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Recently acquired: the retrospective LexisNexis Congressional Research Digital Collection. This collection, accessible through LexisNexis Congressional, includes abstracting, indexing, bibliographic information, and searchable PDFs for Congressional Research Service reports from 1916-present and committee prints from 1830-present.
LexisNexis Congressional is available at:
http://www.lib.umn.edu/cgi-bin/cong.cgi
The Minneapolis Public Library and Hennepin County Library are getting closer to finalizing the merger of their two systems. The Hennepin County Board of Commissioners approved the merger on Dec. 18. Here are three news stories about the approval:
http://www.edenprairienews.com/node/3852 (Eden Prairie News)
http://www.startribune.com/local/west/12612176.html (Star Tribune)
http://www.hclib.org/pub/info/news_releases/MergerApproved.cfm (Hennepin County Library)
Happy Holidays!
The law library will changing its hours during Winter Break (Dec. 20-Jan. 21).
The library will be open Monday-Friday 8-4:30
Closed Weekends, Closed Dec. 24-25; Jan. 1 & Jan. 21.
Exception: Open 9 am to 6 pm on Sat. Jan. 19. Open Noon to 6 p.m. on Sun. Jan. 20.
We will be back to regular academic year hours on Tuesday Jan. 22.
Security Monitors will be on duty in Mondale Hall 3:30-9:30 p.m. M-F over break.
Mary Rumsey, who handles foreign and international legal research here at the Law Library, has published a book on researching foreign and international law. Her co-author is Marci Hoffman of the University of California-Berkeley, who was Mary’s immediate predecessor as the foreign and international law librarian here.
Martinus Nijhoff/Brill is publishing the book this month. Its title is International and Foreign Legal Research: A Coursebook.
The book covers research on treaties, foreign law, customary international law, the UN, EU, human rights, trade, intellectual property, environmental law, and other topics. Its companion website offers research exercises and useful web links.
Also read the good press here: http://lawprofessors.typepad.com/law_librarian_blog/2008/01/first-legal-res.html
From Reference Services comes this note:
"Have you checked out Minnesota's latest newspaper? MinnPost is completely online and a non-profit organization. Check out the thoughtful journalism at: http://www.minnpost.com/"
More info about MinnPost:
"MinnPost is a nonprofit journalism enterprise that publishes MinnPost.com and MinnPost in Print.
"Our mission is to provide high-quality journalism for news-intense people who care about Minnesota. We intend to focus sharply on that mission, and not get distracted by trying to be all things or serve all people.
. . .
"Our goal is to create a sustainable business model for this kind of journalism, supported by corporate sponsors, advertisers, and members who make annual donations. High-quality journalism is a community asset that sustains democracy and quality of life, so we are asking people who believe in it to support our work.
"MinnPost’s initial funding of $850,000 came from four families: John and Sage Cowles, Lee Lynch and Terry Saario, Joel and Laurie Kramer, and David and Vicki Cox. The Knight Foundation in Miami then committed $250,000. As of Nov. 7, 2007, MinnPost had raised more than $134,000 in additional support from more than 340 donors.
"The CEO and Editor of MinnPost is Joel Kramer, former editor and then publisher of Star Tribune. Other members of the MinnPost board of directors are founding donors John Cowles, David Cox and Lee Lynch, as well as Kathleen Hansen, director of the Minnesota Journalism Center at the University of Minnesota; Patrick Irestone, CEO of Meritide; and John Satorius, of the law firm Fredrikson & Byron."
From About section on the MinnPost.com site.
CALI Fellow and Law School Innovation blogger Gene Koo reports that Harvard Law Library is piloting a way to push specific books, articles, and other resources selected carefully by law librarians directly into each law class's online learning portal. He writes:
"What I find particularly interesting about this effort is that the librarians are taking the initiative here and letting professors opt out of the program, rather than requiring profs to affirmatively opt in. (They attempted the latter last year and got few responses)."
Gene would like to know if similar programs are in place at other academic law libraries and if not, what institutional barriers may be present should academic law libraries want to follow Harvard's example. Here's Gene's email address.
Source: Law Librarian Blog
University of Idaho law students are launching an online Journal of Critical Studies. From the press release:
"This coming spring, the University of Idaho's College of Law introduces the "University of Idaho Journal of Critical Studies," or "The Crit." The multi-media publication will provide a new and innovative forum for analyses, scholarly discussion, and critical assessment of legal, social, economic, and political issues and institutions.
"'The Crit' will not be limited to a classic law review format,” said Michael Satz, associate professor of law and faculty adviser for the student-run publication. "We want to include input from students and scholars from many disciplines. A multidisciplinary approach is important because the law is not something you can think about or practice in isolation."
"The Crit" currently is accepting audio, video, art, cartoon, text and narrative submissions. For more information, visit www.thecritui.com.
The Southern California Law Review has announced the launch of Postscript, its new online companion that will feature article responses and create an interactive venue for dialogue about Law Review and other current topics. From the press release:
"Postscript will feature material submitted by academics, judges, practitioners and law students, published in one of two categories: responses to articles published in the Southern California Law Review, and commentaries on recent changes in the law or other legal developments.
“Postscript gives the Law Review an opportunity to reach broader audiences and encourage debate and discussion,” said Jeannette Mekdara, 3L and editor-in-chief of the Southern California Law Review.
"The student-run Law Review receives an overwhelming number of submissions for each of the six issues it publishes annually — generally about 2,000 submissions for the 12 available article slots. Postscript will allow students to publish more material on an ongoing basis, and continue the conversation in a more immediate forum."
Source: Law Librarian Blog
Photo by CHEJ
California Attorney General lawsuit against toy companies, including links to complaint filed: http://ag.ca.gov/newsalerts/release.php?id=1497
The Consumer Action Guide to Toxic Chemicals in Toys: http://www.healthytoys.org
Toy Industry Association: http://www.toyassociation.org
List of recalled toys available at the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission: http://www.cpsc.gov
Consumer Advocacy: http://www.notinmycart.org
Consumer Reports section on Babies & Kids products: http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/babies-kids/index.htm
Toys & Childhood Lead Exposure from the CDC: http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/faq/toys.htm
Here is the list of new titles the law library acquired in November 2007. The list is also on the library's home page.