Wisconsin State Law Library

The State Law Library, and Milwaukee and Dane County Law Libraries will be closed on Monday, January 1st for a state holiday. We will respond to questions and requests on Tuesday, January 2nd.

To submit a question to the Wisconsin State Law Library while we are closed, you may call us at 608-267-9696 or Ask a Librarian online.

The State Law Library, and Milwaukee and Dane County Law Libraries will be closed on Monday, December 25th for a state holiday.

We will respond to questions and requests on Tuesday, December 26th. To submit a question to the Wisconsin State Law Library while we are closed, you may call us at 608-267-9696 or Ask a Librarian online.

The December issue of WSLL @ Your Service is now online. As always, your comments are welcome. Please direct them to the editor, Carol Hassler.

In this issue:

Upcoming Events
Please join us for our annual Holiday Open House on Thursday, December 14th and a seminar on Identity Theft & Data Breach Awareness on Tuesday, December 5th. Read more

Protect Yourself from Identity Theft

Identity theft isn't something you plan to happen to you, but there is a lot you can do to prevent or minimize your risk. Read more

New Books

Consumer protection law in a nutshell and Fair Credit Reporting are our two featured titles this month. As always, don't miss our new book list. Read more

Tech Tip

Zinepal is a tool that allows you to take website content and feed it into PDF, ePub, or Mobipocket format. Read more

After Hours Signup Starts Now

Would you like the convenience of using the Wisconsin State Law Library later in the evening or on weekends? Read more

Library News

New library staff, recent presentations, our winter charity drive, and upcoming holiday closures. Read more

December Snapshot

Sunrise before the library opens on the day after Thanksgiving. Lights are on full display as part of the "Shine On Madison" event. Read more

Wisconsin State Law Library staff invite you to attend our annual winter open house on December 14th from 3 to 4:30 p.m. in the David T. Prosser Jr. Library reading room. Every year we provide delicious appetizers and fun activities in a relaxed atmosphere that's perfect for socializing.


This year we've created a trivia challenge in honor of the Wisconsin Capitol Centennial celebrations. Fill out the questionnaire correctly and return it to the Library by December 14th at 4 p.m. for a chance to win one of three great prizes. As a bonus, everyone who comes into the Library on December 14th from 3 to 4:30 has a chance to enter their name in the drawing as well. Drawing winners will be announced at the end of our open house, and winners have up to one month to pick up their prize at the circulation desk.

We're collecting donations of hats, socks, gloves, and scarves for The Beacon through January 12th, 2018. All sizes are welcome. Drop off donations in the collection box located in the reading room of the David T. Prosser Jr. Library.

We look forward to seeing you!


(image credits: Madison Capitol, snowflakes)

A representative from the Wisconsin Bureau of Consumer Protection will present information on identity theft and data breach awareness in this early December seminar. All are welcome to attend this free class! Registration is encouraged, but not required. You can register online or print and drop off a registration form.

image credit

Identity Theft & Data Breach Awareness
Tuesday, December 5, Noon - 1 p.m.
Location: David T. Prosser Jr. Library rare book room

There were 1,093 reported data breaches last year - approximately 36 million records exposed. The more you understand about the common causes of data breaches and the associated identity theft risks, the less vulnerable you are. A representative from the Wisconsin Bureau of Consumer Protection will present information on identity theft and data breach awareness. This one-hour program includes a look at recent data breaches and their common causes. The program will also explain the different types of identity theft, how to recognize it and how to prevent it - including information about Fraud Alerts and Security Freezes. 

All three library locations will be closed on Thanksgiving, Thursday, November 23rd. 

Would you like the convenience of using the State Law Library later in the evening or on weekends? If so, subscribe now to our After Hours Service. Are you already a subscriber? Now is the time to renew for 2018!

A calendar-year subscription includes access to the David T. Prosser Jr. Library from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, and a key fob for convenient entry into the building.

The November issue of WSLL @ Your Service is now online. As always, your comments are welcome. Please direct them to the editor, Carol Hassler.

In this issue:

Browse Topics Quickly with LegalTrac's Topic Finder

Browsing by topic can be a valuable way to explore new areas of law and find articles that are relevant to your research. Using LegalTrac's Topic Finder helps you to browse topics and keywords in a quick, visual way. Read more


New Books

Domestic Abuse Guidebook for Wisconsin Guardians Ad Litem: Addressing Custody, Placement, and Safety Issues and Pet Law and Custody: Establishing a Worthy and Equitable Jurisprudence for the Evolving Family are our two featured titles this month. As always, don't miss our new book list. Read more


Tech Tip

Recently, Firefox introduced a new tool, "Screenshots," which makes it convenient and easy to take screen shots of content on the web. Read more


Library News

We recap conferences, promote upcoming classes, and tell you about upcoming library closures. Our holiday Open House will take place on December 14 from 3-4:30. Read more


