Summer Access to Westlaw

Wondering if you can use Westlaw this summer?

Password extension for acceptable uses is available at www.lawschool.westlaw.com.

Find the button above on the Westlaw landing page (see bottom right of page) and click GO.  Follow the instructions on the Password Extension page.  If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Mary Susan Lucas, Reference Librarian, at mlucas@charlottelaw.edu.

Happy researching!

Questions about LexisNexis summer access?

Check out our earlier blog here.

~Mary Susan Lucas~

Celebrate Service: National Volunteer Week

April is National Volunteer Month, although it began as National Volunteer Week in 1974 when President Richard Nixon established the week of volunteer service recognition.  Across America volunteers are honored for their unpaid community service to hundreds of organizations.  Many of these organizations will be distributing the President’s Volunteer Service Award.  This award is the most prestigious award a volunteer can aspire to receive.

National Volunteer Month is about encouraging people to come up with imaginative ways to demonstrate that by working together, we can meet our challenges and accomplish our goals, as an organization, as a community and as a nation.

Interested in volunteering?  The American Red Cross and Habitat for Humanity are always seeking volunteers, as are many other local organizations.  Looking for other volunteer opportunities?  Check out VolunteerMatch and the Points of Light Institute where you can search for the types of volunteer opportunities you are looking for both locally and elsewhere.

 Take action, be at the center of social change, demonstrate your collective power.

 ~Julie Morris~

Unlimited Access to Your Lexis Advance® ID this Summer

Worried about lack of access to legal databases this summer?

This is your LUCKY day!

LexisNexis has announced that your law school Lexis Advance ID will remain active during the summer and that you will have unlimited access to the content available to you in law school to be used for your academic, as well as any summer associate or internship/clerkship purposes.  This is a huge departure from past policy where you were forbidden from using your Lexis Advance ID for paid work.

This summer, for the first time ever, you can use your Lexis Advance ID for all research you perform for a firm, agency, or court. You simply need to be registered for Lexis Advance.

Stop by the Reference Desk at Suttle if you have any questions or need an ID.

Registering for Summer Access

• If you’re already a registered Lexis Advance user, you don’t need to do anything else to get Summer Access. Your current ID is all you need.
• If you aren’t a registered Lexis Advance user yet (or aren’t sure), click here for assistance from your Account Executive.

~Mary Susan Lucas~

The Reference Desk – March 2012

In the column below, reprinted with permission from the AALL Spectrum, former reference librarian, Liz McCurry Johnson, provides her perspective regarding the use of mobile technologies during meetings.

Q: My boss just had a conversation with me about the exact type of behavior your last column addressed: using a smart phone during meetings. However, she brushed it off as another generational difference. Then she commented that the millennial generation doesn’t know how to communicate face-to-face, so she expects us to be rudely attached to our devices at all times. I’m outraged, because I take my smart phone into meetings for multiple reasons: 1) to check the time so that I stay on schedule, 2) to look up information as questions arise, and 3) to check my schedule if future meetings need to be arranged. How do I bring this issue back to my boss so that she doesn’t see me as immature and rude?

A: I agree that you need to address this issue with your supervisor. She not only seems to have made broad assumptions, but she also seems unwilling to investigate other viewpoints. That sort of rigidity could thwart the healthy conflict of communication that often leads to creative ideas and solutions. I think this goes beyond merely dealing with multiple generations in the workplace. I’ve asked my friend and former co-worker, Liz McCurry Johnson, for guidance. Liz is the chairperson of AALL’s Gen X/Gen Y Caucus, as well as a reference librarian at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

Liz says: “As with anything in life, you have choices. You could stay mad at your boss and continue to take your smart phone into meetings. But by ignoring the situation, you run the risk of creating a bigger rift between yourself and your boss. And it doesn’t allow you any personal growth opportunities.

“Another option is that you could merely stop taking your smart phone into meetings. Changing your behavior here may have some effect on your boss’s perspective, meaning she may believe that her message was effectively communicated, but on the flip side, you force yourself to figure out alternative methods of organization that you previously relied on your smart phone for, such as scheduling and timekeeping. Additionally, I don’t generally recommend avoiding conflict situations like these because they tend to breed frustration and more tension between colleagues.

“The choice that I would recommend would be one that opens up a conversation rather than sticking to discrete changes in behavior. I would encourage you to use this situation as a learning opportunity for you and your supervisor. When you approach your boss about the situation, make sure you couch the conversation as a positive discussion about how you use your technology to improve your efficiency in the workplace. This may be an opportunity to learn how she manages her projects and communicates during meetings. Conversely, it may also open up a conversation where you can teach your boss about a new technology or skill you implement in the workplace.

“Also, keep in mind that your boss may not be the only person impacted by your behavior. Other people, including firm managing partners or deans, may be in meetings where it appears you are distracted by your electrical device rather than engaging in the discussion. So when you are using your smart phone or electrical device in meetings, be mindful of the impact or appearance that you are having on the other meeting attendees. Always heed the meeting rules, which may or may not set guidelines for using technology during meetings. If there are no clear rules established at the beginning of the meeting, I would suggest specifically asking about smart phones and laptop use. I’m sure those who don’t want them to be used will be vocal in their responses. 

“In any meeting, I would encourage you to first listen to the conversation, add your valuable points respectfully, and then, when you are ready to pull out your smart phone, expressly comment why you’re using it. For example, a simple ‘Let me check my schedule on my phone,’ or ‘Does anyone mind if I take notes on my phone? I’ll be happy to email them out to the group afterwards?’ clears any ambiguity in the situation. By explaining to your colleagues the rationale behind using the device, you open the door to many other opportunities.

“And last, in my opinion, it doesn’t matter to which generation you belong; it is generally rude to stick your nose in a smart phone or mobile device without acknowledging the action rather than actively engaging in any conversation. More than anything, though, keep in mind technology can be intimidating to people, so try to keep it fun, exciting, and an opportunity to share ideas!”

This isn’t the first time I’ve turned to Liz for her point of view. I appreciate her emphasis on open communication. Please take her advice to heart. I would like to hear how others are incorporating technology into the workplace and are engaging in learning and teaching between staff on technology issues. Let’s continue this discussion because I would love to hear what kinds of conversations are being had between generations on technology and staff relations. We are all learning from one another.

~Susan Catterall~

Developing Trust and Humility

I have come to realize that my success at work is due to the coming together of a vast wealth of knowledge from all those I work with.  Without collaboration and discussion, we would not be the team we are at work.  We would not be able to move forward to create something new for ourselves and others, and ultimately would not feel fulfilled in our working lives.

How do we, as a group of people who work together, reach a place of fulfillment and even greatness?  Might I suggest humility?  Humility is defined as modesty, lacking pretense, not believing that you are superior to others. Great leaders direct their ego away from themselves toward the larger goal of achieving collective greatness.  They shun public adoration, shift the focus away from themselves and continually recognize the contributions of others.

Approaching situations from a perspective of humility opens us up to more possibilities as we choose open-mindedness and curiosity over protecting our own point of view.  As you become more willing to learn from others, you move toward security and enlightenment.  Mindfully practicing humility improves all relationships, reduces anxiety, and enhances self-confidence.  Modeling this behavior is self-reinforcing and regenerative at greater and greater levels.

So, how do we, as a group of people who work together, reach this place?  We can start with trusting ourselves and others.  We should acknowledge that what we are all working for is the greater good.  With that realization we gain appreciation for the talents and skills of those around us and the contributions made by all who are invested in a goal.  When we are willing to work towards that goal, and make the knowledge we possess available to others, the group will achieve more and become a force of real change.

Do you have a stalled project?  Are you in dire need of fresh ideas?  Do you struggle in creating an action plan for a goal that is part of your life’s work?  Do you just need a different perspective?  Reach out to those with knowledge or experience greater than yours.  Take advantage of what your teammates bring to work with them every day.  Ask for help and offer to help others.

What do you have to lose?

Check out these tools:

• Good to Great – Jim Collins
• The Five Dysfunctions of a Team – Patrick Lencioni
• www.mindtools.com

 ~ Julie Morris ~

The Reference Desk – Feb 2012

“The Reference Desk” is a regular column featured in the AALL Spectrum.  The column below originally appeared in the December 2012 issue and is reprinted here with permission.

Q: One of our staff members brings a cell phone to our staff meetings and is constantly texting the entire time. I’m irritated beyond belief. This is so rude and disrespectful. He’s even done it once, to a less obvious degree, when we’ve met with our library partner. No one will say anything!

A: I sense your frustration, but I’m not sure what your question is. Are you looking for permission to say something, either to your colleague or to his/your supervisor? Do you need confirmation that his behavior is disrespectful and rude? Both answers come down to communication, followed by degrees of respect and courtesy.

Is his behavior rude and disrespectful? My instinct is to say “yes”; however, I’m basing that on the standards my elders set for me. For my parents, and for my generation to some extent, meetings were conducted by, and respect was shown to, the person who had the “talking stick.”   However, times change, and as much as I’d like to paraphrase Potter Stewart and say that we know rude, disrespectful behavior when we see it, it isn’t always that easy anymore. More collaborative styles of management, relaxed business etiquette, and an increasing use of technology have all played a role in transforming the way in which meetings are conducted.  This doesn’t mean that civility has been thrown out the window; it does, however, mean that the rules are still evolving.

Many businesses have adopted sets of meeting rules or ground rules. It’s a good idea to begin every meeting by having an attendee review the rules as a reminder to the staff and to inform any guests. This places everyone on the same page and is a critical “communication” piece. However, policies at different businesses vary. Some rules forbid the use of cell phones and mobile devices entirely. Some are more flexible and permit the courteous use of wireless devices. In any case, once the rules have been recited, everyone present will know what the expectations are.

If your library doesn’t have a policy, or if you believe it would be difficult to institute one, then by default it’s up to the individual who “owns” the meeting to make the rules. That person should set the expectations, either verbally or by modeling the behavior. I’ve observed judges who’ve set specific rules for courtroom decorum, and I’ve seen professors who’ve insisted that students shut their laptops and put mobile devices away during class. Those individuals own the meeting, and they get to make the rules.

Is your colleague being rude and disrespectful? Again, it depends. I mentioned that I inherited my values from my parents, who were raised during the Depression. I’m a baby boomer who now shares my work space with multiple generations. Much has been written about the collision of work ethics and values when multi-generations work side by side. For example, what happens if the individual who “owns” the meeting has his or her smart phone sitting on the table and frequently glances down at it? Is this the new norm? This illustrates why communicating expectations is so essential.   

I asked you earlier if you were looking for permission to say something to your colleague. If so, then my answer depends on several factors. If you’re running the meeting or holding the “talking stick,” then, yes, you should definitely say something. Hopefully by defining the meeting rules for all attendees, you won’t need to have a one-on-one conversation.

Is his behavior personally irritating to you, or are you his supervisor or designated mentor? If you aren’t his supervisor or his designated mentor, I would caution you against giving him unsolicited advice, regardless of your good intentions. However, try to reflect on the reasons his behavior irritates you. Do you find his texting distracting? Do you find his multitasking annoying? Reflect on the reasons before you speak. Whatever the reasons are, you will need to find a way to address them before things escalate and you say something you regret. It takes courage to enter the conflict zone. Keep heated emotions and blame out of the conversation, and speak from your point of view. For example, you might say, “When you text, I feel____.”    

You might best help him and yourself by remembering that so much of this is new ground for all of us, and we need to be nice to each other and ourselves. Good luck.

~Susan Catterall~

Not Everything is on Google: Why Outmoded is not Obsolete

Alright – raise your hand if your first impulse is to start your legal research or any kind of research by first going to look for it on Google? Most everyone.  Oh, a few of you use Google Scholar, or perhaps started with Westlaw and/or Lexis, good for you.  That still means the majority of you still started with the computer and internet, if I do not miss my guess. While the internet has clearly made starting research much easier, every once in a great while there are still some old school methods that cannot be beat for finding information. Such a thing happened recently here at the Charlotte School of Law Library. One of our reference librarians, Betty Thomas, received a call from a gentleman in Georgia who had been referred to us by The Library of Congress. That is correct “THE” Library of Congress, the foremost repository of national information and archives in the country if not the world. It would seem that the Charlotte Law Library was one of only two libraries in the southeast that had the archival information that our particular patron was in need of.

Now, while I am very proud of our Law Library, it is not what one would think of in terms of being a repository of archival material. We have a large treatise collection, maintain statutory materials for all fifty states and additional United States territories, keep our physical legal reference materials up to date, etc.; however, the growth in the collection, as with most modern libraries, is with our digital databases. Yet, here was a researcher that had been directed toward us by The Library of Congress to aid him in his quest for information. If you have missed the key fact at this point let me make it clear that the information the patron was in need of was not on Google, much less the internet. I know some of you reading this are saying to yourselves, “But everything is on Google!” Oh – not so dear reader, not so. Nor was this information to be found in some dusty tome perched among our stacks, nor in our periodicals (some of which are weeded every six months), nor was it information held on a closed database or any kind of audio or video medium. No, this information was on a single tiny sheet of microfiche. OK, follow the hyperlink if you do not know what microfiche is, then come back this article. Got it? Good! See, the internet is a wonderful source of information.

Now some of you at this point are scratching your head and going huh? Some of you might even be saying, “But isn’t microfiche obsolete? Does anyone still use it? And if they do, why would you keep such an outdated method of storing information?” Ah -why indeed? Well, as it turns out, and as you may now have gathered everything is not on Google. In fact, mind bending amounts of information have still not been digitally transferred and archived. There are numerous initiatives in play working to rectify this issue; however, time, funding, and interest are just a few of the problems facing what is a monumental task that not one entity can surmount alone. And while virtual mountains of information are being digitally transferred everyday some things are still in a long queue to be converted. Plus microfiche is in many ways still a viable way to store information not only because it is affordable, but the film the documents are saved on have a very long shelf life. Digital media degrades or the technology that allows you to read it is rendered obsolete by rapid software/hardware advances in technology. Microfiche on the other hand, if properly stored, can last decades if not centuries. And while you cannot store microfiche on something as small as a flash drive, the amount of space microfiche cabinet storage takes up in a library is minimal. However, I digress, and as Paul Harvey used to say, “Now for the rest of the story.”

Our Georgia researcher is an amateur historian. His particular area of interest is the American Civil War. The information he was seeking had to do with United States War Department records in regards to grave stone marker numbers and the names of Confederate Soldiers interred at a cemetery that was once a United States Army POW camp in Ohio.  Now, out of respect for our historian I am not going to go into the specifics of his research. However, he was kind enough to provide us with a link to an Ohio article that may shed light on what he is investigating. I have posted that link below. What is important to this article is that yes, we had the documents he was looking for on microfiche. And while I am a bit embarrassed to admit it, due to budget constraints we had only purchased one microfiche storage cabinet for the Law Library. Of course, the particular single sheet of microfiche that our researcher needed had never been filed away in that cabinet because that cabinet was full. Here is a note to any library directors reading this post, legacy memory is important. In this particular case I was the legacy memory because having been with the Law Library for five of its six years of existence I knew where the remainder of the microfiche collection was stored and mostly forgotten. Moments later after Betty and I dug through numerous boxes, we found the single tiny sheet of film that contained the documents our researcher needed. Score!

Our task did not end there. Betty and I had to reacquaint ourselves with the antiquated microfiche reader in the Law Library. That was the work of minutes and soon we had the documents on view to see. Indeed it was 54 pages of lists of names of Confederate Soldiers along with the name of their regiment, their rank, the marker number where they were buried, and the date of death.  It was both a thrilling and sobering moment. Here were all these names of young men buried far from home, part of what was the most devastating conflict in American history. Betty spent the better part of the afternoon making copies of all 54 pages. Betty mailed the copies of the documents to our researcher and we wish him well in his endeavors.

The real silver lining in this adventure in obscure library media was that two of our law students who happened to be working for us this summer became very curious in the process. It provided Betty and me a teaching moment where we demonstrated why knowing about this type of technology could be valuable to them in their futures as practicing attorneys. For one thing, Betty and I explained that newspapers are still saved on microfiche as are numerous other documents. What if as an attorney you had a case that required finding out the name of a witness from a cold case, or you were doing research on real property that was in contention and the only historical evidence was on microfiche. We probably could have gone on with numerous examples where knowing about microfiche could be relevant.

So there you have it. Not everything is on Google, or the internet for that matter. And while microfiche might seem outmoded it is far from obsolete.

Special thanks to Betty Thomas who is a wonderful and dynamic librarian. Here is the link to the article:

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2012/05/28/blue-among-gray.html

~Kim Allman~

Metrolina Library Association: 7th Annual Information Literacy Conference

Last Thursday June 14^th I had the pleasure of attending the Metrolina Library Association’s 7th Annual Information Literacy Conference in uptown Charlotte. I attended the conference with three other colleges, Mary Susan Lucas, Cory Lenz, and Betty Thomas. (Our other colleague, Susan Catterall, found herself as Cinderella back in the library on the Reference desk.)

This conference was a very enriching and informative experience. It was my first time attending so I made sure to leave the house early enough to allow for the expected lost-in-uptown 10 minute diversion before locating the Johnson & Wales University Charlotte campus where the conference was to be held. Thankfully, parking was only a short walk from the campus so my feathers weren’t too ruffled by the time I walked in doors.

After a pleasant few minutes of coffee and chat with other local librarians where I had the pleasure of meeting the famous reference Svengali Dr. Moniz, I attended the panel “Remodel – No Train, No Gain: Instituting an Information Literacy Professional Development Program” presented by Jenny Dale and Amy Harris Houk from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Following this panel everyone mingled outside in the great hall for a “poster session” where we all had the opportunity to review and speak with the various librarians who had created information literacy themed posters.

After looking at all of the posters I scurried off to the second panel titled “Sharpen – The Feedback Loop: Student Reflection on Research, Writing, and Information Literacy” presented by Jennifer Arnold of Central Piedmont Community College. I attended one more panel “Engage – QUEST: A Learning Game Information Fluency” presented by Helen Fowler of Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools before joining my newfound friends and colleagues for a delicious barbeque lunch prepared by the wonderful Johnson & Wales University chefs.

The spread that they had laid out for lunch was fantastic! The pulled pork and barbeque chicken were certainly far better than much of the fare that one can find for sale around the Gateway Village area. The ice tea was refreshing and the peach cobbler was tres bien.

After lunch I (sleepily) attended the final panel  “Engage – Beyond the Basics: Effective and Engaging Information Literacy Instruction for Upper-Level Students” presented by Lynda Kellam and Jenny Dale of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Lucky for me their presentation was quite energetic, otherwise the barbeque would have worked its magic and left me as one happily sedated librarian in the back of a freezing classroom.

