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Frequently Asked Questions & Suggestions

Suggestions

We definitely welcome your suggestions and questions. Is there a book you think we should buy? Do you have a question about our services? Please feel free to email us at bll@law.upenn.edu.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you help me if the book I need is not on the shelf?
Can I take a reserve book out overnight?
Can I renew my books online?
How can I get a book on interlibrary loan?
How do I get a study room?
What resources are available to non-law students?
I am not a Penn Law student. Can I use Westlaw or Lexis?
Can members of the alumni, local attorneys, and others from outside the university use the library?
I am not a Penn Law student and want to know if I can use the computers in the library.
Can you help me with a source hunt question?
As a Penn Law student can I use the other libraries at Penn and the libraries at Drexel?
If the title is not in LOLA (or Franklin), what do I do?
Does the law library have scanners and/or a fax machine?
I’m looking for a quiet space to study. Where can I go?
I looked a book up in your catalog and it says “Lewis.” What does that mean?
I am having a problem with e-resources. What do I do?
What if I have more questions?

  Q. Can you help me if the book I need is not on the shelf?

Definitely. If you can’t find the book you need, please come to the circulation desk for help. We can search for the book for you, retrieve it from someone if it is checked out, or help you request it through interlibrary loan.

  Q. Can I take a reserve book out overnight?

During the day, you can check out books from the closed reserve section behind the circulation desk for two hour periods and you need to use the materials inside the library. You can also check out closed reserve materials an hour before the library closes for overnight use on the condition that the book is returned the next day within an hour after the library opens. Some course reserve materials can be checked out for longer periods, as determined by the faculty member.

  Q. Can I renew my books online?

Unless requested by another patron, books can be renewed on the library website. Go to the online catalog (LOLA), and login at the top right corner. You can also renew books by email (lawcirc@law.upenn.edu), telephone 215.898.7478image, or in person at the Circulation Desk.

  Q. How can I get a book on interlibrary loan?

A full description of our interlibrary loan services is available here.

  Q. How do I get a study room?

Normally study rooms are provided on a first come first served basis. During the Reading and Exam periods students can reserve group and individual study rooms in Biddle Law Library by using the Online Reservation Tool. You may reserve a single or double study room up to a week in advance for a maximum of four hours per day. Students are limited to a maximum of 16 reserved hours per week. This includes time reserved for group rooms. Please view our study room reservation guidelines and details.

  Q. What resources are available to non-law students?

Anyone with a University of Pennsylvania ID may check out library materials that circulate. (Not all of our books can be checked out.) Some databases we license can be used by any member of the University community while others are restricted to Penn law students and faculty or to people searching them from a Law Library terminal. If you questions about access, please ask a librarian who can determine the policy as well as help you identify alternative resources if necessary.

  Q. I am not a Penn Law student. Can I use Westlaw or Lexis?

Our contracts with both Westlaw and Lexis limit access to members of the Penn Law School community. However, many online electronic resources are available through other internet sites and databases including, for members of the University community, Lexis Academic. Please ask a librarian to help you identify a resource than is appropriate for you.

  Q. Can members of the alumni, local attorneys, and others from outside the university use the library?

Please see our access policies explaining who may use the library.

  Q. I am not a Penn Law student and want to know if I can use the computers in the library.

The library computer lab is available to Penn Law affiliates only. There are 2 terminals available for public use near the reference desk.

  Q. Can you help me with a source hunt question?

Of course! The library has an extensive list of resources for students working on journals and we encourage you to stop at the reference desk for any questions you may have.

  Q. As a Penn Law student can I use the other libraries at Penn and the libraries at Drexel?

You have full access to the University of Pennsylvania libraries and should consult Franklin for materials in other Penn libraries. You also have access to the Haggerty Library at Drexel.

  Q. If the title is not in LOLA (or Franklin), what do I do?

Ask a librarian for help, or see the page on interlibrary loan procedures to borrow the title from another library.

  Q. Does the law library have scanners and/or a fax machine?

Scanners and fax services are provided to the Penn Law community through computer printers/copiers located throughout the law school. These include the printers located in the library. For more information on scanning, faxing, and copy services, please contact ITS.

  Q. I’m looking for a quiet space to study. Where can I go?

The fourth and fifth floors of the law library are quiet study areas. Additionally, the reserve reading room on entrance floor of the library is also a quiet study space. Student s looking for a laptop-free zone away from clicking keyboards may study on the southeast corner of the fifth floor. Keep in mind that while the entrance level of the library is a popular study area, it is also located between the circulation and reference desks and the normal noise associated with the staff helping students and faculty.

  Q. I looked a book up in your catalog and it says “Lewis.” What does that mean?

Lewis is our storage facility in Silverman Hall. If you need a book from the Lewis collection, please ask for it at our circulation desk and we will retrieve it for you, usually the same day.

  Q. I am having a problem with e-resources. What do I do?

Please report the problem in How to Access E-Resources and a librarian will get back to you.

  Q. What if I have more questions?

Ask a librarian or send an email to bll@law.upenn.edu.