Welcome from the Library Director

On behalf of the entire staff of the Mendik Library, I want to extend my welcome and congratulations to the entering classes of 2016/17. We are all looking forward to meeting you as you embark on a challenging and exciting journey.

For most law students, the law library quickly becomes a constant feature of their lives, a second home if you will. We have worked hard to make our home a comfortable study and learning environment and you can be assured that you are getting the benefit of an outstanding library collection, an extensive offering of services, and an excellent library staff.

We describe our collections and our services in great detail on our web pages and numerous handouts. What you might not realize from these publications is the outstanding quality of the Mendik Library Staff and why that is important to you. Our staff of twenty-two includes thirteen professionals with master’s degrees, nine of whom also have J.D. degrees from law schools around the country. Your librarians have many years of experience working in law libraries and teaching legal research. Many also have years of legal practice experience and most have been at New York Law School for several years. They can all help you with your library and research needs, of course, but their value to you goes far beyond that. Do not hesitate to ask your librarians questions about the law school, particular courses, or any of the extracurricular activities available.  We can help you, or we will direct you to the best person to give you the help you need.

We all realize that law school is a new experience for each of you, and we are committed to making that experience a rewarding one. We welcome the opportunity to work with you throughout your law school career.

Sincerely,

Professor Camille Broussard
Library Director & Associate Dean

The Bluebook App

Have you tried the Bluebook app yet?  It’s available for iPads, iPhones, and iPods (with an Android version probably in the works we’re told). The app supports full-text searching, browsing, highlighting, bookmarking, and annotating.  Among its features, the continuous display of the Table of Contents and hyperlinking of cross-references make navigation a breeze.  You don’t have to worry about losing your Internet connection either.  Once downloaded, the rules reside on your device for offline use.  Give it a try!  Here’s the link.  There is a special promotion for law students; with purchase of the app, you will also get access to the 2013 Federal Rules.

A few things to note:  If you have an iPhone and an iPad, one purchase enables you to use it on both devices.  Second, at $39.95, it is a little more expensive than the print Bluebook (which is $37.15 (new) at the NYLS bookstore).  But for folks who want the convenience and search capability of digital access it may well be worth it.  An extra benefit is that all Bluebook updates between editions are automatically added to the app and you “own” the app; there’s no need to purchase it again unless you want to once a new edition is published.  (New editions of the Bluebook are published every five years, with the 20th edition scheduled for 2015.)

Comparing it against the Bluebook’s online version, the app’s pricing may still be more favorable.  The online version is $32 for one year, with annual renewals priced at $15, although you can pay $42 for two years or $50 for three years with corresponding $15 renewals. But that is only available “online,” meaning on a PC or Mac, and you’ll need an Internet connection while using it.  Remember: the Mendik Library has a subscription to the online Bluebook, which can be accessed from two PCs in the Library.  Contact the Reference Desk for password information.

The Challenge is On!

Join us next Wednesday June 12 (and on any or all of the following Wednesdays: June 19, June 26, and July 10), for the Mendik Library’s 2013 Summer Research Challenge! Hone your research skills and have some fun (and snacks) at the same time. Get all the details here.

More Online Resources

Mendik Library isn’t the only wealth of digital information. There’s even more available through NOVELNY, the New York Online Virtual Electronic Library (a service of the New York State Library).  This resource provides over 5,600 databases that include: newspapers, journals, magazines and other periodicals; information on health and business; encyclopedias; and content for children. You can log in with your New York driver’s license or non-driver state ID. Just like Mendik, it’s YOUR library – check it out!

Today in Legal History: Brown v. Board of Education

May 17 marks the anniversary of the unanimous 1954 Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education. Prior to Brown, many parts of the United States permitted segregation in public education based on the principle of ‘separate but equal,’ a doctrine based on the longstanding decision in Plessy v. Ferguson.  Brown brought together cases from four different states challenging the validity of that doctrine.

The court considered whether segregation was consistent with the framers’ intent in the Fourteenth Amendment but found little support there for overruling Plessy.  In order to forge a unanimous opinion, the justices rested their decision on the critical role education plays in determining personal opportunity and development, finding that racial segregation generated irreversible feelings of inferiority in black children. The court concluded that segregated schools were inherently unequal and abandoned the premise that ‘separate but equal’ did not cause harm or stigmatization.

Further resources:

Landmark Supreme Court Cases: A Reference Guide, Donald E. Lively (Greenwood Press, 1999).

Brown v. Board of Education: Caste, Culture and the Constitution, Robert J. Cottrol (University Press of Kansas, 2003).

Education Law Stories, Michael A. Olivas (Foundation Press, 2007).

Encyclopedia of the Supreme Court of the United States, David S. Tanenhaus (Macmillan Reference USA, 2008).

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Yesterday was Cinco de Mayo (the 5th of May), and we hope you all found at least some time to celebrate and enjoy the day amidst all the hard-core studying.

Often mistaken for a celebration of Mexican independence, Cinco de Mayo commemorates the Mexican army’s victory in the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War.  On May 5, 1862, General Lorencez and 6,000 French troops marched towards Puebla, Mexico.  Greatly outnumbered, the Mexicans fought and improbably defeated the French army at Puebla.

Now, Cinco de Mayo is widely celebrated in the United States as a celebration of Mexican culture and heritage.  Even Congress has officially recognized the holiday, passing a number of resolutions entitled “Recognizing the historical significance of the Mexican holiday of Cinco de Mayo.”  For example, S. Res. 128, 111th Cong. (2009),  H. Res. 230, 111th Cong. (2009), and H. Res. 347, 110th Cong. (2007).  And this year, President Obama issued a formal statement that read, in part, “[o]n Cinco de Mayo we celebrate the contributions and heritage of Mexican Americans and we recognize the strong cultural, familial, and economic ties that bind the United States and Mexico.”  Interestingly, Cinco de Mayo is not considered a public holiday in Mexico and is not widely celebrated in Mexico.

Check out these links from the Law Library of Congress for more information.

NYLS Commencement Through the Centuries

An early congratulations to the graduating class of 2013!  May 19th will mark New York Law School’s 121st Commencement Exercises.  This year’s ceremony will be held at Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center.  Did you know that in 1899 the graduation ceremony was held at Carnegie Hall?

Commencement ceremonies give us time to celebrate our new graduates and time to honor all the Law School’s previous graduates.  It’s always fun to view this slice of our history by looking back at our Commencement Exercises Programs. The Library has created two exhibits of NYLS Commencement Programs spanning three centuries!  We invite you to take a quick break and visit both if you can!

  • In the Library’s Rare Book Room display case (L302) you’ll find programs from 1894, 1900, 1904, 1912, 1950, 1961 and more . . . .
  • In the display case outside the Matasar Commons on W2 (on the way to the Event Center) you’ll find programs from 1899, 1913, 1975, 1991 and more . . . .

 

Enjoy the Law School’s rich history!

Monday April 22 is Earth Day

Continuing with its A Billion Acts of Green® movement, a “people-powered campaign to generate a billion acts of environmental service and advocacy . . .” that began in 2011, the folks at the Earth Day Network are now looking to reach 2 Billion Acts of Green. The total reported as of the morning of April 19, 2013 was 1,019,860,805 (and counting).

One easy Act of Green you could pledge would be to turn off the library study table lamps and carrel lights whenever you leave.  Or, you could use the stairs instead of the elevators between floors.  We will thank you and so will the Earth.

Another suggestion:  By drinking your coffee, tea, or other beverage from a spill-proof, reusable mug, you can transform a single Act of Green into an ongoing one, helping continually to reduce the volume of plastic, Styrofoam, and paper cups piling up in landfills or requiring energy for recycling.  At the same time, you’ll be complying with the Library’s food and drink policy and earning our thanks!

If you don’t have a spill-proof mug, pick one up at the Circulation Desk for $3.00.  Although we already sell these mugs at a loss, for every one purchased through the end of this semester’s exam period librarians will contribute $.50 to Earth Day Network (www.earthday.org/), which works with over 22,000 partners in 192 countries to broaden, diversify and mobilize the environmental movement.

For complete information about Earth Day, visit Earth Day Network.

Library Study Hall

Effective Monday April 15, all study areas and computer labs in the Mendik Library will remain open late night and early morning hours.  The late hours extend to 2 a.m. every day, and the Library space reopens at 7 a.m. every morning.  This Study Hall schedule will remain in effect through the end of the exams period.

During Study Hall all areas behind the Circulation Desk, including the Reserve Collection and the Reserve Reading Room, will close at 11 p.m. on Monday through Thursday, and 10 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.  The Library opens for business at 8 a.m. on weekdays, and 9 a.m. on weekends.

During late night and early morning Study Hall hours there are no librarians on duty; security guards patrol Library rooms and study areas.  All Circulation transactions, including borrowing and return of books, as well as charge-out and charge-in of Reserve materials, must be completed by regular closing time.  Policies regarding food, drink and quiet study remain in effect.

Late and early Study Hall is for NYLS students only; you’ll need your NYLS OneCard ID to stay at closing time, and to enter the Library after closing. Please have your ID ready to show the guard.

Students will be required to leave the Mendik Library when the facility closes at 2 a.m.  Study areas elsewhere on campus remain open 24 hours.