The Interior Library offers regular training sessions to introduce Department of the Interior employees and others to its services and to the information sources it makes available, either on employees' desktops or in person. Training sessions are presented via webinar.
Additional training sessions will be posted as they are scheduled. Please check this page regularly for changes or updates.
To register for a future training session, please use our Training Session Registration Form. If the registration form does not work at your location, you may use the Library's contact form. If you have any questions or concerns, contact the Interior Library by e-mail at library@ios.doi.gov or by phone at (202) 208-5815
Webinar recordings of recently completed Interior Library programs are available upon request. Please contact the Interior Library by phone at (202) 208-5815 or via the Library's contact form for more information.
Resources at the National Indian Law Library
Thursday, December 14, 2023, 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm ET
There are 574 Federally recognized Native American tribes in the United States, all with their own unique governments and laws. Unlike the laws for many jurisdictions in the U.S., however, these laws can be difficult to find, if they are accessible at all. Anne Lucke, Director of the National Indian Law Library (NILL), will discuss some of the reasons tribal law can be hard to find and the best resources for locating tribal law, including tribal websites, legal publishers, and NILL’s Tribal Law Gateway. The session will conclude with a brief description of some of the other resources available to researchers through the National Indian Law Library.
Please note: This program is only being offered as a simultaneous online webinar. Please contact the Library to obtain webinar information for this program.
Researching Legislative Histories and Statutes on Westlaw
Tuesday, January 9, 2024, 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm ET
Learn how to conduct legislative history research on Westlaw. In the first part of this class you will learn how to research the legislative history for a specific act. We will discuss where the act is codified and how to find legislative history for the act. In the second part of this class we will find the legislative history for a specific statute. In addition, we will see how to find links to other documents on Westlaw that cite to your statute including cases, secondary sources, regulations, and administrative decisions. Part three will focus on researching statutes. See how Westlaw has made statutory research easier with links to relevant cases and relevant legislative history. We will also review how Westlaw has made it easier to search for statutes, including by the popular name of the act. Part four will focus on researching state legislative history materials on Westlaw. This program will be conducted by a Westlaw trainer.
Please note: This program is only being offered as a simultaneous online webinar. Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credits will be available for DOI Solicitor's Office attorneys attending this program. Please contact the Library to obtain webinar or CLE credit information for this program.
Introduction to the Indian Claims Insight Database
Tuesday, February 6, 2024, 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm ET
The Indian Claims Insight database (available at Interior Department workstations nationwide via the Interior Library's website) is a one-of-a-kind research tool that provides researchers with the opportunity to understand and analyze Native American migration and resettlement throughout U.S. history. It also addresses U.S. Government Indian removal policies and subsequent actions to address Native American claims. Content includes decisions, transcripts, docket books, journals of the Indian Claims Commission, and related statutes and congressional publications. Researchers can also trace the journeys of Indians as U.S. government Indian removal policies pushed them from their ancestral lands and forced them to relocate, as well as the determination of the tribes to gain standing in court to bring action against the U.S. Government to seek redress for inequities in the treaty process. This training session, taught via webinar by a Clarivate trainer, will cover the content in the database, review searching and document types and will also provide attendees with links to additional support materials.
Please note: This program is only being offered as a simultaneous online webinar. Please contact the Library to obtain webinar information for this program.