TEXAS TECH
UNIVERSITY
Law Library
is no exception; we
have several projects that may
spill over into the fall semester. A few o f
available
M essage from the A ssociate Dean
to
these projects include installation o f
help you figure out how to
ceiling insulation in the two study room s
use the various research tools covered in
in the lower basement to m inim ize noise
class. For upper division students writing
levels
a directed or sem inar research paper, we
replacement o f lab and other computers
associated
with
group
can help you identify and evaluate the
located in common areas within the
Law School Resources
different
and
library, installation o f a second set o f
On behalf o f the entire Law Library and
introduce you to various other services
doors on the first floor to m inim ize
IT staffs, I would like to extend a warm
you might find helpful.
staircase traffic noise, as well as several
other projects. W e are very m indful o f
resources,
and hearty welcom e to the 2007/2008
entering
class
and
to
all
returning
students. Although this issue is mostly
geared towards the entering students, I
hope that returning students will also find
it useful. This new sletter contains articles
written by various m em bers o f the library
and IT staffs and is intended to help you
in at least three ways: (I) succeed in law
school. (2) use the law library, and (3)
take advantage o f our terrific library
In the same light, our staffs are available
to help in the use o f library and IT
resources
and
services,
answer
directional questions (e.g., W here is the
CJS located? How do I get to West Hall
your
study
requirements,
please
assured we will try to minim ize all
disruption. In the end, we think that these
improvem ents will benefit everyone.
oA
M -
Midnight
,3at:
S u n : JOam.-M'oni^ht
p r e f e r e n c e £ )e s lc f l o u r s
M - T h : ?am .-7p n »
I K J: ? a m .- f p n i
S a t - ' N o o n - 5 pm
Once again, welcom e anew or welcome
library and IT policies. Do not hesitate to
back. Our best wishes for an outstanding
and successful 2007/2008 school year.
consult one o f our helpful staff members,
M -T h : 7 *
be
law school?), and explain
from the
f io u r s
study,
The Law Library & IT ~Y our Greatest
research
C jrc .u la tio n [3)cslc
S u n : 2 p m .-7 p n i
II h e l p [ ) e s l c M o u r s
no m atter the question— you will not
inconvenience them!
Sincerely,
We try to schedule most m ajor projects
Arturo Torres
services and staff.
M ~ 1 h: 3 a n i.- 7 p n i
Remem ber that the library and IT staffs
are here to help you succeed. For first
year students we can be a backup to your
legal practice instructors. We are always
during the sum m er months, to minimize
disruption. However, we are often unable
Associate Dean, Professor, and Law
Library Director
to complete them due to circumstances
beyond our control. This academ ic year
From the Desk of the
Associate Director for Law Library and Computing, Uwe “ Ed” Beltz
/
/
As the Associate Director for Law Library and Computing I would like to welcome the new ILs (and returning 2Ls and 3Ls) to Texas Tech
University School o f Law and in particular to the Law Library and IT departments. I am new to Texas Tech University School o f Law, having
started here in October o f 2006. So, I will be going through orientation for the first time with the ILs. I am also a fairly recent graduate o f law
school myself, having graduated in 2001. I believe that our Law Library and Law School are second to none in many important respects. As
with any organization it is the team that gets the job done, and the library has a top notch team o f Library and IT professionals to provide service. The library
mission statement, “We provide superior law library and technology services through leadership, innovation, service and teamwork," informs all we do each day.
We hope you will take notice o f us providing that superior quality service, and trust you will let us know how we can better serve you.
The Law Library and Information Technology (Computing) departments have undergone many improvements, completed or begun many projects, and have had
several personnel changes in the last year. We stand well positioned to support you in your legal studies.
i We hired a new Assistant Director o f Collection Services on August 1st - Sue Kelleher. Sue joins us from Barry University in Orlando, Florida and brings a number
i o f years o f experience in Technical Services to the table, plus she has strong skills in utilizing the library's new Millennium integrated library system (see below).
i In addition, in the Computer Support department we have hired two new computer support team members. Gary Bums joined us in March o f this year. He retired
i from the US Army and was last stationed at Ft Drum , NY where he was a first sergeant in the 3/17th Air Cavalry. Jose Hernandez, who was bom in Dallas and
i raised in Lubbock, joined us in June, and was last employed with Suddenlink.. Gary and Jose both will be gaining their A+ and Dell Certifications in the near future.
