Constitution Week - Sept 17 - 23

On September 17, 1787, the U.S. Constitution was signed by thirty-nine men. 221 years after the original signing, Constitution Day 2008 celebrates the enduring nature of the Constitution and the system of government it created. President Bush has proclaimed September 17, 2008 as Constitution Day and Citizenship Day. September 17-23, 2008 has been established as Constitution Week.

Access a transcription of the Introduction and the U.S. Constitution from the First Volume of the Annals of Congress at http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/amlaw/ac001/lawpres.html

Visit the American Bar Association's Constitution Day website at http://www.abanet.org/publiced/conversations/constitution/home.shtml

Materials on the Constitutional History and Law are currently on display outside the Reference Offices.

New Database - CCH Internet Research NetWork

We recently subscribed to the CCH Internet Research NetWork. This includes over 85 individual titles in the subjects of securities law, international business, banking, products liability, intellectual property & computer law, and other areas.

A list of all the databases included and a short guide to using the service is available at: http://www.okcu.edu/law/lawlib/pdfs/cchquickreferencecard.pdf

The CCH Internet Research NetWork can be accessed from our page of databases at: http://www.okcu.edu/law/lawlib/library_databases.php

It is accessible on and off campus. Just click CCH Internet Research NetWork. You can set up email alerts to notify you when new content appears in any database you select. If you need any help with this or any other database just contact a reference librarian.

New Search Engine for Images

The TinEye search engine, developed by Idee and due to be released out of beta later in September, allows users to search for an image by uploading a picture rather than searching by keyword. The search engine will conduct a pixel by pixel search to identify all instances of the image (even if the image has been digitally altered). The primary use of the search engine may be copyright enforcement; however, it may also be useful in identifying image creators so that proper attribution can be provided.

Thanks to the Law Librarian Blog for information on this new resource

Second edition of ABA's Guide to Professionalism Commissions Released

The ABA has released its second edition of A Guide to Professionalism Commissions. The Guide describes the professionalism commissions operating in 14 states and the types of programs and activities commissions have used and can use in promoting professionalism in the legal profession. The Guide also contains a subsection discussing the potential for collaboration between law schools and professionalism commissions.



Hat tip to Law Librarians Blog.

Got an IDEA? The Securities and Exchange Commission Does

According to a Securities and Exchange Commission press release, the SEC's new system, Interactive Data Electronic Applications (IDEA) will allow investors "to instantly collate information from thousands of companies and forms, and create reports and analysis on the fly, in any way they choose." Currently, most SEC filings are available only in government-prescribed forms through EDGAR. IDEA will first supplement and finally replace EDGAR.



Thanks to WisBlawg.

Chrome - To Use or Not to Use

There has been significant discussion about the use of Google's new browser, Chrome. Some discussion was fueled by the inclusion of language in the end-user licensing agreement, that granted the Company a perpetual license to among other things, reproduce, display and distribute any Content submitted, posted or displayed using Chrome. According to postings on September 4th, Google has deleted this language from the agreement. This action quieted some of the popular resistance to use of the browser.

For additional details regarding the new browser see "Do you want to use Chrome?" on the Law Librarian Blog.

ABA reports Lawyer Use of Technology Still Needs Improvement

Lawyers Still Lag on the Technology Front is the title of a recent post on Legal Blog Watch. The post references several sources, including a summary, prepared by the ABA Journal Editor Ed Adams, of the American Bar Association's 2008 Legal Technology Survey Report. The results of the survey indicate that while lawyers love their mobile devices, law firms and attorneys are not taking full advantage of the tools offered by the internet and technology.