News from KU’s Wheat Law Library | Fall 2015
Law Library Services Update
Legal History Collection Spotlight
Technical Services Manager Welcome
Green Hall | 1535 W. 15th St. Lawrence, KS 66045-7608 law.ku.edu/library lawref@ku.edu
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ew college campuses can compete with the gorgeous views at the University of Kansas during the autumn months. The colorful fall foliage and brisk weather signals that winter, and finals, will soon be on the horizon. Fall is always a busy time at KU Law, and the changing of the seasons offers a stunning visual representation of the transitions that occur over the course of an academic year. This issue of Hearsay highlights a few of the many transitions and endeavors currently underway in the library.
a great example of the dividends those efforts can yield. Along with Head of Public Services Pam Crawford, I had the opportunity to discuss this and related developments during our recent presentation, “Staying Up to Date in Times of Change: Aligning the Modern Law Library with Larger Institutional Goals,” at the MidAmerica Association of Law Libraries conference. Head of Instructional & Research Services Blake Wilson also participated in an informative panel discussion, “Bridging the Gap Between Librarians and Technologists.”
In our last newsletter, we wished longtime Director Joyce McCray Pearson a fond farewell and now we must do the same for Cataloging & Technical Services Librarian Allison Reeve. Allison was an innovative contributor, and she will undoubtedly find great success in her new role as a law librarian with Littler Mendelson in Kansas City. As we wish her the best, we are also pleased to announce that Technical Services Manager Bruce Chandler joined our staff and immediately began ensuring a successful transition in this area. The role that Library Assistant Melissa Doebele plays in the ongoing evolution of our Technical Services department also deserves recognition, as does her diligent work with Serials & Circulation Manager Jeff Montgomery and Student Assistant Sadie Shillieto on our burgeoning Legal History Collection. Many of our legal history materials are gifts from generous donors such as Jim Borelli, L’84, and Professor Michael Hoeflich, and we thank them for enriching our collection. This issue of Hearsay also includes profiles of our two new student workers at the Public Service Desk, Marisa Bayless and Kyle Crane, along with an announcement regarding a newly available database: ProQuest Legislative Insight. This electronic resource not only provides valuable federal legislative history information, it also highlights the importance of our collaborative efforts with the main KU Libraries. In recent years we have identified opportunities to provide resources via consortia and cooperative efforts, and this is
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Sharing our perspectives and learning from colleagues is always an invigorating experience, and we are more motivated than ever to work toward continual improvement and the evolution of library services. Until next time, enjoy the fall semester, don’t forget to attend the upcoming Bluebook Relays, and we will see you in the library. Christopher L. Steadham, JD, MLIM Wheat Law Library Interim Director
Wheat Law Library services Compiled by Pam Crawford, Head of Public Services The Wheat Law Library is an integral part of the University of Kansas School of Law, providing resources and services in support of the school’s academic mission. A strong service orientation remains the hallmark of the library faculty and staff, reflected in the comprehensive faculty research and classroom instructional support available to faculty, our vast collection of print and electronic legal resources, and the continuing support of alumni legal information needs as well as those of other legal professionals and the general public.
LAW FACULTY & STUDENT SERVICES u Collection development policies that prioritize
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the research and instruction needs of law faculty and students Library Liaisons: law librarians assigned to each faculty member to serve as their go-to library contact, keeping faculty apprised of new developments related to their specialties and assisting with their research Faculty Services Senior Researcher serving as the primary library liaison for faculty scholarship and major research projects, working closely with faculty and conducting significant legal and interdisciplinary research to support their publication efforts A formalized and cooperative interlibrary loan system for legal and interdisciplinary material available from other libraries to supplement the law library collection Access to subscription databases for legal and interdisciplinary research Librarian-created online research and study guides based on the law school’s curriculum Formal instruction in 1L legal research exercise labs led by library faculty and staff, additional Advanced Legal Research courses, and the Kansas Supreme Court Research Clinic Reference assistance all hours the library is open Access to a wide range of reliable state, national, and international legal information sites through our website at law.ku.edu/library
ALUMNI, LEGAL COMMUNITY & PUBLIC SERVICES u State-wide reference service to Kansas attorneys,
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legal professionals, and the general public via telephone and email Interlibrary loan/document delivery service to alumni, attorneys, law firms and other libraries throughout Kansas and the region Access to our in-house collection of legal materials to anyone visiting our library Electronic access to Kansas cases, Kansas statutes, and KeyCite case update service to legal practitioners and the general public who visit our library Access to state, national, and international legal information through our website at law.ku.edu/library Maintenance of the case name and docket number indexes to full-text published and, as of September 2015, unpublished Kansas Supreme Court and Court of Appeals cases at kscourts.org A selective depository collection of state and federal government documents Educational programs for public librarians on legal information resources and legal research strategies
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WELCOME ABOARD
Bruce Chandler, Technical Services Manager The Wheat Law Library is pleased to introduce our new Technical Services Manager, Bruce Chandler. Bruce joined the library in September and is taking on many of the duties performed by former Cataloging & Technical Services Librarian, Allison Reeve. Those are big shoes to fill, but Bruce is up to the challenge thanks to his strong experience and diverse skillset. After earning a master’s in English and theater from the University of South Dakota, Bruce started working in libraries back in his home town of Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he was often on call to do any job at any branch library, big or small, throughout the
Tulsa Public Library System. Bruce went on to earn a master’s in library science from the University of Arizona and further developed his skills as a staff member of the busy reference desk at the Arizona Health Sciences Library. Mentored by his superb colleagues, Bruce worked with students and faculty from the colleges of medicine, nursing, pharmacy, and public health. He taught database searching, collaborated
on departmental websites, and did in-depth literature searching for clinicians. In the years that followed, Bruce worked as an academic librarian at Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, and later at Diné College in the Navajo Nation back in Arizona. At Haskell, he enjoyed learning about the finer points of cataloging and technical services from a retired KU map and catalog librarian who volunteered at the library. At Diné, Bruce worked as the systems librarian at the Tsaile Campus and was later promoted to Branch Librarian at the Shiprock, New Mexico, campus, where he was responsible for a wide range of library operations. Like his Navajo colleagues at Diné College, he learned to be resourceful and resilient, living in the remote and rugged high country of the reservation. Back in Lawrence and now working at KU’s Wheat Law Library, Bruce is eager to further apply and refine his wide range of skills in service to the KU Law community. Besides being a librarian, he’s a playwright and an avid cyclist who is happy to be back riding with his pals in the Lawrence Bike Club. Library staff members are thrilled to have Bruce on board and are already appreciating the great enthusiasm and expertise he brings to our organization. Left: Bruce Chandler spent much of his free time in Arizona biking through beautiful national parks like Canyon De Chelly.
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Left: An item from the Legal History Collection. Right: Interim Director Chris Steadham, left, and Professor Mike Kautsch, right, director of KU’s media law program, look over media law materials with Jim Borelli, L’84, center, who recently donated the materials to the collection.
Shining light on legal history By Melissa Doebele, Library Assistant There is a cold, dark room in the Wheat Law Library where few patrons have dared to venture. Room 200F houses the library’s Legal History Collection. It consists mainly of rare books, many of which are in fragile condition. Within the last year, the library has sent many of these fragile items to our bindery—the HF Group in North Manchester, Indiana—to have custom hinge boxes made for each book. The boxes vary in size and are designed to preserve these valuable resources for future legal researchers and library patrons. The Legal History Collection contains items from various legal systems, including works written in Latin, Greek, German, Spanish, and English. Some books are hundreds of years old and some are more recent materials that merit special preservation. The newest addition to the collection is a book titled “What Medicine Can do for Law,” which is autographed by the author—none other than the renowned jurist Benjamin Cardozo. Head of Public Services Pam Crawford found this remarkable piece of history while working on a government documents project on the third floor this summer. Turning the temperature down and keeping the lights off as often as possible provides the best possible environment for the most fragile publications. The room is locked when
not in use, so patrons need to ask a librarian for assistance to gain access. Also, no food or drinks are allowed in the room, and only pencils may be used around the collection so that no irreversible marks will be made. We hope that these special rules, put in place to keep the items in their best condition, will not deter you from taking a moment to peruse this unique collection. The future looks bright, metaphorically speaking, for the Legal History Collection as it continues to grow. Plans are being made to add additional shelving to the room so that it can house collections currently being processed. These include materials about Paul E. Wilson and the landmark Brown v. Board of Education case, along with a comprehensive set of KU Media Law Seminar materials recently donated by KU Law alumnus Jim Borelli, L’84. The library would like to recognize Sadie Shillieto, student assistant in technical services, for her excellent work on organizing these collections and creating finding aids for them. We are also extremely grateful to KU Law Professor Michael Hoeflich, who helped create the Legal History Collection with several generous rare book donations. If you would like to see something in the Legal History Collection, please contact a law librarian or inquire at the library’s public service desk. Wheat Law Library | Hearsay
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Library welcomes new student workers Student workers assist with library operations including circulation, evening reference, processing of materials and special projects. Marisa Bayless is a 2L from Wichita, Kansas. She received her undergraduate degree in political science and English from Wichita State University. Although she’s still anxious to receive her letter of acceptance from Hogwarts, she hopes to survive law school and one day buy a dog.
Kyle Crane, a 2L from Overland Park, Kansas, earned his bachelor’s degree in journalism at the University of Kansas. He enjoys stargazing and hiking in forests across the country. He has seen 26 grizzlies in the backwoods.
Resource highlight: ProQuest Legislative Insight Federal legislative history research is now more convenient and accessible than ever at KU Law. ProQuest Legislative Insight is a legislative history service comprised of searchable full-text publications generated in the course of congressional lawmaking. Each history includes the PDF full-text of the public law itself, all versions of related bills, law-specific Congressional Record excerpts, committee hearings, reports, and prints.
Also included are background materials such as presidential signing statements, CRS reports, and miscellaneous congressional publications. Legislative Insight is available on the Wheat Law Library website, law.ku.edu/library. Thanks to a collaborative effort with the main KU Libraries, the resouce is available to all KU faculty, students and staff. Please contact a law librarian if you have questions or would like assistance getting your research started using this fantastic database.
Spring Board of Governors Meeting April 15, 2016 Return to Green CLE April 22, 2016 50 / 50+ Reunion April 23, 2016
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Library staff directory Christopher L. Steadham, Interim Director csteadham@ku.edu | 785-864-9242
Nicholas Birdsong Faculty Services Senior Researcher nicholas.birdsong@ku.edu 785-864-9272
Bruce Chandler Technical Services Manager bchandler@ku.edu 785-864-3168
Pam Crawford Head of Public Services pcraw4d@ku.edu 785-864-9264
Melissa Doebele Library Assistant mdoebele@ku.edu 785-864-3360
As the largest and oldest law library in Kansas, the Wheat Law Library is an integral part of the School of Law. It serves the law school and university community in legal and interdisciplinary scholarly pursuits and provides attorneys, judges, and the general public with access to legal information. Key components of this mission include collecting and preserving Kansas, national, and international legal documents, teaching legal information literacy, and serving as a legal information gateway by providing access to sources beyond the scope of the physical collection.
LIBRARY HOURS Regular Hours September 8 - November 23 Mon - Thur Friday Saturday Sunday
7:30 am - 11 pm 7:30 am - 5 pm 9 am - 5 pm 10 am - 11 pm
Exam Hours December 2 - December 18
Jeff Montgomery Circulation & Serials Department Manager jmontgom@ku.edu 785-864-9252
W. Blake Wilson Head of Instructional & Research Services wilsonwb@ku.edu 785-864-9253
Mon - Thur 7:30 am - 1 am Friday 7:30 am - 10 pm Saturday (12/5) 9 am - 7 pm Saturday (12/12) 8 am - 7 pm Sunday 10 am - 1 am Friday (12/19) 7:30 am - 5 pm
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