Library Services and Policies

Library Maps

The Law Library occupies three floors on the west side of Lamar Hall. Its main entrance is on the third floor adjacent to the Dean's Suite. The Library's second and fourth floors are accessible only by an internal elevator and stairs. Click here for maps.

Reference Services & Inter-Library Loan

When classes are in session, reference service is available Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. (This schedule will vary during intersessions and holidays) During these hours, the public services law librarians and law students trained as reference assistants are available to assist patrons with all of their research needs.

Inter-Library Loan (ILL) is now available online to current law students, faculty and staff.

Circulation Policies and Procedures

Information about the Library's holdings is available via LOUIS, the Library's online catalog. Students, faculty, and attorneys who wish to check out circulating materials must first establish patron accounts. (Applications are available at the Circulation Desk) An ID must also be presented at the check out.

Please note that the following categories of materials do not circulate:

  • Primary legal authority resources such as statutes, administrative codes, and case reporters;
  • Secondary authority resources in high demand, such as dictionaries, encyclopedias, and periodicals;
  • Volumes of a multi-volume set; and
  • Finding tools, such as case digests, citators, and looseleaf materials.

Other books are designated non-circulating as student and faculty research needs warrant. Any use of non-circulating materials outside the Law Library must be approved by the Law Library Director.

Circulation Periods

  • 3-hour Reserve: Reserve items may be borrowed for three hours
  • 24-hour Material: Videotapes may be checked out for twenty-four hours.
  • 30-day Material: Most single-volume books may be checked out for 30 days.

Please return materials promptly so that others may use them. Keeping library resources longer than permitted can result in suspension of library privileges and placement of holds on school records. All books on loan are subject to recall if needed by another patron or for Reserve.

The Law Library does not charge fines for overdue books, but overdue notices are sent to patrons. Books that are not returned are regularly processed as lost items. The borrower must pay the replacement cost of the book plus a $10.00 technical processing fee. Library charges must be paid before a student may register for the next semester, participate in graduation exercises, or obtain official copies of transcripts.

Please ask at the Circulation Desk if the book or periodical you need is missing from the shelf. If the item is checked out, the staff will contact the borrower and request that the material be returned promptly.

Photocopy Machines

The Library maintains two photocopiers for the public use, located in a room directly across from the Circulation Desk. Please note that they are operated by coins, bills, or cards. Photocopies cost $.10 per page for legal or letter-sized copies. Please note that a limited amount of change is available from the staff in the Circulation office. Report any difficulty in using the photocopy machines to the staff at the Circulation desk.

Please reshelve your books after photocopying. Material from the second and fourth floors should be placed on the reshelving book trucks near the Circulation Desk.

Fax Transmission and Receipt

Ask in the Circulation office for information about the Law Librarys fax machine. The library provides transmission and receipt service for items necessary to school-related research and law school business. For personal items, including private research for law firms, the library charges $1.50 per page to transmit (send) and $.25 per page to receive.

Accommodations for Patrons with Disabilities

To alert the desk attendant when someone needs assistance entering the library, please press the green doorbell outside the library's entrance. Access to the Library's second and fourth floors is available via the internal elevator located in the third-floor computer lab. If you need other assistance, please ask at Reference or Circulation.