Streaming services are more popular than ever, and despite screen fatigue from attending so many work and social activities online, Massive Open Online Courses or MOOCs are experiencing a surge in enrollment. Listed here are a number of courses for lawyers and/or those interested in the law.
Read moreResources for Social Media Literacy to Combat Post-Election Disinformation Initiatives
We at the Harris County Law Library are committed to providing our patrons the most accurate and reliable information from legitimate, authoritative sources. If, for example, a patron needs to file a divorce petition, we trust web sites like TexasLawHelp.org to guide patrons through the process. TexasLawHelp.org bears all the hallmarks of a reliable legal information website. It is accurate, authoritative, current, and reputable, qualities that inspire confidence in its validity and reliability.
These are the identifiers to look for when evaluating any online content, especially on social media. In the days after the election, as we await the final tally of all ballots in several states, we can expect to see a rise in the spread of misinformation, particularly on Twitter and Facebook. To encourage information consumers of all political stripes to examine online content carefully, we are providing the following list of resources.
These sites discuss the red flags to look for in identifying misinformation online, helping us all to become more discerning information seekers. Further, they explain how the perpetrators of misinformation campaigns are trying to create doubt, bias our perceptions, and foment discord in our information spaces. Using the strategies presented here for reducing the impact of misinformation may prevent us all from becoming viral vectors in the perpetuation of anything but the truth.
Uncertainty and Misinformation: What to Expect on Election Night and Days After -- UW Center for an Informed Public; Washington State University; and Stanford University Internet Observatory
The most dangerous day for disinformation isn't Election Day, it's the day after – Business Insider
Interference 2020 – Columbia Journalism Review
#Protect2020 Rumor vs. Reality – Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency
Misinformation Watch 2020 -- CNN
Stand With The Facts – KUOW & Center for an Informed Public
Voters' Guide To Election Security In The 2020 Presidential Campaign – NPR
The Anatomy Of An Election Disinformation Campaign – On Point, WBUR
Understanding Election Disinformation in 2016, 2020, and Beyond – Public Knowledge
Election Day promises to be full of misinformation. Here’s how we can all stop its spread. – Washington Post
Lexis Training: October 22 and On-Demand
Join us on Thursday, October 22, for a webinar from LexisNexis. This virtual Vendor Visit will be a one-hour continuing legal education session called Navigating the New Town Square: Cultivating Competency in Basic Online Legal Research. The goal of the course will be to assist attorneys in navigating online legal research so they feel more confident and competent when researching subjects important to their work. Texas attorneys can earn 1.0 hour CLE. To enroll, please visit the registration page on the Legal Tech Institute course calendar.
For additional LexisAdvance training, consider subscribing to the LexisNexis Legal YouTube channel where you can watch on-demand videos from the comfort of your desk. Videos cover a wide range of topics to help you become more adept at using this powerful legal research platform. Selected topics include:
Starting Your Search
Searching and Navigating Treatises
Exploring Content
Document and Navigation Tools
Managing Search Results
Natural Language Searching
Terms & Connectors
Using Annotated Forms
For additional guidance, explore the LexisNexis Digital Library video playlist where you can learn to more effectively navigate the LexisNexis ebook collection. The Harris County Law Library is a happy to provide access to this indispensable collection for all interested library users. Simply submit a request for access to the Lexis Digital Collection, and we will send you logon credentials as quickly as we can. Then, sign in to explore an expansive collection of Lexis treatises and practice guides, including Dorsaneo’s Texas Litigation Guide and the Texas Transaction Guide.
Don’t forget: Join us this Thursday, October 22, to build your proficiency in using LexisAdvance, and earn one hour of Texas CLE credit for attending. Hope to see you there!
Texas Free WiFi Map
Do you have a laptop, tablet, phone, or other mobile device but lack consistent, reliable access to the Internet? Do have a limited data plan that restricts your access to online resources just when you need them the most? We found a solution!
The Texas State Library & Archives Commission, Texas RioGrande Legal Aid, and Texas Legal Services Center/TexasLawHelp.org have developed an ArcGIS map of free public drive-up WiFi spots in Texas. Users can enter their address or city and search for available public WiFi within a specified distance. (Harris County Law Library is one such location.) Anyone who needs free internet access for school, work, virtual court hearings, telehealth visits, or access to web-phone or -text services will find this information useful.
The map is available in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese.
BPSOS-Houston deserves much credit for their assistance in translating the site for Vietnamese speakers.
Access the Texas Free WiFi Map at either of the links below.
The Texas State Library and Archives Commission provides a list of additional resources to help Texans get and stay connected to the Internet, a couple of which are listed here.
Find local internet service providers making price and service adjustments to keep communities connected.
Find local service providers in your area using BroadbandNow.org
If you have any questions or comments regarding the map tool, please contact TexasWiFiMap@tlsc1.org
Provide feedback by filling out this short survey.
Remote Access to HeinOnline
HeinOnline is consistently recognized as one of the best, most indispensable legal websites, especially for accessing legal scholarship. As the world's largest image-based academic and legal research platform, HeinOnline -- and the Law Journal Library in particular -- provides a wealth of fully searchable content including an extensive archive of legal publications in full-text PDF.
Not only is the website an incredible respository of information, but so is the HeinOnline app. Within the app, users can access content by citation, browse by volume or collection, navigate using the electronic table of contents or by using the same advanced search tool that makes Hein's website functionality so robust. Users of the HeinOnline app can download articles in PDF format, save them to their devices, or share them with colleagues. And, to make the user experience even better, they can do so remotely, making the full functionality of HeinOnline available to any interested patrons during the library’s closure.
To gain remote access to HeinOnline via the HeinOnline app, first download the program to your device. Click here for Android or here for the iPhone. Then, authenticate your device by accessing the database while connected to the Harris County Guest Wi-Fi network that is available in all Harris County courthouses. Once IP authenticated, your device will be database-enabled from any location for 30 days. At the end of that period, visit the Harris County courthouse complex once again to re-authenticate and never be without access to HeinOnline!
This link to the HeinOnline App User's Guide is a bit dated, but its explanation of how the authentication process works is still valid. If you have any questions, please ask the library staff for assistance. We're happy to help you gain the full benefits of using our resources and to support you in your legal research needs.