Jamaica's Justice Minister Highlights Critical Role of Law Librarians at CARALL's Annual Conference
Speaking at the annual conference of the Caribbean Association of Law Librarians (CARALL) earlier this week, Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Senator Dorothy Lightbourne, highlighted the critical role law librarians play in providing information required in the legal profession. Read more about it.
Source: Law Librarian Blog
H.W. Wilson and MLA to make article-level records available in OCLC WorldCat.org
DUBLIN, Ohio, USA, 18 June 2008—Database producers H.W. Wilson and MLA have agreed to make article-level records available in WorldCat.org, increasing visibility and access to authoritative content licensed by libraries on the Web.
MLA and H.W. Wilson will permit a portion of their content to be indexed in WorldCat.org, the Web destination that allows information seekers to find what they need from a single source, online through OCLC’s cooperative organization of libraries.
The article-level metadata from H.W. Wilson and MLA will be added to the more than 50 million articles indexed from NLM MEDLINE, the Department of Education’s ERIC database, the British Library Inside serials, the GPO Monthly Catalog and the OCLC ArticleFirst® database to expand access and discovery of authoritative content through WorldCat.org.
OCLC will continue to add article-level records to WorldCat.org to enrich the search experience, and make collections from libraries more visible on the Web.
In this month's Minnesota Monthly magazine, incoming Law School Dean David Wippman offers these thoughts on law school rankings. (The article is at http://www.mnmo.com/media/Minnesota-Monthly/July-2008/Winds-of-Change/ if you scroll almost to the bottom)
Objection! The U’s law school grapples with a slip in the rankings
—BETH HAWKINS
When David Wippman takes over as dean of the University of Minnesota Law School on July 1, he’ll have his work cut out for him: This past spring, for the first time in 12 years, U.S. News & World Report announced that the school had dropped out of the top 20 in the magazine’s annual ranking of the nation’s law schools.U faculty have long claimed that the scores have little relationship to a school’s overall quality. Midway down the list, the differences between, say, 15th and 16th place can amount to little more than a few odd factors—like the number of books in the school’s library. Wippman argues that the formula can “create some perverse incentives” for schools to game the numbers (buying more volumes for the stacks, for example). Still, he’s happy to highlight the spots where the U is a standout: “On one measure, peer reputation…
Minnesota is still doing very well,” Wippman says.
Administrators concede that the list has a major impact on a school’s ability to recruit students and faculty, place graduates in sought-after jobs, and tease dollars from alumni pockets. “We do hear from lots of students that it is something they pay attention to,” says Wippman, who already has his finger on the school’s pulse. “If the ranking falls, alumni express concern. If it goes up, they are appreciative of that.”
Wippman, a Minnesota native, most recently did double duty as a vice provost and law professor at Cornell University, which, incidentally, is number 12 on the list. Not that anyone’s keeping track.
Local lawyers anxiously await Exxon Valdez decision
By Judith Yates Borger
Monday, June 23, 2008
Twin Cities lawyers are all a twitter today waiting for the U.S. Supreme Court decision on the $2.5 billion damages in the Exxon Valdez case. This is the last week the court will be in session, and as of noon it had issued decisions in all but seven of the cases it has heard since October.
Read the full story at Minnpost.com
Source: Kenny Ronnan, Minnpost.com
Cancellation of law school loan in exchange for public service work wasn't included in income
Photo by curious_spider (Flickr)
Rev Rul 2008-34, 2008-28 IRB IRS website: http://www.irs.gov/
Summary. In a revenue ruling, the IRS has ruled that the forgiveness of a law student's loan in exchange for the borrower working for a certain period of time in a qualifying law-related public service position wasn't includible in his/her gross income. The revenue ruling clarified that a law school loan made under a Loan Repayment Assistance Program generally satisfies the requirements of Code Sec. 108(f).
Background. In the case of an individual, gross income doesn't include any amount which (but for this rule) would be includible in gross income by reason of the discharge of all or part of any student loan if the discharge was made under a provision of the loan that all or part of the indebtedness would be discharged if the individual worked for a certain period of time in certain professions for any of a broad class of employers. (Code Sec. 108(f)(1))
RIA illustration : A student received $100,000 under a medical educational loan program. Under the terms of the program, one-fifth of the loan (or $20,000) is canceled each year he practices medicine in a qualifying state hospital. He doesn't include those amounts in income.
Facts. An individual, who we'll call Joel, attended law school and accumulated debt on his student loan. Neither the loans nor the underlying loan documents addressed whether any of the indebtedness would be forgiven if Joel worked in a particular profession for a specified period of time. However, Joel's law school offered a Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP) to help reduce the student loan debt of graduates who engage in public service. The LRAP was designed to encourage graduates to enter into public service in occupations or areas with unmet needs. After Joel graduated from law school, he signed an LRAP promissory note and accepted the terms and conditions of the law school's LRAP loan.
Under the LRAP, the law school made loans that refinanced the graduates' original student loan(s). To qualify, a graduate had to work in a law-related public service position for, or under the direction of, a tax-exempt charitable organization or a governmental unit, including positions in: (1) a public interest or community service organization, (2) a legal aid office or clinic, (3) a prosecutor's office, (4) a public defender's office, or (5) a state, local, or federal government office. The LRAP loan amount was based on the graduate's outstanding student loan debt and annual income. After the graduate worked for the required period in a qualifying position, the law school forgave all or part of his LRAP loan.
Conclusions. In Rev Rul 2008-34, IRS concluded that the terms of the LRAP loan satisfied the requirements of Code Sec. 108(f)(1), and the LRAP loan was a “student loan” under Code Sec. 108(f)(2). Consistent with the requirement in Code Sec. 108(f)(1) to work in certain professions for a certain period of time, Joel's loan was forgiven under the terms of the LRAP loan, only if he worked for a certain minimum period of time in a qualifying law-related public service position.
Further, Rev Rul 2008-34 noted that the LRAP was designed to encourage its students to engage in public service in occupations or areas with unmet needs. All of the positions listed in the LRAP were for, or under the direction of, a governmental unit or a tax-exempt charitable organization. In addition, the LRAP loan was made to refinance A's original student loans.
RIA Research References: For cancellation of debt under student loan programs, see FTC 2d/FIN ¶ J-7508; United States Tax Reporter ¶ 1084.04; TaxDesk ¶ 188,006.
Source: Federal Taxes Weekly Alert (preview) 06/26/2008, Volume 54, No. 26 via RIA Newsstand 6/23/08 (Part of Westlaw's Checkpoint Resources) via Ref Librarian Mary Rumsey
Coming in July: a new debiting system for making photocopies in the Law Library!
The Law Library photocopiers on 1st and 2nd floor are being wired for a campus network debiting system. Please excuse the noise that may be associated with this project.
Starting in July (exact date TBA), users who wish to make photocopies will need to add value to their UCard, or if they do not have a UCard, a Gopher Gold card. The Library will no longer sell copy cards.
Gopher Gold cards can be purchased at the Library, and users can add value with cash or go online to add value with a credit card ($2 transaction fee applies to credit card use). Departments will obtain a departmental card from the UCard office and receive a monthly statement. For a limited time during summer and fall semester, users will be able to transfer value from their old copy cards (which will no longer work in the copiers) to their new cards.
More information wil be forthcoming as the transition nears, but you can find additional info now on the UCard office website at: http://www1.umn.edu/ucard/umtc/tcg4g.html
Summary:
"An independent investigation of the office by St. Thomas Law Dean Thomas Mengler cleared the Attorney General of wrongdoing related to her handling of cases in the office. In response to the investigation report, Attorney General Swanson fired the attorney who brought the original complaint." Read more at the UMN Law School Institute for Law and Politic's blog.
On June 3, 2008, the Office of the Legislative Auditor (OLA) released the results of a preliminary assessment of allegations concerning the Minnesota Attorney General´s Office. The results are presented in a letter to members of the Legislative Audit Commission. The commission members did not find a basis for further investigation by OLA.
Other sources have a different view of the investigation.
Read more at MinnPost.
Read the Commission's report.
National Archives Creates Plan for Online Access to Founding Fathers Papers
From the press release from May 7, 2008:
"Archivist of the United States Allen Weinstein submitted a report, entitled The Founders Online, to the Committees on Appropriations of the U.S. Congress. This report is the National Archives response to concerns raised by the Committees that the complete papers of America’s Founding Fathers are not available online. The Founders Online is a plan for providing online access, within a reasonable timeframe, to researchers, students and the general public. The report is available electronically on the National Archives web site.In announcing the completion of the report, Professor Weinstein said, “We feel this plan would provide scholars and the public access to the best available versions of the complete papers; it would also protect the longstanding interests of the publishers and host organizations which along with the Federal government have invested great resources in the past four decades. Most importantly, it would build a monument to the Founders of our nation in their own words.”
The National Archives received suggestions from the editors of the papers of John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and George Washington, university publishers, and others in crafting a blueprint for providing access to the already completed print editions and the raw materials for the editions to come. If carried out, the plan ensures that interested readers worldwide can see the work in progress with the already complete editions accompanied by transcriptions of the papers yet to be published. To hasten the transition process, the National Historical Publications and Records Commission plans to invest $250,000 as a demonstration pilot project."
COPY OF ORIGINAL LETTER – William Duane to Thomas Jefferson, 14 Feb. 1813
Read the report: The Founders Online
Source: Law Librarian Blog
UPDATE (7/15/08):
In just a few days, the long-awaited EBSCOhost 2.0 interface will be fully implemented. Its brand new look and feel, based on extensive user testing and feedback, will provide you with the most powerful, clean and intuitive interface available. This is the first redesign of the EBSCOhost interface since 2002, and its functionality incorporates the latest technological advances.
We have created a wide range of tools and information to streamline your transition to the new design:
An overview of EBSCOhost 2.0 is provided in the Flash demonstration here. (www.ebscohost.com/2.0_flash)
The EBSCOhost 2.0 Support Center is available here. (http://support.epnet.com/ebscohost2)
Our marketing web site also features new EBSCOhost 2.0 web pages, where you can learn more about its key features, here. (http://www.ebscohost.com/2.0)
We hope that you and your users enjoy the clean new design of EBSCOhost 2.0, and welcome your feedback.
Visit EBSCO's Support Site (http://support.ebsco.com) to learn about new features, search among thousands of FAQs, download Flash tutorials, Help Sheets or User Guides, or communicate with Technical Support at any time, using the EBSCO Support Form (http://support.epnet.com/contact/askus.php).
May 19, 2008:
EBSCO will be coming out with a new interface in July.
Many interesting options worth a peek (e.g. ability to preview images or abstracts from a results list; a date slide limiter; etc.).
A list of new features, with a self-paced demo, is available at:
http://ebscohost.com/thisTopic.php?marketID=1&topicID=969
Source: Monday Memo
Changes to the Key Number System
On May 12, West plans to release significant changes to the Key Number System. Attorney editors have completed the reclassification of over 500,000 headnotes. The improvements include the following:
A large portion of the topic CRIMINAL LAW has been revised and expanded to account for recent changes in the law relating to the right to counsel, effectiveness of counsel, conduct and argument of either prosecuting attorneys or defense counsel, authentication of evidence, mistrial, regulation of trial, and standards of review on appeal.
Revisions have been made to the topic SENTENCING AND PUNISHMENT relating to application of the Sentencing Guidelines.
Dozens of other areas of the Key Number System have been given minor improvements, particularly in the topics AUTOMOBILES, INNKEEPERS, INSURANCE, and NEGLIGENCE
Changes to the Key Number System do not affect a researcher’s ability to search by a former classification number. West tracks the former Key Number next to the updated classification, so Westlaw can be searched using old or new numbers. Depending upon the total impact on the bound print volumes, the reclassified headnotes may go into the pocket part.
