Do you want to work for the Law Library? We hope so, because we’re hiring GRAs for this summer!

Positions Available
The following positions will be filled:

• Reference GRAs, Summer (3 positions) | Job Description
• Research GRAs, Summer (3 positions) | Job Description

Eligibility
Law Library GRA positions are open to all GSU law students who have completed their first two semesters of classes. Part-time students are eligible. Students applying for Summer positions must be enrolled in at least 3 hours of Summer classes. Students may apply for both type of GRA position, but cannot be hired for both positions at the same time.

Submission
Applications are due at 5 p.m. on Thursday, April 10, 2014.

Reference GRA applicants: Email one document which includes a 1) cover letter, 2) current resume, and 3) completed availability form to Austin Williams (austin@gsu.edu). Include your last name in the file name.

Research GRA applicants: Email one document which includes a 1) cover letter and 2) current resume to Pam Brannon (pbrannon@gsu.edu). Include your last name in the file name.

image by Flickr user eye-fibre

Spring break is almost here! The law library will be open during this time (although with slightly shortened hours), but maybe you’re going to be at the beach, or Disney World, or just on your couch. Just in case you have any grand plans for working during this break, don’t forget that you can access many of the law library’s resources from off campus.

• A lot of our legal databases (such as HeinOnline, ProQuest Legislative Insight, and Kluwer Arbitration) are accessible with your Campus ID. Just follow the links from the database list to be routed through our proxy server.
• Our research guides are available from anywhere without a login and cover research for many of your courses.
• And if you need help from a librarian, don’t forget you can always email us or use the Chat Reference service too.

Have a wonderful break, and we’ll see you again soon!

by Flickr user jphilipg

Good news, everyone! The construction work on the upper level bathrooms has been completed. The bathrooms on the lower level remain closed for now, but we expect them to also be open again soon.

Just as a heads up, you’ll notice some big changes to the lower level bathrooms. First of all, the men’s and women’s bathrooms are swapping locations (so pay attention to those door signs!). The other major change is that each bathroom will now be just one stall, rather than several. So if you find one  of those restrooms occupied, you can always try the ones of the upper level or those in the lobby.

Image by Flickr user jesper_hauge

Atlanta may not be a skiing destination, but there are still a lot of things you can do to celebrate the winter break.

• For those who love lights, there are a wide array of options this year, from the well-known Magical Night of Lights at Lake Lanier to the Garden Lights at Atlanta Botanical Garden to Fantasy in Lights at Calloway Gardens. If you’ve done all of those, or if you want a bit more than just lights, there’s also the new-to-Atlanta Global Winter Wonderland at Turner Field, which features miniatures of famous buildings and food selections from around the world too.
• For a one-stop-shop holiday experience, go to Stone Mountain Christmas at, well, Stone Mountain. There you’ll find a sing-along train, 4-D shows, a visit from Santa Claus and more.
• If you want your holiday to include lots of laughter, check out Invasion: Christmas Carol from Dad’s Garage. It’s an improv show where the audience chooses who visits Scrooge each night instead of the three ghosts.
• Just wanting to stay inside? You can always read a (non-law!) book one of your professors recommended or borrow some movies from our Leisure Collection. We don’t own it, but you may also want to check out Santa Claus Conquers the Martians on Netflix too. I mean, really, how could you NOT watch that?

image by Flickr user probonobaker

It’s almost exam time again, which means it’s also almost time for the library to provide you with that sweet, sweet elixir known as coffee. We’ll be having coffee (and tea) throughout the day on these dates in December:

• Thursday, Dec. 5
• Monday, Dec. 9
• Thursday, Dec. 12 and
• Monday, Dec. 16.

Stop by and enjoy!

Photo by Flickr user Mr. T in DC.

Thanksgiving is almost here, so we wanted to let you know about our hours this week. The library will be open:

•  Monday & Tuesday, Nov. 25 & 26 – 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
• Wednesday, Nov. 27 – 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Thursday – Saturday, Nov. 28 – 30 – Closed
• Sunday, Dec. 1 – 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. (regular hours resume)

Have a wonderful break!

image by flickr user mwphillips75

I was eating lunch at Grindhouse Killer Burgers the other day, and they were showing an old movie adaptation of The Time Machine, which is a classic sci fi book about a man with, well, a time machine. In one sequence, the time traveler and his machine become encased in rock as they travel quickly through time but do not change location. Despite that rather horrifying possibility, I have to admit that I still think it would be cool to own a time machine. (Especially a TARDIS. But I digress.)

But how likely is that, right? Technology probably has a little way to go. Still, in the mean time, you can use a time machine-like website called The Wayback Machine from the Internet Archive to look at a small portion of the past. The Wayback Machine allows you to type in a URL, click Take Me Back, and see what a website has looked at various stages in its history.

So, for example, typing in http://law.gsu.edu/library will show you that our website has been around since 1998. Here’s even what it looked like back then. And in 2005. And in … well, you get the point.

So where are you going to travel to?

We’re celebrating Law Library Week — come join us Sept. 23-27 for free coffee and candy every day at 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., as well as daily trivia contests (check our Facebook page for the questions; first person to come to the Reference Desk with the answer wins a prize).

image by flickr user 401(K)2013

Starting on Sept. 1, the online retailer Amazon will begin collecting sales tax from Georgia residents. Georgia is just one of many states to recently pass legislation that affects online sales.

Here’s a quick look at the history of this legislation:

The Georgia General Assembly passed HB 386 in March 2012. This legislation amended the current Georgia code’s definition of the word “dealer” to encompass online retailers. The changes were codified in OCGA 48-8-2 and went into effect in January 2013. More information on the passage of this bill can be found in the Peach Sheets, which are produced by Georgia State University Law Review students and are a source of unofficial legislative history for the state.

Welcome to all our new 1Ls! We are so glad you’re here, and hope you’ll find the library a valuable resource throughout your time in law school. Here are just a few of the things we do to try to make your life just a little better during law school:

• Fun stuff to borrow, including DVDs, board games, and chargers
• A “quiet zone” on the upper level for diligent studying
• Group study rooms that you can reserve online
• A book exchange for some casual reading
• Textbooks on Reserve that you can use for 3 hours at a time
• A hot and cold water fountain, for all your lunchtime needs
• Help with your Legal Bib homework during reference hours, both live and via chat
• And we have a tour video to show you around too: