Black History Month

 In honor of Black History Month, this post will highlight a few selected resources at Elon.

(1) The Center for Race, Ethnicity, & Diversity Education (CREDE) is coordinating several events, including an Afro-Latinx cooking class, a showing of the Racist Roots film, and the Black Solidarity Conference. For more information, see the CREDE website.

(2) The Law Library has a Race Law Lib-Guide in its Research Guides section. This Lib-Guide includes a list of University and law school research guides, current awareness blogs, databases, and government sources.

(3) HeinOnline contains a database titled Civil Rights and Social Justice. This database features legislative histories, Supreme Court briefs, scholarly articles, and committee prints. It also has its own Lib-Guide. 

(4) Did you know you have access to the Belk Library databases too? On the Law Library homepage, choose Belk Library Databases. Select Q and R under Databases and Resources by Title. There you will find Race Relations Abstracts, which possesses sources such as Race and Class and Journal of Social Issues. It covers topics such as ethnic studies, discrimination, and immigration studies.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

 Hope everyone had a wonderful winter break!

In recognition of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day on January 15th, the Library would like to highlight several civil rights resources.

Selma (DVD, Paramount, 2015). 

This movie focuses on the three-month period in 1965, when Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. led the movement to secure equal voting rights despite violent opposition. The march from Selma to Montgomery led to the signing of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 by President Johnson.

Making Civil Rights Law: Thurgood Marshall and the Supreme Court, 1936-1961 (Book, Oxford University Press, 1994). 

This book chronicles the efforts of Thurgood Marshall and the NAACP Legal Defense Fund to secure voting rights through civil litigation.

In addition, the Race Law Guide, available by clicking on the Law Library's Research Guides link, suggests various sources and tips. Examples of various sources include the Civil Rights Project, the ABA's list of blogs on civil rights, and the United States Commission on Civil Rights.

Happy Researching! Please reach out with any questions or concerns.

Holidays!

A Few Housekeeping Issues:

 Beginning Tuesday, December 5, the Law Library will close at 6 PM. Please plan your visits accordingly. Also, when you do visit the Library, please be considerate of the bar studiers.

Now for the Fun Stuff...

Greensboro offers a variety of enjoyable events and activities during the holiday season. Listed here are some examples:

1) Decorating Holiday Bulbs (2400 Summit Avenue, December 5)  You could learn how to make holiday bulbs to add color and light to your home! If interested, register at the following site: https://www.greensboroartshub.com/event/visual-arts/decorating-holiday-bulbs/

2) Holidays Around Life-Sized Candy Land (McGirt-Horton Branch Library, December 6) In this program, visitors of all ages can play a life-size Candy Land game and take home some candy!     Registration is mandatory; space is limited. If you are interested, follow the instructions at this link to register: https://www.greensboro-nc.gov/Home/Components/Calendar/Event/99017/

3) Christmas Festival (McLaurin Farms, dates ranging from December 8-30)

  McLaurin Farms offers a variety of activities for the Christmas Festival: make an ornament, take a   hayride, see farm animals, jump on a jump pad, and take photos with Santa or the Grinch! If interested, please look here for information regarding tickets: https://local.aarp.org/event/christmas-festival-2023-12-17-greensboro-nc.html

 You can find more festive events in Greensboro on the city website: https://www.downtowngreensboro.org/downtown-in-december/

Happy Halloween!

 In anticipation of Halloween, the Library will highlight some relevant legal materials, both at home and around the world, in no particular order.

1. Papua New Guinea's Sorcery Act 1971 aims "to prevent and punish evil practices of sorcery and other similar evil practices, and for other purposes relating to such practices." This statute addresses attempts to commit sorcery, false reports of sorcery, and providing sorcerous substances. It even deals with defenses arising out of acts of sorcery and evidence. Below is the link:

    Sorcery Act

2. Stambovsky v. Ackley (169 A.D.2d 254, 572 N.Y.S.2d 672, 1991)

This was a case heard by the NY Supreme Court, Appellate Division, First Department. In 1991, this case held that a house in Nyack was legally haunted for the purpose of a rescission action brought by the purchaser of the house. The case can be found on Lexis and Westlaw. It has been cited in both state and federal courts.

The opinion also references several popular books and movies including ghosts, such as the 1984 Ghostbusters and Shakespeare's Hamlet. It also employs supernatural idioms, including being moved by the spirit of equity and plaintiff hasn't got a ghost of a chance.

Realtor.com has a photo of the house.

 Haunted House

3. An ordinance passed by the city council of Beverly Hills, California, prohibits "the use of shaving cream, hair removal product, and aerosol string during Halloween" because these supplies frequently result in "acts of vandalism, property damage, conflicts and confrontation, potential safety hazards and injury." Below is the ordinance.

Beverly Hills Ordinance No. 23-O-2879

In addition, Belk Library possesses some nonlegal Halloween-related materials. Examples include A Hallowe'en Anthology: literary and historical writings over the centuries (by Lisa Morton, McFarland & Co., 2008); Scary, scary Halloween (by Eve Bunting, Clarion Books, 1986); and the musical score Tim Burton's the nightmare before Christmas (by Danny Elfman and Tim Burton, Hal Leonard Corporation, 1993). You can access Belk with your Elon ID.

Indigenous Peoples' Day

 In honor of Indigenous Peoples' Day, the Library would like to highlight the following materials:

HeinOnline offers a database, Indigenous Peoples of the Americas. This database includes tribal codes, indigenous peoples' treaties, Supreme Court briefs, and legislative histories.

The Handbook of North American Indians offers an "encyclopedic summary of prehistory, history, cultures and political and social aspects of native peoples."

Mann v. Ford (DVD, 2011) chronicles the legal fight of the Ramapo against automobile giant Ford when an assembly plant dumps paint sludge and other industrial waste in the Native Americans' backyard. 

Crude (DVD, 2009) depicts an Amazon tribe's legal struggle against oil giant Chevron.

If you would like to check any of these out, or have any other questions, the Library is here for you!

August is National Immunization Month!

 In recognition of August as National Immunization Month, the Law Library will highlight the following resources:

Lexis has a "Practice Area" for health care law, with a particular focus on the Affordable Care Act. The Affordable Care Act section encompasses case law, Federal Register documents, and secondary sources.

Westlaw too has a "Practice Area" section, but it is organized differently from that of Lexis. It does not emphasize the Affordable Care Act. Instead, it lists news and analysis on its main health law page. It includes categories such as cases, statutes, secondary sources, and proposed and enacted legislation and regulations.

In the Library, the Oxford Handbook of U.S. Health Law is available in print form. This book explores American health care law and policy and its relationship to medical ethics and constitutional principles.

Last but not least, the Belk Library Databases include health-related databases such as PubMed, Health and Medical Collection, Nursing and Allied Health, PsycARTICLES, and Public Health. These databases are arranged alphabetically and can be accessed with your Elon ID and password. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list, and you can browse the library webpage for additional examples.

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to us librarians.

Independence Day, the Flag, & Fireworks!

 

On July 4th each year, the United States celebrates Independence Day, often with fireworks and family get-togethers. In honor of Independence Day, the Library would like to point out the following materials:

Chapter One, Title Four of the United States Code provides guidance for display and use of the flag, as well as the conduct during hoisting, lowering, and passing of the flag. The United States Code is available online on the Office of Law Revision Council, Westlaw, and Lexis; the library has the print version too.

In addition, the Congressional Research Service published a report providing the history and text of this particular section of the Code. Their report also answers frequently asked questions. For the report, look here:

CRS Report: The United States Flag

Remember that the Congressional Research Service provides policy and legal analysis to members of Congress. Its staff usually have advanced degrees in their specialization and their reports are heavily footnoted. Such reports can be valuable when conducting legislative research.

We hope everyone has a joyful July!