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Law Library COVID-19 Response: Access During COVID-19

This guide contains information about remote resources for University of Michigan Law Students during the University's Covid-19 Protocols.

Check the status of our spaces, resources, and services as we continually adapt during the pandemic.

Below, you will find the most up-to-date information about the law library and its space and resources as we adapt to the current situation.

Library Access During COVID-19

Check the status of library buildings, and learn about our approach to reentry and how to get updates.

Michigan Law Community
  • The Law Library will be open during the Winter 2021 semester Monday - Friday, from 8 a.m. until 7 p.m.
  • The underground Law Library will be closed on Weekends (Saturdays and Sundays).
  • The library is accessible only to Law students, faculty, and staff. To enter, law students must:
Guest Access
  • Building access is limited to only Law students, faculty, and staff.
Seat Reservations
  • The Reading Room and Underground Library have been reserved for students to use as study spaces and are available only by reservation through LibCal. Michigan Law students may log in to reserve a seat for a total of up to 4 hours per day across all law school locations. To learn more and make a reservation, visit http://reservations.law.umich.edu.
  • Click here to view a map of seat locations in the Underground Library.
  • All Michigan Law students must show their confirmation email at the entrance station to enter the Underground Library.
  • If you have questions about the seat reservation system, please contact: Jenny Rickard.

Course Materials During COVID-19

Find course materials online and learn about purchasing your course texts.

  1. You can find selected Course Reserves by professor and course through the law library catalog. If a professor has shared the first few weeks assignments with us and asked it to be listed in their course reserves, you will find PDF scans of the materials there. 
  2. Many professors have worked to make the materials available on their Canvas sites.
  3. The law school hosts a First Day Reading Assignments page where some professors post the assignments. In some cases, the professors have chosen to scan the entire reading to make available; in others they merely post the page numbers of the reading assignment. 

Research Help During COVID-19

Get the help you need from our Ask a Law Librarian service, offering expert legal research advice from our librarians

photo of law library reading toom

This guide was created by Michigan Law Librarians.

  Email us at askalawlibrarian@umich.edu. Emails are answered by Librarians between 9AM and 6PM, Monday-Friday

  Consult with us. Schedule an appointment to meet with a Reference Librarian.

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text message icon Text us at 734-329-5606

 Chat with us.

 

 

The Ask A Law Librarian chat service is available to all of our patrons, but is designed to meet the legal research needs of UM students, staff, and faculty.

Chat is monitored from 2-5PM on days when class is in session.

Borrowing and Access to Collections During COVID-19

Maximize your access to our online resources and learn how to request things that aren’t available online.

Digital Resources

 

Contactless Delivery

The Law Library is a non-circulating library (books are for use in-building only). However, it is possible for Michigan Law students to view books in the library building (underground).

To request an item from our library:

  1. Find the book in the library catalog, then use the "Request" button at the top of the catalog record for the book. You will be prompted to log in if you have not already done so.
  2. Once that book has been pulled by our staff, we will be in touch when the book is available to arrange delivery to a carrel in the library.
  3. You will be given a link to reserve the carrel for a period of time to review the book.
  4. When you have reviewed the book, you will have the option to request scans of portions of it online using the "Request Scan" button also found in the catalog record. As long as it does not violate copyright we will be able to assist in scanning. 

 

Scanning: 

Scanning services are also available to the Michigan Law community, including students, faculty and staff.

  1. To request a scan of an item in the law library:
    1. Find the book in the library catalog, then use the "Request a Scan" button. You will be prompted to log in if you have not already done so.
    2. Provide as much detail as possible about the portions you would like scanned.
    3. Note that we are limited by U.S. Copyright law, so be judicious in your request. Our staff will contact you if the request exceeds the limits.
  2. To scan an item yourself:
    1. There are scanners located in several locations in the library for a self-service option, including several xerox photocopier/scanners and an overhead KIC scanner.
    2. The overhead KIC scanner will be available by reservation only for up to 90 minutes at a time.

 

Interlibrary Loan (ILL)

If you would like to borrow an item or request a scan of an item that is not held in the law library or another campus library, Michigan Law Students may submit and ILL request.  PLEASE NOTE: ILL cannot yet borrow physical items (print books, etc.) from other libraries, but we will endeavor to request a scan of items. Additionally, we cannot obtain copies of casebooks and other course materials via ILL.

  1. From the main library homepage, select "My ILL Account" from the dropdown under "My Accounts" in the top navigation bar.
  2. You will be prompted to log in with your uniquename and UMID number.
  3. Choose the appropriate "New Request" option from the lefthand menu, and provide as much citation information as you have before submitting your request.
  4. Our staff will be in touch when the item arrives and email a link to the item.