Volume 6, Issue 4

Library News

HeinOnline continues to be a very valuable resource as the vendor frequently updates the databases.  The Federal Register is now accessible in full-text from 1936 to June 2005.  In addition, more than 1,100 journals are now available in HeinOnline's Law Journal Library collection. 

The Library has a new electronic book resource titled ebrary that allows customers to read materials without checking them out.  This gives users simultaneous access to approximately 3,400 titles in the areas of law, science and technology, transportation, computers, political science, medical and public health, and management.  Enter ebrary by using the link on the DOT Library main web page.  Everything that’s needed to get started is on the ebrary opening screen.  If you have problems reading the e-books, please call our Systems Librarian at x60757.

The NetLibrary e-book collection has been re-examined with the idea of targeting specific topics.  Knowledge Management and Globalization are currently two areas of particular interest.  New titles in those subjects are Knowledge Leadership: The Art and Science of the Knowledge-based Organization and Globalisation and the Rule of Law.  To read either of these e-books go to the NetLibrary link on the library's main web page.

Selected Law Library Acquisitions

Alternative Dispute Resolution for Government Contracts (2004). D. Arnavas. Chicago: CCH.  [LAW KF 849.A86]

A Blackletter Statement of Federal Administrative Law (2004).  Section of Administrative Law and Regulatory Practice, American Bar Association.  Chicago: ABA  [LAW KF 5402 .A843]

The Clean Air Act Handbook  2nd edition (2004).  R. J. Martineau, and D. P. Novello, Eds.  Chicago: ABA.  [LAW KF 3812 .C554]

Cost – Reimbursement Contracting, 3rd Ed. (2004).   J. Cibinic and R. C. Nash.  Chicago: CCH. 
[LAW KF 849 .C494] 

EEO Discovery Forms for Agency Representatives (2004). E. C. Hadley, R. C. Fowler.  Arlington, VA: Dewey Publications.  [LAW KF 3464 .I5 A3]

Federal Land Use Law and Litigation (2005). B. W. Blaesser, A. C. Weinstein, D. R. Mandelker.  Eagan, MN: Thomson West.  [LAW KF 5698 .F43]

Federal Sector EEO Update 2005. S. A. Vitaro, J.J. Goodfriend and G. M. Gilbert.  Arlington, VA: Dewey Publications.  [LAW KF 3464.15 .V58] 

A Guide to Judicial and Political Review of Federal Agencies (2005).  J. F. Duffy and M. Herz, Eds.  Chicago: ABA.  [KF 5425 .D84 2005].

MSPB Discovery Forms for Agency Representatives (2004).  P. Broida.  Arlington, VA: Dewey Publications. 
[LAW KF 5338 .B76]

Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) Consolidated Edition (2004).  London: International Maritime Organization
[LAW K 4163.3 1974 .A2]

What Do I Do When Addressing and Processing Federal EEO Complaints (2002).  A. Uehling.  Horsham, PA: LRP Publications.  [LAW KF 3464 .E3 U34]

Research and Reference Corner

Government Contracts Texts Available Online from CCH

The DOT Library’s subscription to CCH’s labor, business and government contracts databases has recently been expanded to include the Nash & Cibinic eSeries.  The Nash & Cibinic eSeries is comprised of three cornerstone texts written by nationally acclaimed experts Ralph C. Nash Jr. and John Cibinic Jr.  Administration of Government Contracts, Competitive Negotiation: The Source Selection Process, and Formation of Government Contracts can now be accessed online.  Two additional texts in the eSeries, Acronyms and Abbreviations in Government Contracting and Government Contracts Reference Book, provide referencing support.  
The online format has many advantages over the print format.  Users can search by word or phrase for definitions of terms and get additional guidance from the citations within the definitions. The series also provides immediate access to current rules and case law governing federal procurement.  References to regulations, BCA and Comptroller General decisions are hyperlinked to the full text sources.
There are a few drawbacks to the eSeries.  Users should be aware that the online format is static, and will always reflect the print edition, which is not updated annually.  Researchers are advised to always check the CCH commentary along with the Nash & Cibinic texts. There are usually references from the Nash & Cibinic eSeries back to CCH’s government contracts databases.

To access:
- Go to http://dotlibrary.dot.gov
- Click on “RIDER Databases”
- Click on “Research and Reference Databases”
- Select “CCH Government Contracts Reporter”
- Select “Government Contracts” tab à Government Contracts Library à Nash & Cibinic eSeries
- Use the drop down library menu to select database

Website to Watch

Law-related blogs are commonly used in the legal community as modern day bulletin boards.  They provide immediate notification of key issues and can also be used to monitor or participate in ongoing discussions of legal issues.
Blogs can also be used for another purpose, to enhance the legal research process. 
While blogs are far from being authoritative scholarly works, they have strengths that scholarly resources sometimes lack.  Their currency can give a researcher a head start on issues that have not yet been discussed in scholarly publications. Also, by tapping into the public dialogue, blogs give the reader a sense of public opinion about their research topic. 
The following blogs and blog related resources can be a useful part of the legal research process.

http://statconblog.blogspot.com
Statutory Construction Zone is touted as the web’s first blog devoted to federal statutory construction.
http://www.bespacific.com/
beSpacific provides daily postings of resources on law and technology news.
http://www.blawg.org/
Blawg functions as a searchable directory of law related blogs.  The user can search by word or browse blog listings by topics such as federal law, research and knowledge management, and law related podcasts.
http://www.technorati.com/
Technorati is a search engine for blog content.  It searches over 19 million blogs and over one billion links.