Questions about these changes or Westlaw research in general? Contact the Law Library Reference Office at 612-625-4309 or law-ref@umn.edu.
Source: Tom Duggan, Manager, Librarian Relations, Thomson West Company
A new intellectual-property law clinic at the University of San Francisco School of Law will assist students accused by the record or film industries of violating copyright law by swapping multi-media files online. The clinic will give advice on how to respond to pre-litigation letters and walk students through the steps of bringing an effective defense should suit commence.
From the article:
A new legal clinic at the University of San Francisco, created by Professor Robert Talbot of the USF School of Law, matches tech-savvy law students with frightened undergrads. The future lawyers get experience; the music fans get counsel."It helped. I didn't feel so alone," said a 20-year-old San Francisco State University psychology student who asked that she not be identified because it would expose her to embarrassment. Accused of sharing songs on her computer through the service Limewire, she received an RIAA letter last month threatening suit - and telling her that she had 20 days to pay $6,000 or face up to a $20,000 fine.
"It made me realize that more and more students are going through this," she said.
Read more at: http://www.innovations.harvard.edu/news/91511.html
Source: Government Innovators Network at Harvard Business School
Beginning with the 110th Congress, the Public and Private Laws on GPO Access have been digitally signed and certified. GPO has signed and certified the PDF files to assure users that the online documents are official and authentic.
"To help meet the challenge of the digital age, GPO has begun implementing digital signatures to certain electronic documents on GPO Access that not only establish GPO as the trusted information disseminator, but also provide the assurance that an electronic document has not been altered since GPO disseminated it." Read more at GPO Access' authentication efforts.
Source: WisBlawg via FDLP-listserv
According to a GPO Request for Information:
The United States Government Printing Office (GPO) plans to digitize the entire collection of legacy materials that have been disseminated through the Federal Depository Library Program. The estimated size of the collection is approximately 2.2 million documents, which amounts to about 90 million pages.
Source: WisBlawg via GOVDOCS-L list
Something new is coming to the UMN Public Catalog: GET IT!
Get It is a one stop paging service for the TC UMN campus.
Get It combines three previous services (Recall, Point-to-Point, and Libraries to U) with an in-house paging service for more convenient, simplified delivery service!
Watch for more details coming soon. Get It is planned to start March 3.
myLibrary is an interactive library page where you can help shape the information provided to you. myLibrary features librarian based suggestions for resources and libraries, easy access to the materials you may have checked out from the University of MN Libraries, and spaces where you can save your favorite library resources like databases and e-journals.
Watch for myLaw Library...coming soon!
Source: News from the Libraries blog
The law library's website has undergone a remodel! Check out our new look!
New user navigation tabs at the top of each page help direct you to custom information and resources. We've also opened up the "Quick Links" menu located on the left side of our home page for easier, direct access to some of our more popular resources and services.
If you would like to offer any feedback on the new site, please email lawlib@umn.edu with your message. Feel free to report any broken or misdirected links to this email as well.
Home Page: http://www.law.umn.edu/library/home.html
From the Harvard Business School's "Working Knowledge" magazine comes their top 20 most popular stories of 2007, including #2:
HBS Cases: How Wikipedia Works (or Doesn't)
For HBS professor Andrew McAfee, Wikipedia is a surprisingly high-quality product. But when his concept of "Enterprise 2.0" turned up on the online encyclopedia one day—and was recommended for deletion—McAfee and colleague Karim R. Lakhani knew they had the makings of an insightful case study on collaboration and governance in the digital world.
See all the stories at http://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/5836.html
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)
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
The law library has an additional place for information and news! Located near the circ desk is a display case that will rotate library news and new book announcements on a monthly (or more frequent) basis. Next time you are in the library, please take a look!
You can now access MN state trial court records via the internet through the Minnesota Trial Court Public Access Remote view (MPA): http://www.mncourts.gov/publicaccess
Please note that the information accessible via MPA is NOT exactly the same as what you get when you search MNCIS at the courthouses.
