International Human Rights Research Guide

The Westminster Law Library is pleased to announce the release of a new Research Guide on International Human Rights. The guide is broken down into several areas: reference materials, treaties & instruments, UN materials, cases, journals & newsletters, blogs & podcasts and country/regional resources.

Check out all of our new online guides. If you would like to suggest a topic for an upcoming guide, please contact us.

New Prospector Interface

The Prospector catalog has a new look! The new interface uses Encore software from III and will provide users a new and improved search functionality. Prospector offers a way to search the combined catalogs of 25 Colorado & Wyoming public and academic libraries. This can be helpful when you are tracking down law review citations or writing a paper. Once items are located, SCOL students, faculty & staff can put in a request and the book will be delivered to you here where you work or study. Highlights of the new interface include :

•Colorful book jackets
•Cloud tags to narrow your search
•Facets to narrow a search by format, language, place, or publishing date
•Ability to email yourself a list of records
•Explore related searches-generate a new search on new term

Family Law Research Guide

The Westminster Law Library is pleased to announce the release of a new Research Guide on Family Law. Topics covered include adoption, child custody, marriage, divorce, father's & grandparent's rights and domestic violence. There is one section specific to Colorado law. Check out all of our new online guides. If you would like to suggest a topic for an upcoming guide, please contact us.

BNA Rep Visits DU 9/23

Do you need a topic for a paper? BNA is here to the rescue! You need BNA’s Current Awareness publications. Legal News at your fingertips!

Come sign up for FREE email highlights to our daily publications.

When: 9:30 am – 12:00 pm, Thursday, September 23rd

Where: The Forum – on the first floor of the law school building

Just for your efforts you will receive a free water bottle while supplies last!

Tax Reporters Research Guides

The Westminster Law Library has released two new research guides on tax law: Tax Reporters and Tax Loose-leaf Services. Check it out along with our other online research guides ! If you have a topic that you think would make a good research guide, just email us.

1L Westlaw & Lexis Training

The Basic Westlaw training classes for 1L students will be the week of September 13-17, 2010 and the Basic Lexis training classes will be the week of September 20-24, 2010. Sign up online at each vendor's website. You will need to bring your passwords and laptops to class. Each class is approximately 50 minutes long. Attendance will be taken and given to your LP professor.

These classes provide the foundation skills for Westlaw & Lexis research that you will build upon during the year and throughout your time in law school. Learning to use both systems well (and cost effectively) is a good marketing tool when you start applying for clerking jobs so take advantage of the opportunity to develop these skills.

If you miss these trainings, please stop by the vendor tables outside of the Library on the second floor to make an individual appointment with a student rep. After your training, the student rep will notify your LP professor of your attendance.

19th Edition of Bluebook

The 2010, 19th edition of the Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation is now available. The library has purchased 10 copies spread between the circulating stacks, reference, and reserve. Here are some details on changes in the new edition from the Harvard website.

We hear that the DU Bookstore no longer has copies in stock... if you prefer, you can purchase an online copy of the Bluebook (32$ for one year, 42$ for two years or 50$ for three years) at http://www.legalbluebook.com/Purchase/Products.aspx?op=Subscription.

Legal Research Overview for 1L Students

Open Sessions

***** Cookies and Brownies Provided*****

Wednesday, September 15 7:25 – 8:25pm Room 145

Monday, September 27 12:00 – 1:00pm Room 125

Wednesday, September 29 7:25 – 8:25pm Room 145

Friday, October 1 12:00 – 1:00pm Room 259 (new room)

Saturday, October 2 10:00 – 11:00am Room 259 (new room)

Tuesday, October 5 4:00 – 5:00pm Room 259

Friday, October 8 12:00 – 1:00pm Room 145

Each session will cover:
Navigating the law library’s homepage
Effective use of the law library’s catalog and online databases
Searching in the HeinOnline and LegalTrac databases
Utilizing the law library’s research guides
Exploring the law library’s Web research links
Learning how to locate journals online
Making the most of CALI
Questions & Answers

Federal Legislative History Research Guide

The Westminster Law Library is pleased to announce the release of a new Federal Legislative History Research Guide. Check out our other online research guides for resources on additional topics.

We hope you enjoy the new format for our Research Guides! We will be transitioning our handouts to this new format in the upcoming year. In the meantime, please note that additional guides using the old format are available at the reference desk or online.

AskColorado 24/7 Reference Service

AskColorado Celebrates Seven Years, Nears 300,000 Questions (and the Westminster Law Library is proud to have been a referral library for legal questions since the very beginning!)

Since Sept. 2, 2003, AskColorado has quietly and efficiently answered nearly 300,000 questions from students, parents, business owners, military personnel, and other residents of Colorado.

AskColorado is staffed by qualified information professionals, librarians from Colorado libraries! It is a free service for Colorado residents to ask questions from the comfort of their homes 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The librarians utilize sophisticated chat technology to communicate one-on-one and push links and other information to their clients. They use the same Live Help technology currently being used by large e-retailers such at REI and Godiva Chocolatier.

“We offer the human touch to an oftentimes impersonal Internet, and help put people in touch with information that they would otherwise be unable to locate themselves,” said Kris Johnson, AskColorado operations manager. “And judging by our numbers, people need us!”

Recent comments from customers highlight the need and usefulness of AskColorado:

• Love that I can access a librarian 24/7 as I often am in urgent need for help when the regular library is closed and I can't find what I need on the library website. Great friendly and quick service. Very impressed.
• I was so happy to find this service! I was lost navigating a variety of sites and the librarian helped me find the one I needed for my paper.
• The human touch was there. Doesn’t get any better than that!

Early on it was recognized that despite the plethora of easily-obtainable information via the Internet, people were having trouble finding the “right information” and credible information. To address this problem, Colorado libraries joined forces to create AskColorado in 2003. AskColorado was one of the first statewide, multi-library-type, virtual reference services to open in the U.S., and remains one of only fifteen or so states that continue with such a service today.

“While states such as Massachusetts and California have discontinued their services, ours continues today to offer high-level service, along with other states such as Ohio, Maryland, and New Jersey,” added Johnson. “Our per-capita usage rivals that of those larger states.”

Residents from every county in Colorado have logged in, with nearly 25% of those questions coming from rural areas. Questions range the gamut, from homework help for kids, to how to start a small business for adults. Recent research questions include:

• I am trying to find research studies on effective classroom routines or how such routines help with classroom management.
• What is the amount of water the entire state of Colorado uses in one day?
• I am researching the effectiveness of LinkedIn as a job search tool. I have lots of short articles but no substantial research. Help!
• I am sending invitations to our state senators and representatives. How do I address them on the envelope?

AskColorado also receive its share of whimsical questions:

• Can you help me find an article that has a list of the top 500 fictional villains…the evilest!?
• What is the circumference of a moose?

Interesting questions received on the service are posted at the AskColorado Twitter account nearly daily. AskColorado also participates in popular social networking sites, including Facebook and Delicious .

Libraries throughout Colorado of every type -- public, academic, school and specialized libraries -- contribute money to pay for the software and 24/7 service. Local libraries also provide the staff time to work online with Colorado students and residents.

The AskColorado service works on a model similar to public radio: it is grant-funded and paid for by member libraries. Federal monies through the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) are supplied via the Colorado State Library, a unit of the Colorado Department of Education. In addition, member libraries contribute financially and through staff support.

For more about AskColorado see www.askcolorado.org or contact the operations manager Kris Johnson.