Category Archives: Winter 2016

Issue 238

Winter 2016

Lithuanians in Chicago: A Visit to the Balzekas Museum of Lithuanian Culture

January 4, 2016 Jill Meyer 3 Comments

I recently had the opportunity to go “behind the scenes” in the library at the Balzekas Museum of Lithuanian Culture. I happen to be of Lithuanian heritage, as well as a history buff, so a visit here was of particular interest to me. This library is not open to the public, and requires an appointment to access; however, I had an inside pass from a volunteer who is organizing the collection and unpacking the many boxes of donations (and also happens to be my mother, Sue Matulionis!). She said it’s actually pretty easy to get in. A quick phone call to the main number can usually secure an appointment, and they are open 7 days a week.

Entrance to Balzekas Museum of Lithuanian Culture

Continue reading Lithuanians in Chicago: A Visit to the Balzekas Museum of Lithuanian Culture →

Winter 2016

See the World from the 29th Floor: The FCIL Collection at Cook County Law Library

January 4, 2016 Jean M. Wenger

“I need the law of … Turkey and Argentina and Japan and Qatar.” To meet the legal research needs of the legal profession, county residents, and businesses engaged in the global community, the Foreign and International Law Division at the Cook County Law Library (CCLL) contains legal information resources from jurisdictions around the world. In this brief article, I would like to introduce CALL members and others to the range of global resources located in CCLL at the Daley Center. Continue reading See the World from the 29th Floor: The FCIL Collection at Cook County Law Library →

Winter 2016

The Chinese Intellectual Property Law Collection at JMLS

January 4, 2016 Anne Abramson

The John Marshall Law School’s Louis L. Biro Law Library has a unique print collection of Chinese Intellectual Property Law. A description of this collection is available in Raizel Liebler’s Chinese Intellectual Property LibGuide. The Chinese IP Law Collection is located on the 10^th floor of the Library.

Many of the materials in the JMLS Chinese IP Collection are not available anywhere else in the United States. For example: The Handbook of Intellectual Property Litigation = Zhi shi Chan quan Su song Fa lü Shou ce = 知识产权诉讼法律手册 . Authors/Contributors: Beijing Shi Gaoji Renmin Fa yuan Min San Ting bian. Place, publisher, year: Beijing : Zhi shi Chan quan Chu ban she, 2004. ISBN： 9787800119774.

In addition, the John Marshall Chinese Intellectual Property Resource Center website contains an index of titles in this collection as well as links to the Center’s many online resources such as translated Chinese IP decision summaries, Professor Arthur Yuan’s One-Stop-Shop Chinese IP Resources list, and news of recent developments in Chinese patent, trademark, and copyright law.

Winter 2016

Key Resources in Middle East Librarianship

January 4, 2016 Stacia Stein

This semester I am taking a class in Middle East Librarianship. As part of the course, I have been tasked to select 10-15 reference works that should be part of any basic Middle East reference collection.

In order to determine what these resources ought to be, I developed a few research strategies. First, I narrowed the focus to resources that would be useful in an academic law library. This required additional consideration because there are many legal jurisdictions within the Middle East. To address each jurisdiction separately would require more than 10-15 reference works.

Therefore, I decided to further narrow the focus to resources that deal with Islamic law generally or that provide useful background on Islam for the legal scholar. Secondly, because of my own language limitations, I chose to look only at resources aimed at English speakers. Finally, I also wanted to have a nice mix of databases, serials and monographs in the collection.

In order to determine what the most useful resources might be, I looked at various libguides at libraries with well-known Mid-East collections. When available, I also tried to find reviews of the sources to flesh out scope, perspective and intended audience. I also consulted In Custodia Legis – the blog for the Law Librarians of Congress, and Int-Law listserv’s public message archives. Are there any key resources that I missed? Are there any research strategies I should have applied?

Continue reading Key Resources in Middle East Librarianship →

Winter 2016

Book Review – The Court and the World: American Law and the New Global Realities

January 4, 2016 Stacia Stein

In his book, The Court and the World: American Law and the New Global Realities (Knopf, 2015), Justice Stephen Breyer examines the ways in which foreign law and circumstances impact the Supreme Court. Many of Justice Breyer’s critics often disapprove of the Justice’s global outlook. In writing this book, Justice Breyer aims, in part, to put his critics’ anxieties about national sovereignty “in perspective.” So, what is the perspective of Justice Breyer?

Justice Breyer defines the Court and the World broadly, dividing the book into four categories: Part I examines how the Court can effectively protect basic liberties in the face of security threats; Part II focuses on statutory interpretation and asks: Can American statutes be understood to open the doors of American courts to foreign victims of human rights abuses? And what is the geographical reach of commercial statutes?; Part III considers how the Court interprets treaties that concern unfamiliar subjects; and Part IV looks at the extent to which exchanges between judges and lawyers of different nations help judges reach better decisions.

Justice Breyer backs up his main points with copious and detailed examples, making this book a valuable, if sometimes dry, resource. In fact, a casual book reviewer might be inclined to crack open a beer (Lagunitas … Born Yesterday… Fresh. Hoppy. Invigorating. However, this is a book review, not a beer review!) to get through the last 100 or so pages.

Continue reading Book Review – The Court and the World: American Law and the New Global Realities →

Winter 2016

International Taxation: The IRS and Its World of Free Information

January 4, 2016 Donna M. Tuke 2 Comments

When it comes to international tax research questions, do your eyes glaze over? Do you run for the hills or hide under your desk? Fear not. This article will help you “fake it ‘til you can make it.” And, in these days of cost-conscious clients, you will be a hero with all the free or low-cost information you find.

While most law librarians and professional researchers have access to fee-based resources, your tax dollars have been working to create some excellent tools. However, these resources are often hidden down that rabbit hole called the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) website. The goal of this article is to expose the wealth of international tax information that can be found at the IRS and other government websites, either as a research starting point or to obtain a plain English explanation of a tax issue. Continue reading International Taxation: The IRS and Its World of Free Information →

Winter 2016, Member Profiles

Meet New CALL Member Trezlen Drake

January 4, 2016 Tom Gaylord

New CALL member, Trez Drake, is the Foreign, Comparative & International Law Librarian at Northwestern Pritzker School of Law. Her Northwestern colleague, Tom Gaylord, recently interviewed her so we could get to know her. Continue reading Meet New CALL Member Trezlen Drake →

Winter 2016, Member Profiles

Chicago Where in the World? Map

January 4, 2016 Trez Drake

As this is the international issue of the CALL Bulletin, it seemed appropriate to find out where our members have traveled. In September 2015, we sent out a three question survey to CALL members and plotted the answers on a map.

The responses to each of the questions are layered in different colors. “Where is the furthest you’ve traveled from home?” is in red. “What was your most memorable trip?” is plotted in blue. And, “What is your dream trip?” is green. In total, there were 38 responses, including 4 anonymous responses and one person who answered twice (whose answers were almost exactly the same and were combined). The respondents range from retired, to law school and law firm librarians, to public law librarians and vendors (although not everyone provided demographic information).

Take a look at the map to see the results: “Where in the World?” map

Winter 2016

Traveling in Madagascar

January 4, 2016 Scott G. Burgh 1 Comment

In September 2003, I took a two week trip to Madagascar using my Delta Air Lines miles. Traveling solo, I had my excellent guide Jocelyn and my excellent driver Solofo, and together we traveled the whole country by air and car. When traveling by road, we would come upon various villages. At these villages, I would send the driver ahead, and Jocelyn and I would walk through the village, meet the local people, take photos, and often have a parade of children following us by the end of our “tour.”

While en route to Isalo National Park, we stopped in Ilakaka, a village in the south of Madagascar. I met René Fulgence, a teenager who spoke very good English (in a country in which French and Malagasy are primarily spoken) and we walked the village together. René was delighted at the opportunity to practice his English and briefly told me of his plans to teach English. I had not much time in this town so I gave him my email address if he wanted to speak further. Continue reading Traveling in Madagascar →

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