Cataloging Legal MaterialsCataloging Legal Materials

By By

Melissa BednarzMelissa Bednarz

How is the Law Library How is the Law Library different different

from other libraries? from other libraries?

The patron?The patron?

The material?The material?

The academic library contains The academic library contains materialsmaterials

designed for use by legal designed for use by legal professionals professionals

such as lawyers, paralegals and such as lawyers, paralegals and scholars.scholars.

Besides academic, what other Besides academic, what other kinds of law libraries exist?kinds of law libraries exist?

Public law librariesPublic law libraries

Typically these are found in Typically these are found in government settings. Government government settings. Government officials use the library to provide officials use the library to provide legal governance to their legal governance to their constituents. constituents.

Court LibrariesCourt Libraries

Used by judges and court personnel Used by judges and court personnel

Private Private

Owned by law firms.Owned by law firms.

Materials found in a private law Materials found in a private law library are based on the type of library are based on the type of practice the law firm provides.practice the law firm provides.

Elderlaw, Personal Injury, Estate, etc.Elderlaw, Personal Injury, Estate, etc.

AcademicAcademic

No matter whether law library, No matter whether law library, graduate library or any other type graduate library or any other type of academic library, the main of academic library, the main purpose of the library is to meet purpose of the library is to meet the needs of the students, satisfy the needs of the students, satisfy the demands of the curriculum, the demands of the curriculum, and facilitate the education of the and facilitate the education of the students. It must support the students. It must support the teaching, research, and service teaching, research, and service objectives of the school.objectives of the school.

Let’s focus on the academic libraryLet’s focus on the academic library

A law school maintains a law library A law school maintains a law library that is an active and responsive force that is an active and responsive force in the educational life of the law in the educational life of the law school. A library’s effective support of school. A library’s effective support of the school’s teaching, research and the school’s teaching, research and service programs requires a direct, service programs requires a direct, continuing, and informed relationship continuing, and informed relationship with the faculty, students, and the with the faculty, students, and the administration of the law school.administration of the law school.

The ABAThe ABA

What’s that?What’s that?

The American Bar The American Bar Association ensures that Association ensures that

that each library measures that each library measures up to the standards put up to the standards put forth by the Assocationforth by the Assocation

What standards?What standards?

A CORE collection consisting of:A CORE collection consisting of: All reported federal court decisions All reported federal court decisions

and reported decisions of the highest and reported decisions of the highest appellate court of each state.appellate court of each state.

All federal codes and session laws.All federal codes and session laws. At least one current annotated code At least one current annotated code

for each statefor each state

All published treaties and international All published treaties and international agreements of the United Statesagreements of the United States

All published regulations of the federal All published regulations of the federal government and the codified government and the codified regulations of the state in which law regulations of the state in which law school is located.school is located.

Federal and state administrative Federal and state administrative decisions appropriate to the programs decisions appropriate to the programs of the law school.of the law school.

Significant secondary works Significant secondary works necessary to support the programs of necessary to support the programs of the law schoolthe law school

Lastly, tools such as citators and Lastly, tools such as citators and periodical indexes necessary to periodical indexes necessary to identify primary and secondary legal identify primary and secondary legal information and update primary legal information and update primary legal information.information.

How are these standards enforced?How are these standards enforced?

Site evaluations are conducted every Site evaluations are conducted every 7 years or when special 7 years or when special circumstances warrant.circumstances warrant.

Legal ResourcesLegal Resources

Constitutions:Constitutions: Basic principles and laws of a nation, Basic principles and laws of a nation,

state or social group that determine state or social group that determine the powers and duties of the the powers and duties of the government and guarantee certain government and guarantee certain rights to the people in it.rights to the people in it.

Statutes:Statutes:

Bills that have been passed by Bills that have been passed by legislative bodies.legislative bodies.

Administrative Law:Administrative Law:

Rules, regulations and decisionsRules, regulations and decisions

Judicial LawJudicial Law

Court CasesCourt Cases

Reporters:Reporters:

Court reports publish the opinions Court reports publish the opinions and decisions handed down by the and decisions handed down by the courts.courts.

The opinion explains the judges’ The opinion explains the judges’ reasoning for their decision.reasoning for their decision.

Secondary SourcesSecondary Sources

Law reviews:Law reviews:

Publishes articles by practitioners, Publishes articles by practitioners, professors, and students in all areas professors, and students in all areas of law.of law.

Legal encyclopedias:Legal encyclopedias:

Contains overviews of specific areas Contains overviews of specific areas of law in the U.S. It serves as an of law in the U.S. It serves as an introduction and as a case and introduction and as a case and statute finder.statute finder.

Treatises:Treatises:

Present the law in a given field ( a Present the law in a given field ( a narrow look at a particular topic of narrow look at a particular topic of issue)issue)

Digests:Digests:

Are subject indexes to the opinions Are subject indexes to the opinions handed down by the courts (case handed down by the courts (case law). They provide names of cases, law). They provide names of cases, summaries of the cases which are summaries of the cases which are known as abstracts, and the citation known as abstracts, and the citation to the reporter.to the reporter.

Advance SheetsAdvance Sheets

Official reports of the Supreme Official reports of the Supreme Judicial Court AND the Appeals Court.Judicial Court AND the Appeals Court.

Released PRIOR to the bound volumeReleased PRIOR to the bound volume

Pocket parts and supplementary Pocket parts and supplementary pamphletspamphlets

Accompanies frequently updated Accompanies frequently updated materials.materials.

Loose-leaf servicesLoose-leaf services

The primary role of a legal loose-leaf The primary role of a legal loose-leaf is near instantaneous comment on is near instantaneous comment on current legal developments.current legal developments.

LC ClassificationLC Classification

All laws and legal materials are All laws and legal materials are classed under “K”classed under “K”

United States law is “KF”United States law is “KF”

With the 3With the 3rdrd letters designating a letters designating a particular state.particular state.

Alabama = .A2Alabama = .A2 New York = .N7New York = .N7