November Snapshot

Julie Tessmer, in her capacity as a Navy Reservist, was able to meet Steve Martin and Martin Short in October 2017. Read more

A representative from the Wisconsin Bureau of Consumer Protection will present information on identity theft and data breach awareness in our newly added December seminar. All are welcome to attend this free class! Registration is encouraged. You can register online or print and drop off a registration form.

image credit

Identity Theft & Data Breach Awareness
Tuesday, December 5, Noon - 1 p.m.
Location: David T. Prosser Jr. Library rare book room

There were 1,093 reported data breaches last year - approximately 36 million records exposed. The more you understand about the common causes of data breaches and the associated identity theft risks, the less vulnerable you are. A representative from the Wisconsin Bureau of Consumer Protection will present information on identity theft and data breach awareness. This one-hour program includes a look at recent data breaches and their common causes. The program will also explain the different types of identity theft, how to recognize it and how to prevent it - including information about Fraud Alerts and Security Freezes. 

And just a reminder - we have one more great class scheduled this fall for Milwaukee. Don't miss Books UnBound and Fastcase on Thursday, November 2, Noon - 1 p.m. All Milwaukee classes are free and held at the Milwaukee Public Library's Central Library location.

Watch our classes page for updates and new classes!

You know it's officially fall when the first leaf is spotted in the library!

We like to shelve books. It helps us understand how our collection is used.

Fall Classes

The October issue of WSLL @ Your Service is now online. As always, your comments are welcome. Please direct them to the editor, Kristina Martinez.

In this issue:

Promoting Your Blog

If you currently write a blog or are contemplating doing so, there are several things you can do to maximize visibility of your blog posts. Read more

New Books

Female Genital Mutilation: Law and Practice and Marijuana Law, Policy, and Authority are our two featured titles this month. We also feature two recent titles on social media and the law. As always, don't miss our new book list. Read more

Tech Tip

Whether you're looking to discover new content, research an issue or monitor a client's online reputation, it's worth your time to conduct searches specific to blog content. Read more

Library News

Please join us in welcoming Abby Hartenbower and Erin Augspurger to the David T. Prosser Jr. Library's circulation staff. Read more

October Snapshot

1963 Wisconsin Board of Circuit Judges. Read more

Elise used to live in Madison. When she lived here, the Wisconsin State Law Library served as her own law firm library. She could ask questions of the librarians here, and have a space for quiet study. Most importantly for Elise, she was able to check out books full of analysis and sample forms and bring them back to her office.

When Elise moved to northern Wisconsin, she thought she'd lost access to the library. Sure, she could still call us or send an email, and her free library card did let her log in to great databases like HeinOnline and Index to Legal Periodicals. But she was prepared to find a new source for accessing major legal treatises.

Fortunately, Elise discovered our Borrow by Mail service!


With our Borrow by Mail service, you can check out library books and videos from wherever you are in the state. Books can be checked out for 3 weeks, with an option to renew them for an additional week. For a shipping and handling fee we will ship materials within 24 hours of receiving your request, Monday through Friday. Full details are on our Borrow by Mail fees page.

The next time you wish you could get your hands on that one essential treatise...remember that you can! Request it through our Borrow by Mail service and read it at your convenience.

We have a full schedule of classes lined up for the fall in Milwaukee and Madison. Learn more and sign up on our Classes page.

In Milwaukee: 

Advanced Legal Research with Westlaw
Thursday, October 5, Noon - 1 p.m.

Legal Ethics & Professional Responsibility Research in Westlaw
Thursday, October 5, 1 - 2 p.m.

Books UnBound and Fastcase
Thursday, November 2, Noon - 1 p.m.

In Madison:

Advanced Westlaw
Tuesday, October 17, Noon - 1 p.m.

Wisconsin Briefs Online
Wednesday, November 8, Noon - 1 p.m.

What's New on Westlaw
Tuesday, November 21, Noon - 1 p.m.

The September issue of WSLL @ Your Service is now online. As always, your comments are welcome. Please direct them to the editor, Kristina Martinez.

In this issue:

Log In to LLMC Digital

For the first time, you can now log in to LLMC Digital from outside the library with a Wisconsin State Law Library card. LLMC Digital is a searchable archive of historical primary legal sources for Wisconsin, the United States, and other jurisdictions. Read more

New Books

Drones across America : unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) regulation and state laws and Commercial drone law : digest of U.S. and global UAS rules, policies, and procedures are our two featured titles this month. As always, don't miss our new book list. Read more

Tech Tip

This month’s tech tip suggests a way to rid yourself of carrying loyalty and customer cards without losing all the benefits. Read more

Library News

The schedule for CLE classes is available online on our classes page. There is a variety of classes offered, ranging from Wisconsin Briefs Online and Books Unbound to using Westlaw. Read more

September Snapshot

Eclipse through a colander, August 2017. Read more

The Wisconsin State Law Library, Milwaukee County Law Library, and Dane County Law Library will be closed on Monday, September 4 for the Labor Day state holiday. We will respond to questions and requests on Tuesday, September 5. 

