University of Utah : S.J. Quinney College of Law

Library Collections

Tags:library collections 

Finding Aids
Index tables located on the first floor contain indexes, digests, Shepard's Citations and other research tools. UNIS, a computerized catalog of all library materials, is available from all the terminals in the library to search the Quinney Law Library and Marriott Library collections. Use the instructional screens provided by the computer. Catalogs of other Utah academic libraries are available through the S.J.Quinney Law Library home page. Indexes to legal periodicals are available on all library public computer terminals through the Law Library web page. Book indexes to legal periodicals are available in the periodicals alcove in the southeast corner on the second floor.

A list of periodical publications and a vertical file of frequently requested books and loose-leaf services are located at the circulation desk.

Additional searching may be done by librarians who can refer to databases containing our library records and other libraries' catalogs including RLIN, OCLC, and other databases. Librarians may also consult our serials and documents records, which contain information on every issue received by the Law Library.

Book Collection
The library contains over 295,000 volumes and microform equivalents. All basic legal research tools are present. Practice materials are not, as a rule, actively acquired, although many are present in the collection. The collection is extensive or complete in codes, digests, reporters, encyclopedias, citators, and journals. Many areas of legal research are well developed in the monograph collection. Subject specialties exist in the areas of tax, public land, environmental and energy law. Reliance on other libraries' collections may be necessary in less frequently studied subjects, and purchases in some areas are made in cooperation with or with reference to the collections of other nearby libraries. Purchase request forms are available at the circulation and reference desks.

Government Documents
The law library is a partial depository of the Government Printing Office and receives about 20% of all documents made available to depository libraries by the federal government. Of special interest are sets of administrative rulings, federal regulations, and congressional reports, hearings, bills and debates. There are also publications of general interest from most federal agencies. Federal documents, along with indexes and finding aids, are located in the compact shelving on the northwest side of the first floor. The documents collection is designed to serve the needs of the greater community and public use and borrowing is encouraged. A more extensive depository collection is available on campus at the Marriott Library.

Microforms
Microforms constitute a major part of the collection, comprising about 90,000 volume equivalents. Many less used, but still, important works are on microfilm or microfiche such as collections of congressional bills and hearings, U. S. Supreme Court briefs, session laws of all the states, state attorney general opinions and bar journals. Microforms are housed in the first two rows of compact shelving immediately south of the reference room. Readers and a reader-printer are available in the reference room. Copies are $0.09 plus tax per page, payable at the Copy Center.

Non-Print Media
Limited collections of commercially produced videotapes and audiotapes, as well as professor course reserve videotapes, are available at the circulation desk. Videotapes are loaned for 24 hours, except professor course reserve videos which circulate for two hours. Audiotapes may be checked out for two weeks. Arrangments to use audio and video tape players may be made at the circulation desk.

Storage Books
Many older books are placed in a closed storage area. If a reference to such a book is found in the library catalog, please contact the circulation or reference desk and ask for the book to be retrieved.