BLS Library Blog

In November 2025, the library is celebrating Native American Heritage Month. Since official recognition by a joint Congressional resolution in 1990, the month of November has been a time to celebrate the achievements, traditions, languages, and stories of Native Americans as well as to raise awareness of the many challenges tribal communities continue to face.

The library's Native American Heritage Month display can be found on the library’s first floor, near the circulation desk and alcove. Titles on display include A Lenapehoking Anthology, published by the Lanape Center and the Brooklyn Public Library and exploring the personal journeys of people seeking welcome in their ancestral homeland; Never Whistle at Night: An Indigenous Dark Fiction Anthology with stories that revolve around indigenous folklore and traditions, and touch on racism and inequality; the new political novel Big Chief by Jon Hickey; and a feature on Deb Haaland who is running for governor of New Mexico in that state's 2026 gubernatorial election.  

Do also check out the library's digital display in connection with this month's celebration. We hope you find helpful resources that promote understanding of Native American heritage and history here: https://guides.brooklaw.edu/digital_book_displays/Native_American_Heritage_Month   

BLS Library will hold its annual LibraryFest this Thursday, September 25, from 12:30 to 4:30 pm on the first floor of the library. This year, more vendors than ever will be on hand to showcase their legal research platforms to students and give away swag. Lexis, Westlaw, Bloomberg Law, Wolters Kluwer, ProQuest, EBSCO, Oxford University Press, and CALI will all be represented! BLS librarians will also be there to show students a variety of research tools available through the library website. 

This will be an excellent opportunity to learn about the many legal research resources available to BLS students! If you are a 1L, it is a great way to be introduced to the features of these research platforms. If you are a 2L, 3L or 4L, you are likely to discover new resources that will be helpful as you tackle research papers, undertake research projects for your externship, or work on developing practice-ready skills. In addition, students who visit at least four vendors can enter the raffle. Many gift cards and other prizes, including a 50-inch TV, will be raffled off! The library will notify prize winners by email, so you do not have to be present at the drawing to win.

LibraryFest will be a lot of fun, and we hope to see you there! 

Starting Monday, August 11, 2025, BLS Library is changing over to the use of OpenAthens, a secure access management platform that allows users to access electronic resources remotely using single sign-on (SSO). Members of the BLS community will be able to use OpenAthens to access library resources remotely, in place of remote access through the proxy server.  Below, please find an important message from Library Director Brittany Persson detailing the reasons for the change, and resources if you run into issues. The BLS Library Technology: Remote Access guide also provides important information about OpenAthens and links to key resources connected to the transition. 

“On Monday, August 11th, BLS Library will begin our transition to OpenAthens, a new method of accessing library electronic resources remotely. OpenAthens will replace our current remote access system, the proxy server, and will instead use single sign-on (SSO) technology that integrates with BLS accounts.

Why is the Library making this change?

Discontinuing the proxy server and migrating to OpenAthens will improve the research experience at BLS by providing reliable, stable, secure, and streamlined access to library resources from anywhere.*

How will this affect you?

1. When accessing a digital resource through a library website (such as the catalog, the A-Z Databases list and our research guides), you will be directed to an OpenAthens login screen, where you can click "Sign in with your BLS credentials". Once you enter your BLS email and password, you will then be signed into OpenAthens on that browser, even if you navigate to other websites or resources.

2. When accessing a digital resource directly through a database, look for a login link. Login links might include terms like, “Login through your institution,” “OpenAthens,” or “Sign In”.

3. Resources that already require individual usernames and passwords, such as Westlaw, Lexis, Bloomberg, and CALI, are not migrating to OpenAthens.

What do you need to know?

The migration to OpenAthens will take place from Monday, August 11th to Wednesday, August 13th. During this time, resource links in the catalog, the A-Z Databases list and our research guides will be updated to allow for proper OpenAthens access.

During this transition, some resource URLs may be temporarily broken or unavailable. We appreciate your patience while we ensure that OpenAthens is properly configured and set up.

What do you need to do?

During the first few weeks of the fall semester, you should disable the proxy server. If you have links to subscription resources bookmarked or embedded in class syllabi, they will also need to be updated to comply with OpenAthens. Instructions for disabling the proxy and updating links, as well as more detailed information about OpenAthens, can be found here.

After August 13, if you run into any access problems, please send them to the Library using our Report an OpenAthens Issue form.”