What’s Behind the Circulation Desk?

For today only I am here to inform you of some of the resources held chaste and secure behind the CIRCULATION DESK.

Course Reserves

Voted “Subclass of materials you are most likely to know about” the Course Reserves are the materials recommended by the professors at CSL that you use if you want to pass the class. They can be checked out for a 3 hour period and if not returned on time you will be charged $3.00 per hour until our property is returned.

Academic Success

Academic Success materials have a long and twisted history that I will not get into at this time but what you need to know is most of your study guides come from this section.  E&E, Q&A, Emanuel, Horn, Seigel’s, Understanding, Nutshell,  and the almighty FINZ call this section their home.  The materials are well loved by students mostly because they can be checked out for a 3 day period giving them a chance to actually look over the materials.  Also the late fees for AS materials are $1.00 per day.

Course Reserve permanent

CRP are materials that were on reserve for a previous class but have been deemed worthy for permanent reserve status. Many of the study aides found in AS are also in held for you in CRP.   CRP books checkout for 3 hours and $3.00 late fees apply.   These materials are mostly treated as a last resort for students cramming for a midterm or final exam when all of the Academic Success materials have been checked out.

Flash Cards

Some of you may not know that deep in the bowels of the circulation desk flash cards covering a variety of subjects  await.  The flash cards are a part of the Academic Success materials and can be checked out for three days and also have the $1.00 a day late fees.  (And let it be known that this is the only kind of flashing allowed in the library)

Audio Study Aids

Audio Study Aids mostly consist of lectures on one given subject of law.  Academic Success audio checks out for 3 days and Reserve Audio checks out for 7 days. The late fees are the same at $1 per day.   Audio Materials are a hybrid of Course Reserve and Academic success this could only be explained by the long and twisted history that I said I would not bring up but it is safe to say that you should never listen to these while driving and tired. (I almost injured myself this way because of a long winded and somewhat boring Stephen King novel.)

Movies

Hidden and never spoken of your CSL library has a……bewildering selection of movies.  The collection centers around films relating to legal issues but frankly some of them are a stretch.  We have some quality films back there and you should give a try some time. The DVDs check out for a 7 day period and $1.00 per day late fees apply.

There are some materials that students can’t even checkout so, na-na-na-na boo-boo.  I am not even going to tell you about them.

~Aaron Greene~

The “WOW” factor – Encore Synergy and the Charlotte School of Law Library Catalog

You’ve seen the posters, the signs and the “WOW” buttons worn by staff and faculty.  Soon you’ll see a change in the CSL Library catalog. Beginning the week of August 15th, you’ll be able to construct and launch your search of library materials from a single search box, much as you would do a Google search.

Click here to discover the power of library search...

Encore Synergy provides a method of federated searching across various resources.  This means that in addition to searching the CSL library catalog for physical holdings at our school, you’ll be able to simultaneously search multiple resources. Not only will you be able to retrieve books, journal titles, e-books, DVDs and cassettes, but you will also be able to retrieve abstracts and full text articles from our specialized electronic resources.  Specifically, you’ll be able to retrieve full text articles from HeinOnline.

For example, if you wanted to search for only articles on the subject of Dred Scott, you would click on the word “articles” in the top left corner and enter the words “Dred Scott” in the search box.  You results would include a list of citations and access to the full text in pdf format when available.

Your results would also be sorted by source and listed along the left side of the screen.  For example, this search indicates that there were 1149  references to Dred Scott in the HeinOnline resource,  30 in the Legal Trac resource, and others available in the Making of Modern Law, etc.

The Charlotte School of Law Library staff will be presenting training opportunities and will be available to answer any questions you have concerning this resource.

~Susan Catterall~

How About a Movie?

As some of you may know, the Law Library has a number of DVDs in our collection. Most of these films have law related themes; however, in the coming year one of our goals in the Law Library is to expand this collection to contain more current materials and to expand the scope of the collection. We welcome your suggestions for films and you can make your recommendations on the Law Library website with the Book Suggestions link.  Be sure to click Other in the format section.

If you are curious about what we currently have in our DVD collection you can always use a Subject search, looking for the heading “Feature Films”

Remember that Charlotte School of Law students, faculty, and staff can check out our DVDs for seven days.

Hey!  That is a better deal than Redbox or Blockbuster. Come check out a cool film from the Law Library Circulation desk and don’t forget to pick up some popcorn.

~Kim Allman~

Discover Law School in a Healthy Way

Start getting ready for your transition to law school right now.  Exercising, eating nutritiously, and getting enough sleep are some of the very basics of surviving law school during your first year.  I remember when I was a 1L, it was nothing for me to be up at 6:00 am, go to class at 9, study from 10-11, go to another class from 11-12, read while scarfing down a sandwich from 12-2, go to another class from 2-3, read in the library from 4-6, cruise home picking up fast food on the way, and finish up my studying for the day at 10:00 pm.  The day flew by and before I could blink, it was gone.  Law school is the root of my love for DVR.

It is not uncommon for a law student to put in a 12-hour day of non-stop, diligent studying.  “Law school is taxing both on your mind and body.” Just remember that if you don’t take care of your body, there can be serious health and scholastic implications.

For example, Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is a theory on personality often applied in educational settings that explores  the essential human needs in order of importance (and essentially the capitalization of learning capacity).  The higher needs in this hierarchy only come into play if the lower needs are met.  If the lower needs are deficient then a person will re-prioritize and focus attention on the unfulfilled needs.   For the most part, physiological needs are obvious – they are literally the basic requirements for human survival.  If these needs are not being met (with the exception of clothing and sex), the human body simply cannot continue to function.  According to Maslow, to be a fully functioning person you must exist at the self-actualization level, and by meeting your needs at each level you are buiding the foundation to optimization of your mind, body, and soul.  Ok ok ok, that’s enough of the psycho babble for one day, let’s talk about things you can do to get ready for your shift into law school.

• If you like to go for walks, don’t give them up when school starts.  Keep a walking log to make sure that you keep up your routine.  Trust me, when you get stressed sometimes you’ll just need to walk it off.
• Not only is stress extremely high in law school, but so is the occurrence of depression.  Be mindful of the different ways to avoid depression during your first year.
• Gym memberships can be awfully expensive.  If you’re low on cash, check out the exercise DVDs available for women and for men in the HR wellness collection.  You can check these out for up to 30 days!
• Don’t go without health insurance.  CharlotteLaw offers health insurance to all current students, for more information click here.
• Try to eat healthy. It’s hard, but well worth the effort.  Here are some tips on eating healthy on a budget.

-Liz McCurry-

Lights, Camera, Action!

From The Treasure of the Sierra Madre to My Cousin Vinny, the Charlotte School of Law Library has a selection of 74  law-related feature films ready and waiting to be checked out.

Did you know, we have different loan policies for different materials!

And guess what? 

You can check these movies out for FREE for 7 days!!

Not only does this display include DVDs, but it also displays a select few of the legal resources available for doing legal research in the entertainment industry or counseling clients regarding entertainment law.  Go to our catalog to see additional print and electronic resources available.  Make sure to come by the library to see our displays this month!

Don’t see your favorite movie in our collection?

Don’t fret, make a purchase suggestion or leave a comment!

11th Annual National Military Appreciation Month

“As a nation, we observe and participate in various national cultural and social awareness events through mass media attention and educational curriculum.  However, we have not allocated appropriate recognition of the most important presence in the world today, an entity that impacts each and every American in a significant way, the Armed Forces of the United States of America.

National Military Appreciation Month (May 2009) includes Loyalty Day (1st), VE Day (8th), Military Spouse Appreciation Day (8th), Armed Forces Day (16th), and Memorial Day (25th).  This very important month honors, remembers, recognizes and appreciates all military personnel; those men and women who have served throughout our history and all who now serve in uniform and their families as well as those Americans who have given their lives in defense of our freedoms we all enjoy today.” Click here for more on Military Appreciation Month & how to get involved.

Who do you honor, remember, appreciate and recognize for serving in the armed forces?

*Make sure to swing by the library to see our display dedicated to the military and their services.

My Verdict on Jury Service

Last week, I did something I had never done before:  I served on a jury.  The case was a civil case involving an automobile accident.  We found for the plaintiff, awarding him $8,000 in actual damages.  It was a fascinating experience, and I learned a lot about the American justice system.

Am I eager to learn more?  Absolutely!  To do so, I might want to consult the following books in the library:

• Art of Advocacy – This series has numerous individual titles, including Jury Selection, Evidence, Discovery, and Settlement.
• Blue’s Guide to Jury Selection
• Mastering Voir Dire and Jury Selection
• Anatomy of a Personal Injury Lawsuit - Published by the American Trial Lawyers Association.
• Courtroom Persuasion:  Winning with Art, Drama, and Science

Of course, these are just a few of the dozens of books on trial practice and strategy owned by the library.  For more titles on this topic, click here.

As for movies and TV shows on trial practice, check out the following DVDs owned by the library:

• A Few Good Men
• Class Action
• Law and Order (1st 2 seasons) – Want to know how to spell the sound that signals scene changes in Law & Order?  See the discussion here.
• Rules of Engagement
• Inherit the Wind

New DVDs Available for Check-Out

Movies! Movies! Movies!  The library has added several new DVDs, which may be checked out at the circulation desk for 7 days.  The new titles include:

• From the Hip – An ambitious young attorney shocks and impresses his Boston firm with his unconventional courtroom tactics.  However, when he has to defend a high-profile murder suspect, he is forced to re-examine his career choice.
• Ben-Hur - Classic film starring Charlton Heston.  Winner of 11 Academy Awards, including Best Picture 1959.
• Romancing the Stone – A romance writer sets off to Colombia to ransom her kidnapped sister, and soon finds herself in the middle of a dangerous adventure.
• The Treasure of the Sierra Madre – Another classic, starring Humphrey Bogart.  Two down-on-their-luck prospectors face bandits, weather, and greed in their search for Mexican gold.
• Bananas – Woody Allen’s spoof of politics, media, and law.  Most famous scene:  the courtroom scene where Allen, playing Fielding Mellish, interrogates himself on the witness stand.

Interested in other DVDs owned by the library?  Search the catalog for specific titles.  Or search the subject field for “feature films” to see a comprehensive list.