Top of page

Archive: August 2010 (20 Posts)

Ornate red and ivory wall decoration, with plaque and symbols

THOMAS: The Revamp during the Recess

Posted by: Andrew Weber

Over the past couple months I, along with the great THOMAS team here at the Library of Congress, have been working hard on the latest set of enhancements. Thankfully, we’ve been able to finish them before Congress returns from August recess.  User feedback is continuing to drive our newest update.  We collect feedback through OpinionLab …

Ornate red and ivory wall decoration, with plaque and symbols

Shanghaied!

Posted by: Christine Sellers

As you can see from my previous post on researching Al Capone’s jury, some of the questions that come through “Ask A Librarian” can be quite fascinating. Some on their face appear simple, but upon further research, reveal hidden depths. A recent question involved a private law from the 71st Congress (1929-1931).*  Private laws affect …

Ornate red and ivory wall decoration, with plaque and symbols

Ease Up on the Drink, New Zealand

Posted by: Kelly Buchanan

The title of this post comes from the New Zealand Alcohol Advisory Council’s (ALAC) latest ad campaign targeting the drinking culture.  One of ALAC’s previous campaigns had the punch line “it’s not the drinking – it’s how we’re drinking.”  Anyway, you get the idea – if you need to have ad campaigns telling the country …

Ornate red and ivory wall decoration, with plaque and symbols

A Pirate’s Life for Me

Posted by: Andrew Weber

Last week we posted a collection of pre-1923 piracy trials.  The immediate response was fun to follow on Twitter.  Georgetown Law Library tweeted: Avast me hearties! Read all about pre-1923 pirate trials from @LawLibCongress http://go.usa.gov/cQk A recent post on Slaw, a Canadian law blog, by Simon Fodden (the founder of the blog) discussed the collection.  …

Ornate red and ivory wall decoration, with plaque and symbols

The Case of the Barking Dog

Posted by: Kelly Buchanan

In the course of monitoring significant legal developments in the jurisdictions that I cover, I often come across amusing or quirky stories that make me smile, but also make me think (possibly because I’m a total geek…).  I mean, when you analyze or discuss these stories you realize that there might be deeper underlying societal …

Ornate red and ivory wall decoration, with plaque and symbols

Refugee Law Debated Prior to Aussie Election

Posted by: Kelly Buchanan

The Australian federal election is being held on August 21.  The current Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, announced the election on July 17, a couple of weeks after she replaced Kevin Rudd as leader of the Labor Party.  The (very brief) election campaign is in full swing, with various issues coming to the forefront of the …

Ornate red and ivory wall decoration, with plaque and symbols

Tweeting THOMAS and Connecting with Congress

Posted by: Andrew Weber

We’re big into Twitter here at the Library of Congress.  The Library of Congress account is closing in on 100,000 followers.   The Law Library account has grown steadily since its launch last October.  I work with a colleague to tweet for the @LawLibCongress account.  Twitter can be a great tool for both finding out about …

Ornate red and ivory wall decoration, with plaque and symbols

What is Congress Sending the President?

Posted by: Andrew Weber

Want to know what Congress just passed and sent down Pennsylvania Avenue? You can keep track through  THOMAS.  There is a Bills Presented to the President RSS feed and email alert.  It lists bills that have passed both the House of Representatives and Senate and have been sent to the White House for the President’s …

Ornate red and ivory wall decoration, with plaque and symbols

Get Your Hot, Fresh Federal Register 2.0!

Posted by: Christine Sellers

On the 75th anniversary of the signing of the Federal Register Act (July 26, 2010), Federal Register 2.0 (FR 2.0) was launched. The site is jointly administered by the Office of the Federal Register (OFR) of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), and the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO). A huge change in format …