From the www.mncourts.gov website:
"Courthouse public access terminals provide the most complete access to electronic district court case records, because they are not restricted by the remote access provisions of the Rules of Public Access (see Rule 8, subd. 2). For example, street addresses and name searches for pre-conviction criminal case records are available at courthouse public access terminals, but not through the online case inquiry, as described above."
Attorney searches cannot be completed via MPA, but are available via the courthouse terminals.
Additionally, the MPA system is based on the MNCIS system (MN Court Information System). Dakota County records and Ramsey criminal records are not yet part of this system. Dakota records move to MNCIS at the end of February and Ramsey criminal records move the weekend of April 11, 2008. Those records are currently only available at their respective courthouses.
Source: MN Association of Law Libraries
From Thomson West:
In response to the discussion about the far-reaching changes to the Federal Civil Rules of Procedure, Thomson West has posted a 5 minute video featuring the authors of the Federal Civil Rules Handbook. The authors, Steven Baicker-McKee and Professor William Janssen, discuss the dramatic amendments to the Federal Rule of Civil Procedure, and why every major rule and form is changing on December 1, 2007. The video can be found under the "What's New for Law Librarians" section at: www.west.thomson.com/librarian.
The changes have mostly come about as a result of a comprehensive overhaul by a federal style committee. There are stylistic and substantive changes, and all the forms have changed as well.
Thomson West has published the Federal Civil Rules Handbook just in time for the coming rule changes. All rule changes will be in this volume, along with all the new forms, and a great deal of annotated commentary. There will also be a "roadmap" at the end of each rule indicating the Style Project changes and the non-stylistic (substantive) changes to the rules.
Source: Law Librarian Blog
News from the OPL Plus Blog:
Faculty members overwhelmingly prefer using online material to printed material, according to the results of a survey released this week by Ebrary, a company that provides electronic content and technology to libraries, publishers, and other businesses. The survey shows that half of faculty members prefer electronic resources, and 18 percent prefer print. Another 32 percent said they had no preference. The results were based on responses of 906 faculty members from 300 colleges and 38 countries.
From an article by Andrea L. Foster in The Wired Campus (an online feed from The Chronicle of Higher Education), 8 November 2007.
URLs:
The full article: http://chronicle.com/wiredcampus/index.php?id=2531
Register to read the survey at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=PgvLHSl_2fYAN_2fsblRBJYqqg_3d_3d
From the Out of the Jungle blog:
"The National Conference of Bar Examiners is still considering how to create a test of legal research skills that can be administered, scored and validated. If that test is ever added to state bar examination requirements, it will not be long before advanced legal research becomes a required subject at many schools. At this point, there are only a handful of schools (actually only one that I know of) that has a required advanced research class. That school is University of Maryland, who reported at the NE2007 regional meeting on their experience."
How does this affect law libraries? Read more...
From the Government Innovators Network (JFK School of Government at Harvard) comes news of at least two innovative legal programs. You can read more at http://www.innovations.harvard.edu/
Grant will fund 'new life' court
09/20/2007 | The Herald-Sun (Durham, North Carolina)
In North Carolina, the Durham County District Court has received federal funding to begin "The New Life Court," an 18-month project that works with previous low-level offenders, such as child support delinquents, trying to reenter the work force. The program will work with 25-30 clients at a time, using social services to help parents having trouble paying child support or people released from jail to avoid the further punishment of unemployment or underemployment.
Free legal help will be available to veterans
09/06/2007 | Chicago Daily Herald
The Illinois State Bar Association, the Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs, the John Marshall Law School, and several other entities are partnering to ensure that veterans obtain free legal services to file claims for the health and education benefits they deserve. The project will recruit and train attorneys to represent disabled veterans at hearings on appeals related to their claims.
To combat gang violence, the city of Albuquerque, New Mexico, is considering a proposal to set up a online registry of people convicted of gang-related crimes. Modeled after the now ubiquitous sex offender registries, this gang violence registry would include offender data such as convictions, legal names, aliases, birth dates, and places of employment. Read more at the link below.
