Fall 2020 Law Library Update
The Loyola Law Library is looking forward to returning to serve our students this fall semester with several Covid-19 response changes.
The Law Library plans to be open 7 days a week, but with hours slightly reduced from past semesters to allow for more flexible staffing schedules. The current fall semester schedule is for the Law Library to be open Monday through Thursday 8 am - 10 pm and Friday through Sunday 9 am - 5 pm. Library faculty and staff will be regularly canvasing the library to determine if hours should be adjusted in this Covid-19 environment.
The use of the Law Library will be restricted to Loyola students, faculty, and staff. Others such as children, friends, partners, alumni, and pro se patrons are not permitted per Loyola campus restrictions.
The Law Library will have approximately 200 socially spaced study locations available for use. Students may attend Zoom classes and feel free to talk in class on all floors of the law library. All enclosed rooms will be restricted to the capacity listed on the door. Spaces in both computer labs and the future Center for Environmental Law (206L) are being transformed into socially spaced study areas. Facial covering use in the library will match the requirements of the law school building. Due to the facial covering requirement consuming food in the library is no longer allowed. Library faculty and staff will provide a warning to those not complying with University standards; those who continue to not comply will be referred to the Dean’s Suite. The room that was the student lounge last year is currently being used as a staff office as we are distancing Loyola employees and there is no refrigerator use in the Law Library until Phase 4.
The Law Library will continue to provide at least one course reserve textbook or e-book alternative for each class. If the library has multiple copies of a course reserve textbook that physical book may be checked out for a 3-day period. If the library only has one copy we ask that you provide the library with the selection you need and the library will scan and email that selection to you. For all scanned requests we will do it as quickly as possible but ask that you not wait until the last minute to make these requests. Due to copyright restrictions, we are not able to scan all materials for student use, but we will certainly work with students to maximize the Fair Use exception.
If you are in LCIVL 705-51, LCIVL 706-51, LCIVL 707-1, LCIVL 710-2, L 715-all sections, L840, or L837 the library is able to provide e-textbooks for all students. Additionally, e-versions of the Louisiana Precis’ series and the Louisiana Civil Code Pocket Edition are available through the LexisNexis Digital Library. We will also be providing the WestAcademic Study Aid library for all law students. You should receive an email regarding utilizing these new resources on August 20th if not before.
The Law Library has greatly reduced the number of computers in “computer labs”. This was planned pre-COVID and works well with our current situation. The Law Library has implemented a new printing system (and new printers) that allows students to print from their own devices, some of you may have utilized this in the Spring as we were testing the printing capabilities. Printers will be stationed on all 3 floors of the law library with instructions on how to print to them nearby. There will be a cap on “free printing” this year but the cap will be consistent with other law school’s caps and high enough few users will be affected. If a user reaches the cap they may purchase further prints at the standard copier/printer rate of .05/page. The computers that do remain will be cleaned multiple times a day per IT standards.
The Law Library will continue to provide reference and Interlibrary Loan services. Reference will be done either by Zoom, e-mail, or at a six-foot distance.
The Law Library will continue to have past exams available through the Law Library website, however, the past exams in print are no longer available. If you find you desire a past exam for your course and it does not exist please ask your professor as the Law Library can only provide past exams that professors have cleared to be used for this purpose.
Check-out periods have been adjusted for our current circumstances. Course Reserve materials that we have multiple copies of will have a 3-day checkout, Study Aid reserve materials will have a 7-day checkout, and books in the library stacks available for checkout will be due at the end of the semester. Returned materials will undergo a 4-day quarantine period before being returned to circulation. Items such as expo markers and headphones will no longer be available for checkout. Coffee sales have been suspended until further notice.
Finally, any items that were checked out in the spring semester when Loyola went to distance learning should be returned and no fines will be associated with those returns. If you choose to keep the item the Law Library will seek replacement costs.
The Law Library is implementing as many best practices as possible but much is unproven; we ask for your grace as the Law Library returns to support you and your education. These policies may be changed if circumstances require. If you have further inquiries or suggestions feel free to contact me at bcbarnes@loyno.edu.