Here's my two-cents worth on this library access topic. (gee, it
started as such a simple question...)
As a non-autonomous law library we are not allowed to restrict access
and the university encourages "the community" to use the libraries.
Our only restrictions are to limit the computer lab and study
rooms to law students. Our study rooms cause so much trouble that we
have to keep them locked, law students can check out a key at the circ.
desk. We have a room reservation system during exam study periods.
As for undergraduate assignments in the law library, we have developed
a policy of going after the faculty giving the assignments to allow
us to visit their class and do a bibliographic instruction session before
the students are let loose in here. This was especially critical when
Business Law became a required course for undergraduate business majors.
If you don't have the staff for in-person bib. instr. then I suggest
developing library leaflets that describe where the materials needed are
located and how to use them. We have a good one on locating case citations
but when you are talking about writing a term paper, i.e. an objective
legal memorandum, you can't really cover it in a handout.
Paralegal students are a much more complex problem. Frequently the instructor
will bring down the entire class for a tour. This is fine if they make
arrangements ahead of time, but often they just show up and demand one.
So we are going to implement a new new policy of charging to give tours
to paralegal classes, as these are always non-university people. We haven't
figured out the exact amount yet, but it will be based on one hour of a
librarian's time. If the program doesn't want to pay for a tour, say $50
or so, then we won't give a tour. This may increase another problem:
The other problem with paralegal courses is when the instructor brings in
the entire class, takes over a corner of the library and starts teaching.
We haven't figured out how to deal with this yet, but it can be quite
disruptive. If anyone has a suggestion on this I would love to hear it.
Heather Braithwaite Simmons
Wayne State University Law Library
Detroit, MI
HSIMMON@WAYNEST1.bitnet
(313) 577-6173
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