OAPEN Library - free access to academic books

Open Access publishing, where content is freely available to readers has traditionally focussed on journals. A relatively new initiative, the OAPEN Library is looking at Open Access in relation to books.

The aim of the project is outlined on its web site:

The OAPEN Library contains freely accessible academic books, mainly in the area of Humanities and Social Sciences. OAPEN works with publishers to build a quality controlled collection of Open Access books, and provides services for publishers, libraries and research funders in the areas of dissemination, quality assurance and digital preservation. 

There are currently 135 titles within Law, of which 41 are in English. Although this represents a small number of titles, this is a relatively new venture, and content is currently being added. Publishers involved in OAPEN Library include Oxford and Manchester University Presses.

International Graduate Legal Research Conference - opportunity for PhD students to present their work

The International Graduate Legal Research Conference is taking place on April 14-15 2014 at King's College, London.
As the IGLRC web site states

This conference is organised by and aimed at doctoral researchers, giving attendees a chance to present their work to top scholars, network with peers and attend workshops. It will provide a forum for debate, the exchange of ideas, and the furtherance of knowledge.

More information on the Conference can be found at: http://www.iglrc.com/

Index to Foreign Legal Periodicals available via HeinOnline

Students and staff now have access to the Index to Foreign Legal Periodicals via HeinOnline.
The Index is multilingual and provides information on articles and book reviews published in over 500 legal journals published worldwide.
Coverage encompasses public and private international law, comparative and foreign law, and the law of all jurisdictions other than the United States, the UK, Canada, and Australia. 
The IFLP also analyses the content of about eighty individually published collections of legal essays, Festschriften, Mélanges, and congress reports each year.

There are nearly 300,000 index records, and there are links to over 34,000 full-text articles and book reviews via journals available in HeinOnline.

To access the index, login as usual. The Index to Foreign Legal Periodicals can be found within the Subscribed Libraries list.

Ebooks on Westlaw UK

Did you know that we have access to a number of ebooks via Westlaw UK?

These key works, authored by practitioners and academics include:

Archbold Criminal Pleading, Evidence & Practice
Chitty on Contracts
Copinger & Skone James on Copyright
Clerk & Lindsell on Torts
Lewin on Trusts
Palmers Company Law
Woodfall: Landlord and Tenant

To access, select the Books tab within Westlaw and then either search by subject keyword across all / selected books, or click on a book's title to browse its contents. 

New look for Lexis Library

 

Lexis Library now has a brand new look. The way the product works is largely unchanged, but the search, result and document screens look quite different. 
The way Lexis is accessed remains the same for Birkbeck users, via: http://www.bbk.ac.uk/lib/elib/databases/law/lnp

Welcome to new students

For those students joining us this academic year, welcome, I look forward to meeting you as part of your induction programme.

In addition to the training I'll be giving, the library is offering a welcome programme for all new students. This includes tours, and a Saturday programme of seminars on various topics. For more information see: 
http://www.bbk.ac.uk/lib/news/library-tours
and 
http://www.bbk.ac.uk/lib/news/infoskills

Changes to Senate House Library eligibility

From 1st September students following Masters programmes within the School of Law will be able to use Senate House Library without having to pay an annual charge. 
The School will also continue to fund access for research students and staff.
Information on how to join can be found at: http://www.bbk.ac.uk/lib/otherlibs/shl

Undergraduate, Certificate and Diploma students can join the Library upon payment of £87. This covers membership for the duration of the academic year. Further information can be found via the link above.