Global News on the Go

Summer is here, and unless you are taking the Bar exam, study or travel abroad may be in your immediate future. Take a few minutes to become familiar with two very different, but complementary, online news sources before you take off on international adventures. These can keep you in the know and up to the minute with news and culture from and about every region and major city across the globe.

World News Network brings you actual news pages from publications and blogs worldwide, gathering the news from over 500 sources in 49 languages. Organized by region, city, and topic, the site is searchable and has an archive feature making it easy to see relevant stories from any date going back to 2003. Global Post was founded in January 2009 by an American journalist and an entrepreneur with a mission to "redefine international news for the digital age." Global Post is a totally online, independent news source with its own correspondents living on every continent and dedicated to covering international news well, without partisan bias. They find newsworthy stories on topics--including cultural trends and sports--that you won't see elsewhere. When you travel abroad this summer, take WN Network and Global Post along.
Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Enjoy the weekend!!!

I for one am looking forward to a nice long weekend and many cat naps. We will be open Saturday and Sunday but will be closed on Monday.

For a little fun over the weekend, check out wackyuses.com . You can great tips here like using plain yogurt to sooth the sunburn you get if you plan to get to the beach on this unofficial start of summer.

Whatever you do, have fun!!

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

New Spider Species Discovered In Sand Dune

Last week, we alerted Summer sojourners to the beginning of the common “creepy-crawly” season with some interesting insect macro-photography.

This week, take a look at a very uncommon creeper, a prettily-colored new species of spider that was recently discovered in the Sands of Samar in Israel.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Sunscreen

This coming weekend marks the official beginning of Summer and many of us will hit the beach or spend times outdoors with our barbecues. So this is a reminder that while enjoying the great outdoors, you should use sunscreen. However, sunscreens are not equal and some are clearly more effective than others. This recent article "Group Calls Some Sunscreens 'Snake Oil'" reviews the sunscreen guide of the Environmental Working Group.

Take care of your skin and enjoy your time in the sun!
Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

New U.S. Courts Website

The federal judiciary has a new, redesigned website. It is much easier to use than the old U.S. courts website, however you will find that the websites for the individual courts have not changed (although the Supreme Court did recently update its website).

The separation of powers apparently does not extend to web design. The new U.S. Courts website looks very similar to the White House website, which is very similar to the website used for President Obama's 2008 campaign, which took a number of its cues from Facebook.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Update: Texting, Driving, and the Law

As the summer vacation season begins, worldwide interest in officially restricting cell phone use while driving continues. Just this week, the United Nations Secretary-General banned all UN employees from using mobile phones for texting while driving UN vehicles, hoping to take the lead in curbing global deaths from distracted driving. United States government employees are already prohibited by an executive order from texting while driving on official government business or using government issued mobile devices. As reported by JURIST, several Canadian provinces, California, and New York have also enacted driver cell phone use or texting legislation. Speaking of New York, the sections of the New York Vehicle and Traffic Law dealing with cell phone use and texting can be found here, and here.
Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Time

We are now on our Summer schedule. The Library's hours are listed below and you can find the full listing of our hours here. For Reference Librarians, check out our new calendar .

SUMMER PRE-BAR EXAM SCHEDULE - Thursday, May 13 - Monday, July 5

Monday - Thursday 8 a.m. - 10 p.m.

Friday 8 a.m. - 7 p.m.

Saturday & Sunday 10 a.m. - 8 p.m.

EXCEPTIONS:

Monday, May 31 (Memorial Day) CLOSED

Sunday, July 4 (Independence Day) CLOSED

Monday, July 5 (Independence Day) CLOSED

SUMMER PRE-BAR EXAM SCHEDULE - Tuesday, July 6 - Tuesday, July 27

Monday - Thursday 8 a.m. - 11 p.m.

Friday 8 a.m. - 10 p.m.

Saturday & Sunday 10 a.m. - 10 p.m.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Insects, Up Close And Personal

Summer is approaching, and this means that insect season is approaching, as well. Take a moment to appreciate our six-legged, tri-segmented companions via some striking insect macro photography.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

BBC Languages

Studying abroad this summer or going on vacation? Check out the BBC Languages page. The BBC Languages page offers free 12 week online audio courses in German, Spanish, Italian and French. The courses offer weekly e-mail tips to help you stay motivated and RSS subscriptions for a "word of the day".

In addition, the website has online resources for over 36 other languages. Going to vacation in Brazil? The Portuguese page has mini audio lessons, cultural notes and and introduction to the geography of Brazil. Studying in Japan? The Japanese page has audio files of essential phrases, an introduction to the alphabet and an interactive game to help you learn. Take a look and enjoy.


Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

The Government Domain: New & Free Regulations Trackers

We've blogged about federal regulations trackers in the past, but it is time to re-visit the subject. The federal government's are improved and there are some free alternatives now available. To get the overview and links, check out The Government Domain: New & Free Regulations Trackers on llrx.com.
Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat