Summertime Fun & the Law (updated June 2005)

Warm weather has arrived in Wisconsin and you have been summoned to enjoy the outdoors. But before you pick up that fishing rod or barbecue that bratwurst, take a moment to browse the links below. You may find rules or guidelines that affect your favorite activity. Remember: The law doesn't take a vacation.

Biking
Bicycles: Lights & Reflectors (WI Statutes)

Child Safety Seats
Evidence of Effectiveness
Safety Belts & Child Safety... (WI Statutes)

Fireworks
Fireworks Laws & Safety

Fishing
Online Licensing Center
Fishing Regulations

Ice Age Trail
Trail Ethics & Use

National Parks
Park Guides
Regulations

Outdoor Cookouts
Barbecue Food Safety
Food Safety While Hiking, Camping & Boating

Pets
Pets in WI State Parks

State Parks, WI
Picnicking & Carrying Out Your Waste
State Park System
Safety at State Parks

Vacations
Timeshares
Vacation Offers

Waterways & Wetlands
Waterway & Wetland Permits
Regulatory Programs

WI Dept. of Natural Resources
Licenses, Permits & Registrations

Enjoy Your Summer! -- Amy Crowder

Summertime Reading

Summertime is a great time for recreational reading. Whether you are looking for a book to take on vacation or just one to read in the backyard, the Internet has many sites to help you find the perfect summer read.

Great Books for the Beach - the Today Show asked journalist Anna Quindlen for her list of summer reads. Quindlen selected six books to appeal to many different reading tastes.

From Sea to Shining Sea: A Star Spangled Summer Reading List - Librarian Nanci Malone Hill from Wakefield, MA complied this list of fiction set in different states. If your travel budget is small this summer, you might consider going by book instead.

Books for Summer Reading - the New York Times provides this list of fiction, poetry and non-fiction. Each title is linked to its review in the New York Times (free registration may be required to view book reviews).

Authors' Summer Reading Lists - Wondering what today's writers are reading? Authorsontheweb.com asked them. Check back often for more books and more authors.

Reading with Ripa promises the antidote to the Oprah book club. Kelly Ripa, co-host of Live with Regis, is leading a new book club in which all books must be "fun, frivolous, fast and fiction."

Perhaps you're going on vacation but don't want to leave behind the exciting world of law and order, lawyers and judges, mayhem and intrigue? Check out the Wisconsin State Law Library's Prose and Cons collection. This legal fiction collection includes books, books on tape, and videos. Any library cardholder is welcome to borrow items from this collection.

If you've looked through all the choices above and still have not found the book for you, don't be discouraged. You can always turn to the Book Forager. This tool will suggest titles based on your mood and your reading preferences.

Finally, don't forget the kids! The National Institute for Literacy website notes that reading for fun has a positive impact on national reading assessment scores. Eighty-seven percent of fourth graders who reported reading for fun on their own once a month or more performed at a proficient level while students who never or hardly ever read for fun performed at the basic level. Students who read for fun every day scored the highest. For links to many summer reading ideas see Summer Reading for K-6 Kids and for teens, check out LaCrosse Logan High School's recommended reading lists.

--Heidi Yelk

Training Opportunities @ WSLL

Wed. Sept. 4  8:30-9:30 a.m.
WSLL Wednesday Topic: Wisconsin Legislature Website
In this free, hands-on overview of the Legislature's newly re-designed site, Heidi Yelk will teach you how to locate acts and bills and how to search the various Folio databases. Find out what's new, including recent joint legislative committee proceedings. Seating is limited to 8. Register now!

Wed. Sept. 11  8:30-10:00 a.m.
Class: Internet Tips & Tricks
As increasing amounts of information become accessible on the Internet, the legal researcher faces enormous challenges and frustrations in locating legal information efficiently. In this hands-on session Jane Colwin will provide tips and tricks for using the Internet without losing your mind. Understand the difference between search engines (like Google) and directories (like Yahoo!) and learn how to use them to locate information quickly. Discover the secrets of the "invisible web." Track Wisconsin appellate dockets. Utilize free legal research sites like Lexisone.com. Save time and money, and let someone else do the work for you, by using resources such as the State Law Library's web site as a "legal yellow pages" for the Internet. Cost: $50.00. Registration limited to 8. 1.5 CLE credits applied for. Register today!

Wed. Oct. 2 8:30-9:30 a.m.
WSLL Wednesday Topic: WSLL Web Tour
Library Reference staff will lead you on a tour of the information-packed WSLL website. Explore Wisconsin & Federal legal resources, travel around the Legal Topics page and learn to navigate our web catalog and LegalTrac. This free, hands-on session is for all library users. Seating is limited to 8. Sign up now!

Thurs. Oct. 10  8:30-Noon
Class: Wisconsin Legal Research in a Nutshell
Learn the basics of Wisconsin statutory, administrative, and case law research, both print and online. In this hands-on session, Jane Colwin and Connie Von Der Heide will use actual research questions to demonstrate processes of identifying and locating these resources. A great class for anyone who wants a good grounding in how Wisconsin legal research and resources work. Fee: $125.00. Registration is limited to 8.

Wed. Nov. 6  8:30-9:30 a.m.
WSLL Wednesday Topic: To Be Announced.

Coming in November
Class: Using Wisconsin Legal Resources on the Internet 
This half day hands-on course focuses entirely on locating and using web-based Wisconsin legal and government information. It is appropriate for attorneys, paralegals, and legal assistants. Instructors are Melissa Kaszynski and Heidi Yelk. Fee: $125.00. Registration is limited to 8. CLE credits applied for.

To register for any of these classes, submit a completed registration form, with payment if applicable, to Tammy Keller, Wisconsin State Law Library, 120 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd., Madison, WI 53707-7881.

To suggest additional classes you'd find useful, please contact Heidi Yelk, Reference/Electronic Resources Librarian, at 608-261-7555.