April 26, 2010

Summer Class Signup

Just in time for summer projects, we are offering Researching Wisconsin Legislative History: Sources and Strategies in June.  Take LegalTrac at the Wisconsin State Law Library in July, and learn how to make the most of of this accessible tool.  Get a Westlaw research refresher at our Westlaw at WSLL class in August.

Researching Wisconsin Legislative History: Sources and Strategies
Wednesday, June 9, 2010, 9:00 - 10:30 a.m.
"I need the legislative history of a Wisconsin statute. Where do I start? What do I do?" Get answers to these questions and more during this hands-on class. Participants will look at the primary resources used to research Wisconsin legislative history; navigate the online Wisconsin legislative drafting files; and learn some time saving tips and tricks along the way.
Fee: $50. 1.5 CLE credits applied for. Registration is limited to 8.
Register Online | Print Registration Form
Location: Wisconsin State Law Library
LegalTrac at the Wisconsin State Law Library
Wednesday, July 21, 2010, 9:00 - 10:00 a.m.
Locating law reviews and bar journals online is easy – when you use the right tools! LegalTrac is a tool that makes legal research easier. This proprietary database provides access to major law reviews, bar journals, legal newspapers and international legal journals. And it’s free through the Wisconsin State Law Library. Come learn how to search this database, which includes 30 years worth of content and over one million articles. Hands on class.
FREE Class. 1 CLE credit applied for. Registration is limited to 8.
Register Online | Print Registration Form
Location: Wisconsin State Law Library
Westlaw at WSLL
Wednesday, Aug. 11, 2010, 9:00 - 10:00 a.m.
Come learn about FREE Westlaw available at the Wisconsin State Law Library! This class will showcase Westlaw Patron Access, a Westlaw service offered on the library’s public access computers. This service includes free searching of state and federal primary law - cases, statutes, codes and legislation. Library patrons also have access to KeyCite, online forms and treatises, such as McQuillin: The Law of Municipal Corporations; Norton Bankrtupcy Law and Practice, 2d; Fletchers Cyclopedia of the Law of Private Corporations and much more. This class will offer useful tips on effective searching in both Boolean and Natural Language modes.
FREE Class. 1 CLE credit applied for. Registration is limited to 8.
Register Online | Print Registration Form
Location: Wisconsin State Law Library
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April 18, 2010

Love Your Library Card: Checkout Your Library

I love being able to check out books and other materials. So this Love Your Library Card post is dedicated to exploring our collection.

Check out our comprehensive collection of materials, designed to serve current legal research needs. Popular resources include the Wisconsin State Bar "brown books", National Business Institute seminar materials, and the Nolo and Nutshell series. And don't forget our wide general treatise collection, periodicals, and resources for other states.

These are just a taste of what we have to offer:

Media Collection

The Media Collection has trial practice materials on family law, estate planning, real estate, business law, and other legal areas, in audio and video formats. Check out CLE seminars from the State Bar of Wisconsin and National Business Institute along with instructional materials from the American Bar Association and other legal training sources.

Drug Court Collection @ DCLRC

Designed for pro se litigants, attorneys, advocates, and court staff, the Dane County Legal Resource Center's drug court collection contains both legal and medical books as well as resources on rehabilitation, drug court operation manuals, memoirs, judicial education materials, and medical dictionaries.

Court and Judicial Administration

Check out seminar materials produced by the Wisconsin Court System's Office of Judicial Education. Find State Justice Institute reports on a wide variety of court-related topics. We also collect publications from the National Center for State Courts.

Federal Government Documents

Discover government documents that complement and supplement the library's other collections. We collect annual reports, laws, decisions, regulations, selected handbooks, manuals and general publications of various legislative, judicial and executive branch agencies.

Prose & Cons

Looking for something a little lighter to read? The Library has a collection of donated legal fiction and DVDs relating to courts and the criminal justice system.

Many Ways to Explore

To begin: Search the Catalog. Be sure to check out our monthly New Titles lists and newsletter articles highlighting the collection, like this one on the Prose & Cons and Management collections.

And even if you can't check out everything in the library, it's worth exploring our Rare Books and other archival collections.

Wisconsin State Law Library cards are unique to our libraries. If you already have a card from your public library or another law library, you'll need one of our cards in order to borrow books from any of our three locations, or to take advantage of remote access to great databases, like LegalTrac and HeinOnline.

If you're eligible for a free library card, visit any one of our three locations to register in person - it takes just a few minutes. Or, to receive your card by mail, simply fill out our online application. To find out if you are eligible for a library card, check our borrower page.

Check out what the Wisconsin State Law Library has to offer!

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April 11, 2010

National Library Week, April 11-17

Librarians are my heroes.  This is a response we received recently at the reference desk, and what a terrific way to begin National Library Week!

This week, libraries across the country promote the value that libraries and librarians bring to their communities by offering a wide variety of activities and events.  WSLL, MLRC and DCLRC are pleased and proud to join in that tradition again this year.

