National Library Week

The Library Corner - Articles Reprinted from The Docket

By the George Mason Law Librarians

The Docket, April 11, 2006 issue

Last week (April 2-8) was National Library Week. As part of our celebration, we offered two programs to help you get ready for your summer jobs. For those of you unable to attend, handouts are available on the library website at www.law.gmu.edu/libtech/guides.html. For this, our last Docket column of the school year, we wanted to shine the spotlight on some less visible areas of the library and the staff.

There is more to the library than books and study rooms. And librarians do more than check out books and answer reference questions. We are responsible for maintaining the collection, but also for providing databases to do all kinds of research, not just legal research. In order to do that, we rely on the skills of several staff members who work behind the scenes. The library could not function without staff members who choose and order materials for the collection; negotiate contracts and pay bills; process, catalog and shelve materials to ensure they are accessible; staff the circulation desk; provide research training; and maintain both the computer hardware and software, including the law school’s web site.

All of the librarians here at Mason hold both a J.D. and a Masters in Library Science, or equivalent. Some of our librarians and library assistants were educated overseas. Several speak languages other than English and have lived all over the world. While many of us have spent our entire careers in academia, several have worked in law firms and for government agencies. Some of the librarians practiced law before switching professions. And several staff members have worked in public, undergraduate, government, science, and medical libraries.

What does this mean for you? You have a wealth of expertise at your beck and call! Librarians are highly trained and proficient at locating all types of information. Working with our colleagues across the country, we can obtain materials for you that are not otherwise available. We can coach you on doing your own research better and faster. We also ensure that you have the most current materials available to you, regardless of format.

Additionally, we could not function without our student workers. They allow us to be open more hours than we otherwise could, and they are the first point of contact for most library patrons. They do a fabulous job in helping us make the library a safe, pleasant place to study and research.

And of course, don't forget us during the summer months as you work as a summer associate, intern or maybe attend classes here on campus. The library is open throughout the summer, and we are fully staffed to help you achieve greatness wherever you may be. Please feel free to call or stop by the library during the summer for help finding materials, to read hornbooks, or maybe to borrow some study CDs if you need something to listen to while commuting to DC on the metro.

As a reminder, while your Mason Lexis and Westlaw passwords may not be used for your summer job, you may use Loislaw. This database contains case law, statutory law, constitutions, administrative law, court rules, and other authority for all 50 states and D.C. To get a password, contact the Law Library Reference Office, Room 141, or call 703-993-8076.

Best of luck on your exams and in your summer employment. Remember, we work for you, so please let us know how we can help you succeed.