It's that special time of year again! Yes, once again we hear the seasonal sounds of complaints about a 'War on Christmas' wafting through the blogosphere and cable news channels. Whatever one may think of this alleged suppression of all things Christmas, the current 'conflict' pales in contrast to the genuine banning of Christmas celebrations that took place in 16th and 17th century Britain and New England. The Real 'War on Christmas': 1581-1690 exhibit in the Williams Library Atrium displays facsimiles of several laws enacted during this period that outlawed the singing of carols, the holding of feasts and festivals, and other aspects of what we today cluster together under the seasonal rubric of holiday joy. These materials illuminate an easily overlooked chapter in the history of religious liberty, and give some valuable perspective to the current debate over the 'War on Christmas'.

Seventy years ago, Public Law 77-379 resolved that the 4th Thursday of November be designated as Thanksgiving Day. Traditionally, the President of the United States issues a Proclamation honoring the day which is published in the Federal Register. This year's proclamation was published in the Federal Register yesterday and is also available on the White House website.

For the library and reference hours over the long weekend, please consult our online calendar.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

The Friends of the Georgetown Law Library invite you to the latest screening in the Law at the Movies film series:

Movie: Michael Clayton (2007)
Date:  Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Time: 6:00 pm
Location: Hart Auditorium

Michael Clayton is the story of a “fixer” in a law firm who specializes in cleaning up sensitive, high-stakes cases. The film sheds light on questionable legal and corporate ethics, and examines complex and conflicting duties of law firms and attorneys. Starring George Clooney, the film was nominated for eight Oscars in 2008 and earned one for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role.

After the program, please stay for a discussion on the ethical, legal, and cultural aspects of the film. The panel will include:

• Michael Frisch, Adjunct Professor of Law & Ethics Counsel
• Kumar Jayasuriya, Adjunct Professor of Law & Associate Law Librarian
• Roger Skalbeck, Associate Law Librarian
• Andrew Christensen, Reference Librarian

To learn more about the Friends of the Georgetown Law Library program and the benefits of becoming a member, please visit http://www.ll.georgetown.edu/friends.

The Library will be holding two RA orientation training sessions for new research assistants.  In the orientation, RAs will learn about library services and policies and will gain an introduction to our databases and to best research practices.

The sessions will be:

• Friday, September 23, 2011 from 11 am to noon
• Friday, September 30, 2011 from 11 am to noon

 All sessions will be held in EB Williams Room 320

Please RSVP to Thanh Nguyen (nguyent2@law.georgetown.edu) with which session you plan to attend.

Each spring for the last five years, the Law Library has conducted a survey of our students.  In 2011, 403 students responded to our survey, and we published summary charts of the responses back in March. Now we're publishing a survey response, to show examples of changes to library spaces, content and services guided by the useful student input.

We just published the Spring 2011 Law Library Survey Response, where you can see highlights of a new exam archive system, information on new lounge seating in the Williams library, as well as highlights to changes to our collection of reserve materials.

You can view all survey materials on the Annual Law Library Survey page.

We appreciate student input. Throughout the year, we hope to continue this dialog through our Law Library Feedback Blog, a place where we post answers to your student questions. You can send comments and suggestions through our suggestion page.  The library will use the Feedback Blog to respond.

The login process for our catalog system is working again. Access to patron records and off-campus databases has been restored, as well as the ability to request an item.

Thanks again for your patience.

Beginning Monday, August 22, the Law Library will be giving away older editions of casebooks, study aids and other materials.  We'll continue the giveaway daily until Friday, August 26, or until all the books are gone.

The giveaway begins each morning around 10:00 in the E.B. Williams Law Library (111 G Street NW), and a new cart of books will be put out daily until the books are gone (or the week is over).  We cannot tell you in advance which books are available, but you're welcome to come by to browse once they're put out for all to see.

Georgetown Law invites alumni to study for the bar exam in the comfort of the law library.  All Georgetown graduates have lifetime access to the library during regularly scheduled hours.  While on campus, alumni may use the library’s space, collections, and all databases except for Westlaw and Lexis.

The Robert L. Oakley Reading Room in the Williams Library hours for the Law Center community and its graduates are 7:00 a.m. to midnight each weekday, 9:00 a.m. to midnight on Saturdays, and noon to midnight on Sundays. During the days leading up to the summer bar exams (July 18 – 27th) the Reading Room will remain open till 2:00 a.m. Please refer to the library's website for a full and updated list of law library hours.

Best of luck!

The e-books in the ebrary database will be unavailable for an indefinite period of time during the summer.   Georgetown Law patrons who need a book that has been available electronically should contact the Reference Desk via e-mail at libref@law.georgetown.edu, or call 202-662-9140.  The Law Library will purchase or borrow print titles of ebrary books for patron use where possible.

Did you know that the Georgetown Law Library typically adds over 400 titles to its collections every month? With just a few mouse clicks, it’s easy to keep up on the latest library offerings that mean the most to your reading interests and research.

Through the GULLiver online catalog (http://gull.georgetown.edu), you can sign up to receive email alerts for new titles corresponding to any author or topic you specify. You can also subscribe to RSS feeds to get regular updates on items added in specific areas of law.

For the most inclusive overview of recent acquisitions, browse complete listings of new titles available through both the Williams and Wolff Library every month.

Of course, the Library is always happy to hear our patrons’ tips for new books and resources — you’ll find an online suggestion form here.

Please note that the email and RSS notification features require an active GULL Library Account, available to members of the Georgetown Law community. Contact the reference department for more information.