The Goodson Blogson

Though some spent last week preparing for their last days on Earth, one California woman was more preoccupied with the moon. This weekend brought news of a NASA sting operation after the unidentified woman offered a “moon rock” for sale on eBay . Undercover NASA agents met the would-be seller in an area Denny’s and offered to buy the lunar treasure for $1.7 million , then detained her for questioning and seized the rock. So is it a question of fraud? Could be, if the rock turns out to be phony. But the woman could also face legal trouble even if the rock is authentic. As it turns out, astronauts who visited the moon during various NASA missions in the 1960s and 1970s did collect a number of rock samples, some of which were given in commemorative plaques as “goodwill” gifts to 135 foreign governments and the 50 U.S. states by Presidents Nixon and Ford. As the London Times explained in 2004 , those samples are legally considered the cultural property of the recipient government, and ot...

Congratulations to our newest graduates! If you plan to remain in the Triangle area this summer for bar exam study, please note the following information about Duke Law building access, library services, and access to electronic resources. Building Access : Although your law student IDs (which provide 24-hour access to the Law School and Law Library) are deactivated shortly after graduation, you are eligible for a free alumni card from the DukeCard Office . E-mail your alumni card number to the Law School's Building Manager, Catherine Hall , in order to activate 24-hour access for the summer. The access will continue until August 15. Borrowing privileges for Law Library materials generally expire very shortly after graduation, although exceptions can be made for recent graduates who remain in the Triangle area for bar exam study. Please speak with a Circulation Desk staff member to borrow Law Library materials. (Note that we are unable to offer interlibrary loan services to recen...

Hitting the road after exams? Tie up a few loose ends in the library before you leave the area! Wherever the summer months may take you, follow our simple steps to ensure a hassle-free transition. (Class of 2011, be on the lookout for a separate post within the next few days which will address special issues related to graduation, such as how to obtain 24-hour building access if you plan to remain in the Triangle for bar exam study.) Check your library account: Log in to the libraries’ My Account site with your NetID and password, and double-check your outstanding loans, hold/recall requests, and any fees or fines which have been incurred. Be sure to return any remaining items before you leave the area, and speak with the Circulation/Reserve desk in the event of a discrepancy (such as a book that you’re sure you already returned, or a fine for a study room key). Clean out your study carrel : We’re sure that all of our students respect the fact that library study carrels are shared s...