by Kerry Fitz-Gerald
Recently, a former student forwarded me an article about advanced Google search techniques. In his email he noted that he didn’t use Google for research because of privacy concerns, but thought I might find the article of interest.
I was, I confess, more interested in his comment about privacy. I regularly teach my students that it can be very cost-effective to start their research in Google Scholar’s case law search, but I’d never thought about the privacy angle before. Was this just paranoia or was there something to this?
Coincidentally, just two days later, my SSRN notifications pointed me towards an article on this very issue: When to Research is to Reveal: the Growing Threat to Attorney and Client Confidentiality from Online Tracking, by Anne Klinefelter, 16 Virginia Journal of Law & Technology No. 1 (2011). After reading this article, I realized that my student may be right to be concerned, though the threat seems so amorphous it’s hard to get my head around.
Continue reading 'Client Confidentiality and Online Searching'»
by Kerry Fitz-Gerald
Yes, it’s that time of the year again. The law librarians of Seattle University and the University of Washington are offering a free, half-day legal research workshop to help prepare students for summer work. Two identical sessions, one at each university, will cover topics such as Legal Research in the Real World, Washington and Federal Legislative Research, and Lawyer’s Practice Materials.
The first session will be held at Seattle University on Wednesday, May 18, from 8:30 to 12:45. The second session will be held at the University of Washington on Wednesday June 15, from 12:45 until 5:00.
For more information or to register, click here.
by Lori Fossum
HB 1479 was signed into law by the Governor last Friday, April 22, 2011 and will take effect 90 days after the Session’s adjournment. The new law will affect how the RCW, the WAC, and Washington state session laws are published and distributed. Also see the LLOPS Government Relations page for more information.
“The purpose of this act is to promote widespread access to legal and public information materials produced by the statute law committee in both digital and print formats while responding to a changing marketplace where sale of paper copies no longer supports the printing of copies intended for free distribution.”
–Chapter 156 section 1, Laws of 2011
by Kristine Lloyd
These days it seems that everyone is obsessed with the upcoming royal wedding. I myself am eager to rate the millinery selections. There have been all sorts of odd homages to the royal couple. The most bizarre has to be the Papa John’s “I Dough” pizza with Prince William and Kate Middleton’s visages fashioned from mozzarella, green peppers, pepperoni and various other pizza toppings. As a colleague pointed out, what will it look like once it is baked?
Turns out some librarians at the Everett Public Library wanted to create their own tribute to the royal family, so they knitted lilliputian versions of them. Apparently, the idea wasn’t all their own. Someone actually authored a book entitled “Knit Your Own Royal Wedding,” so you too can knit your best guess as to what Kate’s surely stunning wedding dress will look like. Frankly, the royal family looks adorable in small scale, and they’re currently on display at the library.
by Karen Helde
As a Kindle user (Kindler? Kindlette? Kindlista?), I was happy to see the news that Amazon is partnering with OverDrive to make Kindle books available through libraries. Kindle Lending Library titles will be available at over 11,000 libraries to patrons with a Kindle device or Kindle reading app on their tablet, PC or smartphone. Amazon has even come up with a way to make it OK to write in library books. Users can highlight text or add margin notes like they do with Kindle content they’ve purchased; it won’t show up for the next library user, but it will be there if the patron borrows the book again or later buys it. The program is scheduled to debut later this year – I for one will be hoping for an announcement soon from Seattle Public Library.
by Karen Helde
Everett librarian Kate Mossman has something almost better than a superhero alter ego. She has a roller derby alter ego. As captain of the Camaro Harem, Kate skates under the name “unshine” and wears the Dewey Decimal number for solar eclipse (523.78) on her jersey. Kate’s story appeared in the Everett Herald a couple weeks ago. Despite her lack of previous skating experience, after four years in the rink, Kate has become a force to reckon with. “She’s fast, accurate, a hard hitter,” says teammate Candi Edwards (a nurse who skates as “Greta Gurney”). “She brings out the best in us.” During the day, Kate spends her time supervising librarians and working at the reference desk at the Everett Public Library. Despite being reticent about her roller derby life at work, she’s developed a number of library followers. Want to join them? You can see the Camaro Harem face off against the Pink Pistols Saturday, May 7 at Everett Community College.
by Barbara Holt
I was enjoying an interview on KUOW’s Weekday program this morning when, much to my surprise, the interviewee started talking about how a Washington State Law Library librarian directed him to the story that inspired his latest book. Richard Kluger, a Pulitzer prize winning author, was looking for a good topic for a social history based in Washington, and he was fortunate to pose his question to Dawn Kendrick Gibb. In the interview, he really made a point of crediting Dawn for helping him to identify the story that inspired him to write his new book, The Bitter Waters of Medicine Creek.
I emailed Dawn, who told me, “I met Dick several times while he was researching other books. A couple years ago he was looking for the topic for a new book. I told him about the Leschi trial and what the Supreme Court was doing about it. I suggested he look more in depth at the case. He did, and the rest is history. He talks about our conversation in the forward of the book. And Dick spoke with then Chief Justice Gerry Alexander to get the skinny on the case. He and his wife are very nice and down to earth people. I enjoy talking with them when they come through.”
Once again, proof that Law Librarians Rock!
by Kristine Lloyd
Does the thought of using Dialog make you reach for your migraine meds? It may be a trifling claim to fame, but I was once an excellent Dialog researcher, in graduate school, a million years ago. The commands were burned into my brain along with my SSN and pin numbers, but alas, it’s not like riding a bike, you use it or lose it. I find myself heading to the old Rolodex to phone a friendly Dialog rep every time I’m faced with a need to use the service.
Ever since ProQuest acquired Dialog, I have been wondering how this fickle but powerful research tool might evolve. Seems like it was an albatross around Thomson’s neck, one that they were happy to offload. Plus, its cache of educational and academic materials makes it a better fit with ProQuest. Continue reading 'Dialog: Cause for Calgon?'»
by Kristine Lloyd
Happy National Library Week! This is the week to rediscover your zest and zeal for our profession. It’s the week of book drives, fine forgiveness, trivia quizzes, marathon readings and all out excitement about libraries. I still have fond memories of a library week I planned years ago with vendor presentations, mini-golf, and dress up as your favorite librarian superhero day.
This year’s ALA theme, “Create Your Own Story at Your Library”, has been interpreted in creative ways, from scrapbook storytelling to acting out your favorite story. Continue reading 'National Library Week: From Book Drives to Bizarre Events'»
by Kristine Lloyd
Tweeting is for responsible adults. For that matter, computing in general should be for responsible adults. I salute the person who recommended a Breathalyzer test to boot up your home computer. Might have saved me from purchasing a vintage ostrich feather jacket on eBay one evening, in purple no less. Let me know if you’re in the market for one.
So, back to tweeting. If you’re the person responsible for tweeting on behalf of your company, make sure you don’t get your personal account mixed with the company account, otherwise, the world will think your company endorses working while “slizzered.” Check out this fun blog post from Convince & Convert for more tweeting faux pas and remember: tweet responsibly.
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