Reference at Newman Library

Year: 2011

Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index issues yearly report; expands coverage of LGBT health benefits

A new Corporate Equality Index report  recently issued by the Human Rights Campaign has expanded the criteria for LGBT health benefits offered by employers.  The report covers 850 businesses, including law firms. Of these, 190 received top scores of 100. Rankings include “Best Places to Work” and Top Law Firms for Equality.

The Human Rights Campaign is currently undertaking the Jewish Organization Equality Index (JOEI), one of its newest projects. It is a first-of-its-kind effort to analyze and rate U.S. Jewish non-profits on their policies, practices and programs as they are pertinent to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees and members.

 

Downloadable books from ebrary

ebrary now allows their books to be downloaded to reader devices. This is just a short introduction to the download function. More instructions will be forthcoming but since we are already seeing some questions, here is some information.

You will notice a DOWNLOAD button next to the ebrary Reader button if the book is open or under the title if searching for a title from within ebrary.

The download options are as follows:

– by chapter and/or up to 60 pages: this will download a PDF copy of the text; if you need more than 60 pages, you need to logoff and back on. This is a PDF so the quality in the reader tends to not be the best. The PDF can then be moved to a device. The PDF is yours forever.

– by the whole book. This will download to Adobe Digital Edition. Users must have their own log-in to Adobe Digital Edition as well. On their devices they must also have Adobe Digital Editions or Bluefire on the iPad/iPhone/iPod platforms. This will check the book out for 14 days. With ebrary since we have unlimited simultaneous users, multiple users can have the book checked out at any one time. I do not think we have Adobe Digital Editions on our public computers at this time.

If you have specific questions, please email me so I can address them.

 

 

 

Reading Room collection changes

We have made a change in policy with regards to Reading Room books; from now on they will appear in the public catalog. The books will still receive a call number of “Reading Room” and will not be shelved in any particular order, but they will show up if you are searching for them in the catalog. This was changed after receiving much feedback from librarians.

To see what’s there you can do the following command search: wow=bb and wcl=leisb

 

New database: WestlawNext Patron Access

We now have access to West’s new platform for their traditional print material, called WestlawNext Patron Access. This will be replacing our print subscriptions, which have been cancelled (and were not getting much used).

In this platform, you can search United States federal and state laws, court cases, rules, regulations, selected forms, and topical secondary publications in one search field. Advanced search works best after selecting jurisdiction(s) or content. West Key Numbers, under Tools, offers detailed index of case law materials.

One unfortunate aspect of this database is that searching will retrieve content not in our subscription, which may lead to confusion. We have not lost any content compared to the print subscriptions we had.

Training is being arranged for early December.