Source: Government Innovators Network at Harvard University blog
News from the Educational Technology Department:
Five of the law schools seminar rooms have just had installations of projection equipment and computers with internet access. Rooms 473 & 475 on the fourth floor and rooms N202, N204 & N209 on the second.
This means that groups and classes will no longer have to reserve Laptops and LCD projectors for these 5 rooms, it will be as simple as bringing in your flash drive and pressing a button.
Glen Anderson put a great deal of effort into setting up the computers and with the physical installation.
Educational Technology Home Page: http://www.law.umn.edu/technology/edtech.html
The Educational Technology Office phone number is 612-625-6385 and the e-mail address is LawEdTec@umn.edu. The Control Room is Room 184, located by the Law Clinics.
Jackee Heslop started her term as Step-Up Student Intern at the Law School. Jackee will be a senior at South High this fall and is interested in learning more about careers in the law, especially working with children.
She will be working here 20 hours a week for six weeks, splitting her time between the Clinics office and the Law Library. Step-Up is a city initiative aimed at reducing economic disparities in the community. Each summer, several hundred high-achieving students are placed in “internships” throughout the city. This year, the U has the largest number of interns of any employer.
If you see Jackee around the building, make sure to say hello.
The Law Library's own Reference Librarian Vic Garces (who is also co-author) and Director Joan Howland are profiled in the new book Celebrating Diversity: A Legacy of Minority Leadership in AALL
From the release:
Celebrating Diversity: A Legacy of Minority Leadership in AALL
Profiles of 32 past and present minority law librarian leaders are featured in this informative book. Also included are a historical overview of AALL’s diversity efforts and the results of a survey of nearly 200 minority law librarians.
"This book is itself reason to celebrate. It chronicles the increasing richness and ethnic diversity in our profession; it recognizes the significant contributions made by these members; and it celebrates the leadership of many pioneers within the Association. This book is a look back at where we have come from and a look forward at some of our younger leaders who will define the future of the profession.” - Past President, Robert L. Oakley (2001-02), Foreword
Celebrating Diversity: A Legacy of Minority Leadership in AALL is no. 71 in the AALL Publication Series, published by Hein. All royalties for this publication will be contributed to the AALL & Thomson West George A. Strait Minority Scholarship Endowment Fund.
Read more, including a 16-page sample from the book at http://www.wshein.com/Catalog/Product.aspx?sku=730
MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (6/6/2007) -- The University of Minnesota, along with the 11 other leading Midwest universities in the Committee on Institutional Cooperation (CIC), have entered into a ground-breaking collective agreement with Google to digitize up to 10 million bound volumes, nearly doubling the number of universities participating in the Google Books Library Project.
The U of M and the CIC announced the agreement today, June 6. The agreement allows Google to digitize significant portions from CIC library general collections. In addition, collection areas of particular strength and distinction will be contributed from each university. The distinctive collections the U of M will have digitized could include, for example, Scandinavian history, literature and culture; forestry; bee-keeping; medicine, including oncology, radiology and pediatrics.
Read more from today's press release.
Walter Mondale, the former Vice President of the United States (1977-1981), U.S. senator, and ambassador to Japan, will be returning to his alma mater this fall to teach a lower-level course examining the ongoing battle between the President and Congress over control of the country's most vital decisions.
Source: UMNnews
"The St. Croix River is a natural treasure that must be protected from "nicks and cuts" caused by development pressure, former Vice President Walter Mondale said in an interview with the Pioneer Press.
"Bit by bit, through nicks and cuts, they destroy it," said Mondale, who Thursday was named an honorary National Park Service ranger for his role in protecting the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway. ..."
Read the full story at the Pioneer Press website: http://www.twincities.com/localnews/ci_5708789
The hectic pace of academic life can be stressful--and what better way to refresh and renew than to enjoy a beverage and a bit of light reading? The Popular Reading Collection in the Wise Owl Café at Walter Library is a non-circulating collection of popular fiction and nonfiction. Patrons at the Wise Owl can relax with a good book from the collection anytime the café is open.
