Vincent G. Rinn Law Library

Local Access to Million Plus " Hathi Trust" Records -- How Useful To Us ?

CARLI is the  state-wide library consortium that  provides  maintenance and development of its integrated library management system, and the provision of meaningful electronic resources for 154  member libraries in Illinois. It recently announced the availability of  over a million bibliographic records for the massive holdings of digitized content, controlled by an organization called the Hathi Trust (Hathi (pronounced hah-tee) is the Hindi word for elephant, an animal noted for its memory, wisdom, and strength—that’s the origin of the elephant on their logo. )     [ Announced in  April 9, 2012 email ]

How did this  this interestingly named organization come about ? The Hathi Trust is basically a huge digital library whose initial content came form the mass Google digitization of the print collections of   thirteen universities of the Committee on Institutional Cooperation, the University of California system, and the University of Virginia. 

At present it has the membership of 60+  libraries and 3 consortia. More recently the Trust has also added  digitized  book and journal content from the Internet Archive, as well as other local content digitized by partner institutions. The Trust is also exploring the possibility of also providing digital audio and image files (such as maps).

The basic aims of this organization are to preserve this content in perpetuity, to index and provide meta-data for it's holdings and to provide for access to it's collections for it's partner libraries and beyond. The availability of the records through CARLI is one example. However, the level of access does vary for different users.

Users affiliated with HathiTrust partner institutions are able to download full-PDFs of all public domain works, and works made available  under Creative Commons licenses. These are the libraries formally affiliated  with the Hathi Trust. For users in libraries not so affiliated, the degree of access is rather limited. Most, if not all, the original Google scanned materials are controlled by a third party agreement.  Libraries' agreements with Google require  Hathi Trust to  take steps to prevent bulk download of materials they have digitized. 

So for DePaul users and many other non-partner libraries, the access and download option, is one page at a time. ( with the exception of materials that are not subject to the contract with Google or were provided under a Creative Commons Licence).  Since huge collections of federal government documents were part of the mass digitizations projects undertaken by GOOGLE, these public domain materials, also fall under these restrictions.

GOOGLE  claims that "Google’s mission is to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.". It seems more than a bit incongruous that it would enforce an agreement that makes scanned public domain materials, only available  in a manner that effectively limits useful access. Unlike commercialy published works with copyright claims by authors and publishers, federal government information is generally in the public domain and should be provided without the encumbrances placed on commercially published works.

The availability of theHathi Trust records through our own local library catalog, is a very useful tool for discoverying content that has been housed in some of our largest research libraries. But being able to conveniently read, copy and download public domain materials for research purposes, still eludes those users and  libraries that are not in the club.

"Law School Transparency" Online Clearinghouse Provides Better Consumer Information

Established in 2009, Law School Transparency ( LST ) is a non-profit organization seeking to  to improve consumer information concerning the value of legal education and to usher in consumer-oriented reforms to the current law school model. They were formed in the context of the general economic decline that has impacted and changed the market for legal services. This has led to a growing number of law graduates with huge loans and under-employment or unemployment.

However beyond the economic conditions, many of these grads are questioning the accuracy and completeness of the information they received  as prospective law students, which affected their willingness to attend law school, in the first place. LST  indicates that the reporting standards themselves were inadequate for informed decision-making by prospective students. Also, they report that most law schools were initially not willing to provide the data they had, that could better inform student choices.

Most recently, LST has developed an online clearinghouse of school and employment data that attempts to provide relevant information for each ABA accredited law school. They collected and reconciled data from four sources: the ABA, U.S. News, school websites, and school NALP ( National Association for Law Placement ) reports. Only about 1 in 4 schools has chosen to make their NALP reports public, so far. The job of reconciling the data from theses multiple sources, to provide meaningful comparisons, was  challenging. They say they tried to "reconciled incompatible data as fairly as possible."

"For each ABA-accredited law school, the database includes key employment statistics; charts that break down the percentage of graduates in lawyer and non-lawyer jobs; graphs that detail whether jobs were long-term or short-term; maps showing the states in which the largest percentage of graduates
found jobs; salary breakdowns; and the jobs reports that schools submitted to the ABA and NALP." For law school where it is available the Raw Data used for creating the graphs, is also presented.

In addition to this basic information, the web page for each law school, provides an "under-employment score"; the percentage of students who report their salaries ( important for validity of stats) ; and  tuition figures including a total debt projection for the classes of 2015 and 2016.

 The continued development of this first-of-a-kind database and the inclusion of  even more previously non-public data, should advance   "... the simple notion that schools need to be disclose employment data to fulfill their obligations to fairly and adequately inform prospective students about the nature of the legal profession and opportunities within it."

 

 

 

Chasing the Moving Train of Digital Data

A 2008 RAND report on "Digital Preservation ; The Uncertain Future of Saving the Past",  states that " At a time when digital objects are being generated everywhere and technology is changing at unprecedented speed, developing an archiving strategy for these objects is like chasing a moving train."  Now, a  few years later, the report's observations retain their force.

Many institutions throughout the world are digitizing traditional analog content to create vast new national and international repositories of texts, images, recordings. While some these institutions address the need to preserve this digital content into the indefinite future, others do not.

Beyond the traditional digital content mentioned above, there is a constantly growing array of "born digital"objects and artifacts. Besides image-based objects, this can include such things as Spreadsheets,Patient records, Meteorological data, Seismological data, Multimedia works, Models and simulations, Geographical Information Systems data, Web content.

Some of these other forms of digital information are much more complex than images and require more complex techniques for long term preservation. To preserve these types of  interactive digital objects requires preserving the reactions to user input, that were intended in the original design. Their "functionality may be a crucial part of a digital object's intellectual content."   More layers of content preservation are required to be present to allow these digital resources to be reproduced with their functionality, into the future.

So many computer applications that we use become superseded in diminishing time periods. Both hardware and software go out of use and much content becomes inaccessible and unusable. Computer hardware, operating system software, application software and specific content mediated by  these components, must all be preserved to allow future generations  to reliably study what has come before.

The need is only growing day by day, but as the Rand report points out, "As yet there is not wide concern in the scholarly community about preserving the original behaviour of digital artifacts; the focus is mainly on guaranteeing access to  future ‘vernacular’ versions of page-image documents."

Preserving page-image documents is basic to any plan to maintain a record of out cultural and scientific production. Yet those institutions, traditionally charged with keeping this historical record, libraries, museums, government agencies, publishers, must begin turning their attention and resources toward the inherently digital artifacts, so that their contributions are not lost to history.

"Statistical Abstract" Resurrected By ProQuest & Bernan

The U.S. Census Bureau, responsible for publishing the Statistical Abstract of the United States (Stats Abstract), announced in March 2011 that it would cease production of the Statistical Abstract after the 2012 edition, ( see Statistical Abstract of U.S. Going Away ? )

It had functioned as both as an answer book and source guide. It had been used by librarians and public patrons for generations to help answer a myriad of statistical inquiries with both government and privately gathered data. Even with widespread lobbying by users and librarians, the Census Bureau said it would not continue the Stats Abstract  "due both to substantial budgetary constraints and the need to prioritize several new data gathering endeavors." While  government budgets are indeed tight, one wonders why such a valuable information tool would not also be considered a priority.

Sometimes  private sector publishers have take over previously free government titles which they turn into commercial products that former users must then pay for access to. In the late 1990s several government publications became privatized including Significant Features of Fiscal Federalism, Handbook of Labor Statistics, and Business Statistics of the United States, Journal of the National Cancer Institute, U.S. Industrial Outlook . ( See Robert Oakley, Testimony Regarding S. 2288, The Wendell H. Ford Government Publications Reform Act Of 1998)

However, in this case, two private sector actors have come to the rescue of a valuable publication that the government has just chosen not to continue providing ! A fortuitous reversal of some past practices by private publishers. (Also see, ProQuest press release )

ProQuest, Ann Arbor, Michigan-based electronic publisher and microfilm publisher and Bernan, leading  distributor of essential government publications and publisher of reference works based on government data, have partnered to bring back the venerable "Statistical Abstract of the United States", as a print and an online product. This partnership will ensure the continuation of a the premier reference source that was fist published in 1878.

The new commercial Stats Abstract volume will be an 8.5 x 11 in. hardcover and will contain approximately the same number of tables as previous government editions. Libraries around the country have a spot ready for the 2013 edition.

The considerable staff of statistical editors at ProQuest will be handling the production of the online version of the Stats Abstract. According to the press release, "The digital version will include monthly updates to tables, deep searching at the line-item level, powerful facets for narrowing search results, image and spreadsheet versions of all current and historical tables, along with links to provider sites." This is an advance over the format of the previous goverment online versions which are PDF reproductions of the print version.

Congratulations to ProQuest and Bernan for not only seizing a business opportunity but also serving the information needs of countless citizens who were left "high and dry" by the U.S. Census Bureau.

 

Online Tech Help – Who You Gonna Call ?

 

When troubles with work and personal  technology begin haunting your waking hours and new devices and apps appear every week  and legacy software makes your content disappear… Who you gonna call?

Hopefully your local in-house tech guru who you know by first name. But if you’re not that lucky or are far from the workplace, there are  great collections  of  tech help videos on YouTube produced by knowledgeable folks who can demystify and help you fix those unexplained phenomena.

Ten excellent sites have been recommended by the web site of Entrepreneur magazine, entrepreneur.com

These sites  provide  end-user tech help with computers, smart  phones  other mobile devices, applications and software and even guidance on making your daily life more efficient.  Users can use the “Search Channel”  feature on YouTube, to search for specific topics at each channel. Bust those glitches yourself !

 

HEINONLINE TRAINING GUIDES

Tim's Tricks:                       HeinOnline App                HeinOnline

10 Quick Tips for Using             User's Guide                 Searching  Guide 

Law Journal Library        MyHein User's Guide     Getting Started in                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

                                                                                                                       

 

"Regulation.gov" Improves Reviewing & Commenting On Proposed Federal Regs

Rulemaking is the policy-making process for Executive and Independent agencies of the Federal government. Agencies use this process to develop and issue new regulations.

The recently redesigned " regulations.gov " website has made changes that facilitate the ability of any member of the public to comment on  federal government regulations proposed by executive agencies. These changes are in furtherance of  the mandates contained in  presidential executive orders .

Executive Order 12866, "Regulatory Planning and Review," issued by President Clinton on September 30, 1993,  instructs   "...each agency should afford the public a meaningful opportunity to comment on any proposed regulation, which in most cases should include a comment period of not less than 60 days.  "

Executive Order 13563,"Improving Regulation and Regulatory Review" , issued on January 18, 2011 by  President Obama,  directs agencies   "To promote that open exchange, each agency, consistent with Executive Order 12866 and other applicable legal requirements, shall endeavor to provide the public with an opportunity to participate in the regulatory process. To the extent feasible and permitted by law, each agency shall afford the public a meaningful opportunity to comment through the Internet on any proposed regulation, with a comment period that should generally be at least 60 days. "

To further these requirements the new site attempts to :

• Enhance the ability of the public to submit and review comments on all supporting scientific and technical documents of the rulemaking docket

 • Increase public participation in the regulatory process with easier navigation, improved search and social media links to share regulatory information with others

It  includes features to help users understand the regulatory process, under the "Learn Tab". Easy access to searching by keyword and finding regulations with comments due soon and newly posted regulations are provided under the "Search Tab" . This tab also has  Improved layout of search results, filters and  a document spotlight.  The New "Browse Tab", features regulations grouped in 10 industry-related Categories and also provides for Browsing by hundreds of topics.

Integrated social media tools like "Regulations.gov Facebook" and a  revitalized Twitter page will help educate users and  allow the public to offer input on Regulations.gov features.

The site provides the text of the proposed regulations as they appear in the Federal Register :

Clicking on  "Submit a Comment ", provides the online form for entering your comment and some identification information  :

 

As the site mentions, comments can be a few sentences long, submitted by an individual, or can consist of detailed and lengthy submissions by interested organizations.  You can actually have the satisfaction of seeing your comment on the Regulations.gov site !

 

However, given that certain regulations may receive thousands of comments, a Federal agency may need several weeks to process and review them before they are posted to Regulations.gov.

The process is really very straight forward. You may want to give it a try, on an issue you care about.

"Practical Law Company" From U.K. May Lessen Theory/Practice Gap in U.S.

A recent article in our own local CALL Bulletin ( Chicago Association of Law libraries) about new legal research instruction, mentioned a resource that was unfamiliar to me. Its rather prosaic name was "The Practical Law Company" (PLC).  Apparently, this  company has been doing business in the legal community of the United Kingdom for nearly 20 years. But only launched its operations in the U.S. this past December.

The "practical" in its name implies that it would be directed at the actual practice of law rather than theoretical or academic explorations of legal topics. Given the growing critique of much of US law school education as being too disconnected from the knowledge and skills needed to be a practicing attorney. One could assume that introducing access to  this resource in law schools, might be one attempt to remedy this perceived imbalance.

The online resources produced by the PLC's own expert staff are designed specifically for transactional attorneys. One author describes the Practical Law Company this way, "PLC is the UK's pre-eminent provider of legal know-how, transactional analysis and market intelligence for business lawyers." The material is developed and kept current by  by their own attorney editors who have practiced at top law firms and law departments.  A majority of AmJur 200 law firms subscribe to PLC.

With an excellent reputation and large market share in the UK, PLC has decided to expand their particular services to the U.S. market. To meet the level and qualitiy of services expected by clients, PLC  invested over a year and a half preparing content for its U.S. Launch. The main areas that PLC is concentrating on are Corporate & Securities , Finance, Labor and Employment and Intellectual Property.

They believe that there is a market here too, for their brand of  'outsourced knowledge management'  for  completing a variety of transactions and "getting the deal done".  As their web site states, "We go beyond primary law and research. We take the expertise of our team and distill it in a way that actually helps you get your work done. Nobody in the US does what we do. Period. "

That is not to concede that the major US-based online legal services, LexisNexis, Westlaw, Bloomberg Law have not provided resources geared specifically to transactional attorneys' work :

"Lexis Transactional Advisor, designed for lawyers who work on transactional law. Transactional Advisor helps you analyze strategies, prepare for and perform due diligence, stay on top of compliance issues, draft documents and more—all from a single online location for various practice areas."

"With Westlaw, you can review authoritative documents drafted by top law firms, find and complete official forms electronically," via Westlaw Form Builder, Model Documents. Many treatises and practice guides are available. Financial and investment analyst reports and extensive Company Profiles are also provided.

Bloomberg's  "DealMaker contains deal news, editorial commentary, practice notes, legal treatises, deal timelines, checklists and a fully searchable EDGAR database. It also contains browseable and searchable model agreements, forms and publicly available documents."  With its recent acquisition, Bloomberg also provides  "access to BNA's Corporate Practice Series Portfolios, which include in-depth analysis of areas of interest to corporate law practitioners, texts of relevant laws, worksheets that contain forms and checklists, and subject bibliographies."

However, the exclusive focus on transactional work  and high level of expertise they devote to their products may over time, eclipse the  transactional offerings from the traditional U.S. providers.

 Most of what The Practical Law Company does, seems directed at actual practitioners and at new associates who need to quickly get up to speed in a practice area. However, as with the big three use providers, marketing begins in the law schools. Exposure there can "imprint" a particular service on students who then continue using the service in their jobs after school. PLC is  approaching law schools to acquaint law students with their products and possibly also provide missing career information for students considering practicing transactional law.

The terms are very attractive, as in "Free".  "The free account includes: Unlimited access to our online legal know-how services while matriculated and until graduation (law students) or while affiliated with a law school (faculty and staff), plus full training and support.

Potential benefits for law student are described  this way : "The law school home page for PLC has a link to a “Survival Guide” which includes over “50 step-by-step corporate, securities and finance resources to give you the tool to ace summer assignments.” The home page also links to “Interview Survival Guide” designed to quickly bring students up to speed “in the basics of corporate, securities and finance practice” to “[g]et the edge in interviews with your knowledge of deal trends and market practice.”

From a quick Google search, it appears that these law schools are at least exploring access to PLC for their students : University of Chicago, Loyola University Chicago  School Of Law, Brooklyn Law School, Cornell Law School, Roger Williams University School of Law.

While these benefits may seem a bit thin compared to what practitioners get out of PLC's resources, exposure to and knowledge of such resources can probably help correct that  practice imbalance identified in the opening of the post.

 

 

Library Of Congress & Government Printing Office Create Congressional Record App

 At the request of the House Administration Committee,U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO) has collaborated with the Library of Congress to created an iPad app. The new app  provides access to the daily edition of the Congressional Record dating from January 4, 1995. The app uses CR files and associated metadata provided by GPO.

Data presented by the app has been provided by the Office of the Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives, the Office of the Secretary of the Senate, and the Government Printing Office.

    

   

The app allows users to:

*  Browse editions of the Congressional Record by date.
*  Perform keyword searches within individual documents or sections within documents.
*  Identify the latest bills and resolutions considered daily on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives.
*  Identify the latest bills, resolutions, treaties, and nominations considered daily on the floor of the U.S. Senate.
*  Save documents to your preferred iPad PDF reader.
*  Share documents via email.

 link for the new app   or you can search in the iPad App Store for "The Congressional Record."

Law Library Computer Techie Moving on to Internet Startup

The  Rinn law library is losing the services of the very able computer technical assistant and Depaul student, Neil Dahlke. But our loss will be a gain both for Neil and for the very recently launched internet startup called. MentorMob He will be joining a current staff of a dozen and will be working on the look and  feel and accessibility of the startup's website.

Founded in 2010, MentorMob was launched as a startup two months ago. Using the wikipedia social sourcing model, MentorMob seeks to organize and curate the great wealth of learning and how-to content available on the open internet.Some of the curation will be directed at breaking down instruction into a step-by-step sequence that can be tailored to users with different learning styles. Shane Greenstein, a professor at Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management, finds that  MentorMob recognizes “different roles for the same contributor, in some contexts as a mentor and in another as learner."

"MentorMob’s learning modules are called Learning Playlists that users can view at their own pace without registering for an account. Any registered user can create new playlists or add to, comment on, or re-order the steps in existing Playlists. Presently, content in each Playlist comes from the web in the form of articles, videos, slides and other media forms. "These Playlists are created by you !

MentorMob has been Beta tested by faculty at Columbia College in Chicago for a course and student organizations. Beyond users on the internet the MentorMob developers hope that their platform can  provide "collaborative learning (for students) and creating lesson plans (for teachers)". They are also currently partnered with organizations, like Wilton Brands, a billion dollar arts & crafts company,  who use MentorMob’s platform to organize their training content (videos, text, etc). 

MentorMob has been working off of  bootstrap funding and is is seeking additional funding. The plan is to support the site with targeted advertising and in the future to get customers to use MentorMob for corporate training programs and universities. Getting there is going to require a lot of marketing at this stage. Neil our former techie will have his work cut out for him.

However, as, Vince Leung, MentorMob co-founder,  says "But if MentorMob can grab the attention of the curating masses and find loyal users like Wikipedia diehards, we think they have a very promising business model."

Best of luck to Neil and to MentorMob !

***************************************************************************

Sources :

"We Want To Be The Pandora Of Learning"

Startup MentorMob Co-Founder Talks About Its Place in Education

Featured Startup Pitch: MentorMob—Crowdsourcing online education and learning through ‘Learning Playlists’