The Goodson Blogson

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...

During the contentious debates in Congress over a plan to slash federal funding for Planned Parenthood, Senator John Kyl of Arizona erroneously stated on April 8 that “well over 90%” of the organization’s activity was related to abortion. After constituents and the media complained that the real figure was actually closer to 3% ( CNN video ), Kyl’s office claimed that the exaggerated number stated on the floor of Congress was “not intended to be a factual statement.” This odd retraction inspired much merriment by late-night comedian Stephen Colbert, who launched a humorous Twitter campaign of non-factual statements about Senator Kyl . This week’s Time magazine reports that Kyl’s now-infamous 90% figure has been edited from the Congressional Record , the daily transcript of debates and remarks from the floor of Congress. Indeed, the April 8 issue of the Congressional Record now records Kyl as saying: “If you want an abortion you go to Planned Parenthood and that is what Planned Parenth...

The end of the semester brings some important changes to the Goodson Law Library’s access and service hours. Please note this information for reading/examination period and beyond: Library Services Effective Monday 4/18, the Reference Services desk will be open from Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The Circulation/Reserve desk and the Academic Technologies Help Desk will continue evening and weekend service hours until the end of the examination period. Effective Friday, May 6, all three library service desks will operate under summer hours (Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.), and will resume evening and weekend service at the start of the Fall 2011 semester. Library access To ensure that adequate quiet study space is available for law students, use of the Goodson Law Library for study purposes during the Law School’s reading/exam period (Tuesday 4/19 to Friday 5/6) is limited to current Duke Law students, faculty and staff. University students, faculty and staff who...