Vote on April 5

Next week is the spring election and presidential preference vote. This includes a statewide primary for Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court, the presidential preference vote, and several circuit court judge openings.

Are you ready to go to the polls? Don't forget to bring your photo ID to vote! Visit bringit.wi.gov to learn whether you have the right kind of photo ID, and how to get a free state ID card for voting.

As with any election, log in to myvote.wi.gov to see a sample ballot and find out details about your polling place.

New Classes in April

Did you know that we have two new classes in April?

On April 14 attend our free class on productivity apps. Are you hard pressed for time and are searching for ways to stay organized? Do you work with people in different locations or at all times of day? Productivity apps like Asana, Google, and Dropbox might be the perfect tools to transform the way you work. With so many apps available it can be hard to choose the right one. This class will focus on five of the industry's best apps that will have you or your team getting work done faster and smoother.

On April 15 don't miss our new webinar on power searching strategies. Save time and money by searching in the right place first. This class will survey search techniques and results for free websites (like Google) and specialty sites (like Westlaw and HeinOnline). Learn search shortcuts for your favorite websites and understand the kind of information you can get from each source.

Register online for both of these classes to reserve your spot today!

BadgerLink Scheduled Maintenance

BadgerLink databases, like Academic Search Premier and Newspaper Source Plus, may be unavailable for a few hours this evening beginning at 9 p.m.

This maintenance will not affect access to the Hein Online Law Journal Library or Index to Legal Periodicals. For a list of all databases available with your library card, see our Articles & Journals page.

Selling Your House: a WSLL Recommends Guide

According to the Wisconsin Realtors Association, "sales of existing homes grew rapidly in January, which is putting strong upward pressure on prices." Whether you are searching for resources for a client or looking to sell your own home, the Wisconsin State Law Library can help you find information.

Articles about selling in this market

• State housing market off to strong start in 2016 Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 2/22/2016
• Wisconsin Housing Statistics Wisconsin Realtors Association
• Why home buying is (or isn't) like dating National Realtors Association, 2/8/2016

Helpful websites

• WSLL Legal Topics
• Real Property Law
• Contract Law
• Consumer Protection
• Multiple Listing Services (MLS)
• MLS Cloud, national network of MLS websites
• Wisconsin Homes, South Central Wisconsin covering Dane, Sauk, Columbia, Rock, Dodge, Iowa, Green, Lafayette, Grant, and Richland Counties. Includes portions of Jefferson, Crawford, Vernon, Juneau, Monroe, Adams, Marquette, Green Lake, and Waushara Counties
• WiHomes, Metro Milwaukee area
• Central Wisconsin Board of Realtors
• For Sale By Owner
• South Central MLS public record search
• Dane County example
• Wisconsin Realtors Association
• National Association of Realtors
• Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services
• Real Estate Broker, licensing and regulations
• Real estate contractual forms

Resources in the library

• Start Here Guide: Real Estate

National Library Week 2016: Libraries Transform

Join us the second week of April to celebrate National Library Week. From April 11 to 15th the Library has a variety of events planned.

Monday, April 11

Wisconsin Legislature Website, noon - 1 p.m.

Tuesday, April 12

Open House, 3-4:30

Wednesday, April 13

Introduction to Westlaw, noon - 1 p.m.

Thursday, April 14

Productivity Apps Explained, noon - 1 p.m.

Friday, April 15

Power Search, noon - 1 p.m.

Throughout the week try your hand at our custom crossword puzzle (edit: get it here! Wisconsin Courts & More) for the chance to win a prize. Stop by the library and keep in touch on our website and social media.

New Classes for April

We have a full schedule of free classes for National Library Week open for registration, plus more scheduled through midsummer. Sign up now and reserve your spot!

April classes: 

Wisconsin Legislature Website
Monday, April 11, Noon - 1 p.m.
Location: Wisconsin State Law Library training room

In this hands-on overview of the Legislature's site you'll learn how to track legislative activity, locate bills and acts, and search the online Wisconsin Statutes. You'll also learn about the Legislative Notification Service, and where to find publications of the various Legislative Service Agencies.
FREE. 1 CLE credit. Registration is limited to 8. Register Online | Print Registration Form

Introduction to Westlaw
Wednesday, April 13, Noon - 1 p.m.
Location: Wisconsin State Law Library training room

Learn how to best utilize Westlaw in this course by: Finding Specific Cases, Statutes and Regulations by citation; Learning how to quickly find and search specific resource; Learning about plain language searching on Westlaw; Utilizing result list filtering to narrow your search results; Exploring document features, including new "Copy with Reference"; Learning about new Westlaw history; Reviewing the basics of the Westlaw Citator - KeyCite.
FREE. 1 CLE credit. Registration is limited to 8. Register Online | Print Registration Form

Westlaw Classes
Thursday, April 14
Intermediate Research on Westlaw, Noon - 1 p.m.
Intellectual Property Law Research, 1 p.m. - 2 p.m.
Location: Milwaukee Public Library, Meeting Room 1

FREE. 1 CLE credit. Registration is suggested through the Milwaukee Public Library and space is limited. Call 414-286-3011 to register. These are demonstration classes.

Advanced Westlaw
Tuesday, April 19, Noon - 1 p.m.
Location: Wisconsin State Law Library training room

Learn how to best utilize Westlaw in this course by: Learning about advanced search and field searching on content category search pages; Harnessing the power of advanced annotation features such as highlighting and foldering; Incorporating Key Numbers and Key Number Searching into your research; Exploring headnotes and other editorial enhancements, such as notes of decisions and statutes index; Covering advanced options for Alerts and Automated searches; Utilizing advanced customization features for "Copy with Reference", Highlighted terms, Result list display, and Document Delivery; Learn how to access Westlaw from other devices.
FREE. 1 CLE credit. Registration is limited to 8. Register Online | Print Registration Form

Free Drone Law Class Tomorrow!

Our latest free CLE program covers current and proposed laws and regulations about drones. Get a comprehensive overview of state and federal drone laws and regulations for hobbyists, commercial drone operators, and government entities such as police and fire departments.

This lecture-style class will take place in the Rare Book Room at the Wisconsin State Law Library on Thursday, March 10 from noon to 1 p.m.

Sign up for the class online or call Tammy Keller at 608-261-7553 to register. Registration is limited to 25 attendees.

Free Upcoming eFiling Training in Madison

The Dane County Bar Association (DCBA) is offering free eFiling training for DCBA attorneys and their legal staff on Thursday, March 17th at the Dane County Courthouse. Registration is encouraged. Read the DCBA eFiling training announcement for more information.

Database and After Hours Interruptions March 13th

Our databases, such as HeinOnline, will be unavailable on the morning of March 13th due to scheduled maintenance. Online access to databases will be restored at noon the same day.

There will be no After Hours access on the morning of March 13th. After Hours users may begin using the library at noon. 

WSLL at Your Service: March 2016

Get to know your library by taking a tour or attending a class. Learn more in this month's issue of WSLL @ Your Service.

In this issue: 

• What's New: Wisconsin State Law Library Tours; Clerk of Circuit Courts Conference; Law Librarians Association of Wisconsin Presentation; Upcoming Classes
• Dane County Law Library in Review
• This Just In: New & updated library materials; Monthly list of new titles
• WSLL Recommends: NCCUSL & National State Law Survey
• Odds 'n' Endings: Voter ID

As always, your comments are welcome. Please direct them to the editor, Kristina.Martinez@wicourts.gov.