| No. 469 | August 2001 |
In This Issue
Welcome to Students and Faculty
Learning the Ropes of the Law Library
Selected List of Recent Acquisitions
Staff News
Where Do I Find Help
New Book by Cumberland Professor
Please Remember ... Log Off Correctly
Using the Computer Labs: A Very Basic Introduction
Lights, Camera, Action
Tips for Using Samford Libraries Catalog: Series Search
On behalf of the Law Library staff, I want to welcome first year students to the law school and to welcome back second and third year students and faculty members. We wish everyone a successful and productive year.
Changes over the summer include the installation of new computer equipment in the Law Library computer labs and the hiring of new personnel.
While any new life experience can be a challenge, the law school experience may be your toughest act yet. A prominent part of your first year routine will be studying and researching in the Law Library. Here are some insider tips that could make life a bit easier for yourself and your classmates:
1. You need to bring your Samford I.D. card with you every day. You must show it to the Circulation Desk Attendant in order to enter the library. You must also present it to check out books and folders placed on reserve by your professors.
2. In previous years, there has been substantial traffic in the photocopy rooms during fall semester. To avoid delays at the photocopy machines, you should have money programmed on your Samford I.D. card at the Mouse Pad in Beeson Student Center. This store accepts cash, check and credit cards. Only two of five public photocopiers accept cash (coins and $1 bills reliably). All five photocopiers accept a Samford I.D. card with money programmed on it. Quite typically, first year students will do their research at about the same time of day and wait in long lines to use coin-operated machines.....this problem can normally be avoided with cash on your I.D.
3. Enthusiastic freshmen often feel that they need to buy a lot of student aid materials in order to get "a leg up" on their classmates. The Samford bookstore has a large selection of such publications, but most are quite pricey. Before deciding to buy, you might want to check out the study aids available on reserve at the Circulation Desk. The Guide to Study Aids, which has been distributed to all first year law students, and is also at http://lawlib.samford.edu/pubs/studyaid.html is an excellent resource for determining what student aids are available for check out from the Reserve section. The items on Reserve are the most recent edition and are available for use in the library (and also can be checked out overnight three hours before the library's closing).
4. Please reshelve all books that you use on the First Floor and in the periodical collection, Lower Level. Over the years there have been many first year students unable to finish their assignments, victimized by thoughtless classmates who refuse to take the time to reshelve needed materials.
5. Cellular telephones should not be used in the Law Library. If you bring one into the reading rooms, you must put it on vibration mode. When you receive or place a call, you must go to a photocopy room or outside the library building.
6. Conference Rooms are available for three-hour checkout at the Circulation Desk by student study groups. The rooms are available throughout the semester but 2-3 weeks before the beginning of final exams they are in great demand. Students carrying on discussions within the library should use a Conference Room in order to avoid disturbing other patrons.
7. Four laptops are available for law student checkout at the Circulation Desk. The checkout period is three hours.
8. The librarians on staff are available to serve you. You should not feel embarrassed to ask a librarian for help finding materials. Often, first year law students believe that they are the "only student" who cannot find something; in most cases, many students cannot locate it but do not want to admit it to others. At the same time, do not hesitate to let your instructor for LLR (Lawyering and Legal Reasoning) know when you do not understand an assignment.
9. Please remember to return Law Library books in a timely manner. Fines at the Law Library are as follows:
$1.00 per day per book for non-reserve items
$1.00 per HOUR for reserve items
10. Food and drinks are not permitted in the Law Library. For a quick refreshment break, use the Law School student lounge. Fortunately, Samford has a cafeteria and food court in the student center that is considerably better than average for college fare–a good option for those who do not want to take the time to leave campus.
11. The Law Library reading rooms should be used for research and study purposes; it should not become a meeting point for law student social groups. The noise problem is one which is being constantly brought to our attention by law students. Please consider classmates who, for various reasons, cannot study at home. This library is their only refuge for quiet study. If you wish to socialize, there are numerous places in the Law School, including the Great Room in the Law School building, where ample space is available. Please reserve the library facilities for your research and study purposes only.
(The Law Library maintains a collection of treatises on law in different states. Listed below are titles in this area that were received during the past months.)
Adkison, Danny Mark. THE OKLAHOMA STATE CONSTITUTION: A REFERENCE GUIDE.
KFO1602/.A35/2001.