Planning a trip to the Wise Owl? Curious to know in advance what's available in the Popular Reading Collection? Go here to browse and search titles. Collection materials rotate quarterly, and new titles are added monthly.
Source: UM Libraries News
Here is a quick update on the law library construction projects:
Staff Elevator Access Project: The doors to the elevator corridors have been hung and will be painted this week. The doors have their locks disabled (taped over the latch) and are not activated. If the door is shut, just push on it and it should open. The elevator still needs to be switched over to card access so this project should last at least a few more weeks.
We are using fans during the painting, but if the paint fumes seem more overwhelming in a specific area, please let library staff know so we can re-direct fan circulation.
Stack Lighting Project: The 1st floor study tables are in the process of having their wiring updated and better task lighting should result. Next, the stack lighting will be re-wired and undergo timing changes. This means brighter lighting for longer periods of time. The stack rewiring will start on 4th floor and work down. This project will last the next several months.
During these periods of library construction, expect more noise in the work areas. We have posted signs alerting to any possible disruption, but feel free to contact library staff with any questions or concerns during these projects. The main contacts are Paula Seeger (612-625-1547) and Suzanne Thorpe (612-625-0187). Thanks for your patience and cooperation.
Source: Minnesota Coalition on Government Information
PRESS RELEASE - MARCH 6, 2007
GARY HILL HONORED WITH JOHN R. FINNEGAN FREEDOM OF INFORMATION AWARD
Minnesotans struggling to gather public information collected by the state no longer encounter such intrusive questions as "Who wants to know?" or "Why do you want to know?" They have Gary Hill to thank. In the late 1990's Hill led efforts to eliminate these and other barriers to open records. Over the past decades Hill has worked at the state and national levels to support a Shield law, to expand the use of cameras and recording devices in the courts, and to advocate at every turn for open government.
When Gary Hill received word that he was named recipient of the 2007 John R. Finnegan Freedom of Information Award, his response was self-effacing: "To have my name associated with Jack Finnegan is truly an honor." As fellow journalists, Finnegan and Hill share a commitment to openness in government, to mentoring socially responsible journalists, and to ethics in the profession.
The Freedom of Information Award, established by the Minnesota Coalition on Government Information (MnCOGI) in 1989, is named for John R. Finnegan Sr, retired senior vice president and assistant publisher of the St Paul Pioneer Press. Finnegan is founder and stalwart of the Minnesota Joint Media Committee which continues to support open records, open meetings and other First Amendment-related causes in the Legislature and other public arenas in Minnesota.
Nominated by the Minnesota Professional Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, Gary Hill has been a leader of that organization "for more years than anyone can remember." Until recently Hill was a journalist with KSTP-TV. In January 2007 he moved to a new position as Communications Director for the Majority Caucus of the Minnesota Senate.
The Board of the Minnesota Coalition on Government Information also recognizes a select number of outstanding nominees for the annual award:
The City of Chanhassen, nominated for its enhanced website which provides in-depth access to city government documents for residents, businesses and other governments.
Red Wing residents Pat and Roger Sween, recognized as crusaders for intellectual freedom and against censorship. As leaders of the Minnesota Coalition for Intellectual Freedom, the Sweens are responsible for landmark position papers on Internet policy, censorship, and teaching of scientific theory in public schools.
The Twin Cities Daily Planet http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/, a program of Twin Cities Media Alliance, is an online news service that offers access to news and government information sources not covered by major local media while providing an outlet for citizen journalists.
The John R. Finnegan Freedom of Information Award will be presented on Friday, March 16, at 12:00 Noon at the Minneapolis Public Library. March 16 is celebrated nationally as Freedom of Information Day; the date is the birth date of James Madison, defender of an informed citizenry supported by an open government. The event is free and open to the public.
