Library

By Jennifer Walker

Fairly regularly, we're asked in a hushed, anxious tone, "Can I bring, you know, a coffee in here?"  I remember all too well the Draconian food and drink policies at my university library, and the resultant frantic chugging of a scalding tea in order to enter the library, or the attempts to sneak in a bag of chips (which must be the worst snack food option for a quiet library).  

Here at the CCLA, we're definitely okay with clients bringing food and drink into the library.  Perhaps not a five course dinner or anything requiring an open flame (this really isn't the time or place for crème brûlée), but the typical cup of coffee or a sandwich are no problem.  In fact, we anticipate clients bringing food and drink to our lunchtime training sessions!  We kindly ask that you leave no trace behind, and trust there won't be sticky jam fingerprints on the computers, or coffee spills on the books.  The cafeteria in the lower level of the courthouse is open until about 3:00 from Monday to Friday.  If you'll be here after hours, make sure to grab provisions ahead of time.

Ah, and of course, should you want to show appreciation to your excellent library staff, we wouldn't be opposed to the occasional delivery of snacks for us, too!  We have a particular interest in Edible Arrangements, or in a pinch, any variety of chocolate-covered fruit.

by Katie Tribe

I recently posted about some of the new features available on Westlaw Canada, which is available for free here at the CCLA Library. Of course, we also provide free access to LexisNexis Quicklaw. While you may already be comfortable using this database to locate useful case law, legislation, and citing references, I thought I'd remind you of some of the other great products and features available on Quicklaw.

All Canada Quantums

All Canada Quantums are located under Quicklaw's "Court Cases" tab, and are extremely useful for finding noteworthy case law. These topical quantums allow you to research noteworthy decisions across Canada, and are organized into topics such as child and spousal support, matrimonial property, personal injury, sentencing, wrongful dismissal, and torts, among others. Each quantum lists case summaries that include hyperlinks to the full text of the case.

Canadian Forms and Precedents

While O'Brien's remains the most popular form and precedent collection (it is available in print and via a searchable database here in the library) Quicklaw contains noteworthy collections as well. Their Canadian Forms and Precedents collection, located under the "Forms" tab on Quicklaw, covers topics such as commercial tenancies, corporations, employment, land development, and wills and trusts, among many others. If you are a devout O'Brien's fan, try contrasting Quicklaw's collection with O'Brien's the next time you need a precedent for some variety.

Halsbury's Laws of Canada

Located under Quicklaw's "Commentary" tab, Halsbury's is a useful encyclopedic reference for summaries of legal topics, black letter statements of the law, and commentary. Personally, I like to access it via Quicklaw's Source Directory; I find the directory is an easy way to choose the topics I'd like to search or browse. Halsbury's reminds me a little bit of Westlaw's Canadian Encyclopedic Digest, and covers a wide range of topics.

These are just a few notable highlights; some other Quicklaw features include Williston & Rolls Ontario Court Forms, and Words and Phrases Judicially Defined (in both Canadian and British court and tribunal decisions). Browse Quicklaw's source directory to learn about the various legal journals that are also available (there are many).

As always, let us know if you have any questions or would like some assistance. Better yet, attend one of our Quicklaw or Westlaw training sessions that are scheduled for the fall! You can contact me for more information or to RSVP.

By Jennifer Walker

The CCLA Library staff will be offering additional tours of our collection on the following dates.  Please RSVP with Reference Librarian Katie Tribe for any of the tours listed below.  Tours typically last approximately 20 minutes.

• Tuesday, August 3, 2010 - 10:30 am, 2:30 pm
• Thursday, August 5, 2010 - 10:30 am, 2:30 pm
• Tuesday, August 10, 2010 - 10:30 am, 2:30 pm
• Thursday, August 12, 2010 - 10:30 am, 2:30 pm
• Tuesday, August 17, 2010 - 10:30 am, 2:30 pm
• Thursday, August 19, 2010 - 10:30 am, 2:30 pm

By Jennifer Walker

With the summer months comes a slow down in Continuing Legal Education events.  As such, we didn't receive any new CLE binders this month.  Where we're lacking in new CLE, however, we have tonnes of new text books and annuals.  For a neat little article on why on earth we've just received the 2011 version of the Ontario Practice when it's only July, check out this entry from Gary P. Rodrigues at  Slaw.ca.

• The Law of Dependants' Relief in Canada, 2nd ed. (Carswell)
• Title Searching and Conveyancing in Ontario, 6th ed. (LexisNexis)
• Introduction to Canadian Insurance Law, 2nd ed. (LexisNexis)
• Construction Law in Canada (LexisNexis)
• The Law of Nuisance in Canada (LexisNexis)
• Director and Officer Liability in Corporate Insolvency: A Comprehensive Guide to Rights and Obligations, 2nd ed. (LexisNexis)
• Ontario Heritage Act and Commentary (LexisNexis)
• The 2010-2011 Annotated Contraventions Act (Carswell)
• Consolidated Native Law Statutes, Regulations and Treaties 2010 (Carswell)
• Consolidated Ontario Employment and Labour Statutes and Regulations 2010 (Carswell)
• The Practitioner's Goods and Services Tax Annotated, 21st ed. (Carswell)
• GST Memoranda, Bulletins, Policies and Info Sheets, 17th ed. (Carswell)
• Handling Provincial Offence Cases in Ontario 2010 (Carswell)
• Consolidated Ontario Family Law Statutes and Regulations 2010 (Carswell)
• Watt's Manual of Criminal Evidence 2010 (Carswell)
• Martin's Ontario Criminal Practice, 2011 ed. (Canada Law Book)
• Ontario Annual Practice, 2010-2011 ed. (Canada Law Book)
• Evidence: Principles and Problems, 9th ed. (Carswell)

by Katie Tribe

As mentioned in past posts, at the library we spend a considerable amount of time helping people locate cases. Through time and repetitive use, we really get to know some of the nooks and crannies of our electronic database (think Quicklaw, Westlaw, Criminal Spectrum, O'Brien's), and notice and appreciate when subtle changes are made that make searching swifter and more effective. One of our products, Westlaw Canada, has created a few new features over the past month or so that are really making us happy. Here's a list so that you can start noticing and taking advantage of them as well!

1. Displaying the citation frequency of cases

Everyone knows the pain of having to browse through a large number of search results to find one powerful case. Westlaw recently made it easier to identify significant cases by displaying the amount of times the case has been judicially considered in the search results. When browsing the results, you'll now see a note in brackets at the bottom of the case summary that states how many times the case has been considered, making it easy to determine its precidential value. The citation frequency is also listed after cases that show up in the citation list when you note up a case.

Westlaw also now allows you to limit your searches to cases that have been judicially considered. In the same way that you can limit cases by jurisdiction, timeline, and decision type, you'll now find a drop down menu for citation frequency on the search screen. Pretty awesome!

2. Rules Concordance

 I'm not sure how long this feature has been around, but it's one that we've noticed and taken advantage of recently because a client was trying to locate an equivalent family law rule in a different jurisdiction. You'll find the Rules Concordance in the "Browse Table of Contents" section of the main Westlaw page. It's organized by subject areas that you can browse by expanding folders, much like other Westlaw Products such as the Canadian Encyclopedic Digest (CED). Browse through the subject areas to find a complete list of rules related to your subject, separated by jurisdiction. Of course, the list includes hyperlinks that will take you to the full text of the rule you're interested in.

3. ResultsPlus

Another new feature, ResultsPlus, suggests related analytical material (think links to secondary sources like the CED) next to your search results. If you view your search results in full screen mode, you'll see ResultsPlus to the right of your search results. If you're not in full screen mode, you can access it by clicking the tiny arrow in the upper right hand corner of your screen. When you are viewing an individual case, the ResultsPlus information will be listed under the "Related Info" tab on the left side of your screen. To refresh your memory, the Related Info tab is also where you'll find links to the history of the case and any citing references. I haven't used the ResultsPlus feature yet, but will definitely be checking it out, as I often find the best cases when using tools like the CED.

4. "Related Terms" and "Did you mean...?"

In a step towards the style of the powerful search engines we use on a daily basis (I'm obviously referring to Google here) Westlaw has added features that suggest related terms and notice spelling errors when you type in a search. If you are using search terms to find cases, you'll now find a related terms box at the top of your full screen results page, listing related terminology that Westlaw will easily add to your search with a simple click. The related terms box will also show up on the main search page when you edit your search. Like Google, Westlaw will also now notice your spelling errors and suggest a different word at the top of your results list.

In life and in researching, it really is the little things that make the biggest difference. Thanks to Westlaw for making things a little bit easier for us with these new features; we hope that you'll check them out! As always, if you need help locating or using these new tools and features, please don't hesitate to ask us for help.

By Jennifer Walker

We've decided to start a new series here on the blog, that of tips for using the library.  While photocopies don't necessarily seem like the most interesting or exciting place to start (and it isn't!), it seems like the appropriate point to begin with, in light of that pesky HST business.

Regular users of our library and photocopiers will notice a small increase in photocopy charges this week - now $0.40 a page.  We're not thrilled about the increase either, I promise! 

In light of that price increase, and also to let you in on something that can make using the library even better, here's Library Tip #001: buy a photocopy card!  Or better yet - your membership card is also a photocopy card.  Here's how this works: you need a photocopy card to make the photocopiers work.  The machines sit there idling until a card is inserted.  Most people borrow one from us, but if you have your own card, you don't need to ask us for one and if you're a member, you can use it on the weekend or at night when we aren't here.  To help save you some cash, we've created discount photocopy rates - the more you buy in advance to put on your membership card (or a normal photocopy card), the more you save per copy.  It also means you don't have to check in with us before you leave to pay or create an invoice.  You can peruse those rates here. 

We have to note this, though, so you're forewarned: if you use your own copy card, we can't make an invoice for a specific client file.  For some folks, this will be a problem based on how you do your billing.  If, however, you don't need that level of specificity in your photocopying, having your own card is definitely the way to go.

By Jennifer Walker

There's been a bit of a book buying spree this month, which means a bunch of really neat new titles are making their way into the library. You'll notice that this month I've linked the title to the publisher's page, or in the case of the CLE materials, to the table of contents (when available).  It will give you a bit more information about the book, should you want to preview the title before coming to the library.

Texts

• Extraordinary Damages in Canadian Employment Law (Carswell)
• Bankruptcy in Canada, 4th ed. (Canada Law Book)
• Collective Agreement Handbook : A Guide for Employers and Employees, 3rd ed. (Canada Law Book)
• Personal Injury Damages 2010 (LexisNexis)
• Consolidated Federal Employment and Labour Statutes and Regulations 2010 (Carswell)
• Ontario Workplace Safety and Insurance Act & Commentary 2011 (LexisNexis)
• A Guide to the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act 2010 (LexisNexis)

Continuing Legal Education

• Women Lawyers’ Symposium : Fostering and Celebrating Success (LSUC)
• Children Caught in the Crossfire : Understanding and Responding (Hamilton Law Association)
• Best Practices for Paralegals Appearing Before the Ontario Court of Justice 2010 (LSUC)
• Practice Gems : Family Class Sponsorship : Eligibility, Refusal and Remedies (LSUC)
• The Six-Minute Criminal Defence Lawyer 2010 (LSUC)
•  The Fifth Annual Straight From the Bench :  Litigation Conference (Middlesex Law Association)

by Katie Tribe

If you've been by the library in the last couple of months, you've likely noticed all the development taking place to install a new green roof at the courthouse! The CCLA Library staff is a fairly environmentally-minded bunch (our front desk area may be a tad reminiscent of a greenhouse) and so we were pretty excited when the news was first announced. Lately, contractors have been walking around outside our windows working on the roof, and we've been able to track their progress. So far, there's just been a whole lot of digging and moving around of concrete slabs, but we're hoping the roof will be green and growing before the end of the summer. To quench some of the anticipation, I've been doing a little bit of research into some of the benefits of green roofs. Apparently they do nifty things like:

• extend roof life by providing structural protection; green roofs last about twice as long as conventional roofs!
• reduce heating and cooling costs; just imagine the difference between the temperature of your driveway and the temperature of your lawn on a summer day
• provide sound insulation, reducing noise; certainly ideal for a library
• create a beautiful aesthetic space while improving employee and client morale; many green roofs can also be used for meeting and recreational purposes
• raise the profile and property value of a building in the community
• assist in storm water retention and management
• expand and promote green space while reducing dust and smog in the environment
• provide a natural habitat for wildlife in urban areas
  
• provide opportunities to grow flowers, plants, and food
  

Green roofs and green building design have really been catching on in North America in the last decade or so, and they're already very common in many European countries. Did you know that Toronto recently created a green roof by-law that makes green roofs required on new buildings? While we're not quite there yet, it's wonderful to see some change happening here in Ottawa, as well.

All of the above benefits are certainly grounds for excitement. However, the really big news for both the library staff, and you, our library users, is that one of the large green roof sections is directly outside of the main library window. This means that we'll all be able to gaze out onto the green roof while reading or working in the library!

These changes have really inspired me to look into other ways that we can make the library more green. I'll keep you posted, on the roof and any of our own progress. For now, I'm just really happy to be working in a building that is a leader in Ottawa's green movement.

If you'd like to learn more about green roofs, check out http://greenroofs.org.

By Jennifer Walker

Here's a list of some new titles we've acquired at the library in the last month.  Again - lots of CLE materials from around the province!

Continuing Legal Education

• 15th Biennial National Conference: New Developments in Communications Law and Policy (LSUC)
• The Six-Minute Criminal Defence Lawyer 2010 (LSUC)
• Pre-Trial Motions for Counsel New to Civil Litigation (LSUC)
• 7th Annual Real Estate Law Summit (LSUC)
  
• The Six-Minute Municipal Lawyer 2010 (LSUC)
• 5th Annual Solo and Small Firm Conference and Expo (LSUC)
• The 5th Annual Current Issues in Commercial Litigation Seminar (Hamilton Law Association)
• 7th Annual Emerging Issues in Employment Law (Hamilton Law Association)
  
• The 10th Annual Advocacy Conference (Hamilton Law Association)
• The 8th Annual Estates and Trusts Seminar (Hamilton Law Association)
  

Texts

• Electronic Evidence and E-Discovery (LexisNexis)
• Portable Tax Court Practice, Act and Rules 2010 (Carswell)
• Understanding All Impaired Driving Devices (Carswell)
• Ontario Assessment Legislation 2010 (Canada Law Book)

by Katie Tribe

Just a note to inform you that Amanda recently uploaded all the papers from the CCLA's 19th Annual Institute of Family Law Conference to our Conference Paper Database. Have you checked out the database yet? It contains digital copies of conference papers and materials from the CCLA's four cornerstone conferences: Civil Litigation, Criminal Law, Family Law, and Solicitors. The papers go as far back as 2001. An awesome thing about the database (other than offering free, downloadable papers, of course!) is that it contains complete and detailed records, and is user-friendly and searchable. This means that you can locate a paper by conference, year, title, author, or subject. No more leafing through multiple giant binders to find the paper you need! Conference materials are also amazing resources when researching a unique, emerging, or very specific topic.

On a related note, in case you haven't heard, the CCLA recently announced that law students and paralegals can now become members of the CCLA! Check out the announcement here. This news is very relevant to the Conference Paper Database since it is accessible to CCLA members only; to search the database and download the papers, you must log in using your membership log-in name and ID. If you are a member and aren't sure about your log-in name or ID, please get in touch with us! We can help you out. If you'd like to become a lawyer, student, or paralegal member of the CCLA, you can join right on our website.

We hope you'll take some time to check out the Conference Paper Database! You can find it here, under the Library tab on the website.

By Jennifer Walker

Every summer, we like to invite all the new Summer and Articling students in Ottawa to the CCLA library for a tour.  We try to let all the firms and sole practitioners know, so they can set that up, but if you're a student and are reading this, please feel free to book yourself for a tour!  Our tours last about 15 to 20 minutes, and of course, are right here in the library at Courthouse at 161 Elgin Street. 

This year, we have some really exciting news for students that we're pleased to share: we now have a "Student” membership category!  Previously, students were not eligible to be members, and so could not take advantage of any of the member perks.  This new category will let students have all the benefits other members do, including the after-hours access to the CCLA Library, but for a pretty great reduced price.  Without membership, access to the library will be limited to our normal business hours – Monday to Friday, 8:30 am to 5:00 pm.

We have scheduled tours for the following times – if you would like to schedule your students, or yourself, for a tour, please RSVP by email to Katie Tribe.

May
Thursday, May 6, 2010 – 10:30 am
Thursday, May 13, 2010 – 10:30 am
Monday, May 17, 2010 – 10:30am, 2:00 pm
Thursday, May 20, 2010 – 10:30 am, 2:00 pm
Wednesday, May 26, 2010 – 10:30 am, 2:00 pm

June
Wednesday, June 2, 2010 – 10:30 am
Wednesday, June 9, 2010 – 10:30 am

August
Tuesday, August 24, 2010 – 10:30 am
Thursday, August 26, 2010 – 10:30 am
Tuesday, August 31, 2010 – 10:30 am

September
Thursday, September 2, 2010 – 10:30 am
Wednesday, September 8, 2010 – 10:30 am, 2:00 pm
Friday, September 10, 2010 – 10:30 am, 2:00 pm
Monday, September 13, 2010 – 10:30 am, 2:00 pm
Wednesday, September 15, 2010 – 10:30 am, 2:00 pm
Friday, September 17, 2010 – 10:30 am, 2:00 pm
Wednesday, September 22, 2010 – 10:30 am
Wednesday, September 29, 2010 – 2:00 pm

If none of these sessions will work, just let Katie know - we can always schedule another tour time! 

By Jennifer Walker

Here's a roundup of some new titles we have received at the library.  Next month, Katie and I will be attending the Canadian Association of Law Libraries (CALL) conference in Windsor, Ontario, where we will be checking out a lot of the new titles from all of the major publishers.  We're sure to come back with a lengthy list of "Must Haves" for the library, so stay tuned!

• Ontario Municipal Legislation 2010 (Canada Law Book)
• The Mystery of Hearsay, by Gordon Cudmore (Carswell)
• The Condominium Act: A User's Manual - 3rd Edition, Ontario 2010 (Carswell)
• Wrongful Dismissal Handbook, 5th Edition (Carswell)

For CLE titles, we have two new items in the library, both in the area of family law:

• Family Law - The Voice of the Child (LSUC)
• 19th Annual Institute of Family Law 2010 (CCLA)

As you'll notice, the last item on that list is a CLE from our own association.  Our Family Law conference was held last Friday, and in case you missed it or didn't get a set of materials of your very own, we have the entire collection of papers presented here at the library.

by Katie Tribe

Jennifer, Amanda, and I are extremely pleased to announce that Westlaw Canada is now available in the CCLA Library! Pop by the library and sit down at any of the computers to check out this awesome (and free!) new resource. Westlaw is a powerful online legal database for locating case law, legislation, journals, articles, and commentary; it also contains a number of research tools that make finding these materials simple and easy.

We’ve scheduled a couple of training sessions to introduce you to Westlaw and help you learn to use it effectively. Lawyers, students, and legal support staff are all welcome to attend these free sessions, where a Westlaw specialist will walk us through the database and its tools. We'd love to see you in the library on the following days:

Thursday, April 15^th, 2010 from 12:00 to 1:00 PM
Thursday, June 3^rd, 2010 from 12:00 to 1:00 PM

As usual, the sessions take place right in the library over the lunch hour, and you are more than welcome to bring your lunch! The CCLA Library is located in room 2004 of the Ottawa Courthouse at 161 Elgin Street. Just email your Reference Librarian, Katie Tribe, (that’s me!) at ktribe@ccla-abcc.ca if you’d like to RSVP.

Here are just a few of Westlaw`s tools that we think you’ll find useful... 

Use the Canadian Abridgment and Westlaw’s KeyCite feature to note up cases and legislation. Information includes case history and positive and negative treatments, along with references to cases and secondary sources that may have referenced the case, statute, section, or rule you are researching. Once you’ve noted up a case, search your results for key terms that are relevant to your issue. We think Westlaw’s ability to search the text of the materials found through a note up is pretty awesome.

Westlaw’s online version of the Canadian Encyclopedic Digest allows you to browse or search legal topics to find commentary and discussions of leading case law. While we still have the CED in print format, we find point and click browsing much easier than leafing through the set of giant print volumes. The online version is also updated much more quickly than its print counterpart.

Sources such as the Canadian Index to Legal Literature, Words and Phrases Judicially Defined, and a number of law reports and journals are also available on Westlaw, making finding commentary and secondary sources quick and easy. Search by title, author, publication, or key terms to find the information you need.

As a general rule, l try to remember that no source is ever complete; the more sources consulted, the more accurate research will be. We’re thrilled that this new resource will help to make your research at the CCLA Library more complete. Our online resource collection now includes free and unlimited access to Quicklaw, O’Brien’s Forms and Precedents, Criminal Spectrum, DivorceMate, and now Westlaw, with hopefully more to come!

By Jennifer Walker

We've received a number of new Law Society CLE materials here at the library this month - you'll find those listed below.  In the coming weeks, we'll be placing some new orders for other secondary source materials, so if there is anything you think we should absolutely add to the collection, let us know!

• 14th Annual Intellectual Property Law: The Year in Review
• Commercial Priorities for Real Estate and Business Lawyers
• Estates Administration for Law Clerks 2010
• Estate Accounting - Navigating the Complex Issues When Preparing and Reviewing Estate Format Accounts
• New Lawyer Practice Series: Real Estate Law
• The Annotated Will 2010
• The Six-Minute Administrative Lawyer 2010
• The Six-Minute Criminal Court Judge 2010
• The Oatley-McLeish Guide to Motor Vehicle Litigation
• The Six-Minute Commercial Leasing Lawyer 2010
• Personal Injury Law for Law Clerks: Recent Changes That You Need to Know About
• Practice Gems: Class Actions - A How-To For People Considering Expanding Their Litigation Practice
• Practice Gems: Title and Off-Title Searching 2010
• Proven Strategies to Enhance You WSIB Practice
• Workplace Violence and Harassment: Advising Clients on Amendments to the Occupational Health and Safety Act (Bill 168)

by Katie Tribe

One of the most common requests I receive as a legal reference librarian is for assistance in finding case law. Most individuals approach me after a number of keyword searches in the usual databases retrieve no results, or way too many. While electronic databases are amazing tools for finding case law and other related materials, in many cases a basic keyword search is the last method you should try. Here are a few recommendations for resources you might want to check out before you drive yourself crazy with search terms and their synonyms. As always, your CCLA Library staff is available to help you find and use the following resources. Just get in touch with us!

Case Digests and Quantums

Case digests and quantums organize noteworthy case law by topic, or area of law. They might address a number of topics and arrange them in alphabetical order, or deal with only one specific subject. For example, if you were looking to locate the leading cases on defamation, you might look up the term “defamation” in a set of digests under the letter D, or consult a defamation quantum. Once you’ve located your topic, you’ll find discussion and summaries of the leading cases in that area of law.

The CCLA Library has a number of these products in both print and electronic format. I’ve highlighted a few below:

The Canadian Encyclopedic Digest (CED)

The CCLA Library currently has a full set of the Canadian Encyclopedic Digests available in print, and plans to make an electronic version available on our computers very shortly. This large set of green binders is extremely easy to use, with topics listed in alphabetical order on the spines of each volume. Don’t let the appearance of the binders fool you; they look old because they are well loved, not because they are out of date. The CED is a loose leaf resource and is updated regularly. Find the large set of green binders in the Reference section, which is in the main part of the library, right next to the reading tables.

Quicklaw’s Canada Digest and Topical Quantums

If you click on Quicklaw’s “Court Cases” tab, you’ll notice a number of links on the left hand side of the page. These include the Canada Digest, along with a number of topical quantums, covering topics such as child and spousal support, personal injury, and sentencing, among many others. Clicking any of these links will take you directly to the resource, where you can browse through lists of topics (simply click the + signs to expand the list), or perform a search producing case summaries. One of the great benefits of electronic digests and quantums is that nearly all the case summaries include hyperlinks to the full text of the case.

Print Digests and Quantums

The library has a large number of print quantums and digests covering specific subjects. These materials, which look just like textbooks, are spread throughout the library in their respective subject areas. You’ll find family law quantums with the rest of the family law books, and so forth. The next time you are looking for case law, try browsing the shelf in your subject area. You’ll likely find a print quantum or digest addressing your topic. A reminder that the best place to start in any print resource is your Table of Contents and Index.

Using Legislation

It is extremely helpful to determine what legislation is applicable to the case law you are searching for. Once you know what sections are relevant to you, you can use them to find case law and commentary.

A great way to do this is by locating an annotated version of the legislation. An annotated act, for example, includes helpful commentary after each section, usually offering discussions of leading case law. The CCLA Library has a large amount of annotated legislation available in print. Most of our recent and popular volumes are located in the library’s Reference section, next to the reading tables. A few other volumes are located in our Texts section. Using this method may offer a simple starting point, or provide you with what you need without hours of research.

Electronic databases, such as Quicklaw and Westlaw eCarswell, also have excellent note-up features for legislation. Locate the relevant section and note it up to find cases that considered, referred to, or cited the section. Browse through the cases, or search for keywords within them to see if any are relevant to your issue. Noting up your legislation first is a great way to narrow your electronic search results before you start brainstorming search terms.

Good Old Textbooks

Many people overlook print textbooks and loose leaf materials when searching for case law. Often, the easiest way to find useful cases on a topic is by browsing a chapter in an established reference book. Most texts offer useful case citations and commentary; just follow up on those footnotes and check the fine print.

Use Electronic Databases Effectively

Set aside some time for training on electronic databases; if your current searching abilities are limited to keyword searches, there is plenty of room for growth. Products like Quicklaw and Westlaw eCarswell are extremely powerful and efficient tools when used to their full potential. Attend one of the training sessions in the CCLA Library (I can vouch for the sessions; I still learn something new each time I attend, despite using the product every day), stop by and ask us some questions, or book an appointment with Jen or I to walk you through a database. We’re always happy to help. If your searches are always resulting in 50 cases or more, or you’re not sure how to use any of the tools in the databases, we’re pretty sure we can share something useful with you.

These are just a few resources off the top of my head – I’ll post more as I think of them! As you can see, there are many places to start your search for case law before you resort to the search box. Be sure to contact myself or another library staff member if you’d like further details and information on any of the above resources.

By Katie Tribe

The CCLA Library is proud and happy to provide a number of extremely useful electronic resources for free to the legal community. We provide free online access to Quicklaw, Criminal Spectrum, DivorceMate, and O’Brien’s Forms and Precedents, to name a few, and are currently working to provide you with a few new electronic goodies in the near future. When we say free, we mean free in every sense of the word; there are no passwords, time clocks, billable hours, or download limits when using these products in the library. We only offer free, unlimited access.

As librarians, we don’t just want to make the products available to you; we also want to teach you how to use them, and to use them effectively. We also know that many firms have these products available in-house, and sometimes just need a refresher that covers searching techniques and new features. To help you out, we are available to instruct you and troubleshoot for you, whether by scheduled appointment or whenever you happen to call or stop by the CCLA Library. We also regularly offer training sessions in the library.

Training sessions are advertised via the CCLA website and listserv, and generally happen in the library over the lunch hour. We try to schedule the sessions in a way that is convenient to the legal community. For example, we offer a fresh set of sessions every fall to coincide with all the fresh articling students entering the scene. The sessions are informal, and you are welcome to bring a coffee or your lunch (yes, that means eating in the library!) and stay for as much or as little as you wish.  We are also available afterward to answer questions.

So far, these sessions have provided insight into programs such as Quicklaw and Criminal Spectrum, and we have plans in the works for a number of other specialized sessions in the future. We are currently offering a series on Quicklaw, and there is still room in the remaining sessions if you’d like to register! Registration simply involves sending a quick email to me, Katie Tribe, at ktribe@ccla-abcc.ca. Of course, if you happen to be in the courthouse that day and haven’t registered, we still encourage you to stop by. We always seem to find room for everyone! The remaining sessions (one of which is this Thursday) are as follows:

Thursday, March 4^th, 2010 – Legislation
Learn how to use Quicklaw to effectively find statutes, regulations, and related case law.

Thursday, March 25^th, 2010 – Secondary Sources
Learn about the commentary, journal articles, forms, and news pieces available on Quicklaw, and how to effectively locate them.

Thursday, May 27^th, 2010 – Introduction to Quicklaw
An opportunity for incoming students and experienced lawyers alike to be introduced to or revisit the basics of Quicklaw.


Hope to see you there!

By Katie Tribe

As librarians, Jen and I know that there is often very little awareness about what a library and its staff can do for its patrons. While we cover Library Services elsewhere on our website, I thought I’d go into a little more detail about a few of the things the CCLA Library staff has to offer you.

Collections

Not only does the library staff organize and maintain your library’s resources, but we also budget for and decide what materials are included in the collection. This includes not only traditional books, but also loose leafs, law reports, journals and magazines, and electronic products. As a result, we are always interested in feedback about what kinds of materials you’d like to see in the library. Feel free to contact us any time and share your insights!

Reference Services

As your Reference Librarian, I am the person to ask if you need information, case law, advice on your research strategy, or simply assistance in finding useful materials. Trust me, you won’t be bothering me; technically, your questions are part of my job description! Please feel free to contact me or any other library staff member in person, or via phone, email or fax. If you’d like more info about what to expect, or are not sure about what kinds of questions we can answer, have a quick look at our Reference FAQ  page.

Training, Instruction, and Tours

As librarians, we not only want to provide you with resources; we also want you to know how to use them comfortably and effectively. For this reason, we are available to provide training and instruction on how to find and use both our print and electronic resources. Please feel free to make an appointment with us, or get in touch as needed. We also offer lunchtime training sessions in the library on a regular basis, which are announced on the CCLA website and listserv. If you’d like a tour of the library for yourself or a group, please just let us know!

Interlibrary Loans

Librarians are generally very resourceful, and believe strongly in sharing and providing access to information. As a result, there are few legal materials that we can’t get our hands on. If you need materials that aren’t available in the CCLA’s collection, be sure to let us know. Nine times out of ten we are able to get them through interlibrary loan. We can often get an item within a day or two of your request, and the loan is usually free of charge.

These are just a few of the services provided in your CCLA Library. If you’d like to learn more, have a quick look at our Library Services page. Is there a service you’d like to see at the CCLA Library? Feel free to contact us and share your ideas! We are always interested in your feedback.

By Jennifer Walker

Here follows a selection of titles recently added to the library collection:

Texts

Canadian Legislation on Bankruptcy and Insolvency, 2010 Edition (Carswell)

CLE Materials

Corporate Commercial Law Seminar: Practical Advice for Business Lawyers (Hamilton Law Association)
Emerging Issues in Real Estate (Hamilton Law Association)
12th Annual Estates and Trusts Summit (LSUC)
9th Annual Civil Litigation for Law Clerks (LSUC)

By Jennifer Walker

 As an ongoing blog series, we'd like to list new titles we've recently acquired in the library.  Here are some new items that have been added to the collection since the beginning of January.

Texts

Taxation of Trusts and Estates : A Practitioner's Guide 2010 (Carswell)
The 2010 Annotated Ontario Landlord and Tenant Statutes (Carswell)
The 2010 Annotated Ontario Human Rights Code (Carswell)
The 2010 Annotated Indian Act and Aboriginal Constitutional Provisions (Carswell)
The 2010 Annotated Canada Labour Code (Carswell)
The 2010 Annotated Copyright Act (Carswell)
The 2010 Annotated Competition Act (Carswell)

CLE Materials

The 17th Annual Immigration Law Summit (LSUC)
Impaired and "Over 80" 2009 (LSUC)
Best Practices for Paralegals Before the Landlord and Tenant Board (LSUC)
Employment Law for the General Practitioner: Strategies and Best Practices (LSUC)
Safeguarding You Real Estate Transactions: Protecting Your Clients from the Dangers of Litigation (LSUC)
The Six-Minute Real Estate Lawyer 2009 (LSUC)
The Six-Minute Family Law Lawyer 2009 (LSUC)
New Developments in Personal Injury Law 2009 (Middlesex Law Association)
The Third Annual Wills, Estates, and Trusts Conference (Middlesex Law Association)
New Rule Amendments - Get Prepared! (Hamilton Law Association)
The 23rd Annual Joint Insurance Seminar (Hamilton Law Association)

By Jennifer Walker

When I first joined the CCLA in July 2007, the organization was already in the midst of a website redesign project.  Our old website was, to put it bluntly, severely outdated.  As a librarian, I was asked to weigh-in on what the library side of the new site should look like.  Fresh from library school with big ideas and notions of what libraries should be doing, I immediately requested a blog.  What was going to go on this blog?  I didn't know, but was quite sure we should have one regardless.  In the two intervening years, the entire website redesign project has itself been redesigned, including the contents for the library section.  The blog, however, stayed on my "Must" list, and so here we are, with our very first posting on our beautifully relaunched website. 

Do we now have a focus for the blog?  We sure do.  Going forward, Katie Tribe (our excellent reference librarian) and I will be sharing all manner of library news here - new books, missing books, library training sessions, library-related notes of interest, closures and hours changes, staffing news, and anything else we think you'd care to know about.  If you're interested in keeping up with new posts, add us to your feed reader using the RSS icon, or follow us on Twitter, where our new posts will be directed once they go live.  While we do not currently have reader comment functionality, please send any feedback or questions to us directly.