On the LibraryLaw blog: Child pornography is NOT free speech:
Excerpt (and do read the comments):
“Critical point for all libraries: Child pornography is NOT protected free speech. If you see someone looking at child porn in the library, call the police.
HALT has started a Fred Rodell web site and blog.
What can I say? Read it and smile.
The past few days I’ve been bombarded with “creativity” of the best kind.
From a very interesting discussion, and a funny How We Won the Case story, with a local attorney about the use of creativity in the law (not as straightforward as it sounds) to these amazing video clips from the TED Conference (and the TED blog) – my brain is whirling happily. These two 18 minute clips were funny, scary, inspiring, and mind boggling, but you can be sure they all are:
How the Mind Works: Stroke of Insight: “Neuroanatomist Jill Bolte Taylor had an opportunity few brain scientists would wish for: One morning, she realized she was having a massive stroke. As it happened — as she felt her brain functions slip away one by one, speech, movement, understanding — she studied and remembered every moment. This is a powerful story about how our brains define us and connect us to the world and to one another.”
Very, very cool: Geek Speak Women: “We help you find technical women to speak at your events”
Via Uber-Geek/Librarian Woman Nicole Engard at her What I learned today blog.
(If you don’t have a WCCLS public library card, ask how to do this search at your own public library. For example, you can also find this magazine, and others, online through the Multnomah County Library)
Most people don’t know that with only a public library card, they can read, online and free, the product reviews (and everything else) that appear in Consumer Reports magazine. But you can!
Here’s how you do this at Washington County (WCCLS) public libraries (your own public library will have its own search strategy):
It’s not always easy to find biographical information about state and local judges. Here are a few places to start, but be prepared to dig deeply:
1) OFFICIAL SOURCES
Oregon Judicial Department (OJD): for information on Oregon Supreme Court and Court of Appeals judges
Sometimes you just want to know who is hosting a particular domain name. Go to Who is Hosting This (and its FAQ) to find out.
More domain detection tools at Domain Tools.
(Via Virtual Chase!)
You may not know that the Battle for Public Access to GAO Documents (and its sister Battle for Free, Public Access to CRS documents) has been waging for a very long time (decades, in fact).
Here is a summary from WisBlog, “Exclusive Rights to GAO Legislative Histories Sold to Thomson West?” (thanks, Bonnie!), with links to relevant documents and related stories (and here is the one from the Law Librarian Blog).
Excerpt from Boing Boing story, “Did the US gov’t sell exclusive access to its legislative history to Thomson West?” :
Here, Creative Uses for Old Books (thanks, Bonnie!), are some great ideas for things to do with used books. (I’m not sure they would work with that duplicate set of Regional Reporters you have in the basement, but maybe starting a small business is the way to go in coming days, not to mention that those hollowed out books might be the bibliophile’s alternative to the Cash under the Mattress method of saving for the future).
I posted here on this subject and here is my How to Dispose of Used Law Books guide, which needs some updating with these excellent new ideas.
Dawn Douglass’ response to Wired’s article: Chris Anderson is wrong. FreeDOM, not free, is the future of business
Oregon Legal Research Blog