The whole shebang was wrapped up by a keynote presentation from Jessamyn West, an extremely entertaining woman who expounded on everything from the digital divide, adult literacy, social networking, and Vermont floods. I look forward to attending next year’s conference and will endeavor to make the Metrolina Information Literacy Conference an annual tradition.

~Leanna Fitzgerald~

Black Belt Librarians

Karate chops, self-defense moves?  No, not really.

Recently, I attended a seminar sponsored by the Central Piedmont Community College Libraries and the Charlotte Area Education Consortium about security issues and librarians. The presenter/consultant, Warren Graham, provided some very practical training from his almost 20 years as the head of the security with the Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County (PLCMC).  For those law libraries that allow public access as does the Charlotte School of Law, it was very helpful session.

We learned what to do about the 1 to 2 percent of problem patrons that cause a disturbance in the library. An outline of some of his program follows:

First, the library has to establish some general policy issues.

1. When patrons disrupt the library, they lose their privilege and are denied access. People get themselves ejected from the library.
2. Patrons and staff should always feel safe in the workplace. Librarians are in charge of the environment. Administration has to back them up.
3. Librarians have taken too much abuse in the guise of customer service. Librarians are professionals and need to be treated as such.

Graham points out that the libraries that implement his program have not been sued and succeed because of they follow a simple security plan; everyone is trained properly; the librarians are more than fair in following the rules; and everyone is treated the same.

A successful security program needs to have the following elements:

1. Rules for library use. These need to be out and visible to the public. The rules need to be stated as simply and straightforward as possible and not everything has to be written down. One rule that has to be included is “any behavior that is disruptive to library use will not be tolerated.” There also have to be set guidelines for enforcement such as two warnings and the next time the patron is not allowed access for six months.  For academic libraries, enforcement needs to be tied to the student code of conduct.
2. Enforcement by behavior not by appearance. Everyone needs to be treated the same. Focus on the disruptive behavior not whether someone is homeless.
3. Be  consistent in rule enforcement. “They let me do this at other campuses.” “They let me do this yesterday!” If librarians consistently deal with the little things, the bigger problems do not materialize.  Inconsistency makes it harder on coworkers and the patron always expects preferential treatment.
4. Librarians need to take responsibility for their own safety and not rely on security. Staff should have a quiet awareness of the surroundings. Awareness can be cultivated. Graham recommends a 30/30/30 training where for 30 days, every 30 minutes, librarians stop and observe the environment for 30 seconds to develop an intuitive awareness. When patrons enter the library, they should be greeted so that they know you are aware of their presence. When there is less staff, more awareness is needed.
5. Document security concerns to be able to justify spending on security and to resolve issues in the following three ways.  At the end of the month, total up incidents in a spreadsheet.
   1. Incident reports. What they did, what you did, and why you did what you did. They should be simple and user friendly. They should be completed that day.
   2. Security log on clipboard at circulation desk. Librarian needs to make a tally mark every time he or she has to correct behavior.
   3. Potential problem log. Record the name, description of patron, date and staff member for patrons with whom you feel there might be an issue. It helps in establishing a pattern. Make sure everyone knows about the person.
   4. Libraries need two cameras so that images can be pulled up for police. One needs to be at the entrance of the library. It should be visible to deter trouble.
   5. There needs to be a periodic review of the security plan to make sure the librarians are in control.
   6. Training in security is necessary.  New employee training should incorporate security instruction and that training needs to be repeated every couple of years.
   7. Whether the security company is in-house or contracted, their personnel need to look professional, be physically fit, and trained to report problems.

These are just some of the key points for librarians who have security roles in their libraries. For more information, Warren Graham has a very practical book on the subject.

~Betty Thomas~

What Do Law Librarians Do?

Have you ever wondered What Do Law Librarians Do?.

Check out this awesome posting from the RIPS Law Librarian blog by Catherine “Deane” Deane.

RIPS Law Librarian is published by the Research Instruction & Patron Services Special Interest Section of the American Association of Law Libraries.