Finding and Retrieving Materials on Campus: Books on Campus

Locating Books using the MLaw Catalog

• The Michigan Law Library primarily collects scholarly works in legal fields.
• Search the MLaw Catalog to find books in print.
  • Search by keyword, title, author, or subject
• Treatise Finder is another tool to locate relevant legal materials.
  • Find major legal works both in a general context and with a Michigan focus
  • Books are organized by Subject
• The "Location" information in the Catalog tells you in what part of the Library the book is located.
  • Smith, Journals, Retro, or Ref Coll are in the Underground Library.
    • Patrons can retrieve these books off the shelves themselves if they wish.
  • Stacks or Annex will need to be retrieved by Library staff. 
  • Closed Reserve or Reserve are located behind the Information Desk. 
    • Patrons cannot reserve these books.

Book Delivery

• MLaw patrons can check out much of our collection to take out of the building.
  • This includes books on Closed Reserve and monographs.
  • Non-MLaw patrons cannot take any materials out of the Underground Library.
• Certain materials cannot be taken out of the building.
  • This rule applies to print periodicals, continuing treatises, codes, and other types of materials.
• Retrieving Books
  • Most items in the Catalog include a "Request" button. MLaw students can use this button to request delivery of a physical book.
  • For a scan of a small portion of the book, use the yellow "Request a Scan" button
    • Within the limitations of copyright. 
• Delivery
  • MLaw students and other patrons may have books delivered to the hold shelf behind the Information Desk.
• Non-MLaw patrons must have a legal research need and obtain a pass from the Information Desk in order to use the Law Library collection.

Locating Books using U-M Library Search

• The U-M Library Catalog, accessed through U-M Library Search, is a comprehensive collection of works in non-legal fields. 
  • The Law Library works with the University Libraries in collection development to ensure coverage of important materials and to minimize unnecessary redundancies.
• Search U-M Library Search by keyword, title, author, or academic discipline.
• Using the Advanced Search feature, limit searches to a particular library (e.g., Flint Thompson Library or Bentley Historical Library) or a particular location (e.g., Askwith Media Library or Art, Architecture & Engineering).

Book Delivery

• Eligible items in U-M Library Search each have a "Get This" button, which leads to four options
  • Self-Service
    • Find the item in the library yourself
    • This option is not always available (e.g., patrons cannot retrieve items themselves from Buhr Remote Shelving)
  • Library-to-Library
    • Have the item available at the circulation desk of a number of U-M libraries (including those where the book is not shelved)
    • The Law Library is not an option
  • Delivery
    • Set up a preferred delivery location in your U-M ILL account (MLaw students also have a Law Library ILL account)
    • Only MLaw students, faculty, and staff, U-M faculty, and U-M Regents may set the Law Library as their preferred site
      • Items delivered to Smith may be picked up at the Circulation Desk
  • Scanning
    • Have a small portion of a book scanned and emailed to you (within the limitations of copyright)
• Only MLaw students, faculty, and staff, U-M faculty, and U-M Regents may return U-M Library books at the Law Library Circulation Desk. 
  • Others must return U-M Library books to the appropriate library.
  • The Law Library does not guarantee that books will be returned by a certain date and is not responsible for past-due books.

WorldCat and Interlibrary Loan

• If you cannot find a book in either U-M Library Search or the MLaw Catalog, find which libraries have it using WorldCat.
  • WorldCat is a union catalog that provides access to catalog records of thousands of libraries worldwide.
  • Use the bibliographic information about material found on WorldCat to place an Interlibrary Loan Request.
  • See the decision tree below to determine when and how to place an ILL request.
• Interlibrary Loan (ILL)
  • MLaw students can access their ILL accounts through the "My Accounts" tab on the Law Library homepage or using the MLaw link below.
  • Non-MLaw students at U-M can access their ILL accounts through the University Library homepage or using the U-M link below.
  • For patrons outside the U-M community, contact your home library (public, university, or other) for information on how to place an ILL request
• Note: U-M students on the Ann Arbor campus must use ILL to retrieve books from the UM-Dearborn Mardigian Library.
  • Books from the UM-Flint Thompson Library can be obtained using the methods described above, under Other Campus Libraries.

  Call us at 734-764-9324

 Text us at 734-329-5606

 Tweet @ us!

  Email us at askalawlibrarian@umich.edu. Emails are answered by Librarians during standard business hours, Monday-Friday. Patrons may expect a response within 1-2 business days for most emails.

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

  Visit us at the Information Desk on Sub-1 for immediate in-person assistance. Open 8 am - midnight, Sunday-Thursday, and 8am - 10pm, Friday-Saturday*

The chat service is available to all of our patrons but is designed to meet the legal research needs of U-M students, staff, and faculty.

Chat is monitored from 1-6 pm Monday-Wednesday and 1-5 pm Thursday-Friday on days when class is in session.

*Excluding University holidays and semester breaks--check library hours for more information. The Building and library are available to law school community ONLY after 6 pm, and are closed to all but law school community on home football Saturdays.