Library of Congress Research Guides for Foreign Law

Today I learnt that the Library of Congress provides guides to conducting legal research for a selection of countries.

They're along the same lines as IALS's research guides by jurisdiction but they cover different countries. Today I needed to find out how to access Lebanese legislation, which IALS does not produce an online guide for. Each guide includes:

• an introduction to the legal system
• official sources of law
• print resources
• web resources

Library of Congress Research Help: Foreign and International Law
http://www.loc.gov/law/help/foreign.php

Speak Up For Libraries' lobby of Parliament

Today I learnt about the lobby of Parliament organized by Speak Up For Libraries.

Speak Up For Libraries is "a coalition of organisations and campaigners working to protect libraries and library staff, now and in the future".* It is organising a rally and lobby of Parliament on 13 March to highlight the important role the library plays in communities and providing access to learning.

If you'd like to get involved the rally begins at 11.30 at Central Westminster Hall, Storey's Gate. The lobby of Parliament starts at 2.30.

More information about Speak Up For Libraries and the rally is available on its website:
* http://www.speakupforlibraries.org/

Top Google search tips

Today I learnt some very handy Google search tips from Karen Blakeman's Blog.

For example, you can stop Google searching for variations of a word by selecting "verbatim" from the left hand side once you've run your search.

For this, and other useful tips, check out Karen Blakeman's Blog post:
http://www.rba.co.uk/wordpress/2012/02/09/top-search-tips-from-london/

SLA Europe bursaries for the 2012 SLA Conference in Chicago

Today I learnt that SLA Europe wants to send you to the 2012 SLA Conference in Chicago (if you are an information professional living or working in Europe, with more than five years’ experience, and have not won an SLA Europe Early Careers Conference Award within the last five years, that is). You don't even need to be an SLA member.

Further details about how and when to apply are on the SLA website:
http://www.sla-europe.org/awards/sla-europe-conference-award/conference-award-application-guidelines/

The Supreme Court has begun live tweeting its proceedings

Today I learnt that the UK Supreme Court started tweeting its proceedings today. According to an article in the Daily Telegraph it is the first Supreme Court in the world to do so.

It kicked off by live tweeting the swearing in of new Supreme Court Justice Lord Reed.

Follow the Supreme Court on Twitter @UKSupremeCourt

More information about how the Court will use Twitter can be found on the Supreme Court's website:
http://www.supremecourt.gov.uk/twitter-policy.html

Morningstar: another source for finding UK law firm's corporate clients

Today I learnt that Morningstar (AKA Hemscott) is another source that allows you to look up the name of a UK law firm and see a list of quoted companies it acts for:

http://www.hemscott.com/advisers/law-firms.do

As well as law firms it also covers financial advisers, auditors and stockbrokers (and more).

Online tutorials for Boolean searching courtesy of Colorado State University

Today I learnt that Colorado State University Library provides some useful online tutorials that cover:

• Boolean Searching (basics)
• Advanced Boolean Searching
• Truncation

Each tutorial takes about 5 minutes and requires a Flash player. They're simple but effective. I tried them out on our Library Assistant and she also gave them the thumbs up.

http://lib.colostate.edu/tutorials/