In the past few weeks, the libraries at Samford University have begun use of a new online catalog system called Millennium. The previous system, installed by VTLS, had been in use since 1991. At first glance, the search mechanics of the old and new systems are very similar; the same title, keyword, author and subject search are available on the new system as in the old. However, the new system has given the patron the ability to easily accomplish tasks that the previous system could not. Here are some of them:

Finding Course Reserves

One of the search tabs on the home screen of the catalog is labeled “course.” By clicking on this tab, you are presented with a screen allowing you to type in the name of the class to find any items placed on reserve for that class. If you type in the word “Lawyering” (for the class of Lawyering and Legal Reasoning), the system will take you right to a list of materials for the class. If, instead, you type in “Legal Reasoning,” you will be sent to an alphabetic list of classes, where it is easy to find and click on the correct name, resulting in a list of reserve items available for the class.

Alternatively, after you have clicked the tab labeled “course,” you may wish to search by professor’s name instead of course name–in this case, you will click on the“instructor” tab and type the professor’s last name. After doing this, the system will either present you with a course list taught by that instructor (which will allow you to click on the appropriate class) or it will display the list of reserves for the class needed.

Checking Your Account

On the right side of the home library catalog screen, among the choices to click on is “My Account.” When you click on this selection, you will be given the opportunity to enter your Samford Username and Password. The resulting screen will show any items checked out to your account and the due dates. At this point, you may also click on the items you wish to renew, and then click the “renew selected” button; alternatively, you may click on the “renew all” button to renew everything on your account.

Restricting Your Search to the Law Library

Below the field provided for entering search terms, there is another field box entitled “View All Libraries.” This default setting allows the patron to see results from all Samford libraries. If you wish to see only results from the Law Library, you may click on the blue box in the entry field and select “Law Library” from the pull down menu.

Other Options

Below the blue band at the top of the online catalog home screen, there are various functions to click on, including “Other Libraries.” A mouse click on this option provides a listing and links to numerous libraries in Alabama, academic and public, and to their own online catalogs. This is a way of finding materials in close proximity if the items cannot be located on the Samford campus.

Another means of locating materials not held on campus is to use Worldcat, which also has a link under the top blue band of the online catalog home screen. Worldcat is an extensive worldwide bibliographic database with listings of books and the libraries that hold those materials. See “How to Locate an Elusive Book” in the October 2005 edition of Check It Out for more information.

If you have any questions about the online catalog, please consult a librarian.

Samford University Library hosted an open house on March 13, 2008, for faculty and students to learn more about the library system. Read more information about the library system on the Samford Library News Blog Page at: http://samfordlibrarynews.blogspot.com.

(Thanks to Suzanne Peterson, Acting Director, University Library, for providing us with copies of the Millennium poster!)

Today, legal education and law practice are increasingly global in nature. Law students, professors, and attorneys researching international, comparative or foreign law will find a treasure trove of information at GlobaLex (http://www.nyulawglobal.org/globalex). Mirela Roznovschi, Reference Librarian for International and Foreign Law at New York University School of Law Library, is the editor and creative force behind this compilation of research guides. Published by NYU’s Hauser Global Law School Program, GlobaLex is committed to collecting high quality articles by well-known scholars or specialists.

Right now, the site offers more than thirty-five research guides on selected topics of international and comparative law, many written by experienced law librarians. Most of the articles offer comprehensive bibliographies of both print and electronic resources. The section on foreign law contains country-specific research guides for more than one hundred nations, arranged alphabetically from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe. Often, the language barrier is the greatest hurdle faced in researching foreign law. The authors of GlobaLex articles are particularly helpful in identifying English translations if available.

Besides the research guides, GlobaLex offers tools for building foreign, comparative, and international collections. The website also links to global research tools of the Hauser program, including working papers, teaching materials, syllabi, and more. In summary, GlobaLex is a valuable tool and excellent starting point for research in this challenging area of law.

The Langum Charitable Trust announced the winner of the 2007 David J. Langum, Sr. Prize in American Legal History. This year’s recipient is Bruce J. Dierenfield for his book, The Battle Over School Prayer: How Engel v. Vitale Changed America, published by the University Press of Kansas. The award was presented at a ceremony held at the Birmingham Public Library on March 8, 2008. More information regarding the Langum Charitable Trust organization can be found online at: http://www.langumtrust.org. The Law Library has ordered a copy of this book for the treatise collection.

