This newsletter is to provide a brief introduction to the Library and answers to the most frequently asked questions during the first week of the semester.  Please consult your librarian for further clarification or answers to other questions.

            The circulation desk and, right in front of it, reference desk areas are the most convenient places to get information which ranges from, "Have you seen Kim this morning?  We are supposed to meet here for a study session."  To "Professor Smith said to read the article he put on reserve here yesterday."  Answers will vary, of course, but here are two examples:  "Yes, Kim said to meet her in the first Study room on the third floor."  And, "No, we have not received that item yet.  Check again after your next class."  Ordinarily though, the circulation desk assistant will check out books, videos and audio tapes, check in material and, yes, collect fines.

            In general, most material in the library can be checked out.  The exceptions are multi-volume sets, looseleaf publications, and ready reference material.  Depending on the format:  books can be checked out for two weeks, video and audio tapes for three days, reserve books and articles for three hours (in library use only). Fines are:  $ .50 the first hour, $1.00 each hour thereafter; videos, audios and CDs, $1.00 for the first day, $2.00 each day thereafter; books, $ .25 per day.  "I left the book at home, but I'll get it back after next weekend for sure," does not wipe out the fine, nor will any other excuses.  All lost items will be assessed replacement charges.  If the fine is not paid in a timely manner, the charge is automatically sent to the business office.  So, please make sure your account is current.

            The reserve collection has many titles that are great for follow up reading or clarification of a topic.  Of particular interest are the hornbooks, casebooks and study aids such as the Black Letter Series.  The Nutshell Series of legal topics provides a broad overview and is most helpful as background reading.  The Black Letter Series lays out the groundwork of many of the basic subjects of the law in a precise, easy to follow test.  The Hornbooks supply ample cases that illustrate points of law encountered during class lectures.

            Also found on the second floor of the library are the computer lab and the general microform collection.  There are one large and one small group study rooms available on a first-come first-serve basis on the second floor.  Study rooms are designed for use by multiple students so if you are alone and a group comes to use the room please allow them to use it and move to a study carrel or table. Do not use the rooms as a home away from home.  Any items left unattended will be removed.

            Should those group study rooms be occupied, try the third floor of the library where three more rooms are available on the East side of the library.  The third floor also houses legal matter arranged according to the Library of Congress Classification System, our Government Documents Collection including microfiche and print, and state materials from Alabama to Wyoming. The third floor is designated as a quiet floor and talking should be kept to a bare minimum.

            The first floor of the library is strictly designed for individual study space, furnished with network drops to access all the electronic resources available to our students.  This floor also holds the international and British collections as well as our legal journals.  For those of you who need some diversion from the heavy study schedule, check out the Callen Collection:  Rows and rows of escape reading from history to mystery (mysteries). The first floor is designated as a quiet floor and talking should be kept to a bare minimum. Additionally, no food or drinks in any type of container are tolerated on the first floor. If a library staff or faculty member catches you with food or drink on the first floor we reserve the right to take and dispose of it immediately.

Computers in the Library

            The Law School's computer lab is part of the Law Library. To access the lab, take a left just past the circulation desk. In the lab you will find 20 computers for student use. In addition to the computers, the student printer, Westlaw and Lexis Printers, and even a typewriter are available in the lab.

            In order to access the lab computers, you will have to have your Novell username and password. The computers are tied to a piece of software called PCounter. PCounter is used to track individual printing usage. Every student receives a per semester credit of $50.00 to their printing account. This translates to 500 pages at $.10 per page. If you exceed the 500 page limit, the software will continue to allow you to print, but will add the charges to your account. At the end of each semester, all printing charges are sent to the business office for payment.

            In addition to the lab computers there are a few other computers in the library. There are two public access terminals by the windows on the second floor. Students are asked to not use these computers unless the lab is full. In addition, these machines are logged in using a public access account. Please DO NOT log them out and log in under your own username. On the third floor of the library there is a machine in the government documents section. This machine is reserved for access to government documents materials. There are also (or will be shortly) 3 OPACs in the library, one on each floor. These are terminals set up to access MICAL, our library catalog. They have no available functions except to access the online catalog.

            There are to be no food, drinks, or tobacco products in the computer lab. Also, if there are ANY problems with the computers or printers in the library, please bring them to someone's attention. DO NOT try to fix them yourself, and please don't just walk away.

Interlibrary Loans

            This book is perfect for my project...but why don't we have it in the library?  Well, we try to do our best.  Sometimes it just isn't cost effective to get books that may never be used.  So, when we don't have the materials, books or journals, you need..ILL to the rescue.

            The InterLibrary Loan program has access to literally millions of titles that are located in libraries in the United States, Canada, Great Britain, and Australia.  As a general rule allow at least fourteen days for delivery, more when the item is located in another country.  Success for an Interlibrary Loan request is based on several factors.  Monographs, pamphlets, journal articles and newspaper items are more readily available than items from multi-volume sets, looseleaf publications and dissertations.  Libraries will not supply sound and video productions, microforms, manuscripts, reference and reserve books, or special collection books.

            Here are the steps to obtain a book from another library.  Fill our an Interlibrary Loan request, available at circulation or reference desk, and take to Room 324, third floor of the library.  The sign says Cataloguing Office.  Karin Den Bleyker will check the international database and discuss options with you.  Her hours are 7:30 a.m.  -  3:00 p.m.  After hours, please leave your request at the reference desk on the second floor, or e-mail the information to dbleyker@mc.edu.  Recheck all information before you hand in your request.  That is especially important for e-mail requests, because they will be processed the next morning.  Once the material arrives at the library, you will be contacted via e-mail, phone call, or note in your mail box, mark your preference, and you can pick up the item at the circulation desk.  If the lending library charges for the loan, you are required to pay the fee.  Again, you specify on the request form how much you are willing to pay.  Handle the material with care and return the item on time, so that we may save our borrowing privileges for another request.  And if you think it won't be noticed, think again.  There are libraries who have lost their borrowing privileges with us because of mistreatment of books.