Visitors to our libraries will find a variety of legal resource displays, treats, and even some library and law themed games with chances to win prizes! This year we're also providing an opportunity to help make a difference in the lives of incarcerated parents and their young children.

DCLRC has organized a book donation drive to support Kids Connection, a volunteer student-run project of the UW-Madison SLIS Jail Library Group. Kids Connection promotes family literacy and communication between locally incarcerated custodial parents and their children, by giving inmates the opportunity to record themselves reading a children's book aloud. Both the book and the recording are sent as a gift to the inmate's child(ren), who can then listen to Mom's or Dad's voice while following along in the book. We hope you'll consider supporting Kids Connection by donating a book or two.  Drop off your donated book at WSLL and get a small treat and an entry to win a prize.

Donations of new or very gently used children's books for Kids Connection may be dropped off Monday through Friday April 12-16 at the Dane County Legal Resource Center or the Wisconsin State Law Library. Kids Connection is especially in need of books for toddlers and preschoolers, but they will accept donations appropriate for infants through 5th grade (ages 10-11). To get some ideas, see this list of suggested notable and popular children's books categorized by age.

So – remember to visit us April 12-16 to drop off your children's book donation, enjoy a treat, enter a quick and fun contest, and help us celebrate National Library Week 2010. The more the merrier, so invite your colleagues, too!
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April 9, 2010

Upcoming Classes: Summer Research

New classes are now available!  Registration is limited, so sign up today.

Just in time for summer projects, we are offering Researching Wisconsin Legislative History: Sources & Strategies in June.  Take LegalTrac at the Wisconsin State Law Library in July, and learn how to make the most of of this accessible tool.  And finally, if you missed Westlaw at WSLL in April, you will have another chance to take this valuable class in August.


Researching Wisconsin Legislative History: Sources & Strategies
Wednesday, June 9, 2010, 9:00 - 10:30 a.m.
"I need the legislative history of a Wisconsin statute. Where do I start? What do I do?" Get answers to these questions and more during this hands-on class. Participants will look at the primary resources used to research Wisconsin legislative history; navigate the online Wisconsin legislative drafting files; and learn some time saving tips and tricks along the way.
Fee: $50. 1.5 CLE credits applied for. Registration is limited to 8.
Register Online | Print Registration Form
Location: Wisconsin State Law Library
LegalTrac at the Wisconsin State Law Library
Wednesday, July 21, 2010, 9:00 - 10:00 a.m.
Locating law reviews and bar journals online is easy – when you use the right tools! LegalTrac is a tool that makes legal research easier. This proprietary database provides access to major law reviews, bar journals, legal newspapers and international legal journals. And it’s free through the Wisconsin State Law Library. Come learn how to search this database, which includes 30 years worth of content and over one million articles. Hands on class.
FREE Class. 1 CLE credit applied for. Registration is limited to 8.
Register Online | Print Registration Form
Location: Wisconsin State Law Library
Westlaw at WSLL
Wednesday, Aug. 11, 2010, 9:00 - 10:00 a.m.
Come learn about FREE Westlaw available at the Wisconsin State Law Library! This class will showcase Westlaw Patron Access, a Westlaw service offered on the library’s public access computers. This service includes free searching of state and federal primary law - cases, statutes, codes and legislation. Library patrons also have access to KeyCite, online forms and treatises, such as McQuillin: The Law of Municipal Corporations; Norton Bankrtupcy Law and Practice, 2d; Fletchers Cyclopedia of the Law of Private Corporations and much more. This class will offer useful tips on effective searching in both Boolean and Natural Language modes.
FREE Class. 1 CLE credit applied for. Registration is limited to 8.
Register Online | Print Registration Form
Location: Wisconsin State Law Library
 
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April 5, 2010

WSLL at Your Service: April 2010

The April issue of the library newsletter, WSLL @ Your Service, has been published. 

Highlights include: 
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April 1, 2010

Spring Elections: April 6th

Are you curious about the spring election on Tuesday, April 6th? 

Positions up for election include appellate court judge in Districts II and IV.  To learn more about the candidates, see the State Bar of Wisconsin's news article: Elections are next week: Meet districts II and IV Court of Appeals candidates. 

Go to the State Elections Division for the full list of offices to be elected, and candidates on the ballot for April 6, 2010.

Visit the State Law Library's Politics and Elections legal topic page for links to other pertinent resources on voting laws.
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Dane Co Legal Resource Center Closed: Apr 2

The Dane County Legal Resource Center will be closed on Friday, April 2nd, a designated Dane County furlough day. 

The Wisconsin State Law Library and Milwaukee Legal Resource Center will remain open.

To submit a question to the Wisconsin State Law Library, you may call us at 608-267-9696 or Ask a Librarian online.
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Westlaw Next Open House Today!

The library is pleased to host Westlaw representatives as they demonstrate the new WestlawNext, a redesigned Westlaw search interface.

You are invited to stop by the library today, Tuesday, April 1st, anytime from 10 a.m. through 3 p.m. for a sneak peek at this new product.  Door prizes and food will be provided.
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