Labor Day

The first Monday in September, thanks to an Act of Congress passed in 1894, is set aside to celebrate the national holiday we know as Labor Day. The U.S. Department of Labor provides an overview of "Labor Day History" that describes the last holiday of the summer as "a creation of the labor movement" that is "dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers." The social and legal background of the early 20th century labor reform movement comes alive at "The Triangle Factory Fire," an impressive exhibit created by the Cornell University Library and Cornell's School of Industrial and Labor Relations. Exploring original documents, first-hand accounts, and photographs from Cornell's collections, visitors to the site can glimpse the horrors of the New York City factory fire that resulted in 146 young worker deaths, and then explore the path that led through investigation of a tragedy to New York's pioneering and landmark worker protective legislation.

We will be here

For those of you dedicated students who want to get some work done on Labor Day, we will be here. You can get both Reference librarian and Circulation desk assistance during Labor Day weekend. Our Reference librarian hours will be:

Saturday: 10am - 6pm

Sunday: 12pm - 8pm

Labor Day Monday: 10am - 6pm

Check our hours for when Circulation staff is available.

And make sure and get out and enjoy the long weekend! I plan to bask in some post hurricane sunshine.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

ATL -- The Nine Lives of Blawg Posts and Legal Articles

Today Above The Law has a great post with tips for how attorneys can get the most out of any legal writing that they do. Basically this involves using different social media to share articles and republishing the same article in multiple formats.

This advice could be useful for both clerks and new associates at law firms, and solo and small firm practitioners who are trying to build a practice. As ATL notes, the work of writing legal articles often falls to clerks and new associates (even though firm partners often share or take the by-lines), so getting more readers for an article can give clerks and new associates more professional exposure. And solo and small firm practitioners can make themselves appear big and important (and thus attract more clients) by writing articles that seem to have been written by seasoned experts.


Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

BP Oil Spill Lawsuits

Here they come: See a list of the British Petroleum oil spill-related lawsuits filed so far, with links to the orders and complaints, here.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Oxford English Dictionary 'will not be printed again'

The next edition of the Oxford English Dictionary, the world’s most definitive work on the language, will never be printed because of the impact of the internet on book sales. Click here to read Alastair Jamieson's report.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

1L: Lexis & Westlaw training

1L Lexis and Westlaw training starts this Wednesday, September 1st and runs through Friday, September 17th. !L students received an email announcing the training sessions and there is the Ernester Announces poster in the hallway of the Law Library with the sessions schedules.

Lexis and Westlaw training is mandatory for all 1L students so you must attend one of these workshops. Attendance is taken.

The sign up book for the training sessions is at the Circulation Desk in the Law Library. There are restrictions on class size so be prepared to look for alternative days and times.

These are hands-on training sessions, so:

You must have registered and created your custom IDs with both Lexis and Westlaw. You must have your Custom IDs when you come to class.

If you sign up for a session in a class room, a laptop is necessary. You may bring a laptop to the sessions in the lower level computer lab or use one of the library's computers in the lab.

Schedule:

Week of 8/30
Wednesday, Sept. 1st: 12:10-1:30 - Rm 242 | 6:10-7:30 - Basement Lab
Thursday, Sept. 2nd: 12:10-1:30 - Basement Lab | 2:10-3:30 - Basement Lab | 5:10-6:30 - Basement Lab
Friday, Sept. 3rd: 12:10-1:30 - Rm 242 | 1:40-3:00 - Rm 242
Saturday, Sept. 4th: 1:10-2:30 - Basement Lab

Week of 9/6
Tuesday, Sept. 7th: 2:10-3:30 - Basement Lab | 5:10-6:30 - Basement Lab
Wednesday, Sept. 8th: 12:10-1:30 - Rm 205 | 2:10-3:30 - Basement Lab
Thursday, Sept. 9th: 12:10-1:30 - Basement Lab
Friday, Sept. 10th: 12:10-1:30 - Rm 242
Sunday, Sept. 12th: 1:10-2:30 - Basement Lab

Week of 9/13
Monday, Sept. 13th: 12:10-1:30 - Rm 242 | 5:10-6:30 - Basement Lab
Tuesday, Sept. 14th: 12:10-1:30 - Basement Lab | 2:10-3:30 - Basement Lab | 5:10-6:30 - Basement Lab
Wednesday, Sept. 15th: 12:10-1:30 - Rm 242 | 2:10-3:30 - Basement Lab
Thursday, Sept. 16th: 2:10-3:30 - Basement Lab
Friday, Sept. 17th: 1:40-3:30 - Rm 242

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat