all 553 campaigns conducted by professional fundraisers on behalf of specific charities in New York during 2007 (ranging from civic, social service and foreign aid groups to health, animal protection, and legal public interest organizations). It details the amount and percentage of contributions that ended up in the hands of the charity, with the rest going to the fundraiser to cover costs and fees. Two of the surprising conclusions: in nearly half the campaigns, the charity received less than 30 percent of the funds raised; in 51 cases, they actually lost money. In 2009, with both charities and contributors hard pressed for cash, you may want to check out this report before making decisions on how best to support your favorite charities and causes.



Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

HeinOnline Tips

The HeinOnline blog contains tips and tricks for navigating and searching the databases. The most recent post contains a recap of the tips and tricks of the year grouped by category. I find it quite handy!


Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat