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Commentary | April 8, 2024

Ready! Set! Research!

By DHS National Library 

April 7th-13th marks National Library Week (NLW), the American Library Association’s annual celebration of libraries across the country to promote library use and services. This year’s theme, “Ready, Set, Research!” emphasizes the importance of connection to guide DHS Library users through their research and information roadblocks. For the DHS Library, this commitment is evident through our Ask-a-Librarian service as well as various training opportunities and personalized research instruction. 

In observance of NLW, the DHS Librarians invite you to participate in a weeklong information sharing event spotlighting mission-essential resources available across the DHS enterprise through the DHS Library. The DHS workforce will have multiple opportunities to attend these specialized trainings throughout the week with relevant topics including science & technology, engineering, biomedical, immigration, emergency management, cybersecurity, and defense intelligence research. 

For USCG employees, the DHS Library will host the following: 

Science Direct Monday, April 8 (3:30 AM - 4:30 PM EDT)  

ScienceDirect is Elsevier's leading interdisciplinary, bibliographic database of peer-reviewed scientific and medical publications, including journal articles and eBooks. ScienceDirect enables researchers to search for content on specific topics, as well as access and download full-text articles and chapters. This training session will demonstrate tools for managing and organizing research, search strategy tips, recent platform updates, and where to find help resources within your workflow. No registration needed. Join session here 

Accuris Engineering Workbench Tuesday, April 9 (10:00 AM – 11:00 AM EDT)  

This session provides an overview of the engineering workbench platform with access to validated and verified technical documentation and industry standards. Learn how to stay compliant and easily identify and manage changes in standards. No registration needed. Join session here 

ASTM International Tuesday, April 9 (11:30 AM – 12:30 AM EDT)  

ASTM Compass provides access to industry consensus standards ranging from aviation safety to fiber optic cable installations in underground utilities. This session will cover the ins and outs of the platform including:  

  • How to access documents  
  • FAQs and how-to videos  
  • User guide access  
  • Search functionality  
  • Tracking and version comparison  
  • Favorites  
  • Additional features  

No registration needed. Join session here 

Litigation Research on Westlaw (CLE)* Wednesday, April 10 (2:00 PM – 3:00 PM EDT)  

During this course, you will learn how to locate relevant briefs, pleadings, motions, jury verdicts, settlements, practice guides, and expert materials most efficiently. You will also learn how to use Litigation Analytics to find information on courts, attorneys, judges and damages. Access to Westlaw requires an account. Request an account if you don't already have one via the Ask a Librarian customer service portal.  

*Registration Required. Register here  

Government Contracts Research on Westlaw (CLE)* Wednesday, April 10 (3:30 PM – 4:30 PM EDT) 

This course builds upon and expands legal research skills using Westlaw and Practical Law to delve into Government Contracts content sets. The focus will be on finding case law, statutes, regulations, administrative documents, and secondary sources specific to Government Contracts. Access to Westlaw requires an account. Request an account if you don't already have one via the Ask a Librarian customer service portal.  

*Registration Required. Register here 

Regulations & Administrative Materials on Westlaw* Wednesday, April 10 (1:00 PM – 1:30 PM EDT)  

This course is not for CLE credit. Learn how to conduct research in regulations and administrative materials on Westlaw. You will learn how to search for and find regulations, how to verify whether a regulation is still good law, find citing references to support your legal argument, how to find and search the Federal Register, and locate preambles for regulations. You will also learn how to search for and find Administrative Guidance and Decisions on Westlaw, how to search for specific agency materials, utilize advanced search templates and find citing references for administrative materials. Access to Westlaw requires an account. Request an account if you don't already have one via the Ask a Librarian customer service portal. 

*Registration Required. Register here  

Janes Defense Intelligence Friday, April 12 (11:30 AM – 12:30 PM EDT)  

This session will provide an overview of the content in Janes Defense Intelligence database. By the end of this session, you will be able to:  

  •  Identify the different types of data and analysis accessible to DHS colleagues.  
  • Understand core offerings and features of the Janes online customer portal. 
  • Use Janes search to optimize discovery of relevant subscription content. 
  • Visualize and analyze Janes data using embedded analytical tools.  

No registration needed. Join session here  

For more information on NLW offerings, including a full schedule of events, please visit the National Library Week Research Guide. 

-USCG-