Library Policies for Faculty
I. Circulation - Su Johnson
The majority of the library's collection is available for faculty to check out. While there is no specific date when the materials are due, faculty are expected to return them to the Circulation desk when they are no longer needed so that the checkout record may be cleared from our files. Periodicals and loose-leaf services you check out should remain in your office so they can be readily available to other patrons upon request. (We reserve the right to enter your office when you are absent to retrieve items needed by other patrons. Library materials should be kept visible if at all possible to make retrieval easier for library staff).
Because of the high demand, reference materials, reserve materials and codes should not be checked out to faculty offices for any extended period of time.
All library materials taken to your office or out of the building must be checked out at the Circulation desk.
Law faculty have two separate library accounts for checking out materials: one for the law library which uses your last name as a barcode, and one for the other libraries on campus which pulls your KUID number from the stripe on your KU card. As a result, you must have your KU card with you to check out materials from these other libraries, but at the law library circulation desk, simply identify yourself as law faculty, tell the circulation attendant your last name, and materials will be checked out to you for an indefinite period of time.
If you are unable to locate an item that you need, you may fill out a SEARCH card at the Circulation Desk. If the item cannot be located by library staff, you may request it through Interlibrary Services. In either event, you will be notified when the item is available.
II. E-Reserve and Reserve Collection - Su Johnson
The Reserve Collection consists of frequently used library materials: examinations, articles, books, etc. placed on Reserve at the request of faculty members and various items that require higher security than the regular collection affords. The Reserve Collection is housed within the Circulation Department. General patrons may check out reserve materials for four hours.
Following are the basics for placing items on reserve:
If possible, please provide the library with the following for items you are placing on reserve: one copy for non-copyrighted materials (generally old or sample tests) and three copies for copyrighted materials. Non-copyrighted items may be submitted electronically if you wish. Non-copyrighted materials will be processed and uploaded to Blackboard.
- Please identify each item for reserve with your name, the name of the class, and a title by which you will refer to the item in class.
- If submitting a hard copy, please number all pages so that they may be easily restored to the proper order. Circulation staff will attempt to keep items in order as time allows. However, we suggest that you examine your materials occasionally to ensure their proper arrangement and completeness. Instructors must supply replacements.
- Photocopies placed on reserve are considered the property of the instructor. The library cannot be responsible for damage or loss. We suggest that you make a back-up copy of any item placed on reserve.
- Reserve requests must be received at least 24 hours before they are needed by students. Requests received by the library on weekends and holidays will be processed on the next Monday through Friday working day. Please be aware that everything on reserve has to be processed before it is available for check-out (i.e. records created, folders labeled, items scanned or barcoded, etc.)
- PLEASE DON'T TELL YOUR STUDENTS THAT YOU HAVE PLACED SOMETHING ON RESERVE BEFORE THE LIBRARY RECEIVES A COPY!
- The best way to determine which personal materials you have on reserve is to consult your reserve list(s) via the Libraries' Online Catalog (http://catalog.lib.ku.edu). Click on the Course Reserve tab on the catalog home page and select the instructor name and/or course from the dropdown lists.
- Anytime you have questions regarding reserve materials, please call me at 864-9263. I always welcome suggestions of ways we can serve you better!
III. Routing Serials - Jeff Montgomery
If a faculty member wishes to see new serials shortly after the library receives them, a request for routing should be placed with the Serials Manager. We ask that you forward each item promptly to the next person on the routing list. Routings are due back in Serials in one week. Serials duplicated by Rice Room copies are not routed.
IV. New Acquisitions - Su Johnson
New books acquired by the library can be located using the library's online catalog. (Go to the law library's home page at www.law.ku.edu/library and click on "Library catalog"). There you can click on the "New Items" tab. Enter search terms, limit to the Law Library and the catalog will return a list of items recently added to our collection.
Additionally, around the beginning of each month, you will receive a link to materials acquired during the previous month. It will include titles, authors, call numbers and a link to the online catalog record for each item, as well as cover art when available. Requests may be submitted for any items that interest you.
The items you request will be checked out to you and delivered to your mailbox. Newly acquired titles are displayed on a bookcase next to the Circulation counter.
The library wishes to accommodate all reasonable faculty requests to acquire new materials for the collections. These requests may relate to your specific current research needs, your general areas of interest, and other titles that you think would benefit the law school. Please send your requests to your Primary Library Contact person or Chris Steadham.
V. Purchase of Books: Both PDA and for Library
A faculty member may use PDA funds to purchase scholarly and professional books if the Library orders and purchases the books. Although the Law School owns the books, a faculty member may retain the books in her or his office as long as the person is a member of the faculty. These books will not show up on the public access side of the online catalog. Public users cannot recall the books or check them out. To track the process of your book order, contact Gale Troth.
