1.  This morning, Thursday, Nov. 20, they tried an experiment to see how bad the noise in the library would be when they drilled out the concrete benches, steps etc. in the Courtyard.  This process, which occupies the first few weeks of the project,  is the worst part of the construction for  producing raw noise.  Well, it was pretty, as in really,  loud.  The Main Reading Room of the Law Library and the Computer Lab area were both seriously compromised.  The drilling is scheduled to begin December 8.  Exams will not start until the workmen are done for the day, so that should not be a problem, but it will be virtually impossible to study in the Main Reading Room or to use the Computer Lab during the work day.  The Library folks are identifying other places that you can study during the day.  Here is the link to alternative study sites.

http://www.law.berkeley.edu/library/dynamic/guide.php?id=25

The link appears on the Law Library webpage under the Exam Resources tab.

We will keep you posted as we identify new possibilities.

2.  New bike racks are being put in along the south wall of Wuster Hall, the builiding adjacent to Boalt.  There are racks there now, but the capacity is going to be greatly  increased.  Once that is done, which is scheduled to be next Wednesday, Nov. 26, they will close the current bike parking area at the west end of Boalt.  Immediately thereafter they will start construction work in that area.  This means that you have to get you bicycle out of there before the end of next Wednesday.   Seriously.  The good news is that there will be a net gain in bike parking with the Wurster Addition.

3.  The promised student mail slots are almost here and only await aseembly and labeling.  The mystery of why these took so long to arrive may never be unraveled, but the story will have a happy ending.  Soon.  Honest.

4.  On a final note, the summer 2008 Bar Exam results are scheduled to be released to the exam takers on Friday, Nov. 21, with the general public getting access to the list on Sunday.  Let us all send a good wish to those members of the Class of 2008 who are nervously awaiting what we hope will be good news.

BB

Mid-November is always tough, and this year Thanksgiving falls on the last possible date. The semester slides right into the holiday. Everyone looks a little punchy these days and we all have good reason.

The building projects roll on. The double paned windows are now installed in the Main Reading Room of the Law Library. These will protect us from noise in the spring semester, or so they promise us. The washing of the outside of the bulidng has gone off without major problems.. On the other hand, someone ruptured a steam pipe which has meant no heat in some parts of the building. It has been a bear to repair, but they promise that it will be fixed by Friday. They also tell me that the weather should warm up a bit tomorrow and that will help. It is no fun to try to teach Contracts to students who are wearing coats and shivering, I shudder to think what it must be like to try to learn Contracts, or anything else, under those conditions.

Major demolition work begins in early December. The concrete benches, the outside pillars and the courtyard and steps all have to go. Concerned that it might play out like this,we scheduled all finals to start at 4pm to avoid the noise. (Work stops at 3:30pm) Because of laws about noise, the crews cannot work at night or on the week ends, but if this works out, the worst will be over when the next semester starts. The Law Library folks are going to work to find quiet places to study once the noise starts. More on that to follow.

The mail slots are almost here. Almost.

Take a deep breath, the semester is picing up momentum.

BB

Halloween has come and gone, we all gained an hour of sleep when we set back the clocks over the week end and the election finally comes to an end tomorrow. A lot’s going on.

The new floor is installed in the West Basement. Given my total lack of aesthetic sense, I will trust the judgment of others, who tell me that it is very fine. The student areas on that level that are still being renovated received the same floor. Its completion is a good sign. Sorry about the mixed messages at the end of last week about the installation of the new floor, we wanted to be sure that no one was cut off from their books. I figure it is better to act fast to warn folks, then try and fix the problem. At least there is a happy ending this time.

After a week’s delay, workmen are now chaning the windows in the Main Reading Room of the law library. Double paned glass, designed to deaden the construction sound, is being installed. The workmen come between midnight and 8am to minimize the disruption in the room.

We hope for good news on bicycle parking soon. Concerns about bicycle theft have been raised. We are in touch with UC Police who tell us that indeed there currently is a rash of bicycle thefts on campus. They have just made some arrests, but they know better than to think that they have solved the problem. We will try to work with them to provide better security.

BB