INFO - Seattle University Law Library Newsletter

Picture of Andy Walkover

Even the most dedicated law student requires a respite from legal study. What better way to unwind than to leaf through a few pages of Thackeray’s Vanity Fair or be plunged into the midst of a roiling sea battle by O’Brian’s Master and Commander. These and other volumes make up the eclectic Walkover Collection, a specially designated set of volumes dedicated to the memory of Andy Walkover, a much beloved and deeply admired Associate Dean and faculty member who lost a battle with cancer in 1988.

The law library recently accepted a substantial donation of books from Andy’s cousin, Richard Lutz. A resident of the United Kingdom, Richard made a special trip this past summer to see the collection and deposit the new materials.

Beautifully illustrated editions of James Fenimore Cooper’s Deerslayer and The Plays of Henrik Ibsen were pulled from the packing boxes as were striking copies of Dickens’ Hard Times and Aristophanes’ The Frogs.

These and more than 50 other classic titles reaffirm the law’s connection with the great literature that defines our humanity.

Click here to see the list of materials in the Walkover Collection. The Library Map will help you locate it.

These wonderful books are this month’s new and notable list.

The library is pleased to announce that we now have a self checkout station available in the Reserve section of the library. If you wish to check out a Reserve item, take the material and your SU ID card to the machine located near the Reserve circulation desk. Follow the simple directions on the screen to check out your books, videos or study guides. The machine will print a receipt so you can keep track of the due dates and times. Self checkout has been very popular with students who find it quick and easy to use.

The Reference Librarians gave 28 tours to 280 first year law students during the week of August 21st (affectionately known as "the week from hell"). In addition to covering library layout and policies, the tours provided students with an introduction to legal research. Librarians discussed the creation and use of secondary sources, statutes and annotated codes. Handouts included New Library Maps (expertly designed by library Administrative Assistant Jane Draney), our new Washington Materials Locations Guide and our Library Locations Guide.

In full back-to-school mode, the librarians are currently providing both semester long and one-shot research courses. Kristin Cheney’s Advanced Electronic Legal Research & Methodology course is teaching students to evaluate online resources and manipulate research syntax for optimal and cost effective results. Down the hall, students are gaining access to the complex world of international legal research with Bob Menanteaux’s International and Foreign Law Research course.

We have also provided several research sessions for specific courses and programs. Bob Menanteaux taught a research session for students in the international sustainable development seminar. Kerry Fitz-Gerald led students to research sources for Professor Chiappinelli’s course on corporate acquisitions. Kerry also taught research classes for students participating in civil externships. Meanwhile, Kelly Kunsch taught the annual research refresher class for the Legal Writing II students, a session about the United States legal system for Academic Resource Center students, and sessions about finding an article topic for law review and journal students. As some may be aware, Stephanie Wilson and Kerry Fitz-Gerald are exploring the applicability of film noir to legal research instruction. Kerry and Stephanie tested their research by integrating the edgy 1988 classic Introduction to Shepardizing into their ten citator classes for Legal Writing I students.

Interested in having a librarian teach a research class tailored to your course? Contact your library liaison or Kristin Cheney.

The Seattle University Law Library has had a long-standing tradition of providing both formal and informal noncredit internships to individuals interested in pursuing a career in library and information science. Interns typically rotate through the Technical Services and Circulation Services departments as well as assist the librarians with special projects tailored to the intern’s background and interest. Katie Merrill Brown (2005 graduate of Seattle University School of Law and 2006 MLS candidate of Drexel College of Information Science) was recently hired as the Faculty Services Librarian at St. Thomas University Law Library in Florida. Katie said that her internship experience at Seattle University Law Library was instrumental in landing her job. Christopher O’Byrne, graduate of University of Washington I-School and School of Law and the new Research Librarian at the University of Notre Dame Kresge Law expressed his thanks to the staff of Seattle University Law Library for mentoring him about law librarianship during his internship.

Charlotte Daugherty,
Graduate of University of Wisconsin Law School and Law Clerk for King County Superior Court Judge Ramsdell. Picture of Charlotte Daugherty

Jane Griffin,
2L at Seattle University School of Law and graduate of the University of Washington I-School.

Tom Kimbrough,
Graduate of Berkeley School of Law and the University of Washington I-School and newly hired as the Foreign and International Law Reference Librarian at Southern Methodist School of Law Library.

Jessica de Perio,
2006 graduate of Seattle University School of Law and student at the State University of New York at Buffalo School of Informatics.

The library now subscribes to the online version of Clearinghouse Review, the preeminent journal of poverty law published by the Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law.

The Library has created a new FAQ which answers many of the basic questions about conducting a preemption check including: "What is a preemption check?" "How do I find out which articles have already been written on my topic?" "Should I search for books and book chapters?" The Preemption Check FAQ is available on the Library's research portal at: Faculty research assistants may find it useful in their work.

Barbara Swatt Engstrom and her husband Kurt welcomed a baby daughter into their lives at 5:22 a.m. on September 23, 2006. Hazel Seneca Harper Engstrom weighed 5 pounds, 12 ounces and measured 18.5 inches long. She’s currently sleeping occasionally, eating frequently, and getting more beautiful every day.