David Badertscher

January 25, 2008

Documents Regarding Economic Stimulus and the General Economic Outlook

Since issues related to stimulating the U.S. economy and the more general economic outlook are being so widely discussed in the news media, we thought it would be helpful to add context to the general discussion by posting a few federal documents which provide an added dimension to the topic.

The list of materials below is not meant to be comprehensive; most have been generated in the past few days by those involved directly in developing the proposed stimulus package. In addition, we have added two documents which discuss the general outlook of the economy.

Here is the list with brief descriptions. To gain access to these materials click on the links provided:

December 12, 2007

Blogging and Virtual Reference at the New York Supreme Court Criminal Law Library

by David Badertscher

BY: David G. Badertscher

The New York Supreme Court Criminal Term Library of New York County (sometimes referred to as the New York Criminal Law Library) is located in lower Manhattan near the Brooklyn Bridge, City Hall, and State andFederal courthouses. It is one of several Supreme Court libraries located throughout the State of New York, which operate under the auspices of the New York Unified Court System.

Although its primary mission is to provide reference and research support to personnel of the Criminal Term, its actual responsibilities and obligations are quite broad. Using its various collections in all formats, including digital, in conjunction with various web and online services, including a website and a weblog, this library functions as both an information repository and an information service. These resources and services enable it to reach out to patrons both local and worldwide, as time and resources permit. Part of the library’s responsibility is to provide support as needed and operational oversight to the New York County Public Access Law Library, which is charged with serving those members of the public who need law-related information.

November 30, 2007

Should the Web Be Changed From WWW to GGG (Giant Global Graph) ?

by David Badertscher

David Badertscher

“Why we need to move from thinking about Web pages to thinking about the information on those pages.”

http://www.gcn.com/blogs/tech/45477.html

September 14, 2007

Law, The Brain and DSM

by David Badertscher

David Badertscher

Usually four times a year I make a presentation to Psychiatric Fellows associated with our forensic psychiatric clinic. In these presentations I discuss updated reference sources including databases, and review with them various searching and other techniques useful in their research. When preparing for an upcoming session I noticed two items, one a small OP-ED article in the New York Times, and the other a review of a book published by Oxford University Press.

One book that is consulted repeatedly is the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, or DSM, a respected reference source, currently in its fourth edition, prepared by the American Psychiatric Association. While this source is often relied upon without question, there is a concern among some that future editions may need to focus in a more precise way on issues such as symptoms and the linkage between diagnosis and treatment.