From the Director
Professor Ann Puckett

A colleague at another law school, Tom Steele from Wake Forest, has this to say about scheduling library hours. I couldn't have said it better myself, so I won't try."

[Note from Sally Curtis AsKew, Reference/Public Services Librarian: The schedule of hours for the Law Library during Thanksgiving break is included in this issue of the newsletter. The hours for the entire fiscal year July 1, 1998 through June 30, 1999, are on the Law Library's Web site at http:www.lawsch.uga.edu/lawlib/hours.html (please note that university budgetary policies mandate that our hours for the entire fiscal year must be set before July 1 of each year). The following article is reprinted from the Wake Forest University Professional Center Library newsletter with the permission of the author, Professor Tom Steele. We find that it states very well the kinds of problems we have in setting hours to meet the needs of all library users.]

Library Hours - Here's Notice!

Tom Steele, Director

Every year we are confronted with upset law students sometime during the course of the term who are convinced that we have made a fatal error by not keeping the Library open that day for several extra hours for some reason. Our response generally is we might have done so if we had enough demonstrated interest far enough in advance. Since Library Hours are posted at least by late July for the Fall term and by November for the Spring term we are always amazed that someone has not noticed before the hour and day of irretrievable disaster is upon them that the Library hasn't set later hours.

We have in the past experimented with extended hours provided that we had enough notice, there was an actual as opposed to a perceived need, and if we thought the Library would be actually used. Almost without exception these special hours have proven to be unnecessary. In fact, we usually can predict the impact because we keep detailed hourly statistics every day that we are open. It doesn't take extensive analysis to note that if only two people were using the library from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m. and one left from 11 p.m. to 12 p.m. the same day and time (relative to the academic calendar) that we are unlikely to get much use if we stay open until 2 a.m.. Actually, those few times when use has been high enough to justify it, we have incorporated it in next year's calendar. So the calendar that we operate on is based upon a strong factual, experiential foundation.

But if you foresee a problem or crunch time in the near future come to us now but not at the last minute. We will see if there is a possibility that the hours extension might have some reasonable chance of proving useful and not wasteful of the limited dollars that we have available.

Meet Your Computer Lab Assistants

The Law School is lucky to have such an able crew of undergraduates, all of whom are majoring in either MIS or Computer Science, staffing the Help Desk. Remember to give 'em a call at 542-0895 when you need assistance.

Brandon O'Dell

Jason Smith

Luda Eyfa

Jackie Liang

Dave Sixto

Shawn Hutchinson

Dominic Medico

Patrick Ulam

Martha Hampton Retires

After almost 20 years at the Law Library, Acquisitions Librarian Martha Hampton retired to her house on the lake on October 30, 1998. Members of the Law Library and Law School faculty and staff gathered together to honor Martha at a High Tea, held in Rusk Hall on October 21. Martha's surprise at the unexpected attendance by several of her close friends and her college roommates was surpassed only by the surprise of her sisters arriving from Memphis, TN and Beaufort, SC to join in the celebration!

Martha's good friend Sally Curtis AsKew (Reference/Public Services Librarian) and Library Director Ann Puckett spoke at the tea, where all enjoyed finger sandwiches and desserts catered by Trumps. We will miss Martha tremendously, but we know that she enjoy much happiness in her retirement.

For more about Martha Hampton's tenure at the UGA Law Library, please see the profile in the April/May 1998 issue of Amicus Briefs, available at the Law Library or on the Web at http://www.lawsch.uga.edu/newsletter/index.html.

Library Hours

Regular Hours:

Monday - Friday, 7:30am - Midnight
Saturday - Sunday, 8:00am - Midnight

Exams & Thanksgiving Week Hours:

November 17 - 24, 1998 Regular Opening Hours; Closing Hours extended to 1:00 a.m.
November 25 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
November 26 (Thanksgiving Day) CLOSED
November 27 - December 18 Regular Opening Hours; Closing Hours extended to 1:00 a.m.
December 19 7:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Interim Period (December 20, 1998 - January 6, 1999):

Saturday, December 19 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Sunday, December 20 CLOSED
Monday - Wednesday, December 21 - 23 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
December 24, 1998 - January 3, 1999 CLOSED (Christmas & New Year's Holidays)
Monday - Tuesday, January 4 - 5 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Wednesday, January 6 8:00 a.m. - Midnight

This newsletter is a publication of the University of Georgia Law Library. Look for it on the Web at http://www.lawsch.uga.edu/newsletter/index.html

Please send all contributions and comments to:

Anne Burnett
UGA Law Library
Herty Drive
Athens GA 30602
aburnett@arches.uga.edu