Delaware. DELAWARE UNIFORM COMMERCIAL CODE ANNOTATED.
KFD152/.A29/D45/2000-2001.
Elison, Larry M. THE MONTANA STATE CONSTITUTION: A REFERENCE GUIDE.
KFM9402/.E44/2001.
Jackson, Jeffrey. ENCYCLOPEDIA OF MISSISSIPPI LAW.
KFM6665/.J32.
Kelso, Lloyd T. NORTH CAROLINA DIVORCE, ALIMONY, AND CHILD CUSTODY: WITH FORMS. 4th ed.
KFN7500/.K44/2001.
McClory, Toni. UNDERSTANDING THE ARIZONA CONSTITUTION.
KFA2802/.M33.
Redfearn, Daniel Huntley. WILLS AND ADMINISTRATION IN GEORGIA. 6th ed.
KFG144/.R4/2000.
The newest members of the Law Library staff are C'helle Vann and Katie Robinson.
C'helle began work in May 2001 as Law Library Assistant in Computer Services. She has a B.A. from the University of Montevello. C'helle can be seen working in the computer labs throughout the Law Library and her phone number is 726-4024.
Katie also began work in the Law Library in May 2001. Katie is the Law Library Assistant in Reader Services. She has a B.A. from Birmingham-Southern and is nearing completion of a Masters Degree in English from the University of Southern Mississippi. Katie will be the new full-time person you see behind the Circulation Desk.
And one more bit of staff news ...
Computer Services Librarian, Diane Wade is no longer on staff. Diane left the first of August to begin graduate work in Music History at Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Most second and third year students knew Diane because of all the time she spent helping in the computer labs and answering the many questions. The Law Library staff, along with all the law students, will certainly miss her. We wish her the best!
The Law Library collects many resources to aid in your legal studies. For an excellent list, consult the library publication A Guide to Study Aids. First year law students receive a printed copy of the guide during orientation. At public terminals in the Law Library, access electronic copies of the guide using the pull down menu at the top of Samford's Web-based catalog. In addition, find copies of the guide at the Law Library Circulation Desk or directly on the Web at:
Many popular study aids are on reserve and available for three hour in-library use. If checked out within three hours of library closing, reserve books may be taken home to be returned within one hour of opening the next day. Some prior editions and non-reserve items are available for seven-day circulation from the treatises section on the Second Floor. Refer to the guide, or use Samford's online library catalog to find call numbers and location.
Study aids are not a substitute for attending class and reading your casebooks. Rather, use them initially to help prepare for classes and later to review for exams. A few of the series available in the Law Library's collection are discussed below.
Hornbook Series
As explained by the publisher, the origin of the term "hornbook" dates back to the late 1400's. Children often studied lessons pasted on paddle-shaped boards protected by a clear film of horn. The covering was made by soaking a cow's horn in hot water and peeling it away in thin strips. Today, West Publishing Company's Hornbook Series covers a broad range of legal topics like torts, property, evidence, constitutional law, and others. Typically, hornbooks are single volume treatises written by noted experts covering issues commonly studied in law school.
Practitioner Treatise Series
Also published by West, this series enhances basic theory with practical advice. More comprehensive than hornbooks, these multi-volume works are directed primarily to scholars, judges, and lawyers.
Nutshell Series
Often written by the same experts who wrote the casebook, West's nutshells provide an excellent introduction to the law. Nutshells are convenient ready-reference guides that summarize important issues and refer to leading cases or statutes.
Black Letter Series
Books in West's Black Letter Series, written by law school professors, offer a good overview of basic legal principles. A capsule summary on computer disk accompanies many recent publications. Other features include cross-references to casebooks, examples, and practice examinations.
Examples & Explanations Series
Published by Aspen Law & Business (formerly Little Brown), these books are typically written by law school professors. Useful for developing analytical skills, the books provide an overview of legal issues followed by practical problems for students to solve.
ABCs of the UCC Series
Directed to students and practitioners alike, this series provides a simple, clear framework for the Uniform Commercial Code. Published by the American Bar Association, these books are good starting points for understanding basic concepts of the Code. Many of the books include a bibliography for further study.
The Law Library has received three copies of the book Alternative Dispute Resolution by Professor Stephen J. Ware. The book was published by West Group and is part of the Hornbook series. The copies are shelved on Reserve and are available for a three hour checkout. The call number is: KF9084.W35.