\ Gary
is also completing a M aster's Degree. Each o f our most recent hires bring strong skills to the table . The library is in the process o f interviewing for two
| library positions that we expect to fill by the end o f the year.
During the last year we have implemented a new Millennium integrated library system (a.k.a. OASIS - http://oasis.law.ttu.edu/) and Sue and others will continue
to look for ways to improve the services this product will provide to students and faculty. This new system has given the Law Library complete control over our
library catalog and we have already made significant improvements in the way information is provided. The IT department is in the process o f replacing
c o n tin u e d on page2
F r e q u e n tly C h e e k e d O u t L ib r a r y T itle s
Associate Director's Mess one Continued from Page I
120 com puters throughout the
staff, and faculty as changes occur.
law school,
including all lab computers and classroom
You have arrived at a great time and in a great
computers.
place.
Approxim ately 70 new computers
We welcom e you to (or back to) law
have been installed and the rest should be
school and encourage you to take advantage of
installed by the end o f October including all
A new public facing library
our services. Please let m yself or anyone on the
library or IT staff know what we can do to
webpage will be completed and online sometime
provide you with superior service. We are here
shortly after this newsletter comes out.
to help you!
com puter labs.
In
addition to this and other projects taking place in
IT and other Law Library departments, a new
student/faculty oriented intranet portal will be in
CSI: Crim e Scene Investigation/DVD
Uw e “ Ed” Bcltz, Associate Director
place by Jan 2nd o f next year. More information
on these projects will be sent to all students,
The Paper C'hase/DVD
Legal Research in a Nutshell/KF240.C54 2007
The Uniform Commercial Code Law
Letter/KF872.U54
The Law o f Tors: Examples and Explanations
/KF1250.Z9G58 2005
Law School A dvice from R ecent Law School G raduates
For most o f you, starting law school will be a brand new experience. You will be introduced to a
new field o f knowledge and a whole new way o f looking at the world. No m atter your background
law school will not be like any o f your previous experiences in school. W ith this in mind, I queried
some o f our recent graduates and current students for their advice to you. Here is what they had to
say.
O 'C onnor's Federal Employment Codes
Plus/KF3305.99.036
Law of Environmental
Protection/Environmental Law
Institute. KF3775.L39 1987
There are study aides at Circulation and in the OA SP library that you can use for FREE,
don’t spend $500 buying them from the bookstore, use them, know them, love them!
•
Know your librarians and use them frequently.
D on’t EVER EVER EVER talk about an exam after you take it or ask someone else
what grade they made. Just do your best and m ove on.
•
Law of W ater Rights and Resources/KF5569.T37
1988
Take some time each week for non-law school activities.
Find the study habits that work best for you and don’t worry what other students are
doing.
Have some fun during the year, all work is never a good idea.
Federal Rules o f Civil Procedure/KF8816.A 1976
•
Find a good balance between studying, classes, home life, and fun!
— Good Luck and Happy Studying!
Civil Procedure: Examples and
Explanalions/KF8839.G58 2006
Moot Court Casebook KF8918.M66
Professor P helan's T op Ten N on-L egal Books
Sharon Blackburn, Faculty Services Librarian
Crim inal Law 'K.F9219.3.D5
Horn Professor o f Law Marilyn Phelan has taught Federal Income Taxation, Taxation of
Crim inal Law in a \ utshell/K F92l93.3.L62 2003
Governm ent Code (1987)/KFT 1230.5. V4 Gov.
Texas Family Code'KFT1294.A29 T4
International Transactions, Estate and Gift Taxation, Museum Law, Advanced Income Taxation,
and Nonprofit Organizations at Tech for several years as well as publishing books and articles and
serving on innumerable committees. You wouldn't think she’d have time to read anything outside o f
law, but she does. In fact, Prof. Phelan says she reads all the time. W hat ten non-legal books has she
found the most influential, inspirational, and just plain enjoyable?