In 2007, Columbia University Press published the final volume of this comprehensive work detailing the history of the U.S. Supreme Court. Sponsored by the Supreme Court Historical Society, lead editors Maeva Marcus and James Perry began the series in 1985. More than twenty years in the making, this massive project transcribes and compiles source documents covering all aspects of the Supreme Court’s formative first decade.

A boon for scholars of legal history, the eight-volume set provides raw documentation for critical analysis of the origin and evolution of the Supreme Court. The editors collected materials from many repositories including the National Archives, the Library of Congress, court archives, university libraries, historical societies, state libraries, private collections, and more. For instance, scholars may benefit from notes taken in court by lawyers or justices, correspondence by attorneys or litigants, and reports in newspapers and journals of the day.

The first volume in the series covers the court’s appointment process, minutes, and bar admission certificates with character references. In the initial volume, also find some rudimentary forms and early court rules. Volumes two and three document activity of the justices in the circuit courts. The fourth volume covers federal legislation organizing the judiciary. Consult volume five for suits against the states and a legislative history of the eleventh amendment. Remaining volumes six, seven and eight contain cases in chronological order. Scholars may gain insight and historical perspective for such significant decisions as Chisholm v. Georgia, Calder v. Bull, and others. Look for a comprehensive subject index in the back of each volume.

The Documentary History of the Supreme Court of the United States is on the Second Floor of the Law Library at call number KF8742.A45/D66/1985. Ask a reference librarian for help if needed.

The entire article and a picture of Ed Craig and some students using the Law Library can be found at: http://www.bizjournals.com/birmingham/stories/2008/03/10/focus1.html.

Aspen Publishers’ Emanuel line offers this new five-volume bar review series by James J. Rigos. An excellent source for bar review students, the series may also be a good study guide for law school exams. The 2008-2009 edition contains exam strategies, an overview and outline of bar topics, and practice questions with answers. The author, James Rigos, has more than twenty-five years of bar review expertise. All of the books are on Reserve.

MULTISTATE BAR EXAMINATION (MBE) REVIEW (KF303/.M856) in two volumes covers contracts and UCC sales, torts, real property and future interests, evidence, constitutional law, and criminal law and procedure. The multiple choice questions are segregated by topic.

MULTISTATE ESSAY EXAMINATION (MEE) REVIEW (KF303/.M85) covers agency, partnership, corporations and LLCs, conflict of laws, family law, federal civil procedure, UCC commercial paper, UCC secured transactions, trusts and future interests, wills and decedents’ estates, common law contracts and UCC sales, constitutional law, criminal law and procedure, evidence, real property and future interests, torts, and professional responsibility.

MULTISTATE PERFORMANCE TEST (MPT) REVIEW (KF303/.M853) covers briefs, memoranda, office tasks, and litigation tasks similar to a beginning lawyer’s work assignments.

MULTISTATE PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY EXAM (MPRE) REVIEW (KF303/.M854) covers client relations, confidentiality, conflicts of interest, marketing, judicial ethics, and more.

Here are a few helpful Mac Word tips:

To get to the beginning or end of a Word document:

Function + Command + Home to get to the beginning of the document

Function + Command + End to get to the end of the document

To stop certain fonts from loading with Word every time:

Go to the Applications folder, look for Font Book, double click on Font Book to open it. You may then go through the fonts and disable those you don't need. Highlight the font you don't need and click the checked box. You will then get a confirmation message.

To make your Word document a PDF:

Select File, Print. Within the Print dialog box, click on the PDF box down arrow and select Save as PDF.

To Password Protect a document (for security):

Click on Word in the upper left corner, select Preferences. Under Personal Settings, click on Security. A password may be entered to open a document and/or modify a document.

If you need help with any of the above or have other questions – please contact Grace Simms, Computer Services Librarian, at ext. 2687 or glsimms@samford.edu.

This is the last issue of CHECK IT OUT for this semester. Three issues will be published during the Fall Semester beginning in August 2008. If you have any ideas or suggestions as to ways we can improve, contact Becky Hutto via e-mail at rmhutto@samford.edu. We look forward to the Fall Semester and new issues of the newsletter.