Using the Coleman Karesh Online Law Library Catalog

Using the Coleman Karesh
Online Law Library Catalog
David Lehmann, J.D., M.I.L.S.
Electronic Resources & Reference Librarian
Coleman Karesh Law Library
University of South Carolina School of Law
(803) 777-1666 - lehmannd@law.sc.edu
•This presentation utilized several base images and text slides from an earlier version done by Stacy
Etheredge.
What You Need to Know
• How to use the catalog to find resources;
• How to get to resources once you have found
them.
How to Find Them
We’ll Focus on Secondary Sources
– Books and Treatises
– Journal Articles
How Do We Find Books?
The answer is …
… the Law Library’s online catalog
So where is this online catalog? …
… it all starts with the Law
Library’s main webpage …
Using the Law School’s
Catalog
• Steps:
1. www.law.sc.edu/library
2. Click on “Law Library Catalog”
3. “Columbia Law Library”
(or “Columbia Campus Libraries”)
Click On
Library Search Page
Click On
The Different Methods
To Search Catalog
• Keyword
• Title
• Author
• Subject
• Advanced Keyword
Keyword Searches
• Great for when you are just starting your
research
• Don’t need to use “and” as a connector;
the search engine will do it for you
• Words will be searched across the entire
catalog record, but, keep in mind that
catalog records are not meant to be a
description of the book
Law Library Catalog
Title Searches
• When you are looking for a specific book
and you know the title
• The most important thing to remember –
It operates as a “string search”,
i.e., what you type in is exactly
what it looks for!!
Law Library Catalog
Author Searches
• When you are looking for a specific
book and you know the author’s name
• When you want to see other books
written by an author
• Names need to be entered in a certain
order (last name, first name); however, the
catalog will usually suggest an alternative
Law Library Catalog
Subject Searches
• Best to avoid this unless you’re a
licensed library professional
• Except – it’s great when you “go in
through the back door” (i.e., do a
“subject search” after you have search
results from a previous search)
Law Library Catalog
Advanced Keyword
Searches
• More options are available
• Can do combinations of options
• The only place where can do “keyword” type
searches within the title, author, and subject
fields (i.e., are not string searches)
• Thus, searching is much more powerful
Law Library Catalog
Important!
Always remember …
the law library catalog does not
include individual articles from
journals and law reviews
All you can do is check to see if the
library has a specific law review
How Do We Find
Articles?
Need to use databases of articles
p.s. print indexes for articles are also in the Law Library,
- Index to Legal Periodicals (ILP)
- Current Law Index (CLI)
Databases of Articles on
the Law Library’s
Website
• LegalTrac (an indexing service)
• HeinOnline (a full-text service)
(There are also databases of non-legal articles on the
USC Libraries Website – See Legal and Non-legal
Database presentation on the library website page)
Where are These
Databases of Articles?
LegalTrac
Pros
• Search screen is easy to use
• Searching is fast
• Subject classifications available for “back door
subject searches”
Cons
• Usually just citations and sometimes abstracts;
almost no full-text content in LegalTrac itself
(although often links to the articles in other USC
Libraries databases)
• Doesn’t go back very far in coverage (1980)
Finding LegalTrac
•
www.law.sc.edu/library/
• “Online Resources”
• “Electronic Indexes”
• Choose “Law” as a subject
• “View Sources”
• “LegalTrac”
 “Electronic Indexes”
 Choose “Law” as a subject
Search
Limits
HeinOnline
Pros
• Over 600 law journals
• Coverage back to their starting dates
• Articles are .pdf files (thus, includes official
pagination, photos, graphics)
Cons
• Searching is a little slow (.pdf files)
• Navigation is not always intuitive
(caveat - it keeps getting better and better)
Finding HeinOnline
1. Go to www.law.sc.edu/library
2. Click on “Online Research – Limited Access”
3. Click on “HeinOnline”
4. “Subscribers, Please Click Here to Enter”
5. “Law Journal Library”
6. “Search”
Hein Basic Search
Screen
Hein Advanced Search
Screen
Search
Search Tips
and Guides
REMEMBER……
The library’s limited access resources
and electronic index contain many useful
databases besides the material available in
the online catalog.
See Legal and Non-legal Databases
presentation on the library website page
for many of the other material that are
available to you.
Non-Library
Resources
There are specific procedures to follow when:
1. The materials are located in our campus
Libraries but not the law library;
2. The materials are not located in our
Libraries. [Interlibrary Loan]
Interlibrary Loan
Requests
• Forms for requesting Interlibrary Loans are available at the
Circulation desk or may be submitted online: [Request an
Article] [Request a Book].
• Law Library website:
http://www.law.sc.edu/library/student_services.shtml
• There are rules on Interlibrary Loan requests. To check the
status of an interlibrary loan request, contact Katie Holtz at
777-1726 or kholtz@law.sc.edu or Karen Taylor at 777-3367
or taylorkg@law.sc.edu
The End
Remember to ask the Reference
Librarians for help if you need
assistance