Image by Flickr user jasonlparks

Law school exams can do crazy things to your brain, but if you’re worried that you’ve been imagining the library staff wandering around and seemingly staring vacantly at the books lately, we just want to reassure you that you’re okay. Once a year, we go around the whole library, doing “shelf reading”. That’s a fancy way of saying we’re making sure the books are all in the right order and lined up nicely together so they’re easy to find when you go looking for them. We also look for books that may have been damaged, to see if we can repair or replace them. We go book by book and row by row. Yes, it is absolutely as thrilling as it sounds.

Although we only formally do this project once a year, we also keep an eye out for problems throughout the year, whenever we happen to be out in the stacks. If you ever notice a book out of order, or about to fall apart, just let us know, and we can take care of it.

Image by Flickr user aigle_dore

A recent study showed that looking at pictures of cute animals can help focus your attention more carefully. Since we here in the library want to do all we can to help you prepare for finals, starting Nov. 29, we’ll be displaying different pictures of cute animals on our digital screen. As you come in to study or to take your exams, take a quick gander at the screen near the library entrance for a few seconds of adorableness before diving into that Torts outline.

Image by Flickr user martha_chapa95

The library will have shortened hours during the upcoming Thanksgiving break. Our hours will be:

• Wednesday, Nov. 21: 8 a.m. – 6 p.m.
• Thursday, Nov. 22: Closed
• Friday, Nov. 23: Closed
• Saturday, Nov. 24: Closed
• Sunday, Nov. 25: 10 a.m. – 11 p.m.

We hope you all enjoy your Thanksgiving holiday!

Image by flickr user expressmonorail

Congratulations to all our 1Ls for completing your first law school exam! If you’re looking for ways to relax this weekend and take your mind off the test, we humbly offer a few suggestions:

1. If you’re still clinging to Halloween, there are still two nights left of Netherworld.

2. For a bit more sophistication, there’s a European wine festival starting at 7 p.m. tonight.

3. Chomp and Stomp, a bluegrass/5K run/chili cookoff event, happens tomorrow in Cabbagetown.

4. A bunch of movies are opening this weekend (natch), including Wreck-It Ralph, Flight, and The Man With the Iron Fists.

5. And speaking of movies, remember to watch V For Vendetta in anticipation of November 5.

And, if all else fails, stay home and relax! You made it!

Image by Flickr user mars_discovery_district

In Italy, six researchers and a government official have been convicted of manslaughter in connection with the April 6, 2009 L’Aquila earthquake. Prior to the earthquake, the city had been experiencing 2-3 minor shocks each day for four months. The group was called in to give their assessment of the risk of a possible earthquake, and the reports seemed to suggest the possibility of an earthquake was low. A week later, the city was hit by a 6.9 quake that killed 309 people. The group members now each face 6 years in prison. While citizens of L’Aquila seem to agree with the verdict, the scientific community has expressed wide-spread dismay. The group currently plan to appeal the conviction. [Full story from the BBC]

The library has a number of books on the Italian legal system, as well as access to electronic resources, like the Italian Yearbook of International Law. You can also get a quick primer of Italian law on Foreign Law Guide and Globalex.

Image by flickr user lorenjavier

Over the weekend, several sites reported that actor Bruce Willis was planning to sue Apple for the right to pass on his digital music collection after his death. Thanks in part to his wife’s Tweet debunking that rumor, everybody has since realized that story was false.

It may not be too surprising that a story like this would spread quickly (Hello. Bruce Willis is awesome.), but perhaps what has caught people off guard was the sudden realization that nobody “owns” their digital music. If you purchase music through iTunes, you are granted a license for it, not ownership.

In law school, you often hear about the reactionary nature of laws. Copyright laws don’t address questions like ownership of digital music or movies because no one knew it was going to be an issue before. Seeing questions like this raised in the public press may mean we see more legal attention given to digital content in future.

In the meantime, makes you think twice about dumping all those CDs you have cluttering up the house, doesn’t it?

Author Michael Connelly (image by Flickr user ala_members)

Michael Connelly has been awarded the 2012 Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction for his novel The Fifth Witness. The Harper Lee Prize is cosponsored by ABA Journal and the University of Alabama School of Law and “celebrates the role of lawyers in society and the ideals represented by Atticus Finch.”

The selection committee this year included novelists, legal analysts and former Secretary of State Condeleeza Rice. ABA Journal also surveyed its readers.

The Fifth Witness is Connelly’s fourth book to star lawyer Mickey Haller. Previous titles in the series are The Lincoln Lawyer (recently made into a movie starring Matthew McConaughey), The Brass Verdict and The Reversal.

Image by Flickr user marsmet544

In addition to learning how to brief cases and keep up with all of your readings, you may be wondering about your weekly Legal Bibliography assignments. Never fear! There are lots of ways you can get some help.

• Check out the CALI website, which features interactive tutorials on many legal topics, including legal research. And you can access the activation code on our website with your MyLaw ID.
• We have study aids, including Legal Research in a Nutshell.
• Our For Law Students page has links to the library catalog, database list, a library map and more.
• And last, but certainly not least, ask at the Reference Desk! We’re available seven days a week, in person, by phone and via chat.

Official publicity photo from Joss Whedon’s Much Ado About Nothing

The law school has been abuzz with activity recently, as everyone’s getting ready for new student orientation next week and the start of classes the following week. But maybe you’re not quite ready to give up on that feeling of summer yet. Here are a few suggestions for ways to enjoy your last little bit of freedom.

1. Watch the Olympics — Let’s start with the obvious one here. The games run through August 12 in London and every day there is another story, from the badminton players being disqualified to news that the archer who trained Jennifer Lawrence for The Hunger Games was competing today. Not able to watch the coverage live? You can always set up a blocker to hide all the spoilers.

2. Get pumped for an action-packed Fall — And by that I mean in TV and movies, of course. Watch Daniel Craig get back in action as James Bond, first by accompanying the Queen to the Olympics and then in the new trailer for Skyfall. And if you happen to also subscribe to the “Bond is a Timelord” theory [it makes sense, doesn’t it?], there’s a brand-spanking-new trailer for Doctor Who Series 7 out as well.

3. Enjoy the theatre — Want something a bit quieter? Catch the closing weekend of the Georgia Shakespeare summer season. You have the choice of The Emperor and the Nightingale, Illyria: A Twelfth Night Musical, The Importance of Being Earnest and Much Ado About Nothing. (And did you know that Joss Whedon, director of The Avengers, is putting out a new film version of Much Ado this Fall too? Now you do.)

4. Audition to be a zombie — Not content to let others do all the acting for you? Head over to Six Flags Over Georgia on August 4 and 5 to audition for a part in this Fall’s Fright Fest.

5. Celebrate random events — And if you’re still looking for something, the kindly folks at Mental Floss have created this handy list of August holidays you can celebrate. From International Beer Day (August 5) to Lazy Day (August 10) to National Bad Poetry Day (August 18), there’s something there for everyone. Just don’t forget that the first day of orientation coincides with National Fresh Breath Day. Coincidence? We think not.

Image by Flickr user zappowbang

The library will have shortened hours between July 18 and August 4. Our hours will be:

• Monday – Friday: 8 a.m. – 9 p.m.
• Saturday and Sunday: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

The Reference Desk will be open Monday – Friday 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. during this time. There will not be weekend Reference hours.

We will return to our normal hours of operation on Sunday, August 5 when the library will be open 10 a.m. – 11 p.m. Our hours for the Fall semester can be found on our website.