This subject has been brought up at a very appropriate time for us at
Memphis State University Law Library. The Student Government Assoc. of
MSU has just passed a proposal that undergraduates and especially the MSU
paralegals be allowed to use and have borrowing privileges from our
library. It is obvious that they know nothing about our procedures, their
proposals are for totally different checkout time periods and for fines
(which we don't charge).
We currently only check out treatises and periodicals to law students and
faculty, and local attorneys. There are now 5 paralegal programs around
the Memphis and we are becoming deluged with "others" wanting to use our
library, even tho' they know they can't check out any books. We have no
type of security system, although we are supposed to have the right to check
backbacks, etc upon departure. We really do not have an accurate way to
tell if our books are walking out of here. To begin to check out would be
good in a way, but from past history, undergraduates do not have a good
track record of returning books to us. I believe that checkout to under-
graduates would be horrifying!
We do provide support and reference help for these people and we have 5
photocopy machines for anyone to use. We treat the paralegals like our
law students, and give them as much help as we can. We feel that to open
our library(for check out privileges) would be like opening a Pandora's
Box of problems.
We are a state college and do provide open access for use to the public.
We have a small gov't. depository collection and make it available to
everyone. But in circulating the books, we just hesitate.
Any ideas?
Thanks, Liz Glankler
Memphis State University
Law Library
bitnet%"glankler@memstvx1"
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : 03/07/00 PST