Keeping It Brief!

News and information from the Dickinson Law Library

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Placing Holds on Library Materials

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As part of the larger Penn State University community, Dickinson Law offers students, faculty, and staff access to first-rate academic resources. Through conventional searching for your topic, there are thousands of print materials available to use, as well as electronic books, online databases, and other Penn State collections.

In searching for materials, use author, title or subject in the CAT. You may wonder, is this resource available in our library or at another another Penn State campus? Once you’ve found a book, note its location availability.

To borrow the item from another campus, click the I Want It button located on the entry and follow the instructions for placing a hold, reserving the item for your use with your borrower’s account. The materials placed on hold from other libraries should arrive here in a few days. When the item is received, it is discharged. At that time, you will receive an email indicating that it is here and ready for you to check out. Please remember to bring your identification card to check out materials.

It is possible to place a hold on a book from our law library as well – just use the I Want It button again. The library staff will receive notification that it is requested and will pull the book from our shelves. Follow the instructions for placing the hold using Dickinson Law (Carlisle) as the pick up location.

Infrequently you may receive a “Hold(s) failed” message after you click I Want It. The most common reason is that there aren’t any copies available for lending. This could be the case with a very popular item. You can still borrow that title by simply placing an inter-library loan request for it.

Your hold(s) on the item(s) will last several weeks as indicated by the Not Needed After date displayed when you place it. If you receive a message saying your hold has expired, it may be that the item is missing, or that particular book has been requested by an Instructor for course reserves and is unavailable. You can still request the book through inter-library loan.

If you receive a “recall notice” for items you have checked out, it means University Libraries has recalled the item to allow another borrower to use the materials. You have 10 days from the date you receive the recall notice to return the item. If you are not finished using it, place another hold on it or request it through inter-library loan.

This helpful link from University Libraries lists procedures for borrowing, loan period for items, renewing, and placing inter-library loan requests. Please remember to return the resources you borrow to the library by the date they are due. The library staff will check in the items and shelve them or send them back to the lending libraries.

Course Reserves

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At some point in your law school education, your professors may provide class readings on “Course Reserves“. Each semester, some instructors use course reserves to supplement lectures and relevant readings for classes.

There are two types of course reserves for you to utilize, Physical reserves and Electronic reserves.

To find course reserves for your class, go to the new CAT home page,  click on Course Reserves on the banner at the top of the page, and search for your materials by Instructor, Course Name, or Course Number. Searching for reserves in the new catalog will link to the physical reserves.

Physical reserves are items which are pulled from the library collection, processed and marked for particular classes. When searching the The CAT for the course, if you see a call number for that item, it means the material is in print format or a physical reserve. The most common materials on reserves are books or DVDs. When you find the title you need, remember to make note of the title’s call number on that entry.

These resources are located behind the circulation desk and are shelved by instructor’s name and course number. To ensure these materials circulate to all students in the specific class, the loan rule for these items is 2 hours. 

Most Electronic Course Reserves (E-Reserves) are prepared as PDF files, but may also include links to electronic books. When searching The CAT, select the course reserves tab and click on the Electronic reserves link. This link is in the gray box and written in yellow. Click on Access the libraries’ electronic reserves by viewing our E-Reserves system.  Follow the instructions on this page to access the e-resources for your class. The entries will link you directly to journal articles, book chapters, etc., that are available in PDF format and may be downloaded or printed. Electronic course reserves are accessible anytime through links via The CAT.

For articles, selections from books, PDF files are best viewed and printed using Adobe Acrobat Reader. Tips for reading and printing electronic reserves are found here from University Libraries.

If you have questions about Course Reserves, please inquire at the circulation desk or contact the Law Library faculty.

Law Library 2nd Floor Print Collections

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The Law Library’s second floor houses various print collections.

Periodicals:
Let’s start with the shelves holding the periodicals (stacks 201-206). They begin at the far wall near Group Study Room 207.  The periodicals are arranged alphabetically by title. The most recently received issues are in the clear plastic boxes on the shelves. Below is an entry from The CAT searching the title, Dickinson Law Review, with “Periodical”, “Bound Journal”, and the “location” highlighted.

