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Daily Archives: December 16, 2020

The Value of an Academic Law Library in the 21st Century

Klinefelter, Anne, The Value of an Academic Law Library in the 21st Century (2020). pp. 3-20, in ACADEMIC LAW LIBRARIES WITHIN THE CHANGING LANDSCAPE OF LEGAL EDUCATION: A PRIMER FOR DEANS AND PROVOSTS, (Joan S. Howland, Michelle Wu, Ronald E. Wheeler, and Scott Pagel, eds., Hein, American Association of Law Libraries Publication Series #84, 2020, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3734447

“Law school deans and university provosts may ask how law libraries can deliver value as new technologies, practices, and economic pressures inspire reassessment of legal education and of higher education more generally. The proliferation of information delivery systems, trends towards centralized management of higher education infrastructure, and changes in the law practice market suggest that the traditional law library may not meet current needs. But law libraries have the potential and opportunity to deliver strong value in this environment due largely to the sophistication of today’s law librarians. The law library can be a center for expertise that can advance law school and university goals with vision and efficiency.

This chapter describes the benefits that law libraries can provide through four different, though intertwined, functions: 1) to provide access to legal and law-related information; 2) to curate and preserve information and materials; 3) to provide services for scholarship, teaching, learning, and administration; and 4) to provide a welcoming place for people. This discussion considers how law libraries might fruitfully intersect with campus libraries, information technology, and other university infrastructure and highlights the benefits of collaboration among law libraries at different institutions. Although local goals and conditions will vary, this chapter provides insights that can apply to any academic law library.”

A journalist’s guide to using RCFP’s legal hotline

Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press: “As reporters across the country covered the COVID-19 pandemic and the Black Lives Matter protests this past summer, the free legal hotline for journalists operated by the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press saw a huge spike in usage, reflecting journalists’ demand for legal guidance during one… Continue Reading

Most Americans don’t answer cellphone calls from unknown numbers

“Americans just aren’t picking up the phone much anymore. Eight-in-ten Americans say they don’t generally answer their cellphone when an unknown number calls, according to newly released findings from a Pew Research Center web survey of U.S. adults conducted July 13-19, 2020…The majority of Americans (67%) say their general practice is to not answer the… Continue Reading

U.S. Copyright Office launched a new Copyright Public Records System (CPRS) pilot to the public

“The U.S. Copyright Office launched a new Copyright Public Records System (CPRS) pilot to the public. The new portal will provide access to the same copyright records for both registration and recordation data that exist in the Copyright Public Catalog but with enhanced search capabilities and improved interfaces for internal and external users. With these… Continue Reading

Tracking Federal Awards: USAspending.gov and Other Data Sources

CRS report via LC – Tracking Federal Awards: USAspending.gov and Other Data Sources, Updated December 16, 2020: “USAspending.gov, available at https://www.USAspending.gov, is a government source for data on federal awards by state, congressional district (CD), county, city, and zip code. The awards data in USAspending.gov are provided by federal agencies and represent contracts, grants, loans,… Continue Reading

Resources for Tracking Federal COVID-19 Spending

CRS report via LC – Resources for Tracking Federal COVID-19 Spending, Updated December 16, 2020: “Congress has responded to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic with supplemental appropriations measures providing relief and assistance to individuals and families, state and local governments, businesses, health care providers, and other entities. For more information, see CRS Report R46474,… Continue Reading

What Writing a Pandemic Newsletter Showed Me About America

Wired – Patrice Peck: “In April, I started Coronavirus News for Black Folks. It gave me a kind of second sight. I could see where the country is headed—and how blind it’s been….I shut myself in my Brooklyn apartment, binge-reading about virology and venturing out only for groceries and a brisk walk now and then.… Continue Reading

What are your chances of dying from COVID? This calculator gives you a hint

Maimi Herald via Yahoo News – “What are your chances of dying from COVID? This calculator gives you a hint..Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health developed an online calculator that can answer these questions. The tool, which is updated on a weekly basis, incorporates information on mortality risks and statistics from… Continue Reading