Wisconsin State Law Library

What's New - Carol Hassler

Holiday Open House

Please join us for our annual Holiday Open House on December 16th from 3-4:30 in the reading room of the Wisconsin State Law Library. Enjoy refreshments while you mingle with staff and other library users and try your hand at some light hearted games.

This year we are reprising our Helping Warm Hearts and Hands mitten and hat donation drive. The drive benefits Community Action Coalition (CAC). Throughout December and into early January the State Law Library will be accepting donated mittens, hats, and scarves. Items of all sizes for adults and children are welcome through January 15, 2016. All donations will be taken to CAC for distribution to people in our community who need winter wear.

Staff News

We're pleased to announce that Kristina Martinez joined the library in November as the new Outreach Services Librarian. Kristina is an experienced reference and instructional services librarian who most recently worked for the Legislative Reference Bureau, Theobald Legislative Library. Kristina will present to groups outside the library, manage the library's training program, and edit this newsletter. Welcome, Kristina!

Judicial Education Conference

This year's Judicial Conference took place in Madison which allowed several of our librarians to staff our information table over the course of the three day conference. While there we were able to meet attendees, discuss library services to judges, and demonstrate online resources available through the library.

Upcoming Classes

Get a jump on your 2016 CLE. Register for classes in Madison and set aside dates on your calendar for our upcoming Milwaukee seminars. Learn more on our classes page.

Libraries Closed for Holidays

The Wisconsin State Law Library and the Milwaukee and Dane County Law Libraries will be closed on December 24, 25, 31 and January 1 in observance of upcoming state holidays. Call the Reference Desk at 608-267-9696 and leave a voicemail, or Ask a Librarian online while we are closed. We will respond to you the next business day.

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Use the Library After Hours - Carol Hassler

Would you like the convenience of using the State Law Library later in the evening or on weekends? You can - by becoming an After Hours subscriber.

After Hours users can use and check out books, use our public computers and databases - including WestlawNext and HeinOnline, make photocopies, and enjoy a quiet space for research and study.

A calendar-year subscription includes access to the library from 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, and a key fob for convenient entry into the building. New subscribers will gain access from the time they subscribe to the end of the 2016 calendar year. Subscribe now and save!

Are you already an After Hours subscriber? If so, now is the perfect time to renew before the busy holiday season hits.

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This Just In - Pete Boll

New Editions! American Law Reports (A.L.R.) 7th edition & American Law Reports Federal (A.L.R. Fed.) 3rd edition
Thomson Reuters, 2015
Call Numbers:
KF 132 .A57 (A.L.R. 7th)
KF 132 .A43 (A.L.R. Fed 3d)

These two new series represent the most significant reinvention of A.L.R. since the release of the first series in 1919. Similar to A.L.R 6th edition and A.L.R. Fed 2d, each article includes thorough case law coverage of the topic, analyzed and organized to make the best use of valuable research time. Each article also contains its own jurisdictional table of cases making quick work of identifying cases from a particular jurisdiction. Use these series for research references to help find additional material relevant to your topic, including analytical and forms references, West's topic and key numbers, and suggested WestlawNext search queries.

The new editions also feature:

• Jurisdictional headings for case summaries
• Checklists of important factors
• Visualizations of case law outcomes for selected articles
• Fresh print look with clearer fonts and more white space for easier reading

A.L.R. no longer reprints cases, in light of online availability. In addition, article indices have been consolidated into a single index volume. Finally, the two editions feature new media-neutral citation formats. The new citation formats DO NOT apply to prior series of ALR. For example:

Citation formats for A.L.R. 1st to 6th, and A.L.R. Fed 1st and 2d:

• 80 A.L.R. Fed. 2d 21 (originally published in 2013)
• 84 A.L.R. 6th 589 (originally published in 2013)

Citation formats for the new series:

• 15 A.L.R. Fed 3d Art.1
• 25 A.L.R. 7th Art. 3

See our latest New Titles list for a list of new books and other resources.

For assistance in accessing these or other resources, please contact our Reference Desk.

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Tech Tip - Heidi Yelk

Saving and Revealing Passwords

Saving passwords in your browser can be a quick and easy way to get into your favorite sites. While easy to add, it's not always obvious how to change or delete a password.

Firefox users can turn to Mozilla's support page on Password Manager for tips, including information on how to view and delete passwords.

Chrome users can learn how Chrome handles passwords on various devices, how to see a saved password, and undo the "never save password" choice.

Internet Explorer 10 users can delete saved passwords by going to the Tools menu and choosing Internet Options. Click the Content Tab and then choose Settings in the Autocomplete section. Select "Delete Autocomplete History." This action will bring up another screen with an option to delete saved passwords.

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WSLL Recommends: Sample Social Media Policies

Where do you go when you need to write a social media policy - for your employees or to guide your business or agency's use of these sites and apps? We have books and databases that can help.

BNA Human Resources Library
Ask a librarian for help using this database.
Analysis and news as well as these model policies: blogging, electronic communications, and social media - which addresses both an employee's personal and corporate use of social media.

Consultant and independent contractor agreements
KF898 .F57 2014
Are you trying to get your business or agency social media up to snuff? If so, you may be thinking about hiring a social media consultant. This book includes sample consultant agreements from the consultant's perspective as well as the client's perspective. Published by Nolo.

Smart policies for workplace technologies
KF3455 .G84 2015
Chapters include analysis and sample policies for employee and corporate use of social media. Published by Nolo.

Social media law
KF1384 .B8 no.91
Extensive discussion of law and business use of social media with sample employee and corporate posting policies, sample takedown requests, policies guiding app use and development, and a sample policy about social media use and document retention. A volume in the BNA Corporate Practice Series.

Social media and local governments
KF5300 .S25 2013
Analysis of social media issues as pertains specifically to government use and civic engagement. Includes a sample municipal social media policy.

Westlaw Forms
Log into WestlawNext on our public computers or wifi.
In addition to many articles and other secondary sources, includes a model National Labor Relations Board social media policy for use by any business.

Wisconsin Law
Even if you already have an existing policy, don't forget to keep it current! Recently Wisconsin passed the Social Media Protection Act (2013 Act 208). See Wisconsin Statute 995.55 "Internet privacy protection".

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Odds 'n' Endings - Amy Crowder

The Gift that Keeps on Giving

This holiday season, many of us will receive a book as a gift. After you have enjoyed reading it, you may lend it to family and friends or it may just sit on your shelf at home collecting dust. If it is the latter, consider donating your books to our library.

The State Law Library accepts donations of fiction that relate to courts, lawyers, and the criminal justice system. We also welcome movies on DVD. Donated items are added to our Prose & Cons Collection for library users to check out and enjoy. The collection consists of over 800 items and includes books from such authors as Dick Francis, John Grisham, and Janet Evanovich. Browse the collection behind the Rare Book Room on the second floor of the library.

Did you receive a book that isn't about the courts, lawyers, or the criminal justice system? Please consider donating it to the Dane County Law Library's book sale. The library sells donated, gently used books including contemporary fiction, recent nonfiction, and bestsellers. It's a great source of reading material for potential jurors and others that may be in the courthouse. Proceeds from the sale go towards improving access to legal information for all court users and for making the library a welcoming place for kids that are accompanying an adult.

Drop off donations at either the State Law Library or the Dane County Law Library. After this holiday season, consider the gift that keeps on giving and donate your gently used books and DVDs.

Happy Holidays!

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