Students should visit the Law Library website for extensive information about the law library and resources for students: www.law.ggu.edu/law-library.
The law library operates on two floors of the west side of 536 Mission Street. The entrance to the library is on the first floor street level. Students must make sure the electronic eye takes their student ID barcode information, so the gate will open. The law library is then one floor below the entrance level. There are three sets of stairs and one elevator for access to the Plaza and Basement levels where the law library is situated. Students are expected to remain quiet while using the stairs or other common areas within the law library.
The law library has a collection of more than 300,000 volumes as well as access to a number of online subscription services. The library also houses a computer lab and an extensive microform collection. The knowledgeable staff is available to help law students understand legal research methods, answer specific questions, and carry out the tasks necessary to keep the law library operating efficiently.
Contact information:
Fall and Spring Semester Hours:
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Monday through Thursday
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7:30 am to 10:30 pm |
| Friday |
7:30 am to 9 pm |
| Saturday |
10:00 am to 7 pm |
| Sunday |
11:00 am to 6:00 pm |
The schedule is abbreviated during holidays, semester breaks, and summer.
All variations are posted. |
Access Policy
The law library serves law students, faculty, and alumni. In 1984, a limited access policy was instituted, which allows the law library to ensure that our law students and faculty receive the service and space they need, while accommodating a reasonable number of local attorneys through a fee-based membership program. Golden Gate University undergraduate and graduate students may also use the law library. Because the law library is a government depository, members of the public who need to use government documents must be admitted.
A Golden Gate University identification card is required to enter the law library. Be sure to carry your student ID card at all times.
Circulation Desk/Course Reserve
Library staff and student workers are available at the desk to check books in and out of the library, answer directional questions, sign out course reserve materials, and accept requests for inter-library loans. The law library does not purchase or maintain a collection of course textbooks.
Information and Research Assistance
Reference desk librarians assist with legal research and answer informational questions. The reference and Open Reserves collections are near the reference desk.
Reference librarians are generally available and can be reached by telephone, email, chat, and in person. Reference conferences can be arranged by appointment.
Open Reserve Area
Hornbooks, Nutshells, loose-leaf resources, and other high-use items are in the Open Reserve Area, near the reference desk. Materials are placed in Open Reserve to give as many students as possible access to items most in demand. Most materials are available for use only in the law library. Twenty-four hour loans are available for selected items.
Exams On File
Essay exams with examples of model answers are located on the plaza level in the library. They also are available on our website http://law.ggu.edu/law-library.
Microforms
Microforms are in Basement Room B-2. All materials are listed in the online catalog and marked “MICRO.” A “Microform Finder,” located near the cabinets, pinpoints the cabinet drawer where the title is stored. Use the reader-printers to make copies.
Government Documents
The law library is a depository for selected California and federal government documents. In exchange for receiving these materials free of charge, the library provides access to members of the public.
Interlibrary Loans/Access to Other Libraries
Items not available in our collection may be borrowed through interlibrary loan. For more information, ask at the circulation or reference desk. The law library has reciprocal access arrangements for Golden Gate law students with two other law libraries in the Bay Area. For more information, contact a reference librarian.
On-Line Catalog
Search the online catalog to find the location of resources in the law library collection. http://library.ggu.edu
Computer Lab
The computer lab is available to currently enrolled Golden Gate University students for research and school-related purposes. Programs available on these machines include word processing, spreadsheets, LexisNexis, Westlaw, BloombergBNA, and other legal online services, as well as access to the Internet. Printing is $0.13 per side of the page. As only currently registered GGU students may use the labs; students may be asked to show their photo IDs while using the computers. Plug-in and wireless network access is available throughout the law library.
For wireless laptop set up instructions, see http://www.ggu.edu/help/wireless.
Computer-Assisted Legal Research
LexisNexis, Westlaw, and Bloomberg Law access is available to law students. Students will be given their individual access codes during orientation. These are valuable, and their use is restricted to educational purposes only. It is each student’s responsibility to register their access codes and maintain their accounts throughout their law school careers. The contract with these companies is managed by the law library. If any problems arise, please see one of the reference librarians.
Computer-Assisted Legal Instruction (CALI)
CALI interactive exercises cover most legal topics. These exercises can be accessed at www.cali.org. Contact a reference librarian with any questions.
Re-Shelving
Books should be returned to their proper shelves after use so that other patrons do not waste time searching for them.
Photocopies
Photocopy machines are located on all floors of the law library. Copies cost 13 cents. Copy cards can be purchased only through the card dispenser, which is located on the first floor, near the Open Reserves. The card dispenser accepts $1 or $5 bills; please use a one-dollar bill to purchase your first copy/print card.
Circulation Policy and Fines
Students must have a valid Golden Gate University identity card in order to borrow books. Since law libraries are primarily reference collections, only a small percentage of the collection can be checked out. Circulation desk staff is able to answer questions about which items may leave the library.
Circulating (non-reserve) materials are available for two-week loans. Students may renew loans twice, if no one else has requested the items and if they are not overdue. If an item is not returned by its due date, a fine of $5 per item will be assessed. If a bill is mailed, an additional $5 processing fee for each item is levied, together with the replacement cost of each item or $50 per item, whichever is higher. For returned items, only the applicable fines will be assessed. Students will be subject to an additional $10 fine and processing fee per item for every week that the item is overdue.
Possible consequences for failing to return items or pay fines include: loss of law library borrowing privileges or blocked grade reports, transcripts, registration, or graduation.
Any patron may use the open reserve materials in the law library. Some open reserve materials are available for 24-hour loan to Golden Gate law students and faculty; these materials are clearly labeled. Overdue material is subject to a $5 fine for the first hour and $1 per hour thereafter, plus service and replacement charges, if not returned.
Course reserve materials may be checked out at the circulation desk for two hours; these are renewable if no one else has requested the material. Course reserve materials may be removed from the building, but must be returned on time. Patrons with overdue items will be fined $5 for the first hour and $1 per hour thereafter for each overdue item. A course reserve item not returned is also subject to added service charges plus $50, or the cost of replacing the item, whichever is greater.
Group Study Rooms
Ten group study rooms are available, four in the basement and six on the plaza level of the law library, for GGU student use only. Keys to these rooms may be checked out at the circulation desk for two hours at a time. Renewals are possible if no other students are waiting for a room. These keys may not leave the law library and are subject to the same fines as reserve materials. During busy periods, there must be at least two students in a room. Baggage left unattended in an unoccupied study room will be removed. Although food is now allowed in the law library, including the group study rooms, food is not permitted that, by odor, sound, or debris, disturbs others.
Cell Phones
Cell phone use is not permitted in the law library. It is expected that library patrons will set their cell phones to silent alert. If a cell phone call needs to be taken or made, the student must do so outside the library in order to avoid disturbing others. Texting, however, is permitted and encouraged.
Food
Food and beverages are permitted in the law library. Any carrying, unwrapping, ingestion, digestion, and disposal of refuse must be done in a manner that does not disturb or offend other library patrons or staff. Patrons must take out what they bring in. Crinkling wrappers, crunchy food consumption, or any food odors may result in ejection from the law library.
Smoking
Smoking is prohibited in the law library. “Smoking” includes, but is not limited to, the use of electronically operated vapor devices, e-cigarettes, or vaping.
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