Weather Bonk

Exams will soon be over, and it will be time to get away. An ideal summer companion is Weather Bonk, a Web site loaded with useful and fun features for viewing real time weather, traffic and related information on a map. Weather Bonk combines data and views from home and school weather stations, major services such as the National Weather Service and WeatherBug, satellite and radar. Entering any city, state, zip code, country or airport will bring up a map with color coded icons for temperatures, web cam locations, and forecasts. With Weather Bonk, users can click on a map location to get a pinpoint forecast from the Weather Channel. They can click on any location with a web cam, such as a Long Island middle school or a London intersection, to bring up a real time view of weather and/or traffic conditions. Just moving the mouse over specific map locations shows the current temperature and wind speed. The “Historical” tab makes it easy to select a month and year since January 2004 and instantly produce a map indicating average high and low temperatures and precipitation at various locations. Check out Weather Bonk before you start your trip to anywhere.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Reference help

If you are finishing up a paper and need some last minute research assistance, you will find the Reference Librarians' schedule at the Reference Librarians' Hours link listed in the Links section, just under the Archives links on the right side of this page.

BEST OF LUCK WITH EXAMS!!!

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

A Legal Research Checklist For Associates (And Others)

Soon, many of you shall be departing for your Summer associateships or permanent positions. As you are aware, your legal research skills are an important component of your success in the legal profession. It can be difficult, however, to scan systematically and efficiently all the sources that your particular problem may require.

To help with this obstacle, Harvard's Law Library has compiled a very useful research checklist. The resources given at the left of the list will help to remind you of the various possible sources for your research. The source list itself covers secondary sources, primary sources (case law, statutes, and regulations), among others, as well as a reminder to check various internal resources that your law firm may have. If you print the checklist, then you will also be able to take brief notes and to check off each source as you have consulted it, thus helping you to keep track of what you have and have not covered.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Speaking of Roads

You say yesterday's posting was great, but what about information on local roads? Well, glad you asked. nycroads.com gives information about roads in the tri-state area. Every so often, I like to look at the Unbuilt Roads on Long Island section. For example, did you know there was once talk of extending I91 from Connecticut, over the Sound, and onto Long Island?

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Interstate Highway System is Celebrating 50 Years

You can drive from coast to coast and north to south thanks to the Eisenhower Interstate Highway System. The Department of Transportation has created a site to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of this system. History, quotes, myths, pictures and more are presented. It is a fun place to browse and learn a little about a transportation system that binds us all together.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Study Rooms

The 038 study rooms will not be available from 5/4 - 5/17 during the hours of 7 am - 11:30 pm due to registrar usage. Therefore, there will be a shortage of study rooms. We are sorry for any inconvenience and hope that you will seek out alternative areas to work.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

How Blogs are Transforming Legal Scholarship

Should there be any lingering doubt as to whether the advent of blogs are changing legal education, scholarship and the practice of law, please check out the symposium which was conducted last week at the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard Law School.

The conference papers are available via the Social Science Research Network, which has set up a special page for these materials. A webcast is also available.

This was the first (and I am sure not the last) scholarly conference discussing the impact of blogs on the legal world!


Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Library Hours during Exams

It is that time of year again, when we all need extra prowling time in the Library. The Library will be open later for you late night prowlers starting next Tuesday (May 2nd) on the following schedule:

Tuesday, May 2nd - Tuesday, May 16th
Monday - Friday 7am - 2am
Saturday - Sunday 10am - 2am

Wednesday, May 17th, the Library will be open 7am - midnight.

Good luck with your studying and exams and remember to let your favorite Reference Librarian or Circulation Assistant know if you spot any problems.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Enron Trial Exhibits; Corporate Crime Reporter

Those who are interested in corporate crime may be curious to learn that the Department of Justice has created a Web site to provide ready access to documents related to the U.S. government's prosecution of former Enron executives. Exhibits include e-mails, transcripts of conference calls, letters, meeting minutes, and handwritten notes. The material is organized
by the date that it was admitted into evidence.

Another, more generally useful, resource for those interested in corporate crime is the Corporate Crime Reporter. This freely accessible Web site primarily reproduces highlighted material that originally appeared in the print version of the newsletter.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Great Gobs of Gum!

"Does your chewing gum lose its flavour
On the bedpost overnight
If your mother says don't chew it
Do you swallow it in spite
Can you catch it on your tonsils
Can you heave it left and right
Does your chewing gum lose its flavour
On the bedpost overnight" (Recorded by: "Lonnie Donegan & His Skiffle Group")

What a silly question....but worth pondering....
along with the question of how wads of gum appear on the library's carpet.

Please help to preserve the facility for current and future users. If you see some, please report it.

Thank you.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat