Cornell Law Library Annual Report July 2001-June 2002
Highlights
Faculty Services The Faculty Liaison Librarians helped faculty with a variety of projects.
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All the librarians answered extensive research questions and provided current awareness services.
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Brandy Kreisler and Charlotte Bynum helped several faculty members put research materials online and set up course web pages.
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The Law Library created a Web page to help faculty make requests for regular Reserves and E-Reserves.
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Charlie Finger assisted Profs. Eisenberg and Clermont with the library part of their information technology grant proposal and implementation. Thanks to the grant, the Library bought books, audiovisual, and online materials.
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In collaboration with the Law School Communications office, Jean Callihan started coordinating the publication of faculty bibliographies on the web and in the Cornell Law Forum.
Prof. Kevin Clermont using Microform collection
Student Services ?
In August, the Law Library participated in the orientation program for the new 180 J.D. and 60 LL.M. students. Library staff conducted tours, including the Rare Book Room this year, which proved to be a welcome addition.
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The Law Library assisted the Law School Information Technologies Department in promoting the wireless system in the Law School. Brandy Kreisler wrote a flyer for student use. The Library is checking out laptop cards.
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Five lawyer-librarians taught the legal research part of Legal Methods to the first year students during a two week period, October 15-26. Pat Court coordinated this training which included book and computer research and consisted of over 70 small group sessions in the Reading Room, and Prof. Claire Germain with LL.M. student Bajrakitiyabha “Pat� Mahidol in the computer lab. It also included 45 one hour online group sessions during intersession in January 2002.
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In October, Charlotte Bynum taught a session on "Career Research Strategies for LL.M.& JSD Students."
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Legal Research Training for Law Practice. In the Spring, the Law Library helped law students prepare for their summer clerkships and their new associate positions with the 2
popular "Sail Into Summer" campaign. The highlight was a series of programs by Kay Todd, Law Library Director at Paul, Hastings, Janofsky, and Walker in Atlanta, on “Survival Skills for a Summer Associate.� Ms. Todd spoke to over 60 law students, including the Advanced Research Seminar, on how to be a successful associate, and maneuver through complex research situations.
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Students also benefitted from customized Research Appointments, with a personalized hour of assistance from one of the lawyer-librarians. Pat Court, Charlotte Bynum, Brandy Kreisler, Jean Callihan, and Charles Finger provided numerous one-on-one sessions, focused on the students' special needs, from a basic research review to training on print and online federal securities materials.
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Janet Gillespie managed the circulation and reserve operations, including the student carrel reservation system which was extended this year to 75 carrels.
Public Services Activities 8,122 33,021 1,244 10 203 20
reference questions answered materials checked out, renewed, or used in the building items retrieved from Rare Book room and Cage bibliographies and handouts written one hour instruction sessions provided to 3,700 students tours given to 249 participants
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Interlibrary loan items borrowed from other libraries
671
Interlibrary loan items lent to other libraries
364
Books and photocopies provided to faculty from Law Library and other campus libraries
Publications
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Remembering Harry Bitner. The Law Library prepared a memorial to Professor Harry Bitner, Cornell Law Librarian 1965-1976, published in 94 Law Library Journal 187-208 (2002), with contributions by Claire Germain and Crystal Hackett.
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22 issues of InSITE (annotations of new law-related web sites) were published. Sasha Skenderija converted the InSite database into a relational database, entailing changes to both the public and staff interfaces. The new database structure allows for the nearly automatic creation of new online issues of InSITE, with minimal human intervention.
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4 Law Library Newsletter issues were published, in print and online.
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Cornell Law Library Guide (rev. Aug. 2001)
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Law Library: A Library of Distinction (rev. May 2002)
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Several web and print guides, available through the Law Library web site. “Legal Ethics” by Jean Callihan (June 2002); “First Year Survival Guide” by Jean Callihan (Sept. 2001); “Researching Australian Law” by Charlie Finger (Aug. 2002); “Treatises, Hornbooks, and Nutshells: A Guide for First Year Students” by Jean Callihan (Sept. 2001); “International Commercial Arbitration” by Charlotte Bynum (April 2002); “Immigration Law” by Pat Court (Sept. 2001); “Legal Research and Writing: A Bibliography” (rev. Sept. 2001); and several guides prepared for the Advanced Legal Research class.
Budget, Planning, and Collection
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Budget: The Library worked hard to serve faculty and students within the approved budget and staffing. In light of the fact that the Law Library staff is smaller than in 1967, the accomplishments are extraordinary. Since that time, there have been increased demands for service, whether electronic or print, requests for rare books and other special collections, and a substantial expansion of the Law School programs, particularly in international and foreign law, and multidisciplinary areas. [In 1967 the Law Library consisted of 26 staff members - in 2002, 23.5 staff members - a fact revealed while doing research for the Tribute to Harry Bitner]. The collections budget was tight because of continual increases in prices from all legal publishers, but the Library finished the fiscal year with a balanced budget. This result was due to significant cutbacks in various areas of the collection such as Canadian and Australian law, in reliance on electronic sources. Charlie Finger prepared a web guide on "Researching Australian Law", that explains how to find information in the Law Library, both in print and electronic sources. Increased reliance upon Lexis and Westlaw in particular, as well as other electronic sources, allowed the Law Library to cancel duplicative print materials. The consistent price increases, the plethora of new editions of sets being produced by the few legal publishers, and the growing international and multidisciplinary programs of the Law School, indicate that expenses for next year will be greater. The collection was enhanced in certain areas, thanks to the new Jack Clarke International & Comparative Law Fund and the Sheppard Guryan endowment on the History of Jurisprudence and American Legal Thought.
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Planning: Dean Lee Teitelbaum shared his vision for the Law School with the library staff during the annual law library retreat in August 2001. The staff then fleshed out goals and objectives to support that vision, as well as the goals of CUL, and produced the Law Library Plan for 2001-2002. This Plan was implemented, with regular updates and adjustments, during the fiscal year.
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Jean Pajerek and the Technical Services Department continued to create new serial check-in records for Voyager, the Library Management system, and completed a substantial project of cataloging over 15,000 Congressional hearings.
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To enhance the usefulness of the online catalog, hundreds of hypertext links were added to scanned monographic tables of contents purchased from Index Master on existing bibliographic records.
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800 records were prepared for the implementation of EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) serials invoicing for titles supplied by Hein Publishing Company.
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This year saw a notable increase in the number of requests for special collections, in particular several projects involving the use of the Bennett Collection of statutory law, and 4
the Trials collection, which required over 1,400 retrievals from the Cage and Rare Book Rooms. Acquisitions & Cataloging Activities 18,183 Titles cataloged 17,871 106 116 19 61
print titles microforms serials microforms audiovisual computer files
116 Serials titles added for a total of 6,503. 490,907 650,346
Total Print Volumes on June 30, 2001 Total Volumes and Volume Equivalents
Building
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With the help of the Law School Facilities Department, all the existing law deans' portraits were rearranged and put in the Reading Room in chronological order, ending with Peter Martin's portrait, which was unveiled April 23, 2002. The Law Library prepared a brochure describing each painting for alumni and visitors.
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The Casual Reading Room above the Rare Book room was made available to students as a group study room, with tables, a blackboard, and wireless access to the internet.
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Pat Court and Crystal Hackett spent much time preparing for and overseeing the library portion of a new wiring system installation in the Law School. This project resulted in lost space for the Library, including the loss of the Microform Room and a small part of the Technical Services Workroom.
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Claire Germain worked with the architect on the Law School Renovation Plan, which plans for a different use of several library spaces to accommodate new needs.
Gifts and Endowments
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Dean Teitelbaum, Prof. Bernard Rudden, and Prof. Claire Germain
Professor Bernard Rudden gave a rare book to the Law Library, as his expression of thanks for services rendered to him over the years, a 1761bilingual edition of Littleton's Tenures, in French and English. (see Law Library Newsletter, September 2001)
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Professor Fred McChesney (former Cornell Law School faculty) gave the Law Library the rare book, Questions sur l’ordonnance de Louis XIV du mois d’avril 1667, relative aux usages des cours de parlement, et principalement de celui de Toulouse, 1769.
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William Rogers Memorabilia. Upon Dale Rogers Marshall’s request, Claire Germain visited the former home of William Rogers in Bethseda, Md., in August and selected a collection of memorabilia for the Law School.
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Germain Harry Bitner Research Fellows Program. Harry Bitner, one of the foremost Cornell law librarians, died in May 2001. His family indicated an interest in establishing the Harry Bitner Research Fellows program in the Cornell Law Library to continue his legacy, and allow visiting scholars and librarians to learn about legal research at Cornell from the experienced and skilled staff, and use the extensive facilities.
Prof. Fred McChesney with Prof. Claire
Staff
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New Staff. In August, two new staff members arrived. Charlie Finger joined the Law Library as Collection Development/Reference Librarian. Charlie received his J.D. and M.L.S. degrees from the State University of New York at Buffalo. He was previously the Law Librarian for the West group in Rochester, New York, and has extensive experience working in academic and court libraries. Jean Callihan began as a Reference Librarian. She received her J.D. from Pennsylvania State University Dickinson School of Law, and her M.L.S. from Clarion University. She was previously Reference/Instructional Services Librarian at Marquette University Law Library. Prior to a library career, she spent over 10 years as Deputy Chief Counsel, Chief Hearing Examiner, and Assistant Counsel, at the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Insurance Dept., in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
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Student Assistant Fuerst Award. Adam Schoenfeld received one of the 2002 Fuerst Awards, recognizing the best student assistants in the Cornell University Library.
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Employee Service Recognition Awards. Barbara Taylor (20 years) was recognized in November 2001 at the CUL Awards luncheon; Elizabeth Hand (25 years), Patricia Jones (20 years), and Elizabeth Teskey (10 years) were recognized in June 2002 at the Law School Awards Luncheon. Sue Hills with Fuerst Award student Adam Schoenfeld
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Law Library Interns. Olga Cabrero, from Barcelona, Spain, spent September 2001 in the Law Library, and wrote “A Guide to the Spanish Legal System,” available on the Internet at www.llrx.com/features/spain.htm. Saah Quigee, former law librarian in Liberia, started a one year internship, while studying for a Master’s degree in Rural Planning.
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Staff Activities Outside of Work. David Elliott received a 2001 Pride of Ownership Award for Residential owner-occupied from the City of Ithaca and the Rotary Club, in recognition of his efforts to renovate his property. Laura Robert did an art exhibit in February 2002. Elizabeth Teskey coordinated the United Way campaign for the entire Cornell University Library system.
Partnerships and Outreach Activities
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Donovan Nuremberg Collection. In July 2001, the Law Library hosted the visit of two professors from the United Kingdom, who had made a special trip to Cornell to explore the Donovan Nuremberg trial transcripts in the Rare Book Room: Michael Salter, Professor of Law at the University of Central Lancashire, and Andrea Loux, Lecturer in Law at the University of Edinburgh. Andrea is a '93 Cornell Law Graduate. An acid-free copy of 43 of the150 volumes was created for preservation purposes. John Lauricella started working on an extensive index of the unique parts of the collection.
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Nuremberg/Rutgers Project in the News. Much publicity worldwide occurred after a January AP story was published and syndicated about the Gen. William J. Donovan Nuremberg transcripts going online at Rutgers Journal of Law and Religion, (www.lawandreligion.com). Articles were published all over the world, and also in the New York Times, Ithaca Journal, and Cornell Chronicle. Please see www.lawschool.cornell.edu/library/nuremberg for details.
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Law Library and Small Business Administration Partnership Wins E-Gov Pioneer Award. The Small Business Administration invited the Law Library to participate in a pilot project by reviewing, revising, and maintaining New York state information presented on the agency's new website Businesslaw.gov. Businesslaw.gov, which made it formal debut on December 5, 2001, is designed to assist small businesses cope with the myriad of legal issues that flow from starting and running a business. The New York pages present state specific information on 12 different subjects and provide links to helpful resources including Choosing a Business Structure, Franchises, Selecting a Location, Financing, Licenses and Permits, International Trade and more. The New York pages also contain information regarding Jean Callihan at Small Business Administration assistance to small business owners adversely award presentation in Washington, D.C. impacted by the tragic events of September 11, 2001. BusinessLaw.gov received the Pioneer Award at the June 2002 E-Gov conference in Washington D.C. attended by Jean Callihan on behalf of the Law Library.
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History Channel Plans a Documentary on Sam Leibowitz. The Law Library provided various transcripts and artifacts pertaining to Sam Leibowitz (‘15), in connection with a documentary to be produced by the History Channel in 2002. These include original photographs regarding the Scottsboro Trial, the original trial transcripts, and the train model (the replica of the train used by 7
Leibowitz at trial to show that the defendants could not have traveled the length of the train from where they boarded to the crime scene within the timeframe of the rapes). The model was given by Leibowitz to Albert Neimeth, Emeritus Assoc. Dean of Cornell Law School, and is now entrusted to the Law Library.
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HeinOnline Collaboration. The Hein Publishing Company received the 2001 AALL Best New Product Award. In a Press Release, the President of the Company expressed his thanks to the Cornell Law Library for its help in evaluating the interface and various user features. HeinOnline provides both images and html files of most U.S. law reviews going back to their first volume. The Law Library and the entire campus access the service free because of our work on the project, a $4,000 subscription value.
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The Law Library continued hosting the IALL Web site for the International Association of Law Libraries. Sasha Skenderija contributed several design and database improvements.
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Outreach to Law Alumni. The Law Library made two presentations at the June 2002 Law Alumni Reunion, including a CLE program on Legal Ethics and a guided tour of the Rare Book Room and Donovan Nuremberg trial transcripts collection.
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NELLCO Meeting. In October 2001, the Law Library hosted the meeting of the directors of NELLCO (New England Law Libraries Consortium), a Consortium of large research law libraries in the Northeast, including Yale, Harvard, Boston College, Boston University, Penn, NYU, and Columbia. The Consortium allows for discounts on electronic licenses for databases, and an increasing array of joint projects. In addition to the business meeting of the Directors, a program was held on "Generation X: What Motivates them?".
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CUL Librarians’Assembly in Law School. In December 2001, the CUL Librarians’ Assembly was held in the Mancuso Amphitheater of the Law School. Claire Germain spoke on “Web Mirror Sites: Creating the Research Library of the Future, and More.”
Pat Court, Assistant Director for Administration & Public Services, teaching an alumni Continuing Legal Education class on Legal Ethics
Cover: Elizabeth Teskey and Nancy Moore show the 19th Century Trials collection to alumni. 8