Federal Materials:
In Stacks 207-213 the titles consist of American Jurisprudence, American Law Reports, United States Reports, Federal rules, and Atlantic Reporter. Following these books are the Federal statutes and administrative materials.

State Materials:
Stacks 213-215 shelve the statutes of states contiguous to Pennsylvania: Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, and West Virginia.

Pennsylvania:
The Pennsylvania collection starts with Stack 215. This collection includes Purdon’s Pennsylvania statutes, House and Senate journals, Pennsylvania Bulletin, Pennsylvania Code and other Pennsylvania specific titles.  There are bound volumes of state reports, Superior and Commonwealth reports, all of which are shelved preceding the Pennsylvania treatises (books classed in the KFP call number range).

The materials on this floor may be also checked out for your use, although the circulation loan period varies with items. For example, statutes may be checked out for two hours, law reviews for seven days and U.S Supreme Court reports for three days. Please make note of when borrowed materials are to be returned.

The Law Library’s web page provides specific research guides to help you with researching and in particular, Pennsylvania.  The University Libraries’ guide to starting library research for using The CAT and other research sources is a primary place to begin using University resources.

If there is difficulty in locating any type of material in the Law Library, ask at the circulation desk for assistance. If you need further assistance with research, please ask our Law Library faculty for help.

Winter Blahs? Try Our DVDs, Video Resources, Games and Coloring Pages

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This is the time of year when most of us feel dreary because it is cold and grey outside. There are some things you can do, through the Law Library, to chase away those winter blahs.

There is a terrific selection of movies and video games available through The CAT.  To find video games, search “video games”and choose “subject heading” from the drop down menu. There are numerous games listed at the top of the entry after you click search. Select the first entry “video games” and you will be able to scroll through the list.

DVDs may be searched in the The CAT the same way but the most methodical way is to enter the title of the DVD. Use the “I want it” button to request the video to be sent to the library. The Law library also has a collection of DVDs, including a guide to the ABA’s 25 greatest legal movies. For tips on searching for videos, this web page contains information regarding the streaming video resources we have access to through University Libraries.

Coloring pages are back! Because color design is not just for stress-busting during the exam period, the coloring station is now a permanent offering of the Law Library. Thanks to the Dickinson Law’s Wellness Committee, there is a fresh supply of design pages and gel pens for you to use to color. This station is set up at the far end of the circulation desk. Feel free to join in a communal picture or choose one of your own to work on it between your classes.

Have you played Catan? Do you remember playing the card game, UNO, or have had fun buying properties with Monopoly? Board games are enjoying new popularity and the Law Library has a few to check out. Search The The CAT for our games by entering the name of the game and limiting your search to Dickinson School of Law Library from the “In Library” menu. The entry in The CAT may include a description of the game under the detailed information tab of the entry. We also have Scrabble and a 3-in-1 magnetic board game that includes chess, checkers and backgammon.

Stop in the Law Library and try some of these suggestions to push the chill of winter away before spring arrives.

 

End of Fall Semester

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The fall semester is drawing to a close but the Law Library continues to be buzzing. The atmosphere is bustling with students finishing papers and assignments. Exam preparations are underway! As the push to finish outlines and studying begins, we offer a few suggestions for the final weeks of the fall semester.

When preparing for exams, planning collaborative studying with classmates need not be challenging by using the three group study rooms available. They are reserved for 2 hour blocks of time. Please remember to reserve them ahead of the time before your group meets for your study session.

If you aren’t familiar with it, Mersive Solstice equipment is available for wireless content sharing in study rooms 202, 203, and 209. This display allows you to share content from laptops or other devices through the wireless connection or via the keyboard and mouse that are supplied in the study room. There are instructions for using Solstice affixed to the wall in each of the rooms.

We ask that you be mindful of others who may wish to use these rooms for collaborative studying and not monopolize them.

The Law Library offers other areas for individual quiet studying with rooms 207 and 208. These are smaller rooms suited for an individual or small group. On the lower level of the library there are carrels and soft seating for reading.

The close of the semester is a good time to consider returning those research materials borrowed through “I Want It” or Interlibrary Loan that you no longer need. Please return these items to the circulation desk and the library staff will check them in.

Course reserve materials will also be available through the end of the semester. Print reserves are shelved behind the circulation desk if you need to borrow a particular book before exams begin. Please note that print reserves circulate for 2 hours.

Online articles and chapters are accessible in electronic format through the University Libraries website.

If you have questions or need assistance, please ask the Law Library Faculty and Staff.

Chromebooks Available at the Law Library

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The Law Library has two Chromebooks available for checkout to our Law School community.

Lightweight and uncomplicated to use, these computers are excellent for internet browsing, sharing documents in collaborative study sessions, and creating documents on the go. If you need to do internet research in class and you don’t have your laptop handy, check out a Chromebook. It is optimal to use Chromebooks connected to the internet with Google Chrome OS. The Chromebooks applications and documents live in the cloud and use Google’s apps such as Gmail, Google Calendar and Google Drive.

Chromebooks automatically update when opened which helps ensure current updates and security. They do not store your settings or documents locally. In fact, it is recommended NOT to save any personal settings on the Chromebook you borrow.

The Law Library’s Chromebooks check out for 4 hours at a time and may be renewed to extend the lending time. Included with each Chromebook is a 2-piece power cord and instructions for getting onto the Penn State wireless network.

When the Chromebook first boots up, you will see the welcome screen. Click “Let’s Go” to begin and follow the provided instructions.

To access the wireless network, select the PSU Wi-Fi network from the available list and enter the credentials included with the Chromebook under PSU wireless setup. If you do not have a Google account, select “more options”.

To protect your account using the Chromebook, follow these tips:

  • Choose “guest wireless” mode when setting up the wireless.
  • Do not save your logon credentials if you use your PSU user id and password.
  • Please deselect “Save my password”.

When logging out, click on your profile and select “sign out” or “exit guest”. Remember, your previous settings and applications will not remain on the Chromebook after it is returned. For further tips on Chromebook usage, see this link provided by Penn State University.

How Do I Find Course Reserves for My Class?

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At some point in your law school education, you may hear from your professors that class readings are on “Course Reserves“.  They are referring to items on your syllabus or a list of relevant readings from books or articles of significance to your class.

To find the items placed on reserve for your class, go to The CAT, click on the “Course Reserves” tab at the top of the page,  and search for your materials by Instructor Name, Course Name, or Course Number.

If you see a call number for the item that means the materials are a print format or physical reserve, usually a book or DVD.  Remember to write down the call number from the record. These resources are located behind the circulation desk and are shelved by instructor’s name and call number. Materials are available for 2-hour checkouts with renewals permitted.

Other reserve materials are selected book chapters, law review articles, or other sources to supplement your class. To locate these resources, again search The CAT and choose the “Course Reserves” tab on the University Libraries home page.

In the gray box, click on the highlighted link Access the libraries’ electronic reserves by viewing our e-reserves system.  Follow the instructions on this page to access the e-resources for your class. Some entries may link to electronic books. Other links will lead you directly to journal articles, book chapters, etc.; they will be available in pdf format and may be downloaded or printed.

If you have questions about Course Reserves, please inquire at the circulation desk or contact the Law Library faculty.

Using The CAT and LionSearch

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The online catalog to access resources in Penn State University Libraries’ collections is The CAT.  It lists materials from each of the Penn State campuses as well as those specialized libraries at University Park.  All formats (books, journals, audiovisuals, maps, recordings, etc.) are included.

Click on Search The CAT and use the browse function to search by title or by author (last name first). Use the keyword function to search by topic using significant words in a title.

When you find the right entry, you will notice it lists the locations of the books under your search.  Jot down the call number and location for the book you need.  If the item is not at our campus (Dickinson School of Law – Carlisle), use the “I Want It” button to request it.  A hold for you will be placed on this book which essentially reserves the item for you from that library. Library staff at that location will pull it from their collection and deliver it to our library. You will receive a notice when it has been received here in Carlisle.

For electronic books found in The CAT, click the link under the words “online content” to access the full text. The online content can also direct you to electronic databases for periodicals and articles such as HeinOnline.

You can also use LionSearch, which is an integrated search of books, e-books, research articles, newspaper articles, and other publications.  You may begin your search by selecting Book / eBook under the content type limits located on the left-side menu. To broaden your search further to include articles and other media, change the content type selection. There are other research tools to use when conducting your research; Try These First is a great place to begin.

Video tutorials are also available for both The CAT and LionSearch.  If you are stumped, don’t forget to ask one of our Law Library Faculty. All of the Law Librarians’ offices are located in the library.

Using The CAT And Inter-Library Loan Services To Further Your Research

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The Law Library webpage is a good starting point to access resources found in The CAT and other student research avenues.

To fulfill your research needs, it is simple to locate materials through The CAT, which is the conventional library catalog used by all University Libraries. You will see print, non-print resources, maps, e-books, and links available to you as a Penn State student. After finding the title or subject in The CAT, this entry shows the holdings of our library under Dickinson School of Law – Carlisle.

If there is a relevant title listed in The CAT that Dickinson Law does not own, it is simple to put a hold or reserve on that title and have it sent to our law library. Go to the “I want it button” in the entry, click it and choose Dickinson Law-Carlisle as your pick-up location. For example:

A Hold Will Be Placed For You

Title: To kill a mockingbird / Harper Lee. Author: Lee, Harper.

  • Pick the expiration date  (e.g. MM/DD/YYYY)  The date you enter is the date that the system will stop trying to obtain the item for you. It is not a guaranteed delivery date.
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Another Penn State library will receive this notification and send the book to our library. You will receive an email when it arrives to be checked out.

For materials unavailable in the University Libraries system, please use Inter-library loan for your request, whether it is a book or a document which can be delivered to your email.  You must have an Inter-library loan account to request print loans and documents.

While searching The CAT and not finding the resource you want, click Worldcat on the right side of the list of titles.  Choose the title you are interested in seeing; at the bottom of that record choose “request the item through Inter-library loan“. This link will go to an online form and will automatically populate the form with the information necessary to request your book.  Expect your ILL loan request to take several days to be processed because the lending library is not part of Penn State University Libraries.  For documents such as articles, book chapters, etc., assume delivery via email will take several days. You will receive an email when your Inter-library loan book is waiting to be picked up.

If you have questions, our Law Library Faculty as well as Access Services staff are available to assist you in the library.

 

 

The Human Library

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Don’t judge a book by its cover…

Libraries are using innovative ideas to attract users, and are pursuing areas of service where they can be essential to people in the age of ever-accelerating social media. One such idea is the Human Library.  Its key concept: avoid making judgments based solely on appearances.  The Human Library idea was started in 2000 in Copenhagen, Denmark, and has spread to over 70 countries. The goal is to open conversations between diverse people in a safe environment, to learn about their culture and lives in a non-judgmental or threatening way. The “books” are volunteers who come from all walks of life, ages, genders, lifestyle choices, and are willing to share their life experiences with others in face-to-face or group conversations.

In a recent Penn State University Libraries’ Human Library event, synopses of the participants were posted well in advance of the event day and interested borrowers could read information and sign up to check out the human books. Individuals were pulled from the entire University population of faculty, staff and students. The Paterno library and classrooms housed the “checked out” books and readers for group conversations running 45 minutes in length during the afternoon. That evening, there was a panel of “Bestsellers” and discussions with several of the human books. This panel was live streamed to students, faculty and staff. The Libraries’ Human Library event enhances the University’s All In diversity and inclusion initiative.

For further information, there are several Human Library websites to visit for more information. Some give a brief hint of books in that collection and organizing an event. Others include an invitation for you to share your life experiences and be part of the Human Library. Some sites to explore are Human Library UK, Human Library Chicago, and The Williams College Human Library Project for a variety of collections.

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