Texas Family Code. KFT1294.A29 T49
Texas Probate Code KFT 1344.A334 A2
1. The Bible
2. The Rape o f Europa by Lynn Nicholas
3. Spoils o f W ar by Elizabeth Simpson
O ’Connor's Texas Rules. Civil Trials: Practice
G uide and Annotated Texas Rules of C i\il
Procedure and Civil Evidence/KFT1729.A194
4. The Iliad and the Odyssey
Texas Litigation Guide/KFTI730.T4
7. To Kill a M ockingbird by Harper Lee
5. The Robe by Lloyd C. Douglas
6. Anne o f Green Gables by Lucy M aud M ontgom ery
8. M oby Dick by Herman Melville
O ’CO nnor’s Texas Causes of
Action KFT 1733.A29 0 2 6
9. Julius Caesar by W illiam Shakespeare
10. Curling up with a good mystery by Agatha Christie, Mary
Higgins Clark, or M ary Jane Clark
D orsaneo's Texas Discover.KFT1737.D677
W ould you like to peck onto the bookshelves o f other professors? Please let us know what professor
Texas Rules o f Evidence
H andbook KFT1740.T39
you'd like featured in the next issue.
2
B rief Bios o f ou r N ew S tudent A ssistants
W elcome to our new Student Assistants working in the Law Library Circulation area this year. Our students
are very knowledgeable and ready to assist you. I lere is a little bit o f information about them to help you get
to know them.
\
M eredith Coffman
M eredith will be a 2L this fall and has an excellent library experience. She has worked in
elem entary school libraries, public libraries, and the TTU University Library. Meredith is from the I
Texas Panhandle area and is a Texas Tech graduate. She has a BA in Political Science with a m inor
in English and French. Meredith also graduated magna cum laude in the Honors Studies program.
W hen Meredith grows up she is interested in criminal prosecution.
Lauren W aite
uren has joined us as one o f our two Reference Student Assistants. She is a St. Edwards
U niversity graduate. Lauren will work on various projects throughout the law library this fall and
ipires to be a law librarian.
A bbv G lisan
A bby is from Northern Illinois and moved to Texas when she was 14 years old. Abby was also a
com petitive swim m er for 12 years (age 6-18). She is also a Harry Potter fan as well as a mystery
sleuth! Abby received her Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice with a m inor in German from Sam
Houston State University. W hen she grows up, A bby’s goal is to be a prosecutor.
K ’L isha Pace
K ’Lisha is our m ystery student. She will be starting with us in the fall so, we haven’t got to know
her as well as some o f our other students. K ’Lisha is also a fan o f Harry Potter and other mysteries.
K ’Lisha received her Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice with a m inor in Business Foundations
from the University o f North Texas.
Andrew P rince
Andrew is a very intriguing person. He was bom in California, grew up in Kansas, attended high
school in Midland, Texas, was an undergraduate in Austin, Texas, spent 7 m onths as an exchange
student in St. Petersburg, Russia and now lives in Lubbock, Texas. Andrew received his B achelor's!
degrees in both Governm ent and History magna cum laude.
W elcom e to all o f our new student employees!
C ertificate o f E xcellence
In L egal R esearch
Uwe “E d '' Beltr . Associate Director
Fall 2006 marked the official launch o f the Texas
Tech University School o f Law ’s Certificate o f
Excellence in Legal Research. Despite that, we
already have the first graduate W illiam Denham
who has received his framed certificate. Several
others are also close to graduation and the program
continues to receive significant interest.
The COE in LR is offered by the law library as an
extra-curricular educational opportunity for law
students. The law library offers a series o f courses
in all aspects o f legal research. Students must
com plete thirty clock hours o f courses (21 hours
required; 9 hours elective) to receive the COE.
Each course has an evaluation com ponent that
requires students to demonstrate that they have
m astered the material.
One Ls may not take the Certificate o f Excellence
classes this Fall, however upon successful com ple­
tion o f the Fall Sem ester IL ’s may begin taking
Certificate courses. This fall eight classes, each in
two tim e slots, will be offered. More information
can be located at:
http: www.Iaw.ilu.edu lawWcb'library,COEinLR index.
slum. A sample o f the certificate that will be
awarded to students w ho successfully com plete the
program is on display in the library lobby near the
w ater fountain.
The schedule will include classes at all tim es o f
day, including one class planned for a Saturday
afternoon. To register for classes go to:
http: Vw'ww.law.ttu.edu/lro/login.asnx. For 2Ls and
3Ls you may notice there are some adjustm ents to
the class offerings. Students will be able to gradu­
ate with the certificate under either the new class
schedule or the old. Since there will be a limited
num ber o f classes this semester, strict guidelines
about sign up and attendance will be enforced.
4.