Suggestions for new additions for the library collection should also be made to Chris Steadham.
VI. Primary Library Contact Service - Blake Wilson
The law library offers a Primary Library Contact Service (PLCS). Each faculty member has a "Primary Library Contact" (PLC) that she or he is assigned to assist them with general library services, reference queries and research needs. The service is intended to provide each faculty member with one individual from the library to contact via telephone, e-mail or in person for any service that a faculty member seeks from the Library. Faculty members can send the research assistants directly to their PLC. They should receive updates from the PLC concerning pending research projects or inquiries.
VII. Research Services/Reference Room - Blake Wilson
Minor research requests should be directed to your Primary Library Contact. Major research requests should be directed to Faculty Services Senior Researcher Ashly Basgall. Ashly and the student Research Assistants she supervises conduct in-depth research for the faculty, including preliminary research for writing projects or classes, assistance with updating treatises, and interdisciplinary research for various purposes.
In addition to services provided by your primary library contact the library also has a reference librarian on duty most of the hours the library is open during the semester. Please feel free to use the reference desk if you have an immediate need for help in finding information. The phone number for the reference desk is 864.9250. You may also e-mail your query to lawref@ku.edu.
The reference collection on the second floor contains a number of frequently used sets, including Martindale-Hubbell, Current Law Index, Index to Legal Periodicals, and Shepard's. In addition to the reference collection, it also "houses" a number of electronic bibliographic tools. These include the online catalog, Hein-Online, the Wilson Index to Legal Periodicals, and more.
VIII. Instruction Services and Vendor Relations - Blake Wilson & Chris Steadham
In addition to teaching advanced legal research courses, the law librarians are available to do guest lectures in your classes. This is especially appropriate for clinics or courses involving papers. We train the students to use the specialized materials available in the library and on the internet. Please contact your primary library contact, Blake Wilson or Chris for more information. Blake also assists faculty with Westlaw and Lexis issues; passwords, TWEN or set-up of clip services.
IX. Microforms - Pam Tull
Microfilms, microfiche and a reader are located along the wall near Room 410. Significant holdings include U.S. Supreme Court Records and Briefs, the Congressional Record (1873-1970), C.F.R. (since 1939), the Federal Register (since 1936), state session laws (since 1980). A reader/printer is located in the Reference Area on the 2nd floor.
X. Government Documents - Pam Tull
The law library is a selective depository for United States government documents. Documents are arranged according to the SuDoc Classification system. Some of the library's documents have been integrated into the library's main collection. Most may be accessed through the public catalog.
Please note that the University of Kansas is also a regional depository for government documents. The Documents Department of the University Library located at Anschutz, contains a much larger collection of government documents than that in the law library and is also a depository for UN and EEC materials.
XI. Computer Research from Faculty Offices - Blake Wilson
Several databases are accessible through your personal computer in your office. The Internet, Hein Online, Westlaw, Lexis/Nexis, and the KU Library catalog, are the most frequently used online services.
General information about the Law School is available on the school's web page at http://www.law.ku.edu . This web site includes a faculty/staff directory, admissions information, class schedules, law school publications, financial aid, job listings, and other law school information. The Law Library's web page at http://www.law.ku.edu/library/ provides easy access to the wide variety of legal information sites on the World Wide Web. Federal legislation and court opinions, legal forms, data banks, and state government information for all 50 states are just a few of the links available from the library web pages.
Several options are available to you for personalizing the menu on your office computer for efficient Web use. The browser can be set up to default to the Law School's or Law Library home page. For assistance, consult Blake Wilson who will gladly assist you.
XII. Information Technology - Blake Wilson
Support for submission of papers and articles to SSRN, Selected Works, BEPRESS or other electronic publishing services is coordinated by Blake Wilson.
XIII. Document Delivery & Interlibrary Loan Services - Pam Tull
The Document Delivery/Interlibrary Loan Department can secure books and articles that are not available in the KU libraries. Please fill out the interlibrary loan form at the Circulation Desk or online at http://www.law.ku.edu/library/ill/illrequest.shtml. Materials will be delivered to your mailbox. Articles from journals held by other campus libraries can be requested electronically through Document Delivery at https://illiad.lib.ku.edu/KKU/.
The KU-ID enables faculty members to borrow materials from any of the libraries in the University of Kansas system. You may request books from other KU Libraries through the Retrieve from Shelf service, available in the Online Catalog. Click the "Recalls and Requests" button and follow the instructions. The books will be sent to our library for you.