Legal Research News and Information with an Emphasis on Wisconsin
West has unveiled a new Web search engine called Westlaw WebPlus. This legally-focused search engine filters search results based on legal relevance. WebPlus is available from within Westlaw, although it may just be for law schools at this point (see image below), as well as independently on the Web. Using it in either platform is …
Senate Bill 214, which allows law enforcement officials to have access to library surveillance video tapes without having to first obtain a court order, passed both houses of the Legislature yesterday with no opposition. The bill was supported by the Wisconsin Library Association. According to a press release by State Senator Michael Ellis: The legislation …
Looks like Amazon is testing out a new site design. A few facts from the about page: What’s different? We concentrated on shopping, searching, saving, and buying–the four activities that customers have repeatedly told us are the most important to them. They’re now prominently featured at the top of every page on the site. Don’t …
West has launched a fun new resource called Headnote of the Day in which “amusing, profound or otherwise interesting” headnotes are delivered to you by email (what, no RSS?). Headnote of the Day is a free subscription service. From the press release: “People are fascinated with the law,” said Al Maleson, West Headnote of the …
This item came up today in one of the blogs that I read and thought it was too cool not to share – a gingerbread haunted mansion. Librarians will appreciate the “Return Your Books or Die!” sign at the top. Now that’s harsh! We love Halloween at our house. It’s so fun to see the …
YouTube is developing a Video Identification system which will help copyright holders identify their works on YouTube. From the about page: We have worked with Google to develop one-of-a-kind technology that can recognize videos based on a variety of factors… Copyright holders can choose what they want done with their videos: whether to block, promote, …
Thanks to a grant from the US Dept of Justice, Wisconsin will soon be launching a new statewide victim notification system. From the Wisconsin Radio Network: [According to Corrections Secretary Rick Raemisch], the project is intended to make sure all victims have easy access to the status of an offender or defendant as they move …
A couple interesting stories on book digitization crossed my path this week. The first is an article in EdTech about UW Madison’s involvement in the Google Book project. Google this spring began scanning 500,000 of the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s 7.9 million library holdings, including collections on American and Wisconsin history, medicine, engineering and genealogical materials. …
There is an AP News story making the rounds about a devious little hooky-enabling product called The Excused Absence Network. For about $25, students and employees can buy excuse notes that appear to come from doctors or hospitals. Other options include a fake jury summons or an authentic-looking funeral service program complete with comforting poems …
There is a very troubling post over at Out of the Jungle about public libraries which were forced to close due to budget cuts and are now being reopened under the management of an outsourced, for-profit company at reduced hours. From the post: But I am concerned about the trend of moving a publicly funded …