The num ber for the m ain cam pus
help desk is 742-H ELP (4357).
5.
Y ou can access y o ur craider em ail
anyw here you have Internet access
at https: /m aii.tlu.cdu/exchaniic .
6.
If yo u r w ireless is not w orking, you
can alw ays access the Internet w ith
a netw ork cable plugged into the
m any ports available throughout
the School o f Law.
7.
If you forgot your laptop at hom e
or d o n ’t have one. w e have 2
com puter labs available for use.
They are located in room 228 and
226 o f the Library.
8.
T here arc public access stations
throughout the Library to aid in
y o u r studies.
9.
If we c a n ’t fix it o r d o n ’t know the
answ er, we will point you in the
right direction to get it fixed or
answ er y o u r question.
If you have questions about the Certificate o f
Excellence in Legal Research, please contact the
Interim Director o f the Program, Uwe “ Ed" Beltz,
at 742-3990 x286 or uwe.bcltzto ttu.edu.
3
C irculation FAQ s for 1L Students
(...o r anyone else using Circulation Services)
How long can I check out these materials? Study aids are checked out
by Barbara Painter-Moreno
Access S e n ’ices Librarian
for 48 hours, all other Reserve m aterials are checked out for 4 hours unless
you are informed other wise. Occasionally a study aid w ill get in such high
W hat kinds of study aids are available at the Circulation Desk? The
Circulation Desk has a variety o f m aterials available to help you prepare for
your classes. We have the following study aids:
•
Examples and Explanations
•
Q & As
•
Nutshells
•
Hornbooks
Does the library have any study rooms available? The Library has two
on the door. Please follow the directions posted on the sheets. Formal Law
School organizations (HLSA, BLSA, BOB, etc) may reserve the study
rooms in advance at the Circulation Desk. The Circulation Desk also has
Barbri prep materials
•
Flash Cards
•
Hornbooks
•
CDs (Gilberts and Sum and Substance)
two study carrels available for student use. These carrels are checked out
for 4 hours at a time.
I need a book or article that isn't available in our library. Is there some
My Professor has placed an item on course reserve, where do I go to
check it out? W hen a professor wants to reserve an item for their class,
Course reserves are housed and
checked out at the Circulation Desk.
I forgot my Blue Book, does the library carry extra copies? Yes, the
O ’Connor’s, etc.
My Professor wants me to video tape m yself giving a presentation; does
Circulation Desk offers a variety o f equipment for student use. Including:
•
•
Laptop power cords
Laptop batteries
•
VHS Camcorders
•
•
Digital Camcorders
Tripods
•
Digital Cameras
•
•
Projectors
Projector Screens
•
TV/VCR/DVD combinations
have in our library via ILL (Inter-Library Loan). You fill out a simple
online request form and Circulation staff will borrow the material for you
from another library that does have it (check with us about restrictions).
I have a headache from studying, can you help me? Yes, we have limited
supplies o f Tylenol and Advil. W e also provide band aids for those little
cuts and scrapes. We also have earplugs available for those who need a
quieter environment.
the library have audio/visual equipment for students to checkout? The
Laptop computers
way for me to still get this material? You can request material we don't
The average time to receive a requested item is approxim ately two weeks.
Circulation Desk also offers a wide variety o f research materials, including
Blue Books, Subsequent History Tables, Texas Rules o f Form Books,
•
happens around m id-terms and finals.
group study rooms in the lower basement. There is a sign-up sheet posted
•
they will place it on course reserve.
demand its loan period will be reduced to 4 hours as well. This usually
I really need a break from studying do you have any movies or
magazines I can look at? Yes we do! In the reading area (located on the
first floor o f the library in front o f the Reference Desk) there is a small
collection o f popular DVDs. The DVDs can be checked out for 3 days at a
time (there is a limit o f 3 titles). You can check out the DVDs by bringing
the boxes to the Circulation Desk. There is also a collection o f popular
magazines and newspapers that may be read in the library (these do not
circulate).
The Circulation Staff is a great resource! Let us help you get the
m aterials you need.
Am I able to reserve equipment in advance? Yes, you can come by the
Circulation Desk and reserve items in advance. The Circulation Desk will
m ake every effort to have the items available on the date requested, but
there is no absolute guarantee.
Texas Tech University Law Library
1802 H artford Ave.
Lubbock, T X 79409
806-742-3957