In 2005 the Minnesota Coalition on Government Information was recognized nationally with the Eileen Cooke State and Local Information Madison Award, named for the long-time government information advocate, and Minnesota native, who led lobbying efforts of the American Library Association for 25 years.
The Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) yesterday (Monday Feb 26) recommended that the cost of a first-class stamp rise to 41 cents, a 2 cent increase. They also recommended the introduction of a forever stamp, that would work even when the cost of a stamp increased.
Want to read the documents related to this decision? Check them out on the PRC's web site. In addition to the 502-page opinion, you can also find a 34-page summary for the press.
Who is the PRC? It is an independent regulatory agency made up of five commissioners. This group makes recommendations on new domestic mail rates, fees and mail classifications. The Board of Governors for the U.S. Post Office generally follows these recommendations. According to the Washington Post article "Postal Commission Favors Selling Stamp That Locks In Current Rate" the last time they deviated from the recommendations was in 1980.
Want to know the historical cost of mailing a letter? Check out this letter to Thomas Jefferson in March of 1792 from Thomas Pickering of the Post Office (from the Thomas Jefferson collection at American Memory). In this letter he recommends against carrying the mail 100 miles a day, due to the increased cost.
Source: Gov Pub Library-U of CO Boulder
NEWS RELEASE:
February 2, 2007
Law Library of Congress To Celebrate 175th Anniversary in 2007
In celebration of its 175 years of service to Congress and the nation, the Law Library of Congress is launching a yearlong series of events designed to celebrate its achievements and showcase its unparalleled resources.
The celebration began with a special ceremony held at the Library of Congress on Jan. 18. The American Bar Association presented the Law Library with a resolution recognizing this historic milestone, and the American Association of Law Libraries presented the Law Library with a commemorative plaque.
Read the rest of the press release here: http://www.loc.gov/today/pr/2007/07-019.html
Link to the law library of Congress here:http://www.loc.gov/law/public/law.html
Beginning with the start of the second semester (Tuesday, January 16) and continuing until the end of the semester, Wilson Library will open at 7 a.m. Monday through Friday on both the first floor and basement levels.
Copy Services Hours. In addition, a second pilot will keep the basement exit and photocopy/circulation desk open until 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday. This is a response to increased demand for the photocopy service and user convenience.
The new coffee shop, located on Wilson's basement level, will open in February.
Reserve & Periodicals hours at Wilson for Spring 2007 will NOT change.
ATTENTION STUDENTS:
During the exam period (December 9 - 21), part of the first floor of the Law Library is designated as a QUIET ZONE.
We have posted signs near the area and would appreciate your cooperation in keeping this part of the library as quiet as possible.
When studying in this area please be sure to:
• turn-off the sound on your laptop,
• turn-off or silence your cell phone,
• and refrain from talking.
Please avoid walking through this area, unless you plan to study there, and please keep your voices low in nearby areas as well.
If you are looking for a place to study in a group, please check at the circulation desk for an available study room.
Thank you.
Professor Tom Cotter accepted the prize for the winning entry in the blog naming contest.
Do you have suggestions for the content of this blog? Perhaps you've always wondered what is in a certain collection and why you would use those resources? Maybe you're curious to know more about who is responsible for cataloging the books? Send your suggestions to lawlib@umn.edu.
Welcome to LexLibris, the new blog for the U of MN Law Library!
Our goal is to make this blog a useful tool for the law school students, faculty and staff. We aim to keep the law school community abreast of recent developments in the world of legal research, as well as what's happening in the library. We'll spotlight collections, introduce staff, explain common reference queries, and alert you to changes in hours or other library policies, with a few fun things thrown in for good measure.
If you are interested in subscribing to a notification service so you're alerted when new entries are made to the blog, there are links on the side of this blog. You can also receive email notifications by sending your email address to lawlib@umn.edu. This is also the email address to use when you'd like to submit comments, questions, or suggestions about the blog.
Congratulations to Professor Tom Cotter who made the winning suggestion for the name. He won a $50 gift card to either Best Buy or Target.
Welcome!