Congratulations on enrolling at Cumberland for the Fall Semester! You have been granted a 500 page credit of printing in the Law Library computer labs. The five hundred page credit will be used up before you know it, and you will have to pay for every page thereafter. Guard your printing allowance. Hoard it like rare gold. Most of all, make sure you protect it from other users.
Did you know that if you fail to log off properly in the labs someone can inadvertently use your print allowance? It goes like this: You close out of WordPerfect or Word, gather your things, and leave the lab. Someone else comes in. They sit at the computer you were just using. Windows is already running because you are still logged on. They print their 100-page research paper, and poof! There goes 100 precious pages from your account. All because you didn't log out.
Here's what you should do: Close all applications (failing to do so can cause log-out problems), click Start, then click Log off. At the prompt, press Yes. Remember, logging off of Campus Pipeline or Simeon won't do it. You must log off of the network. If you don't see the Novell IntraNetWare log in screen before you leave, you are still logged on.
Have a great semester, and remember to log off correctly! (By the way, you can check your print balance while you are logged on by clicking on the dollar sign at the lower right hand corner of your screen.)
Facilities:
The Law Library contains three computer labs which are for the exclusive use of Cumberland students and faculty. Two of the labs are found on Second Floor (rooms 226 and 228 near the elevator) and another is located on the Lower Level (room 028). All terminals include access to WordPerfect, Word, LEXIS, WESTLAW, the web, the online library catalog and SIMEON, the e-mail software.
How to Enter the Computer Lab:
All Law Library computer lab doors have combination lock access. Please show your Samford I.D. to the Circulation Desk Attendant and you will be given the combination.
How to Access the Computer (First year students):
In order to use Law Library computer lab terminals, you will need to access Novell software with your computer I.D. and password that you should have received from Samford through the mail before arriving. (If you have lost it or did not receive it, you will need to go to CTS, 328 Brooks Hall to obtain one). This same I.D. and password can be used to access SIMEON, the Samford e-mail system.
Printing:
All Cumberland students are given an allotment of 500 pages per semester for printing in the Law Library computer labs. For any printing that you do over your allotment, your student account will be charged ten cents per page. These charges do not apply to printouts that you request while accessing LEXIS and WESTLAW if the print order is sent to the large printers owned by those services in Rooms 226 and 228 respectively.
Questions:
Please contact Law Library Assistant C'helle Vann at 726-4024 or Reference Librarian Brenda Jones at 726-2624 if you have any questions concerning the computer labs.
To supplement your legal studies, the Law Library has accumulated almost one hundred video tapes. For a description of selected resources, with links to a full list of videos, visit the Law Library's Web site at:
Most videos are shelved in the multimedia room on the Lower Level of the Law Library. The following popular series, however, are available at the Circulation Desk:
Basic Concepts in the Law of Evidence Series
Mastering the Art of Cross Examination
Trial Demonstration Series
Tapes in a set called Gerry Spence in Trial are also shelved in the circulation area. Students may view videotapes in the Multimedia Room any time a librarian is on duty. Groups of two to six law students may borrow a TV and VCR for use in a Conference Room. Except for master copies or tapes on course reserve, law students may take videos out of the library for twenty-four hours. The popular items mentioned above are available for checkout at the Circulation Desk.
Use the online library catalog to retrieve a convenient list of books, videos, or other resources cataloged in a particular series. To find items in a series using the Web-based interface, follow these simple steps:
1. Choose search type Title.
2. Enter the phrase for the series, such as hornbook series.
3. Hit Enter or click on Start to initiate the search.
3. At the next screen, click on Details for a list of items in the series.
4. Click on a Number to view the call number, location, and status of a particular title.
When using the text-based interface for the Samford Libraries Catalog, follow these steps:
1. Type the command for a title search, such as t/hornbook series and hit Enter.
2. At the next screen, enter the number next to the series for a list of items in the series.
3. Enter the number next to a particular title to view its call number, location, and status.
Feel free to ask a Reference Librarian for help if needed.
The CHECK IT OUT is published three times a semester. The editorial staff works hard on articles that are of interest to both law students and law professors. We welcome new ideas and hope that you take the time to critique each issue. Let us know if there is a specific subject that you would like for us to discuss. Send your ideas and/or comments to: Becky Hutto at rmhutto@samford.edu.