photocopiers & fax | computers | av materials | stacks | study carrels | source cite areas | lost and found
With the completion of four years of renovation projects in September 1999, the Law Library once again fully occupies its space within the Sterling Law Buildings. The Class of 1964 Reading Room on the third floor of the law building provides plentiful reading areas and computer research workstations in a spacious environment, while the stack areas on the fourth and fifth floors (L4 and L5) have additional study space and offer spectacular views of the Reading Room. Below the main floor of the law building are two levels of library space (L1 and L2) that house the student computer lab and classroom, the Paskus-Danziger Rare Book Room, microform and audio-visual rooms, and stacks for international legal materials. The lowest level (L1) connects with a two-story annex under Beinecke Plaza (Upper East Side and Lower East Side) with extensive stack space for periodicals, state and foreign legal material, and supporting collections in history and the social sciences.
There are two entrances to the Law Library—one on the third floor at the top of the main staircase, and the other one level below the main hall at the bottom of the main staircase. The third-floor entrance leads into the main Reading Room and the upper stack levels (L4 and L5). The lower entrance gives access to computer and library space (L1 and L2) and leads to the Upper East Side (UES) and the Lower East Side (LES). A Library elevator (the one nearer the staircase) connects all levels of the library within the law building.
While many of the materials that have been stored offsite during the renovation project have been returned to the Law Library, there are still a number of books (mostly foreign law) that remain offsite. As the year progresses, some material will be transferred to the university's new Library Shelving Facility (LSF). Requests for this material can be initiated directly in MORRIS, the Law Library's online catalog.
Restrooms
UES Single unisex restroom located near the staircase leading to the LES.
L2 Separate men's and women's rooms located behind the computer classroom.
RR Third floor outside the Library. Men's on Grove Street side, Women's on Wall Street side. Electronic key access necessary.
L4 Separate men's and women's rooms. North end of floor.
L5 Separate men's and women's rooms. North end of floor.
All restrooms are handicapped accessible.
There are five public photocopiers. Two are located at the Grove Street end of the main Reading Room. Others are located behind the elevator shaft on L4 of the stacks, on the UES, and on the LES. All machines contain 8-1/2 x 11 inch paper and 8-1/2 x 14 inch paper. The machines have the ability to reduce and enlarge copies.
Cost: Copies cost 15 cents per page if using cash. Copy Cards: There are vending machines located in the area of the copy machines in the Reading Room and on the UES. A card may be purchased by inserting $1.00 into the encoder. A card is dispensed with $.60 on it. The cost of buying the card is $.40. Value may be added to a card by inserting a $1, $5 or $10 bill, at which time the cost of a copy is 10 cents. Directions for use of the vendacard machines are posted on the machines. Copy cards purchased at the Law Library are good for use at all libraries on campus. Change: There is a change machine on the Upper East Side, near the copy machine.
Problems should be reported to the staff at the circulation desk.
A variety of computing facilities are available in the Law Library. Workstations in the main Reading Room and on all stack levels, available to all library users, permit searching library catalogs and access to the Web for research. The computer lab and classroom just inside the lower entrance to the library (L2), limited by individual log-in to law students, offer word processing and e-mail access in addition to Web and library catalog searching. The computer classroom is available for law student use when not scheduled for instruction.
Electrical and network connections for laptop computers are available throughout the main Reading Room and in carrels in the stack levels (L4 and L5). A limited number of laptops are available for loan to law students at the Circulation Desk on a first-come first-served basis for short-term use (two hours); two laptops may be borrowed for up to five days. Laptops must be returned 30 minutes before the Circulation Desk closes.
Home-access PPP software, enabling dial-up access to e-mail and the Web, is available to law students for overnight loan from the Circulation Desk.
The computer services department occupies a suite of offices behind the computer classroom on L2. This department establishes e-mail and dial-up accounts for each law student. The staff is also available to assist students with questions concerning computer hardware and software.
The library has a small collection of law-related video and audio materials. A room for viewing is available near the Microform Room on L2. See the Reference Staff for assistance.
There are 5 levels of stacks in the law library.
L1 is where the Foreign and International collection is located.
The East Side is accessible by exiting the elevator on L1 and walking through the Foreign and International Collection and through another corridor. At the end of the corridor is the Upper East Side (UES) and to the left is a staircase leading to the Lower East Side (LES).
L3 is the Reading Room.
L4 and L5 are accessible by the stairs near the Reading Room book monitor and the elevator.
Stack guides are available at the Reference and Circulation Desks as to locations of the various classifications.
Compact Shelving Guide
The shelving system, used in all the stacks in the lower portions of the library, is called compact shelving because a minimum of floor space is used to house a great number of books. The stacks move left and right on a track installed in the floor. The large cranks at the end of each range can be turned either clockwise or counter-clockwise to allow access to the books in a given range. It is not necessary to move one range at a time. A group of ranges can be moved in tandem, and will glide easily on the track. To move the shelving, follow these instructions:
Remember, the locking mechanism must be in the 'out' position to keep the shelves from being closed by someone else while you are inside!
The Library has study carrels for all second- and third-year J.D. students, as well as for LL.M. and J.S.D. students. Carrels are assigned in the fall, according to preference as much as possible, through the Library Administrative Office in Room 300. First-year J.D. students have open table seating in the Reading Room on the third floor of the Library and scattered seating throughout the rest of the Library.
Items of clothing, books, papers, notebooks and the like found in the Law Library will be held at the circulation desk for one week. After that time, all items will be taken to Building Services. Items of value, such as jewelry and wrist watches, will be turned in to Building Services immediately.
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