Novalawcity

Remember 1984? Of Course Not

Nova's Law Library and Technology Center was a signatory on a letter to the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), protesting the decision not to preserve a digital snapshot of public federal websites as they will appear at the end of the Bush administration.  Such snapshots, or harvests, were conducted at the end of the Clinton administration and also at the end of the first Bush term in 2004.  In an internal memo to federal agencies, the NARA claimed that archives in the private sector would provide an adequate history of federal agency websites and that NARA's efforts were better expended elsewhere.

Nova's Law Library and Technology Center joined an eclectic list of signatories, including the
American Conservative Defense Alliance, the Association of Research Libraries, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, and the Reporters Committee for Freedom of  the Press, in signing a letter authored by OpenTheGovernment.org.  The letter points out that the government websites are public records, and that the work of private archivists, while laudatory, cannot be counted on to remain available without restrictions in perpetuity.  The websites are clearly of great historical importance, and thus should be maintained by an agency that is accountable to the public. 

Law Library exam time info

Special hours for reading days and exams
Beginning Friday November 30 through Monday December 17, the library will be open daily from 7am to 1am so you can study late. Please be extra mindful of the need for quiet during this stressful time.

(Note that the day after Thanksgiving, Friday November 23, the library will only be open 9am to 5pm, with no librarian on duty.  You can always check special library hours at our website.)

Study Rooms
In order to ensure that everyone has an opportunity to use the study rooms, no renewals will be allowed from now until the end of the semester.  After turning in your room, you will have to wait 15 minutes to check out another room.

Released exams
Past exams from many professors are available as study aids.  Access them here - you will need to enter your NOVA_LAW\username and password to access the list.

Exam taking
There are many books in the library that can give you good strategies for taking law exams.  A sample:

• Burkhart, Ann, How to Study Law and Take Exams in a Nutshell (1996.) Reserve KF 283. B87 1996
• Delaney, John, How to Do Your Best on Law School Exams (2001.) Study Skills Guide KF 283 .D46
• Dernbach, John C., Writing Essay Exams to Succeed (Not Just Survive) (2007.) Reserve KF  283. D47 2007
• Dernbach, John C., A Practical Guide to Writing Law School Essay Exams (2001.) Reserve KF 283. D47 2001
• Fischl, Richard M., Paul, Jeremy, Getting to Maybe:  How to Excel on Law School Exams (1999.) KF 283 .F57
• Henderson, William D., Speed as a Variable on the LSAT and Law School Exams (2004.) KF 285 .H46
• Whitebread, Charles H., The Eight Secrets of Top Exam Performance in Law School:  An Easy-to-Use, Step-by-Step Program for Achieving Great Grades (1995)  Study Skills Guide KF 283 .W48

Doing your studying off campus or just want some quick tips?  Check out some of the links rounded up in this previous post.

Goodwin Symposium update and Gay American Heroes exhibit

A reminder that our next Goodwin Symposium speaker, author/activist/political consultant David Mixner, will give his public lecture this Thursday October 25 at 6pm in the large lecture hall with a reception to follow in the atrium.

Professor Niedwiecki, one of this year's faculty chairs for the symposium, notes:

Mixner is likely to speak on a wide range of issues, including the role politics plays in LGBT issues and defining morality, HIV/AIDS issues, and the history of the gay rights movement.  He is known to be an engaging speaker who has been a leading activist in the fight for LGBT equality.

In addition, Professor Niedwiecki has announced that NSU Law will be one of the first law schools to host the Gay American Heroes exhibit, a national memorial "to honor LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) people who have been murdered because of their sexual orientation or gender identity." 

Visit the library later this week to view the exhibit.  Read more about it at the Miami Herald Gay South Florida blog or the Gay American Heroes Foundation website.

No Cheezburger in Law Library!

A note to NSU Law students:

We know you study and work hard.  But if you've been going to class or studying long enough that you become hungry while you're in the library, both your body and mind will benefit from stretching your legs and getting a change of scenery by heading to the atrium, Einstein's, or even getting off campus for a short time while you refuel.

On a more rules, rules, rules note: food is not allowed in the NSU Law Library.  There are at least two reasons for this.  Some of you who are new to Florida may not realize how easy it is to attract bugs and critters indoors here.  We don't want bugs in our books, and we're pretty sure you don't either.  Another reason is that food like this delicious-looking bacon-and-onion cheeseburger, like noise, is a sensory distraction for your fellow students who are trying to study. 

Drinks, on the other hand, are allowed, so long as they are in covered containers.  Have as much coffee as you need to stay wired.

Talking is the other big library no-no, including talking on your cellphone.  If you need to chat with classmates or work on a group assignment, check out a study room.  If you need to make or take a call, you may use your cellphone in the copyrooms on each floor, as well as outside the library on the atrium bridge.  Being on your way out of the library doesn't count--please wait until you're ALL the way through the doors.  There are lots of places in and around the law building where you can chat; we hope you'll agree that the library should be one place where you can count on finding a quiet, distraction-free study environment.

The picture above--bad example: cheeseburger; good example: water bottle with lid on--was snapped not in some hidden away corner of the third floor, but at the first table in the Florida section--one of the most public areas of the library!  So we thought it was time for some reminders. 

If you're scratching your head at the captions, check out I Can Has Cheezburger for the unbeatable combination of cats and bad grammar.  There's even more fun in the Bar Exam Lolcats Facebook group.

Ask Us Questions! Free Snacks!

Glad You Asked is the Law Library & Technology Center's learning series for law students.  It's your chance to learn about topics that will help you through your law school career and beyond. Mark your calendars for this year's series:

August 23	What Do You Want to Ask Us? Library & Technology Q&A session
September 7	Click! Using CALI's InstaPoll
September 21	ExamSoft
October 5	What Are They Talking About? Collaborating with Web 2.0 Tools
November 16	Need a Second Life? Visit our Virtual Library

All sessions take place from 3-4pm in Room 109 on the first floor of the library. And did we mention there will be food?

New Orleans is coming back

The law library was sparsely staffed last week, because four of us were in New Orleans for the 2007 annual meeting of the American Association of Law Libraries.  We had a great time reconnecting with colleagues, seeing the sights, eating great food, and, of course, learning and getting new ideas to bring back to the library.

Although there is still an overwhelming amount of recovery remaining for much of the city, the French Quarter, Arts district, and other tourist-focused areas are alive and well, and the hospitality of the residents was wonderful.  I took part in the AALL Habitat for Humanity work day, and at the end of the day, our bus driver took us on a quick tour of the Lower 9th Ward.  In spite of the devastation--including a two-mile long stretch of grass where he used to drive a city bus through a neighborhood--the driver was enthusiastic about recovery.  "Tell everyone we're coming back," he said.

            

Law librarians  putting up floor joists at the Musicians' Village Habitat project and a lovely French Quarter building.