LAW LIBRARY GUIDE

Introduction

Welcome to the Northeastern University School of Law Library. The law library, located on five floors in the law school complex, offers natural light-filled areas for study and research amidst the collection. Study carrels, conference rooms for student use, a videotape viewing room, and secluded individual study rooms are also available. Three computer labs, two of classroom size, are available for computerized legal research, access to the Internet and a host of networked applications. The labs also include high-speed printers, a scanner and an infrared port to facilitate printing from laptops.

The library houses more than 322,000 volumes and over 3,000 serial titles and is continually adding to its collection in all areas. Mirroring the curricular and research emphases of the School, the collection is particularly strong in public interest law, international human rights, law and public health, death penalty issues, and progressive lawyering.

Four of the library’s seven professional librarians hold both the J.D. and master’s degrees in library science. The talented and professional library staff is eager to assist you in your research and information needs. Please feel free to ask any library staff member if you have questions or need help. We look forward to working with you and introducing you to our resources.

Library hours are extended at the end of each quarter before and during exam periods. Please visit our Web site at http://www.slaw.neu.edu/library for a detailed list of hours.

LIBRARY STAFF AND TELEPHONE NUMBERS

Library Telephone Numbers

Library Staff

Administration

Access Services

Research and Instructional Services

 Technical Services

Law Library Web Site

http://www.slaw.neu.edu/library/

Access and Borrowing

The law library is open to all Northeastern University students, faculty, staff, and alumni/ae. Students from area law schools and universities whose institutions are members of the New England Law Library Consortium or the Boston Library Consortium may use the library upon presentation of a valid identification card from their individual institution. Borrowing privileges are extended to all members of the Northeastern University community and to those patrons with a valid Boston Library Consortium card.

After-Hours Access

The law library is open to the general public from 7:30 a.m.to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. Persons wishing to use the law library for research purposes after 6:00 p.m. on weekdays and during the weekend must present proper identification at the Richardson Plaza entrance. Any of the following forms of identification is sufficient to gain access to the building:

• Northeastern University I.D.
• Northeastern law students without a University I.D. may show any I.D. if their name appears in the law school directory
• I.D. from another Boston Library Consortium university or area law school
• Picture I.D. and inclusion in the law school alumni directory
• Northeastern University Alumni I.D.
• Picture I.D. and inclusion in the law library’s access list
  

Circulation and Reserve

Circulating Materials

Northeastern University students and alumni/ae may borrow circulating materials for a 28 day period with one renewal allowed. Faculty may borrow most materials for a full quarter. The library does not impose fines upon members of the School of Law community; however it does charge for lost books. All library books must be returned and lost book charges paid before students are allowed to graduate.

Non-Circulating Materials

A number of items within the law library’s collection may not be checked out of the library. These include all state and federal primary materials, legal periodicals, citators, digests, loose-leaf services, encyclopedias, and reference sources.

Reserve Materials

Frequently used materials are kept on reserve. Included among these are course materials, hornbooks, nutshells, selected treatises and casebooks, legal research and writing materials, computer aids and videotapes.

There are many items which have been flagged as high use. Please be considerate and return these items promptly.

Reserve material may be checked out for two hours with a valid student identification card. Many reserve materials may also be checked out overnight within two hours of library closing. Overnight materials must be returned the following day within one hour of opening. Borrowers who repeatedly fail to return reserve materials within these time frames will have their circulation privileges revoked for the remainder of the quarter.

Library Guidelines

The library is place for quiet study. Please have consideration for your colleagues.

• Users who wish to work together should reserve a group study room.
• Food is not allowed in the library. Drinks with covers are allowed.
• Smoking is not permitted in the law school or the law library.
• The library reserves the right to check bags upon exit.
• Cell phone use is not permitted in the library.

Library Services

NUCat

The University’s online catalog, NUCat, is found at
http://nucat.lib.neu.edu/search.

Reference Librarians

Professional reference librarians are available to assist library users with research questions. Reference assistance is generally available Monday through Friday 9am - 5pm.  During the Fall quarter, there may be additional reference hours. Please check the WeBoard for any schedule changes.

Inter-library Loan

Materials not available at the Northeastern University Law Library may be borrowed from other libraries through inter-library loan. Inter-library loan request forms are available at the circulation desk. Books from selected academic libraries may also be borrowed through the Boston Library Consortium’s Virtual Catalog at http://www.lib.neu.edu/gateway/vc.htm.

Additionally, llliad, a self-service, electronic ILL request form, is always available on the website at http://www.slaw.neu.edu/library

Access to Other Libraries

Members of the School of Law community have access to all the resources at Snell Library which serves the general Northeastern University community. Students can also borrow material from the University’s John D. O’Bryant African-American Institute Library.

The library’s membership in the New England Law Library Consortium and the Boston Library Consortium offers our students access to area law libraries and research facilities. Consult a reference librarian for detailed information about access to other libraries.

Computer Assisted Legal Research

All School of Law students and faculty have access to WESTLAW and LEXIS, the computer assisted legal research systems. LEXIS and WESTLAW are available for educational use only. Only authorized students and faculty may use the on-line systems. Students are trained in on-line legal research during their first year of law school. Additional training courses are offered on a continuous basis throughout the academic year. See a reference librarian for more details. Restrictions as to use of Lexis/Westlaw on Coop are posted on the library section of the WeBoard.

Electronic Resources

A variety of electronic databases and on-line subscriptions are available through the law library’s Licenced Electronic Resources web page. Additionally, the law library’s Law-Related Sources web page contains links to frequently used external research resources including government links, search engines and finding tools, and subject-specific resources.

Computer Labs

Networked computers and high speed printers are available for student use in the library’s computer labs and in selected study carrels. Use of the computers is restricted to Northeastern University School of Law students, alumni/ae, faculty and staff only. Questions regarding the computer equipment should be directed to the proctor on duty in the lab or to Computer Services staff at 617-373-8919.

Wireless Network

Audio and Visual Resources

Various audio and visual equipment for recording events and displaying presentations is maintained for use by the School of Law Community. Instructions for use of the equipment is provided by Computer Services staff. To reserve equipment, contact the Computer Services staff at 617-373-8919.

Room 404, a private viewing room for videos, accommodates several people for screenings. The room can be reserved at the circulation desk.

Adaptive Technology

A computer running Jaws, software that reads text on the computer screen aloud, is available for use by visually impaired patrons in a private study room on the second floor of the library. The Reading Edge, a machine that scans and reads printed materials in English and allows for tape recording, is also available.

Microforms

The library subscribes to a number of materials in microform format. Microform materials include congressional documents and hearings, records and briefs from the United States Supreme Court, treaties, ALI publications, and state and federal administrative materials. The microform room is located on the third floor of the library. A microform Reader/Printer is also located in this room, copies are $0.15 per page.

Group Study Rooms

A number of private rooms are available in the library for study groups of two or more people. Some rooms may be reserved for a two hour period with renewals if no other group is waiting. Sign-up sheets are located at the circulation desk. Study rooms are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

LIBRARY LOCATIONS

Materials in the library are distributed over five floors.  Maps are posted throughout the library and are available on the law library's web page at http://www.slaw.neu.edu/library/floormap.htm.  The general organizational scheme is as follows: