Journal Finder

Lately, I've noticed the Reference Librarians helping lots of students find articles online. Students often have questions about using Journal Finder. You can link to Journal Finder either from the Hofstra University website or from the Law Library website's main page, under Research. Journal Finder will tell you if a specific journal or newspaper (it works for newspapers, too!) is available on one of the Hofstra University databases.

To use Journal Finder, just type in the name of your journal, not the title of the article. The search results will list the databases, with dates of coverage for each, that contain your journal. Once you click on a database, you can browse to find the year and issue, or specific date, of your article, and then link to the article in full text. If there are no databases listed for your journal, try Lexicat, Hofstra's online catalog, to see if your journal or newspaper is available in Axinn Library or the Law Library in either print or microform. If it is not, it may be in Lexis, Westlaw, a BNA database, or another Law School subscription database accessible only to law students and faculty. Journal Finder does not locate publications in these databases. If you need help finding articles online, just ask a Reference Librarian.
Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Advanced tips for Lexis and Westlaw

Do you know that you can use Shepards and KeyCite on Lexis and Westlaw to find cases and articles on a particular topic? How about limiting your search by doing a search within a search using Focus or Locate? Both of these tools can help with writing research papers and memoranda of law for your classes. These are just some of the advanced techniques you can learn by attending the Lexis and Westlaw certification classes.

They start next week. Sign up by going to http://lawschool.westlaw.com for Westlaw and http://www.lexisnexis.com/lawschool for Lexis. Once you log in using your customized username and password you will see the Training links for Lexis on the MySchool tab and the Training link for Westlaw underneath the Home tab.
Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Being A Faculty Research Assistant

A 2007 article in Student Lawyer, available here from the Social Science Research Network (SSRN), describes the advantages of becoming a faculty research assistant. Also included is good advice about obtaining such a position, as well as how to excel in the job once you have obtained it.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

New Enhancements to THOMAS

The Library of Congress announced new enhancements to THOMAS. Building upon the enhancements made earlier in the year, the latest enhancements add a mobile-friendly homepage, integrate features from the Library of Congress and Law Library of Congress websites into THOMAS, and add a new portal to state legislature websites. Click here to read more.
Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

1L students reminder: Lexis & Westlaw training

Just a reminder to our first year students, this is the last week for mandatory Lexis and Westlaw training. If you have not attended one of the classes, there is still time. The last class is this coming Friday, September 17th. The sign-up book for the classes is at the Circulation Desk in the Law Library.
Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat