Cleveland Law Library Weblog

Cleveland Law Library Closed June 1st

Dear Members:
Please accept my apologies, but we will not be able to reopen tomorrow on June 1st. Due to events which occurred downtown over the weekend, we have decided to remain closed on Monday for the safety of our staff and patrons. We will take this new challenge one day at a time, re-evaluate on a daily basis, and decide to reopen when it is safe for everyone involved. Please check our blog at clevelandlawlibrary.org for updates, and stay tuned for another email indicating when we will reopen. In the interim, please continue to utilize our virtual reference and research services and databases as you have done since mid-March.

Thank you for your continued patience and understanding.
Kathy Dugan, Director

 

Welcome Back to the Cleveland Law Library Starting June 1st

WELCOME BACK!

I have some very good news to share. The Cleveland Law Library will be finally reopening on the 4th floor of the Cuyahoga County Courthouse on June 1st. Beginning on that day, members will be able to utilize their full library privileges on-site again, including accessing all of our databases and books, requesting assistance from librarians in person, and checking out books.

You may, however, notice a few changes when you return. Everyone who enters the Cuyahoga County Courthouse will be screened, and face coverings are going to be required at all times. Screenings include having your temperature taken, answering a series of questions, and receiving a wristband. In addition, for those who do not have a face covering, a mask will be provided. The County is also posting safety and directional signage throughout the building and stationing concierges in the Rotunda to direct people to their destinations and check people in for court appointments. In addition, only two people will be allowed to use an elevator at one time.

In addition, we have implemented a number of specific safety measures on the 4th floor. In the spirit of 6' social distancing, we have installed plexiglass partitions at our front desk, segregated our patron computers, removed some of the chairs in our Main Room, reduced the occupancy of our conference rooms, and created directional traffic patterns throughout the Law Library. Our staff will also be wearing masks at all times, and they will observe the 6' rule when providing you with assistance. We will be utilizing disposable keyboard and mouse sleeves at all of our patron computers, sanitizing all workstations and conference rooms between uses, and regularly disinfecting all common surfaces every day. There are also multiple hand sanitizing stations located in the Law Library lobby and bathrooms for your use. We have also implemented safety protocols for our books that involve quarantining them for at least 72 hours before they can be returned to the shelves or circulated to a new patron. For at least the first few months of our reopening, we will also be offering curbside pick-up and drop off of books for those who do not otherwise need to enter the Courthouse. Just call ahead to arrange a mutually convenient time with our staff.

In addition, to help all of us transition to this new business normal and ensure time for cleaning, we will be temporarily reducing our hours. For at least the first month through the end of June, we will only be open to patrons on the 4th floor of the Courthouse from Monday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. However, our staff will still be available by phone and email on Fridays when our offices are closed to patrons. Only time will tell, but I am hopeful that we can resume full operating hours this Summer.

On behalf of our Board members and staff, I would like to thank you very much for your patience and understanding while our law library was closed in the Courthouse, and we were staying home to stay safe. We welcome you back in person and look forward to providing you with reference and research assistance once again.

Kathy Dugan, Director

30 Days of Free LexisNexis for Cleveland Law Library Members-Offer Extended Through June 30th

Dear Members: Due to the impact of Covid-19 on regular business operations, LexisNexis has graciously extended temporary remote patron access privileges to members of the Cleveland Law Library. This option will allow you to log in from your home or office to use Lexis databases that the Cleveland Law Library is ordinarily only able to provide for members on-site at the Courthouse.

This program was set to expire at the end of May, but Lexis has extended it through June 30th. If you have not already taken advantage of this service, you can use it to obtain privileges that will last for 30 days or until June 30, 2020 (whichever is shorter). Your 30 days of access all depends upon the date when you sign up.

Registration is required, but the process is pretty simple. Members who wish to take advantage of this new benefit should follow these steps:

• Sign in to the Law Library's Members Only page at this link:
  • https://clevelandlawlibrary.org/Public/Misc/narrative.html
  (If you need your User Name and Password, please email the law library at lawlib@clelaw.lib.oh.us)
  Click "Electronic Resources Library"
• Click "New Version"
• Click the link in red at the top of the page to sign up for Lexis remote access.
• Start enjoying your new member benefit!

Thanks,

Kathy Dugan, Director

Cleveland Law Library Stay-at-Home Cookbook 2020

 

Dear Members and Friends:

While we have been staying at home during the Coronavirus pandemic, all of us have found creative ways to keep from getting bored and cope with the stress we have all been experiencing. Since I personally love to cook and bake, I have been trying out a lot of new recipes in my kitchen, especially those that include chocolate, and sharing them with my family. If you have also enjoyed experimenting in your own kitchens, we would love to have you share some of your best and most delicious stay-at-home recipes with us. They can be comfort foods that you made over and over again or new recipes that you tried for the very first time. We will accept recipes for any meal of the day that vegetarians, vegans, or meat-eaters would enjoy, including breakfast foods, salads, soups, entrees, desserts, snacks, etc. We plan to collect all of your submissions and publish them in a digital cookbook called the Cleveland Law Library Stay-at-Home Cookbook.

If you have one or two recipes that you would like to share and have published in our Cookbook, please send them to Ashley Sprankle or me by May 31, 2020:

kathy.dugan@clelaw.lib.oh.us or ashley.sprankle@clelaw.lib.oh.us

We will indicate who submitted each recipe, but if you would prefer to remain anonymous, please let us know.

Once the Cookbook is done, we will let you all know and make it freely available to everyone on the Law Library's website.

Thanks very much, and we look forward to receiving great recipes from you.

Kathy Dugan, Director

Star Wars Day: May the 4th be with You

Did you know that a standard lightsaber is approximately 3 feet long? We didn't know that either.

As we celebrate Star Wars Day and prepare to return to a "new normal" following the Coronavirus outbreak, this may be an important measurement to keep in mind, remembering to keep two lightsabers of distance between yourself and others at all times. 

Although we are unable to celebrate Star Wars Day in person with our patrons, or enjoy other in person programming with you at this time, the librarians and staff members of the Cleveland Law Library are amping up to continue providing remote services and programs, and when it is safe, programs that adhere to social distancing guidelines, for the foreseeable future.

While the stay at home order has left many of us feeling as if we are in a galaxy, far far away, we want to assure you that we will continue to be here to serve you. We look forward to the day when we can safely reopen our doors to our patrons. 

Until then, may the force be with you. 

Cleveland Law Library Celebrates Virtual Law Day

Today, is the American Bar Association’s Annual Law Day, and this year’s theme is “Your Vote, Your Voice, Our Democracy: The 19th Amendment at 100.” It is a day to celebrate the right of all people to vote, but especially women, who were unable to vote until the 19^th Amendment was passed 100 years ago. This year’s theme was put to a considerable test in Ohio in early Spring when the Coronavirus pandemic jeopardized the rights of people who had planned to vote in person in the primary election on March 17^th before or after celebrating St. Patrick’s Day. It also tested the separation of powers doctrine when a Franklin County, Ohio Judge denied an order to delay the election, the Ohio Department of Health closed the polls due to public safety concerns, and the Ohio Supreme Court denied a candidate’s challenge to keep the polls open. Thankfully, Ohio decisions to keep poll workers and voters safe also preserved voting rights and Democracy through extended absentee voting.

Cuyahoga County Law Library Resources Board Public Meeting-4/29/20

The Cuyahoga County Law Library Resources Board will convene an online/telephonic public meeting at 12:00 noon on Wednesday, April 29, 2020. If you wish to attend, please register here: https://attendee.gototraining.com/r/5815172269834603521

50 Years of Earth Day

On this 50th anniversary of Earth Day, celebrations look a little different. With the spread of Covid-19, many of us are keeping a safe social distance from those whom we normally interact with by learning to do our jobs from the comfort of our homes. In many cases, working remotely is having an indirect, positive effect on our environment. 

The staff of the Cleveland Law Library has been working from home since mid-March. Indirectly, we have continued our green initiatives through a diminished use of electricity in our offices. Our paper waste has slowed, as we are not printing documents in the capacity that we are used to. Additionally, those who commute to work in a personal vehicle are no longer making the trek, contributing to a reduction of air pollution.

While we await the return of our normal lives and routines, jobs that once seemed impossible to perform at a distance are becoming second nature. Waste that seemed essential in our day-to-day is becoming inessential. This change in operations has shown us that there are still many ways to reduce our footprint, an initiative that the Cleveland Law Library will continue to strive for after we return to normal operations. 

Temporary LexisNexis remote patron access is finally available to our members!

Dear Members:  Due to the impact of Covid-19 on regular business operations, LexisNexis has graciously offered temporary remote patron access privileges to members of the Cleveland Law Library. This option will allow you to log in from your home or office to use Lexis databases that the Cleveland Law Library is ordinarily only able to provide for members on-site at the Courthouse.

Registration is required, but the process is pretty simple, and privileges will last for 30 days or until May 31, 2020 (whichever is shorter). Your 30 days of access all depends upon the date when you sign up.

Members who wish to take advantage of this new benefit should follow these steps:

                    Sign in to the Law Library's Members Only page at this link: https://clevelandlawlibrary.org/Public/Misc/narrative.html

(If you need your User Name and Password, please email the law library at lawlib@clelaw.lib.oh.us)

Click "Electronic Resources Library"
Click "New Version"
Click the link in red at the top of the page to sign up for Lexis remote access.
Start enjoying your new member benefit!

Cleveland Law Library Closed Pursuant to Order from the Ohio Governor

Pursuant to the Ohio Governor's Order, the Cleveland Law Library's 4th floor offices are closed. Please check back here on our blog for further updates. 

Although the Library will be closed, staff will still be providing Email Reference Service
for our Members. To contact us, please send an email to lawlib@clelaw.lib.oh.us

We apologize for any inconvenience and thank you for your understanding.