To ask a question while we are closed, call us at 608-267-9696 or Ask a Librarian online.

The Wisconsin State Law Library is searching for two part-time (LTE) library assistants, 22.5 hours per week, for each position. Qualified applicants must be available to work Monday through Friday, 8 AM-12:30 PM or Monday through Friday 12:30 PM to 5 PM.

Duties include: staffing the circulation desk, filing looseleaf services, shelving, moving and shifting book collections and loaded book carts, creating invoices, issuing library cards, and other collection maintenance activities.

Skills include: excellent professional and friendly customer service skills in person and on the phone, working well independently and in pairs and teams, working in the circulation system and other computer tasks, cash handling, ability to follow written directions and to do multiple tasks with a high degree of accuracy and attention to detail.

Pay: $11/hour

Location:  Located on bus line, just off the Capitol Square

To apply, please submit a cover letter and resume to elspeth.gordon@wicourts.gov which must include your hours available to work.

Homeowners wishing to rent out their homes as vacation rentals can look to the local level as well as state regulations.

Image source

Check local ordinances for laws about vacation rentals. If your town or city isn't on our list, contact the municipal clerk's office. If the clerk doesn't maintain the ordinances, check with the corporation counsel office or a local public library. The local building and zoning department may also be a useful contact for information about zoning restrictions or permits.

The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection issues permits to individuals and businesses for lodging facilities in Wisconsin. Read more at their tourist rooming houses page. Wisconsin Administrative Code chapter ATCP 72 regulates hotels, motels, and tourist rooming houses and ATCP 73 regulates bed and breakfasts.

This past month we've added over sixty new books to our Prose & Cons collection, which is fiction with a law or crime-related theme.


We've added several of Robert Parker's Spenser novels, plus John Grisham, Tom Clancy, James Patterson, Clive Cussler, and more. Stop by the library to check out our display in the reading room, and find the perfect book for that last minute summer reading.

The Wisconsin State Law Library is searching for two part-time library assistants, 22.5 hours per week, for each position. Qualified applicants must be available to work Monday through Friday, 8 AM-12:30 PM or Monday through Friday 12:30 PM to 5 PM.

Duties include: staffing the circulation desk, filing looseleaf services, shelving, moving and shifting book collections and loaded book carts, creating invoices, issuing library cards, and other collection maintenance activities. Skills include: excellent professional and friendly customer service skills in person and on the phone, working well independently and in pairs and teams, working in the circulation system and other computer tasks, cash handling, ability to follow written directions and to do multiple tasks with a high degree of accuracy and attention to detail. Pay is $11/hour. Located on bus line, just off the Capitol Square. To apply, please submit a cover letter and resume to elspeth.gordon@wicourts.gov which must include your hours available to work.

The Wisconsin State Law Library is seeking an outgoing, energetic, and well qualified candidate for a full-time Reference and Instruction Librarian.

LOCATION: Madison, WI

SALARY: Minimum salary of $54,830 (actual salary may change, commensurate with experience).

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Provides reference and research assistance to library users
• Manages the State Law Library's public training program.
• Develops and teaches legal research classes.
• Participates in marketing and outreach initiatives.
• Participates in library and other professional activities.

QUALIFICATIONS: Required: (1) Library science or legal research coursework at the graduate level, emphasizing reference, information and on-line services; (2) Legal reference and research skills; (3) Understanding of Judicial, Executive and Legislative functions of all levels of government. (4) Demonstrated ability to teach adult learners; (5) Effective oral and written communication skills; (6) Knowledge of marketing strategies for libraries; Preferred: (7) Master's degree in library science; and (8) demonstrated competence in legal reference, including proficiency in Westlaw, Lexis, PACER and the Internet.

TO APPLY: Please go to the Court System's website http://www.wicourts.gov/courts/employment/apply.htm and submit a cover letter and resume (please combine your cover letter and resume to one document) clearly indicating your qualifications and the position title Reference and Instruction Librarian (#18-1479). If you are unable to apply online please send application materials to human.resources@wicourts.gov or send to: Human Resources, 110 East Main Street Suite 430, Madison, WI 53703-3356, (608) 266-3501 or FAX (608) 261-8293. Failure to follow these procedures may result in your disqualification.

DEADLINE: All applications must be received by 11:59 p.m., Monday, August 7, 2017. The Wisconsin Court System will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified applicants when requested. For additional information on the court system visit our website at www.wicourts.gov.

Get our fall CLE classes on your schedule! Our Milwaukee CLE program is scheduled through November with new classes on using Google tools and search tips to enhance productivity. Two advanced Westlaw classes await learners in October, and our November class focuses on Fastcase and Books Unbound, which is available to users on library computers.

Registration is suggested through the Milwaukee Public Library and space is limited. Call 414-286-3011 to register for these demonstration classes.

Get the full schedule on our website: http://wilawlibrary.gov/learn/classes.html

The David T. Prosser Jr. State Law Library will be closed from 8 am to 10 am on Thursday, July 20th for a staff in-service. The Dane County Law Library and the Milwaukee County Law Library will be open during this time.

To ask a question to the Wisconsin State Law Library while we are closed, you may call us at 608-267-9696 or Ask a Librarian online.

The July issue of WSLL @ Your Service is now online. As always, your comments are welcome. Please direct them to the editor, Kristina Martinez.

In this issue:

July 20th Library Closed for Staff In-Service

The David T. Prosser Jr. State Law Library will be closed from 8 am to 10 am on Thursday, July 20th for a staff in-service. The Dane County Law Library and the Milwaukee County Law Library will be open during this time. Read more

Free Research with Your Library Card

The Wisconsin State Law Library provides our users access to three major legal databases when they log in with a State Law Library card: Index to Legal Periodicals, LegalTrac, and HeinOnline. Read more

New Books

Wisconsin Sentencing in the Tough-on-Crime Era: How Judges Retained Power and Why Mass Incarceration Happened Anyway and Do English-Only Rules Have a Place in the Workplace?: A Legal Research Guide are our two featured titles this month. As always, don't miss our new book list. Read more

Tech Tip

Summertime is break time. If you have time to get outdoors and enjoy Wisconsin, you might find these apps interesting and useful. Read more

Library News

Kari Zelinka has been hired as the new Acquisitions Librarian and Emily Shultz is our new library assistant working with the briefs collection. Welcome Kari and Emily! Read more

June Snapshot

Iowa State Capitol, June 2017. Read more

Our three library locations will be closed on Tuesday, July 4th for the Fourth of July state holiday. We will respond to questions and requests on Wednesday, July 5th. All three library locations are also open on Monday, July 3rd.

To ask a question while we are closed, you can call us at 608-267-9696 or Ask a Librarian online.

The Milwaukee County Law Library (MCLL) located in the Milwaukee County Courthouse is seeking candidates for a Library Associate Limited Term Employment (LTE) position. The MCLL is a branch of the Wisconsin State Law Library.

There's still time to sign up for our two free, CLE-credit classes on How to Research Legislative History. Learn how to research law sources, drafting files, budget bills, and Supreme Court rule orders in these free classes. The first class is offered on Wednesday, June 14th.

Introduction to Wisconsin Legislative History
Wednesday, June 14, Noon - 1 p.m.
Location: Wisconsin State Law Library rare book room

I need the legislative history of a Wisconsin statute. Where do I start? What do I do? Get answers to these questions and more by attending, Researching Wisconsin Legislative History: Sources and Strategies. Participants will look at the primary resources used to research Wisconsin legislative history, navigate the online Wisconsin legislative drafting files, and learn some helpful tips and tricks along the way.
FREE. 1 CLE credit. Register Online | Print Registration Form

Advanced Wisconsin Legislative History
Wednesday, July 12, Noon - 1 p.m.
Location: Wisconsin State Law Library rare book room

I need the legislative history of a Wisconsin statute. Where do I start? What do I do? Participants will look at the primary resources used to research Wisconsin legislative history, learn about the online Wisconsin legislative drafting files, and learn some helpful tips and tricks along the way. This advanced class covers additional search strategies, budget bills, advanced use of drafting records, and Supreme Court rule order research.

FREE. 1 CLE credit. Register Online | Print Registration Form


If you can't make our Madison sessions, don't miss our Milwaukee class:

Researching Wisconsin Legislative History: Sources and Strategies
Thursday, July 6, Noon - 1 p.m.
Location: Milwaukee Public Library, Central Library

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.

The June 2017 issue of WSLL @ Your Service is now online. As always, your comments are welcome. Please direct them to the editor, Kristina Martinez.

In this issue: 

Community Raffles: Resource Guide

As summer approaches we gear up for community gatherings and festivals. Our research guide to community raffles help you find the rules and regulations to follow from the State of Wisconsin. Read more

New Books

Marijuana Law in a Nutshell and Human Trafficking: Emerging Legal Issues and Application are our two featured titles this month. As always, don't miss our new book list. Read more

Tech Tip

In recent weeks, the computer world has been rocked by a ransomware attack "WannaCry" and a new warning that cybercriminals are embedding dangerous links in social media posts. Read more

Library News

Summer tours and classes at the library, plus library closures for the July 4th holiday. Read more

June Snapshot

Street Sign in Alexandria, Virginia, May 2017; Photo by Julie Tessmer. Read more