As presented on WebJunction: an online training resource for library staff

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• As presented on WebJunction an online training
  resource for library staff

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• A continuing education program to train
  reference and public services librarians and
  library workers in the use of government
  information. 

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• The Government Informationin the 21st Century
  Program
• is made possible by a grant
• from the
• U.S. Institute
• Of
• Museum and Library Services.

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Laura K. BushLibrarians in the 21st
Century

• The program supports efforts to recruit and
  educate the next generation of librarians, as
  well as the faculty who will prepare them for
  careers in library science. It also supports
  grants for research related to library education
  and staffing needs curriculum development early
  career development programs for tenure-track
  library and information science faculty and
  continuing education and training for current
  librarians and their staff.

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• Additional support is provided by the
• University of Colorado at Boulder
• as well as
• Arizona State Library, Archives, and Public
  Records
• New Mexico State Library
• Wyoming State Library
• University of Utah

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Program is designed to

• Increase awareness of Government Information
  resources
• Provide skills to make effective use of
  government information resources
• Enhance confidence in the use of government
  resources.

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Legal information

• What to do when you are caught at the
  reference desk with a legal question
• Louise Treff-Gangler, Auraria Library
• Katherine Sayer, U.S. Courts Library

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OCLCs WebJunction chosen as resource location
for training guides and materials
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Our specific page within WebJunction for
Government Information in the 21st Century
www.webjunction.org/gi21
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Topics listA topic list appears on the left
hand side of the screen. Click on the topic of
interest to find modules contents.
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A variety of sites and guides are provided for
each topic area
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Trainer materials include tools for finding
useful websites and tools for working through
questions
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Module Content is a good place to find
introductory information, guides, general
resources, state international resources, case
studies, and subject specific topics
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Provides information on how much can be said to a
patron. What constitutes Legal Information vs.
Legal Advice
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The Arizona Supreme Courts Definitive Guide to
Court Customer Assistance defines the difference
between Legal Information Legal Advise.
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The Reference Process

• What are the steps in legal research?
• Do I understand the terms used?
• What does the legal citation mean?
• Where can I find more information on doing legal
  research?
• Can I find historic legal materials easily?
• How much information can I provide?

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Guide to Legal Research links to Cornell
Universitys Basics of Legal Research to help
answer these questions.
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Cornell University
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How to Research a Legal Question links to the
American Association of Law Libraries webpage.
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American Association of Law Libraries
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(No Transcript)
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• Gaining access to government legal materials can
  be achieved through government portals, as found
  under the List of Legal Resource Guides.

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General Resources

• This section includes basic resources such as law
  dictionaries, historical documents, citation
  guides and information on finding legal help.
• There are also handouts to help many patrons
  understand basic legal terms and citations.
• Several legal dictionaries, citation and style
  manuals are also available on the web from
  commercial publishers such as Law.com and
  Findlaw.

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Understanding legal citations

• You have a legal citation and need to locate the
  text, without knowing what it means.
• Sample Supreme Court case
• Cohen v. California, 403 U.S. 15, 26 (1971)
• Name of the case, volume number, title
  abbreviation, pages, and date of decision

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Basic legal citation

• Cornell University's Legal Information Institute
  has a basic legal citation guide online
• (http//www.law.cornell.edu/citation/)
• Some abbreviations for legal citations found in
  GPO Style Manual (http//www.gpoaccess.gov/stylem
  anual/2000/chapter_txt-9.html)
• AALL Universal Citation Guide
• (http//www.aallnet.org/committee/citation/ucg/ind
  ex.html)

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More Information about Legal Research

• Cornell Legal Information Institute
• American Association of Law Libraries' (AALL)
  Public Library Toolkit
• Toolkit for Colorado
• Legal resource guides from local libraries
• Academic Libraries
• Law School Libraries
• Federal and State Law Libraries

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Law collections in Colorado

• There are several good public law libraries in
  the state for print collections
• CU and DU Law Schools
• Colorado Supreme Court Law Library
• U.S. Courts Library
• Many Private Law Firms also have their own law
  libraries with qualified Librarians

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State and International Legal Resources
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Case Studies and Sample Exercises are also
available on specific legal topics.

• Immigration
• http//www.webjunction.org/do/DisplayContent?id15
  472
• Intellectual Property
• http//www.webjunction.org/do/DisplayContent?id15
  484
• Social Security Disability
• http//data.webjunction.org/wj/documents/16747.doc
  

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The module also includes subject-specific topics
and related modules which are helpful for
in-depth research

• Immigration Law
• Intellectual Property Law
• Citzenship Immigration Module
• Small Business Entrepreneurship

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Finding historic legal materials

• National Archives (http//www.archives.gov/nationa
  l-archives-experience/charters/charters.html)
• Our Documents.com (http//www.ourdocuments.gov/con
  tent.php?flashtruepagevote)
• American Memory Project Century of Lawmaking for
  a New Nation (Library of Congress
  (http//memory.loc.gov/ammem/amlaw/)

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Finding historic legal materials (cont.)

• Government Printing Office
• Core Documents of U.S. Democracy
  (http//www.gpoaccess.gov/coredocs.html)
• Ben's Guide
• (http//bensguide.gpo.gov/)
• Colorado State Library, Archives and Public
  Records
• Documents Leading to Statehood (http//www.colorad
  o.gov/dpa/doit/archives/)

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Notes
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Reminder

• Links to basic legal information sources
  available through www.webjunction.org/gi21
• Many legal sources available on internet
• Federal Depository Librarians and Law librarians
  available for additional assistance

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Wrap-up

• Questions?
• Please complete
• questionnaire for project evaluation
• post-test (http//ucblibraries.colorado.edu/govpub
  s/IMLSGrant/namedata.htm ).

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Thank you for attending.
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Contact information

• Louise Treff-Gangler
• Auraria Library
• [phone] Louise.Treff_at_cudenver.edu
• Katherine Sayer
• U.S Courts Library
• [phone] katherine_sayer_at_ca10.uscourts.gov

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PRACTICE QUESTIONS

• 1. What is the definition of habeas corpus?
• 2. A person came into the library with a
  citation. How do I know what it means and where
  to find the full text? 16 USC 719
• 3. How do I cite a constitution or statute?
• Does the style for a federal statute differ from
  the format for an Colorado statute? If so, how?
• 4. Locate the journal entry from the 1779
  Continental Congress about taxation. What was
  the quota for tax collection?
• 5. I need to see copies of the U.S. Constitution
  and the Bill of Rights on the internet. Where
  can I find them ?
• 6. Find House Bill 54 from 1865 (Dec.5 journal
  listing) referring to the second reading of a
  bill for the Committee on Reconstruction.